Kathy Zimmerman Rocked!

Folks, if you weren’t there, you missed it.  Kathy Zimmerman rocked. 

I’m not much of a “theorist.”  I love practical discussions about how you can accomplish a task by following steps A, B, and C.  Kathy did not disappoint.  Her discussion on Thursday described the design process from the point she received the request for submissions through the life of the garment once it has been   She even discussed her start as developing a reputation as a samples knitter for several years before being invited to submit her own designs. 

I appreciate Kathy’s frankness about how she designs her garments to meet the needs of the editors.  For example, she knows which editors prefer or dislike certain finishes and design features, and she designs her submissions with those preferences in mind.  On a personal note, I appreciate Kathy’s love of worsted and bulky weight yarn.  The project moves so much faster with bigger yarn and gives slow knitters (like me) a needed sense of accomplishment much sooner.  And I suspect that she chooses the larger yarns exactly for that reason.  Well done!

While I was only able to attend two of Kathy’s classes, I found both of them inspiring.  The first class I attended was the slip-stitch sampler.  

I love the different combinations that you can create with the simple slip-stitch – who knew?  I don’t want to say I was inspired by the class, but I immediately went home and created this little beauty from Mason-Dixon Knitting:

 

The ballband dishcloth is a little distorted because my youngest got a hold of it, and we had a great game of “keep away.”  On a side note, the Peaches and Cream yarn holds up extremely well to extreme abuse.   

For my next class, I studied fringes, ruffles and scallops.  Again, her class did not disappoint.  What I found especially interesting is how knitting into the back loop is an integral part of these patterns to twist and tighten the stitches and to help the edgings keep their shapes. 

By the end of the day (not the end of the class – remember the slow knitter thing), I had the following edgings:

Someone noted that the fringe looked like the beginning to a pattern for a trauma bear.  I agreed, and a new pattern is in progress. 

 I’ll post the final product when I have it.

A big thank you to Kathy Zimmerman for all of her wisdom and inspiration!  We thoroughly enjoyed having you as our guest and teacher, and we hope you will come see us again. 

And, of course, thank you to everyone who made this event possible, including Kathleen, Eve, Marian, Betty, Ellen R., Joan, SEFAA and its members, and the entire AKG board.  It was an amazing weekend.

A Beary Special July Meeting

Happy Weekend Everyone!

July’s AKG meeting was awesome. The food was amazing (I’m still working off a few extra pounds). The company, of course, was fantastic.

I was surprised, and excited, by the evening’s activity – knit a sweater for a trauma bear. I have to admit that I have not exactly been an active participant in the Trauma Bear project for The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy. Bear patterns seemed a bit ambitious, especially since I am short on time and long on projects. Thursday’s bear sweater pattern may have turned me into a believer. We were all challenged to knit a Bear Sweater by the end of the evening. The pattern is the 25-row Beary Easy Sweater pattern written by Diana Rishel (OC Knitter). While I wasn’t able to finish the sweater during the meeting, I sat down and finished the sweater before bed on Friday. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

I absolutely can see this becoming a go-to pattern for days when I need a mindless and fast knitting project. And, if I get really ambitious, I may even try to convert the pattern in to a baby sweater pattern. Please send me pictures of your completed sweaters so that I can display them on the blog.

Congratulations to Susan D. who was the first to complete her sweater! And thank you to all of our vendors who donated yarn to the event: Blue Heron Yarns, Cast On Cottage, Interlacements, Lovin’ Knit, Needle Nook, GGH Cumba, Only Ewe & Cotton Too, Rare Purls, Sheepish, Thunder River Alpaca, Yarn Garden, and the Buffalo Wool Company.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Membership Renewal: Please complete your registration form and pay your dues ASAP to be included in this year’s directory.

Stitch and Pitch: What would summer be without the joys of the boys of summer? That's right - Stitch and Pitch with several Atlanta area guilds (including the AKG) at the Atlanta Braves is back. We are reserving space for Guild members and their companions to Stitch while the Braves Pitch (and if the Umps are blind, we may even complain in a rhyming way - wink wink, nudge nudge). The game is scheduled for 7:10 pm Saturday night, August 18, against the LA Dodgers, an "A" level team. We will be seated in the Club Pavilion, and the $40 ticket cost includes $10 in food and beverage credit. If you want to join us, please e-mail mailto:programs@atlantaknittingguild.org.

Superstar Workshop. Finally, do I need to remind you that Kathy Zimmerman is coming the first weekend in October? During her stay, she is teaching five fabulous classes: Knit to Fit, Finishing Finesse, Intro to Combining Lace and Cables, Slip-Stitch Sampler, and Ruffles, Frills and Edgings. The classes cost $40 each for members ($45 for non-members), and they are already half-full. Don’t miss this opportunity! Complete your registration form today! Have a great week!

