LIKCG Minutes March 12 Meeting

World Wide Knitting In Public: Guild president Matty announced that June 13th is World Wide Knit in Public day.  In honor of this, we will be having a picnic in Eisenhower Park.  The Birches picnic grove has been reserved for the Guild.  The picnic area is in a central location, near the restrooms,  and miniature golf.  All are invited including family, friends, and children.  Bring your own knitting, food and beverages but please, no alcohol as it we did get the permit for it.  Further details to follow as the date approaches. 

Book Club: We are starting a 'Book Club'.  The first book we chose to discuss is 'The Friday Night Knitting Club'.  We are thinking of discussing it at our July meeting.  More details to follow. 

Welcome & Congratulations: We would like to welcome our newest members: Patty Coppola, Joan Doyle, Linda Gevarter, Laura Hyman, Janie Kaplan, Patricia M Rappaport, Mary Reardon, Dorothea Seidenstein and Stella Stamatiadi.  Joanne congratulated Angela on producing a wonderful edition of Knit Knotes.  Angela requested that if any member did not get the newsletter via e-mail or by USPS to please see her to provide the necessary information. 

Library: Karen J informed us that she brought the books which members had requested with her.  She also had some which she reviewed for members to borrow. 

Charity Knitting: It was announced that St. Christopher's in Glen Cove would welcome any knitted items.  The Guild received a Thank You letter from the veterans' home for the blankets which were donated. 

Show 'N Tell: As usual we had many beautiful things show.  Tracy showed off her colorful socks. Susan a baby sweater, hat and blanket.  Angela showed her pair of Evangeline cabled mitts that were in the newsletter.  Marlene, a cabled cardigan and shawl.  Ilene, a ruffled scarf.  Liz N, a colorful Noro belted cardigan.  Anjanette, a wide headband with button. 

Matty closed the meeting reporting that the nights attendance was approximately 90 members!  She then welcomed our guest presenter, Carla Scott from Vogue Knitting.  Carla proceeded to show us a slide show previewing the upcoming Vogue Knitting magazine.  After her presentation, she let us ooh and ahh over the samples that were knit for the magazines. She very kindly gave every member a copy of the Spring/Summer issue of Knit Simple and donated several books to our library.  It was a wonderful evening.

Respectfully submitted by Judith Lambert, Recording Secretary. 

A Look at the Library - February 2009

Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick, c. 2005, offers so much more than its title implies.  Although dedicated to Christmas, Hanukkah and Winter Solstice, this volume contains more than 50 projects that make for wonderful year round knitting and gift giving.  Only a few of the designs are actually holiday-specific, including: an ethnic fair isle/intarsia combination that results in an heirloom worthy tree skirt; an exquisite pillow, featuring a variety of decorative knitting stitches in the shape of a menorah, set against a reverse stockinette background; and a bobble laden adorable Santa Claus hat “brimming” with holiday spirit.  I love the book because the designs are rich in learning experiences for a variety of knitting techniques.  You will see bead embroidery embellishing feminine alpaca/silk gloves, modular techniques used to coordinate scarf to hat; a lace panel delineating the back seam of a pair of Victorian over-the-knee socks, and double knitting used to make an especially warm, reversible scarf.  This book is a keeper!

Last Minute Knitted Gifts, c. 2004, is written by Joelle Hoverson, shop owner of Purl, located in Soho New York.  This is a beautifully photographed collection that uses yarns carried in the store.  The shop, as well as the yarns required,  still exist and are readily available.  The projects are very cleverly arranged in chapters according to the number of hours estimated for completion.  So, thinking in terms of ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), if you have 0-2 hours of knitting time, think about some adorable angora booties; 2-4 hours will result in  Cascade 220 Leg Warmers; 4-6 hours for Blue Sky Alpaca Draw String Pouches; and some fabulous stuffed animals estimated to arrive in 6-8 hours!  Who said knitting can not be fit into our busy lives?

