D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0

Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia

President’s Message: Hello from AllisonDearest Knitters, I have been thinking a lot about what to say in this “letter from the president.” I have been through a whole big pile of ideas on the road to the final draft of this first note from me to you. Finally I am settled, and so here goes. I love knitters! I think knitters are what draw me to knitting. If some of you liked cooking more than knitting I bet I would cook! But thank goodness for our craft. It has brought us all together to experience one another and learn from each other. Walking into a guild meeting is sort of like walking into a yarn store filled with different types of yarn. Many yarns will surprise you when you work with them a while and watch them transform into truly

continued on page 3

Dec. 6 MeetingMeet and Greet, 7 p.m.

Business Meeting, 7:15 p.m.Program will be

Holiday Party.We meet the first Monday of the

month (except for holidays) at The Lynnhaven House,

Colonial Education Center, 4409 Wishart Road, Virginia

Beach.

Check tkgv.blogspot.com to confirm the meeting date. We may use the lot of the church next door as overflow parking. Questions? Please email us at

tkgv1@yahoo.com.The newly elected TKGV officers were installed during the November meeting. From left, President Allison Hunt, Treasurer Kathy Brown, Secretary Katie Gerwien and Vice President Trink Dahl-Prince.

M e m b e r B i r t h d a y s T h i s M o n t h

Mark Your CalendarsGuild meetings start with Meet and Greet at 7 p.m., followed by the Business Meeting at 7:15 p.m.

Dec. 6 Meeting – Holiday Party, with a voluntary Pollyanna gift exchange and voluntary potluck. Gifts should be wrapped, knitting-related and valued up to $15. The Guild will provide beverages and paper products for the potluck. Members with last names starting with A-L will bring appetizers and members with last names starting with M-Z will bring desserts. And, don’t forget to bring your hats for the Caps for Kids Contest.

Jan. 2011 Meeting – Program: What’s in Sue’s Closet (or Store)? by Sue Von Ohlsen of The Knitting Corner.

May 7-8, 2011 – Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Information at www.sheepandwool.org.

Please email Trink Dahl-Prince at trinkdp55@yahoo.com if you have suggestions for programs to present at the monthly meetings. All ideas happily accepted.

2

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your new treasurer. I look forward to a fun year with TKGV.  Annual dues of $20 were due in November. If you paid, I will have a blue 2010-2011 name tag for you at our December meeting. If you do not have one, please see me. Thank you and Happy Holidays! -- Kathy Brown

Charity Fund: $151.83General Fund: $2,674.08Total Funds: $2,825.91

T r e a s u r e r ’ s R e p o r t

Amy Upson 12/7 Jackie Scott 12/16Ruth Coleman 12/9 Maureen Cahill 12/22

3

President’s Message, continued from front pageoutstanding knitted items. Over the years I have met all types of “yarns” at the Guild meetings. I have been surprised by many of them and I am currently looking forward to getting to know more about a lot of you. Ahh, so many projects, so little time. I watched a fellow knitter’s cat this month while she traveled to visit her mother. Like many knitters, she has a relatively hefty stash. She has a set of shelves that have hundreds of balls and skeins of yarn on them. I sat there one evening with her cat in my lap and thought about all the different types of knitters. Some are like a ruby red ball of silk or cashmere: refined and seemingly perfect in every way. Others are like a multi-colored pastel ball of acrylic yarn: sort of unrefined, but just as perfect in their own way. I picked up a skein of linen yarn and thought about how while at first it seems a little stiff and rough, after you work with it a while it gets softer and more relaxed. Our guild is like a wonderful stash pile: rich in color, texture and potential. I absolutely look forward to time with every one of you wonderful yarns. It is my pleasure to serve as your president for this up coming year. Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

Allison Hun t

Keep Knitting Those Charity Items We continue to tally the number of items knit and donated to any charity by a Guild member. Let Jackie Scott (jackieknits@cox.net) or Debbie Henderson (hendersonjb@cox.net) know of your charity items so they can be counted. Include “charity knitting” in the subject line of your email. Also, a sign-in list is available at every meeting for you to register your charity count.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR JAN. NEWSLETTER: DEC. 15

Please send your questions, comments, suggestions, ads, photos, stories and patterns you’d like to share to the editor, Sonja Barisic at snbarisic@gmail.com or 734 Delaware Ave., Norfolk, VA 23508. Thank you, and happy reading and knitting.

N a m e Y o u r N e w s l e t t e r We have a lot of creative thinkers in the Guild. So, put on your handknit

thinking caps and come up with ideas for what to name your monthly Guild newsletter. Please email your ideas to Sonja Barisic at snbarisic@gmail.com through January. The person behind the winning idea will receive a knitting-related prize.