Weekend with Gwen

We hope everyone had a great weekend taking classes with superstar Gwen Bortner! One of the comments over the weekend is that Gwen has the best handouts. I can't think of anyone to challenge her.

For many of us, the highlight was Saturday, when we got to learn advanced entrelac from the Entrelac Queen herself! We learned how to start with a provisional cast-on, and then work entrelac seamlessly in both directions. When we got to the flap, we learned how to work entrelac back and forth and how to shape. Clever!

A slightly larger than most card case, but you get the idea.

Don't forget, there will be an after-Gwen knit in at the SEFAA Center on Saturday 29 October from 1-4 PM. This will be a great chance for us to share and show off our new skills. There is a limit to how many seats are available, so please e-mail workshops@atlantaknittingguild.org if you are interested in attending. There is no charge for members, but non-members will be charged $2 at the door.

October Superstar

Of course, one of the great advantages of being in the guild is being able to take workshops with nationally-known knitting superstars at a budget-friendly price. Gwen Bortner, author of Entrée to Entrelac, will be at Atlanta Knitting Guild the first weekend of October. In addition to speaking at our Thursday 6 October meeting, Gwen will be teaching workshops all weekend. Here's the lineup:

Friday morning, 7 October 9 AM – noon
Start with the Finish in Mind
Many times what happens at the end is greatly influenced by what happened at the start. In the case of knitting, this is particularly true. Decisions we make starting with the cast on selection and on through the knitting of the project greatly influence the look of the final project. Start by learning the pros and cons of decisions we make in the knitting of a garment. Next, gain hands- on experience developing skills we typically associate with “finishing.” Finally, get answers on fixing problems “after it is too late.”

Friday, afternoon 1 – 4 PM
Sneaky Shaping with Short Rows
Knitted fabric has some wonderfully unique properties when it comes to garment creation. One of the best is the ability to create a three-dimensional fabric through the use of short rows. Short rows can be used in a variety of ways including sock heels, shoulder shaping, bust darts and even interesting stripes. Learn the basics of short rowing, practice techniques for minimizing any holes and explore the many options that short rows offer.

Saturday all day, 8 October 9 AM – 4 PM
Entrelac: Beyond the Basics
If you understand the basics of entrelac, have completed a project or two, and are ready to see what more the technique can offer, then this is the class for you. Learn alternative methods for starting entrelac including one that is completely invisible. Gain insights on creating a variety of shapes and forms with entrelac fabric. Explore the differences between entrelac worked flat and seamless entrelac. All the while, you’ll gain hands-on experience and create a small envelope style bag.

Sunday, 9 October 1 – 4 PM
Help and Tricks for the Intermediate Knitter
So you have some knitting under your belt and you have arrived at that nebulous level of intermediate. How do you move on from intermediate to advanced? Do you have questions but have never quite found the right class to ask them? Are you sure the advanced knitters know something you don’t? If so, this is the class for you. We will provide a variety of helps to help you take your knitting to the next level and along the way provide some tricks that you may not have thought of yet.

Friday and Sunday workshops are $30 each for members, or $35 each for non-members. The all day Saturday workshop is $60 for members and $70 for non-members. Remember, slots are filled on a first come basis, so be sure to sign up right away if you see something you want!

Sally Melville visit

From the e-mail in box, from Knitch:

We wanted to let you know about our latest visiting instructor! We're extremely excited to announce that Sally Melville, knitwear designer, teacher and author extraordinaire will be teaching at Knitch in May. Sally is an amazing teacher and these classes are already filling quickly. Here are the details:

Saturday, May 23rd - Knitting Essentials for the Self Taught Knitter
11:30AM - 6PM - 6 full hours of instruction!
If you only take one workshop this year, let this be the one! Most of us are self-taught. And no matter how advanced and accomplished we are, there are holes in our experience. Perhaps we rely upon the same cast-on, the same increase, the same decrease. Perhaps we are not confident of our seaming or are confounded by the instruction to pick up and knit 101 stitches around the neck edge . . . evenly! This workshop explores the best methods that we should all have in our repertoire and provides hands-on experience for each one. In addition, students will have the opportunity to ask questions about other knitting techniques. There is always room for the content of this class to be influenced by the students in the class.
SKILL LEVEL beginner, intermediate and beyond
Here's the link to reserve a spot.

Sunday, May 24th - Knit to Fit and Flatter - 10:30AM - 1:30PM - 3 hours of instruction
A knitter who spends the time and energy to make her own clothes should be rewarded with a result that makes her happy and proud. It should fit, it should flatter, and there should be no mystery as to how this happened. But sadly, and too often, this is not the result. Why? Because the knitter chooses the wrong pattern OR chooses the right pattern but follows the directions without questioning them OR makes the right garment but wears it with the wrong thing. There are a few simple rules to follow for successful knitting: start with styles that flatter, knit with appropriate decisions for a personalized fit, and then wear it with something that makes it look
wonderful! This workshop covers all these decisions and puts the power for successful results into your competent hands.
SKILL LEVEL: anyone!
Here's the link to reserve your spot.