Knitting Never Felt Better, by Nicky Epstein, c. 2007, may just as aptly been titled “Felting Never Made Better Looking Knits”.  This book is rich with ideas that will take you and the felting process  to totally new levels and way beyond the hot water cycle on your washing machine. Here you will see how to apply the felting technique to lace work, stranded knitting, intarsia, textural stitches, mosaic knitting, drop stitch knitting, and those beloved cables.  In addition, the use of I-cords, beads and embroidery to embellish felted backgrounds is described and illustrated.  Who knew that laundering woolens could result in such creative designs! 

Sweater Design in Plain English, by Maggie Righetti, c. 1990, is a workhorse of a text, having survived 19 years in print and still proving itself to be a valuable source of information.  This volume guides the reader through the basics of understanding how various fibers behave; knitting for specific body types;  taking accurate measurements; choosing appropriate stitch patterns and colors; reviewing knitting techniques; and  calculating the arithmetic necessary to execute well fitting garments.  I enjoyed reading the book, page by page, rather than jumping “to the good parts”, because there is a lot to learn in each section.  The second part of the book uses particular sweater projects as examples of how to formulate a pattern.  Unfortunately, the designs are somewhat outdated but the principles and lessons are invaluable to those who hope to take that step toward designing original knitwear.

Jackets, by Jean Frost, c. 2003 is an XRX publication that I thoroughly enjoyed leafing through. Although the book contains mainly designs for jackets in the Chanel style, many stitch patterns are provided for creating interesting fabrics as well as edge details such as borders and slits.  So, even if you don’t go for Coco’s classic, tailored look, consider applying some of these luscious woven textural fabrics and applied details to more unstructured silhouettes.  I know I plan to!  

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Any member of the Guild who is interested in borrowing any one of the 10 books reviewed to date, may e-mail us at liknitcrochetguild.gmail.com.  

A Look at the Library - Book Review

The following was submitted by our new librarian, Karen J.
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A Look at the Library

Each month I will review five books to familiarize and encourage our members to utilize the LIKCG library. I will bring those books to the next monthly meeting so they will be available to you. If you have any special requests, please do not hesitate to contact me, Karen J, at liknitcrochetguild@gmail.com

____________________________________________________________________ Greetings From Knit Café, by Suzan Mischer, c. 2006, is the product of a young woman who is living out many of our own fantasies. That is, she left her stressful high power job as an executive at CBS to raise her children in Los Angeles. She soon became an avid knitter, honing her skills in a local Starbucks coffee shop after dropping her children off at school in the mornings. Like many of us, she dreamed of opening a yarn store for knitters to congregate and relax, complete with soothing beverages, good food, music, books and an eclectic mix of her own favorite yarns. The store opened in 2002 and welcomes knitters 7 days/week.

This book is a compilation of 30 projects that run the gamut from a yarmulke to a 28" X 70" pom pom awning! The book is quite entertaining to read as well as a bit off centered. If you are looking for staple projects this would not be my first choice; however, if you wish to surprise yourself or delight a friend with a computer keyboard cover, a bikini or a red carpet gown, look no further!___________________________________________________________________ Knitorama, by Rachael Matthews, c. 2005, is a collection of some of the zaniest projects I have ever seen and believe it or not, many of them are actually quite functional! Among the projects are cotton dishcloths, which can be washed and bleached repeatedly, are a great way to experiment with a variety of stitch patterns, and as stated in the book, are a way to “feel proud as you leave it draped and drying over the taps”. Fried Egg Ear Muffs (theirs are sunny side up) are crocheted and merely slip over your auricles. That’s pretty zany, right? In addition, there are shoelaces, duster gloves, apple protectors, sponge covers, booties to cover the ends of the drumsticks of your Thanksgiving turkeys and brassieres to choose from.