4

During the November Guild meeting, Sue Von Ohlsen, right, owner of The Knitting Corner, presented Trink Dahl-Prince, left, with the beautiful afghan Trink won in the shop’s recent fundraiser, The Stitch To Win Against Breast Cancer. Trink said she planned to give the afghan to a friend being treated for breast cancer.

In t

he P

ink

What’s in Lora’s Closet?

Guild members enjoyed getting a peak into prolific knitter Lora Marin’s closet during the program portion of the November meeting. That’s Lora in the photo at the far right, wearing one of her many great handknit creations. Near right, Peggie Meyer models one of Lora’s fabulous coats.

5

H i s t o r i c a l l y S p e a k i n g DO YOU KNOW THE LEGEND OF CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS?

By Karen Richardson According to tradition, long ago, a penniless nobleman was concerned about his three beautiful daughters. After his wife’s death, the nobleman became despondent and lost his inheritance to bad investments. He worried that his daughters could not marry because in his village the bride’s father traditionally provided a dowry. The bride would give the money or property to her husband when they married. Unfortunately, this man had no money or property and was extremely concerned about his lack of money. The daughters took good care of him and never complained. One day, St. Nicholas passed through the village. He had heard about this man and his daughters and wanted to help. Because he knew the nobleman would refuse charity, he decided to help him secretly. So, he waited until dark. During the night, St. Nicholas tossed three pouches of gold coins down the man’s chimney. The

pouches fell into the girls’ handknit stockings that they had washed and hung by the fireplace to dry. The next day the girls showed their father the coins. He used the coins as dowries for each daughter. Everyone lived happily ever after, as they usually do in these legends. Children throughout the village started putting out their Christmas stockings hoping St. Nicholas would stop by and fill them. Since then, the tradition has spread. Children all over the world hang Christmas stockings year after year also hoping St. Nicholas will leave them gifts. It’s a cute story. Is it true? Well, it is a legend. Several versions of the story can be found on the Internet. And the stockings, of course they were ALL handknit back then. To all my readers I would like to say thank you for reading my columns. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy researching and writing them and wish everyone Happy Knitting and Happy Holidays.

A L i t t l e o f T h i s a n d T h a tP e r s o n a l i z e d C h r i s t m a s S t o c k i n g f ro m 1 9 4 5Submitted by Karen Richardson. The full pattern, including charts, is available for free online at www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/christmas/1945-stocking.htm. The pattern originally was advertised in Woman’s Home Companion in 1945 and is now in the public domain.

Size:20 inches (51cm) from top of stocking to heel. 8½ inches (21½cm) from toe to heel.Materials: 4oz knitting worsted in each of red, white, and green. Small amount of blue. 3.75mm straight needles (or needles to obtain gauge) 1 set of 3.75mm needles 15 - 18 small round sequins, 3 star shaped sequins (if desired). Sample was knit with dk yarn and 4mm needles.

Gauge: 22sts and 30 rows to 10cm worked over st st

The clock is ticking, and your needles are flying. Got all your ideas together, or have you just run out of time? If you can't knit your gifts, don't worry about it. We've got you covered. Just in for the holidays: the whimsical artwork of Thomas Joseph. We've got mugs, coasters and notebooks featuring his personable sheep ("Hand Wash Only" is my favorite). They're a great gift for anyone – knitter or not. Need to pamper someone on your gift list? Don't forget Tasha's Own soaps (all scents restocked), knitter's hand balm and lip balm. All natural and locally produced, to boot. (PSST: gift cards are ALWAYS a hit, too.) New yarns hit the shelves Dec. 1, including products from Knit One, Crochet Too and Crystal Palace. And if

you wanted to see the new Namaste Hip Holster bag live and in person, it's now in stock. Reasonably priced, too! The January class schedule is taking shape as we speak. Explore lace and fearlessly attack charts with Erin, get over your little needle anxiety and turn your first heel with Kelly and let Andrea show you how easy it is to make your first sweater. Also in the works: the Saturday Mini-Course. Pick and choose from Saturday short sessions that teach you the whys and wherefores of knitting techniques. (On the mailing list? Watch your inbox for more information.) Above all, don't forget yourself this holiday season. If it weren't for all of our wonderful customers, we'd be a pretty sorry bunch of KnitWits. Happy holidays, and best wishes for an incredible 2011!

Please support our advertisers, as they help defray the cost of this newsletter.

 

yarn patterns notions classesall in the company of friends.

945 Providence Square Shopping Ctr Virginia Beach757-495-6600 knitwitsyarn.com

  This holiday season, we have wonderful gifts any knitter or crocheter would love to add to her wish list. Come, browse our display tables. Guild members will get a special discount on any of our seasonal items, including these wonderful Knit and Purl bookends.

Bulky Sale!

I have just put Universal Classic Chunky and several other bulky yarns, including Polar Fleece,  on sale -- just in time to do some quick holiday knits!

6