Sunday, May 24th - Pattern Drafting, Beginner to Advanced 2:30PM - 5:30PM - 3 hours of instruction
Whether or not you will ever 'design your own,' pattern drafting is an important skill: it helps you understand what you are doing while following a pattern, it allows you to modify parts of a pattern as needed, and it makes you a more accomplished and intuitive knitter. In addition, you'll make garments that suit you, that fit, and that can be worn proudly! How wonderful is that! And what a way to honor your craft!
Here's the link to reserve a spot.

Some of you may remember that Sally taught workshops here for AKG in April 2006. At that time, she gave a talk on creativity at the guild meeting. That weekend she taught workshops on Basic Maneuvers, Stripes and Stripes That Aren't, First Choices/Basic Shapes, Learning to Love Intarsia, and Advanced Shaping. If you are interested in taking a workshop, there are many guild members who can tell you first hand about Sally Melville and what a wonderful instructor she is.

January superstar meeting

Our January meeting featured Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer of HeartStrings designs speaking to a crowd of more than 100 knitters! Jackie spoke for nearly an hour about smoke rings -- how to knit them, why to knit them, how to choose yarn, how to choose patterns, and just generally how to have fun! Since smoke rings generally take only a single skein of yarn, they can be great projects for luxury skeins. As they are worn around the head and neck, the softest yarns are especially well-suited. Jackie showed designs that included patterning throughout as well as some that were plain in the middle but with attractive patterns at each edge. The edges don't even need to match! Lace is popular for smoke rings and beads can also be added. Some smoke rings incorporate shaping so that they are wider where they lie on the shoulders and then narrow for the neck and head. Jackie also showed how to measure so that you get enough length to wear your smoke ring as a cowl. And she passed many, many samples around the room. Who knew there were so many great things to do with a smoke ring project?


Jackie also very kindly donated a Flared Smoke Ring kit as a door prize. As you can see, this project is lace throughout. The yarn is a baby alpaca, merino wool, and angora blend. The lucky name was drawn at the end of the meeting.

November Superstar

Our November superstar is Theresa Gaffey. Theresa has a reputation as a wonderful teacher. And the guild is able to offer her workshops at a very affordable price. Also, a number of these workshops are appropriate to advanced beginner and intermediate knitters. As it says on our home page, our guild welcomes "any knitting enthusiast regardless of skill level."

This link will take you to a listing of her patterns. Both Needle Nook and Knitting Emporium carry her patterns, so you can acquire them at your local yarn shop.

The classes include:
Designing with Colors, which will teach you how "to move beyond the colors shown in the sample garment."
Design a project, in which you will "learn the basics of designing a knit project" as the "workshop will offer you suggestions for translating your designs from a rough idea to your needles."
Sock Knitting, in which "you'll learn the basic shape of socks and the techniques you'll need for knitting your first pair. For more advanced knitters, Theresa will also discuss how to knit socks on various needles: double pointed needles, two circular, magic loop, or two-at-a-time socks."
All That Stash, in which you'll "find out how to mix yarns and put colors together, how to choose appropriate projects, and how to figure out how much yarn you'll need." In other words, how to stash-bust!

September Superstar

Our September meeting will feature Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer. Jackie is both a spinner and knitter. She is best known for her HeartStrings line of lace patterns. Jackie is the person you want to see when you have a beautiful multicolored hand-dyed lace yarn and you want to make something in which the lace pattern and the color changes will shine.

Over the course of the weekend, Jackie will be teaching five classes including: knitted lace edgings, multicolor lace knitting, tapestry knitted pillow, doll-sized Faroese shawl, and faux Ikat effects. Knitted lace edgings is an introduction to lace knitting. Multicolor lace knitting includes lace intarsia, good design with color and pattern, and how to hide ends. Tapestry knitting involves multiple yarns and several techniques for how to deal with more than one strand. The Faroese shawl is knit top-down in a doll size. It is a good way to learn the special construction elements of this shawl shape. Faux Ikat teaches how to control pooling effects in multicolored yarns.

If you'd like to see some samples of her work, you can follow these links:
HeartStrings knitting patterns
Jackie's blog
Or look up Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer on Ravelry.

And for those of you who would like to buy her patterns at one of our local Atlanta area shops:
Only Ewe and Cotton Too will have the patterns.
Yarn Grove is expecting HeartStrings patterns within a week.
The Knitting Emporium currently has numerous HeartStrings sock and lace patterns in stock.
The Whole Nine Yarns has several of her wonderful designs on their way!
Needle Nook will have about 10-12 different patterns.

I'll add here that our local shops have not only beautiful lace yarn but also some fabulous shawl pins. You may want to keep this in mind for the upcoming shop hop or for the holiday season.