The projects that intrigued me the most are the knitted pastries, chocolate cake and ham sandwich which all look quite realistic and are sure to be conversation pieces, albeit lacking nutritional content! On a more serious note, the first part of this book contains much information on how to distinguish yarn content using a flame test, how to decipher the symbols on a yarn band as well as several ways to thread the yarn through your fingers to achieve optimal knitting tension. ____________________________________________________________________
Lion Brand Yarn: Just Socks, c. 2007, is a compact book containing both knit as well as crochet sock patterns. It is organized from simplest to more complex and utilizes the readily available yarns by Lion Brand.

At first I thought mainly beginner sock knitters would be best served by this publication. The patterns mostly call for yarns of heavier gauge than the traditional sock/fingering weight types. Upon closer look however, I realized that knitters of many skill levels might like the lovely Chevron Lace Socks, Striped Footsies (for those gals who wear tennis sneakers), and the Toeless Pedicure Sock. These would make special gifts for the friends and daughters in your life. I look forward to trying the Norwegian Style Footed Slippers which feature a variety of gorgeous fair isle patterns with only three colors to juggle. Thanks again to Lion Brand Yarns!____________________________________________________________________ 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders, edited by Judith Durant, c. 2007, is a book I have seen many times in bookstores as well as local craft outlets and I have always passed on purchasing it. Having to peruse it more carefully today, I see now that I really did not “get” what makes this volume unique and worth reading. The problem I had was that all the projects are pictured (3-4 per page) within the first 32 pages. You really need to study these photographs carefully to determine if you would want to knit an item because you don’t get any second looks or additional views of the projects before turning to pages 33 - 256 of printed instructions. However, once you decide, as I did, that you love the Christening Shawl, 3 Seasons Lace Vest, Rhea Lace Stole, Dogwood Blossom Wrap, Ruffled Neck Warmer, Horseshoe Messenger Bag, Cable Mittens, Cabled Baglet, and Cross Stitch Scarf, you will head for the chapters which, by the way, are organized by yarn gauge. Now that’s unique!____________________________________________________________________ Yarnplay, by Lisa Shobhana Mason, c. 2006, is a well organized book containing an introduction that discusses yarns, needles, and tools. The projects follow and are organized according to items for the household, clothing accessories, sweaters, vests and tank tops. The photographs are beautiful, plentiful and especially informative because they depict a variety of angles and details for each of the projects in this volume. The author is very specific about the yarns she chose for each project. So, if your stash happens to contain some very well known brands including Rowan, Araucania, Filatura di Crosa, Lorna’s Laces, South West Trading Company, Artyarns or Noro, you are in luck!____________________________________________________________________

LIKCG Minutes 01/08/09

Matty opened the meeting by welcoming new member: Lily Weir.

Board Vacancies:

At our last meeting a request was made for a Program Chair, and to date there have been no volunteers from the membership. In view of this, Meryle has volunteered. The floor was opened for other volunteers/nominations, No volunteers came forward thus Meryle was nominated, seconded and voted in as our new Program Chair. Her position as Librarian is vacant and volunteers were requested. Karen Joelson volunteered, was nominated, seconded and voted in as our new Librarian. Congratulations & thanks to Meryle & Karen!

Future Meetings: Important Reminder- February meeting will be Thurs. Feb. 19th (the 3rd Thurs of the month) since the Clubhouse is closed for Lincoln's Birthday. Vogue Editor Carla Scott is our guest for the March 12th meeting. Jack from Lion Brand Yarn is scheduled to be our guest for the June 11.


Matty reminded members to sign up to bring refreshments for upcoming meetings.


Knit Knotes: Matty apologized to the membership for the delay in the January newsletter, and hoped those with email got the meeting reminder in time.

Communications: If a meeting has to be canceled, the board will try to contact members, but members should contact the Clubhouse at 516 898-4650 for closure information. Angela has set up a new email for the Guild-- liknitcrochetguild@gmail.com. Also a reminder of our Blog & Ravelry sites where notices can be found: http://www.likcg.blogspot.com/ and on Ravelry you will find our “Forum” at http://www.ravelry.com/

Meeting Plans: There was an extensive discussion and request for ideas from and interest of the membership for upcoming meetings. Possibilities are: “knit along” with everyone working on the same project, ie. cable blocks, socks, sweater, etc., book discussions, and yarn shop reviews. Eileen mentioned a shop in Valley Stream is interested in doing a presentation, Llama farm owner, workshops or mini-classes. 2009 has been declared Year of Natural Fiber, so we will have programs with that in mind. Sheets were passed around to get an idea of members' interest in participating in the above or other activities.

Warm-up Knit: Liz had announcement for Warm-Up Care to Knit http://www.caretoknit.org/ Saturday 1/7/09 at 10am at Harbor Fields Library in Greenlawn. Squares will be knit.

Matty halted the business meeting for our delicious PotLuck Dinner after which we resumed for Show & Tell. Thank-you to our members who voluntarily stepped in to help set up the tables with the abundance of wonderful food, and also with clean-up after. Despite the cold night, our attendance was approx. 41, and the dinner was a huge success-Excellent Food!!!

Show & Tell: Susan-Cotton cardigan, Sandy- Icarus lace shawl (interweave press pattern), Sue K -Fair Isle sweater with hand lining, Liz-Cabled hoodie, Linda-Checked mohair sweater, Marlene-Vest (her own design), Tracy-Extra long striped scarf, Meryle-Entrelec felted bag with leather handles, Judy-Luna moth shawl (elann.com pattern), Marian-Potato chip scarf, Marian & Tracy-Entrelec shawls (works in progress), Matty-One sock, the mate is on needles. As always these handcrafted items were beautiful showing much care, creativity and talent.



The meeting was closed by Matty.

Refreshment Reminder for the February 19th Meeting
Beverages: Anjanette Cooper & Meryle Greenberg
Snacks: Sue Klingener & Judy Lambert

Green Knit Knotes Thank You


Thanks to the 55 members that as of January 13th signed up to get the Knit Knotes via email. This will save the Guild $23.00 monthly and $276.00 annually on postage alone (and this does not take into consideration the USPO postage increase of Feb, 09). This extra money can be spent on programs, supplement to Day Of Learning & Charity Dinner, Books or however needed.


Respectfully submitted by Judith Lambert, Recording Secretary.

LIKCG Minutes 12/11/08

The meeting was called to order by Matty.

The first order of business was to inform the members of a meeting cancellation policy. Members can call the clubhouse for cancellation information: 516-868-4650. The board will have a "Call chain" in order to notify members.

Charity Donations: All members with charity donations were asked to give them to the appropriate people. We have knitted approx 80 scarves for the Special Olympics.

Treasurer's Report: Barbara stated that to date, we have 70 paid members. Dues will be $20.00 until 12/31/08, and $25.00 beginning 1/1/09. There is presently $1690.00 in the treasury.

Board Vacancies: Unfortunately Eileen our Newsletter Editor and Jeanmarie our Program Chair have informed us that they will have to step down.

For Newsletter editor, Karen Sharp has volunteered, it was opened to the membership to see if there any others who would like to volunteer for the position. There were no volunteers, thus Karen was nominated, seconded, and voted in as our new Newsletter Editor. Congratulations!

The position of Program Chair was opened to the membership and there were no volunteers. Matty asked that members please think about the position and it will again be brought up at our next meeting. Denise Liebenstein (pardon if your name is incorrect) said that she could help with the mailing if needed.

Greeter/Check-in: We need someone to greet and check-in members/guests, and collect dues at the door. Crystal and Marion volunteered to share this responsibility. Thanks!!!

Potluck Social: Our next meeting on Jan 8, 2009 will start the new year with a Potluck Social!! Please sign up to bring your contribution to our dinner. If you are/were unable to sign up, just bring something on the 8th and enjoy the gathering. Also, please sign up bring refreshments for future meetings. Both sheets will be passed around.

Show & Tell: Lucy-Poncho, Tracy-Striped child's sweater & striped hat, Linda-Sweater & scarf, Joanne-Crochet lap blanket, Joyce- Shawl, Matty-Ribbed cap in Irish colors, Anjanette: SuperChunky vest. All of the projects are works that should make their owners very proud!!!

Matty closed the business meeting and introduced Barbara Kerr who presented :"A-Z of Knitting Tips and Techniques". www.barbarakerrknits.com

Respectfully submitted, Judith Lambert, Recording Secretary

LIKCG MINUTES 11/13/08

LIKCG MINUTES 11/13/08

Beth opened the meeting with a request for a guild member who would volunteer to do a short presentation to a Christian Women's group on a Tues at 11:30am. She would talk about the Guild, it's mission, projects, events, etc, and possibly show some of our knitted items. There would be no payment, but lunch is included. Beth thinks it is at the Washington Inn in Roslyn. If interested, contact Beth for information.

Programs:

Dec TBA

Jan 8th -Pot Luck Dinner A sign-up sheet was available for members to list their contributions. As we know, we cook as well as we knit!!

Bus to Webs: Gloria has contacted a bus company re cost. Meryle gave a presentation on Webs Yarn Outlet and Bead Outlet in Northampton MA. The ride is 3hrs each way, and 6 hrs at the stores. With 55 people (members & nonmembers) the cost would be approx $25.00 per person. The date: 12/27, the Sat after Christmas. A sheet was passed around to determine the interest in such a trip and a notice was put up in Ravelry. Please leave a comment here if you are interested.

Library Books: Meryle requested that books be returned after 1 month of use, as there are members waiting for specific books.

BLOG & RAVELRY: Our Blog is online for all to visit: http://www.likcg.blogspot.com/ If there are any members who choose NOT to have their photos posted on the Blog (ie internet), please advise Meryle, Anjanette or Angela M. Also a reminder of the Ravelry site where we have a forum with updates and information: http://www.ravelry.com/. If you are not familiar with Ravelry, you must request to become a member (it's free). Just go to the site, and leave the information requested. There is about a 5-6 day waiting period.

Membership: Dues for 2009 is payable thru 12/31/08 for $20.00. Beginning 1/2/09 the dues will be $25.00. We are trying to be a little “greener” and save a few trees so please note on the membership form to check the box if you want to get a hard copy in the mail rather than the Knit Knotes via email.

Refreshments: Please sign up to bring, snacks or beverages for future meetings.

Want to make $: Eileen got a request from Megan that she is willing to pay knitters to knit Christmas stockings. This year is short notice, but she needs knitter(s) for next year. If interested, leave a comment requesting contact information.

Show & Tell:

Alice-kids hat with “glow in dark stripes & Bad to the Bones Children's sweaters.

Angela M-Elann Chunky Highland Wool Shawl with Celtic cables (free pattern can be found on www.elann.com).

Leslie- Lap blanket & herringbone bag.

Sue C & Meryle- mitered square vest & diagonal vests with Noro yarn.

Joanne-crochet fingerless mitts.

Paula-Crochet hooded baby sweater.

Marge-Christmas stocking.

Judy- Swirl Shawl & Swallowtail Shawl.

Beth-Scarf with complimentary yarn from GC Stitches (Thanks to Matty & G C Stitches).

Beth closed the business meeting by introducing the program presented by Frederikka Payne of Aurora Yarns & Andrea of Seaport Yarns. http://www.aurorayarns.net/ http://www.seaportyarns.com/
Respectfully submitted, Judith Lambert Recording Secretary

Special Olympic Scarves!!

Congratulations to all the LIKCG members and friends that have participated in making scarves for the Special Olympics. The guild has collected over 50+ scarves and more to come. . .

The guild will be collecting scarves until the last December meeting, so that they can be shipped in time for the Special Olympics. So if you have any scarves that need to be finished,. . . let's get them done!! Stay tuned for our final count of scarves. . .