T I D E W A T E R K N I T T I N G G U I L D O F V I R G I N I A

Purls of WisdomM AY

M E E T I N G

Monday, May 7Help Clinic, 6:30 p.m.

Meet and Greet, 7 p.m.Business Meeting, 7:15 p.m.

Program will beCast-On Methods.

Westminster Canterbury3100 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach

Check tkgv.blogspot.com to con-firm the meeting date. Questions?

Email us at tkgv1@yahoo.com.

May 2012

A Message from Our President

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2 Member Birthdays, Calendar, New Members 3 Get Knitting Help 4 Charity Knitting Update, Knitting with Beads Demonstrations5 Fancy Fiber Fiesta Photos6 Meeting Minutes

Spring has sprung and my gardens are calling to me. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day and I must confess that the more time I spend outside the less time I have to knit. It just makes me want to cry. My solution is to put away for the spring/summer hibernation heavy, bulky, long-term knitting and focus on small projects that are easy to carry and finish, such as socks, baby items and hats. Spring and summer are great times to catch up on charity knitting projects or finish that second sock you started before Christmas. May’s meeting is looking to be a very busy one. I am hoping we will have a lot of entries for the knitting contest turned in at the meeting. Lora will be collecting the entries. Remember to read the rules for the contest, which are available on our blog, Ravelry or Facebook. Our program for May will focus on different cast-on methods and the purposes they serve. Remember to bring #8 needles, a G or H crochet hook and a couple of balls of worsted weight yarn to practice with. Starting in May, we are going to have a “Help Clinic” before the meeting at 6:30 p.m. If you are stuck on a project, have a question about a pattern or need help fixing a mistake, someone will be available to help. Last but not least, don’t forget your Derby hat in celebration of the 138th Ken-tucky Derby and the Run for the Roses. Hats should be knit or fiber-related and the more ostentatious the better. All participants will be entered into a special raffle and a prize will be given to the hat that best demonstrates the “Derby” spirit. May should be an interesting meeting. Debbie Henderson

T R E A S U R E R ’ S R E P O R T

Submissions for the June issue of the newsletter are due May 15. Email Editor Sonja Barisic at

snbarisic@gmail.com.

The membership money goes in the general fund and we have signed up eight new members in the last two months. We have collected $351.00 from the craft fair, raffle to date and book sale. These funds will gointo our education fund. Our current bank balance is $2,970.25

Beverly Boler

Mark Your CalendarsGuild meetings start with Meet and Greet at 7 p.m., followed by the Business Meeting at 7:15 p.m. And starting in May, the Guild will offer a Help Clinic a half-hour before the meeting.

May 5-6 – The 39th Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Md. www.sheepandwool.org

May 7 – Guild Meeting. Program: Round-robin demonstration on different cast-on methods and when to use certain methods. Members need to bring worsted-weight yarn and size-8 needles.

May 12 – Deadline for knitting contest.

May 18-20 – Carolina Fiber Fest. State Fair Grounds, Raleigh, N.C. www.carolinafiberfest.org

June 5 – Guild Meeting.

June 15-17 – Knitters Connection 2012, Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH. http://www.knittersconnection.com/aws/KC/pt/sp/home_page

AND DON’T FORGET: THE HANNE FALKENBERG SWEATER KIT SUPER RAFFLE WILL BE GOING ON UNTIL JUNE.

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

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Dona Poole May 5 Maryann Bohr May 15

Kathy Caton May 10 Susan Burnett May 23

Welcome New Members Holly Meise Marty Blow

Nancy Curles Quintilone Jessica Squires

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By Lora Marin Need help? The Guild will be offering a free help clinic one-half hour prior to the monthly meeting. Bring your problems and questions, 6:30 p.m.  Need help sooner? Got a question? Don’t understand a pattern, abbreviation, etc.? Post your knitting-related problems to the TKGV Ravelry Group Discussion Board or Facebook page and we will try to help.  Not comfortable on Ravelry yet? Go to the home page and on the right side bar you will find links to the Help Forum, Guided Tips and more. On the top of the home page, find the tab marked with a question mark. That will link you to Ravelry help. You will find everything you need from setting up your account to ways to use this wonderful resource.

Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TKGVmembers/.

To find us on Ravelry, sign with your free account at http://www.ravelry.com, go to the Groups tab and search for Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia.

G e t K n i t t i n g H e l p i n P e r s o n a n d O n l i n e

Mad May at The Yarn Club On May 8 and 9, Fickle Knitter Michelle Miller will be here for classes and a book signing. Learn how to design a hat or how to design lace. Beginner class, “How to Knit Lace,” will be on Tuesday night. It includes the top-down shawl start, how to make a knitted-on edge, blocking and many lace techniques. Don’t miss out on this great learning experience. A C2Knits Trunk Show and a Miley Tee KAL start May 10. There will be a 10% discount on all yarn purchased to make your Miley Tee with purchase of pattern. I have started mine in Linsey from Berroco. This is a great KAL to learn about custom-sizing your gar-ments. It is also a great project for beginners. A quick knit before summer! Exact dates and times for the KAL will be posted on Rav-elry, Facebook and www.yarnclubknits.com. Our first Brioche Class kicks off May 15. Using one skein of Boboli and one skein of Tosh Merino, this scarf is sure to be a hit! May 19 is our first Learn to Add Beads Class. It features the Jeweled Cowl (a free Ravelry download), one skein of Malab-rigo Lace and the beads of your choice from your favorite bead store. May continues with lots of events and a KAL from Madeli-netosh. Details will be posted on Ravelry and Facebook. New yarns: Prairie from Madelinetosh has been added to our Tosh Family of yarns in 20 amazing colors. Shibui has shipped Heichi and Linen! Yippy!!! New patterns are on their way, too. Interlacement Yarns make its debut with new glittery linen and some awesome surprises! Fiberphile has shipped the rest of the worsted order. We expect the rest of the MCN to come in May. Zauberballs have entered to scene. Lots of them will be rolling around the store in May. Catch yours before it rolls out the door. Happy Spring and Happy Knitting, Andrea

240 Mustang TrailSuite 8Virginia Beach, VA 23452

So we had a meeting with a yarn rep and he brought along a buddy. An important buddy. The end result was the return in house of a brand much admired by all y'all but difficult for us to continue to carry: Bergèrede France! Yes, everyone's favorite French yarn and the fan-freaking-tastic patterns they publish are back on KnitWits’ shelves, thanks to Mr. Bergère himself, the fabulous Vincent.

We also have great plans involving Bergère for later in the year, so watch this spot. Also not to be believed: more classes, AHEAD of schedule. No, seriously! We've got all levels of classes to choose from, from the simplest of baby sweaters to the more complex technique series. Add to your skill level or just give yourself some account-ability – it's all good, and planned far enough in advance for you to work it into your vacation time! Don't forget to set aside time in your busy schedule for the annual Anniversary Sale, though. Happening toward the begin-ning of June, we'll be celebrating what we couldn't accomplish without y'all: another year of helping the bestest customers in the region and beyond. Thanks for joining us on another mad 365 and keep your eyes peeled to the Ravelry group page and Face-book for more details!

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yarn Ş patterns Ş notions Ş classesall in the company of friends.

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

By Chris Goudeau Thanks to all who brought in knitted items last month and to those who signed the knitting charity log. As of this writing, you have knitted 94 items for 13 charity organizations. This is a good time to do your “spring cleaning” in your yarn stash. Remember you can use all those leftovers for hats or pet blankets. Bring your items to be donated locally to the next meeting and we’ll see that they are distributed. Remember to sign the Charity Knitting log each month when you attend our meetings or email me at cgoudeau@cox.net.

C h a r i t y K n i t t i n g U p d a t e

B E A D S , B E A D S A N D M O R E B E A D S During the April Guild meeting, members Cindy Call, Linda Johnson and Sue Von Ohlsen

demonstrated how to knit with beads. Thank you for a fun, informative evening.

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Thirty-One Gifts’ motto is CELEBRATE, ENCOURAGE & RE-WARD. May is a great time to celebrate friendships, to encour-age those who come into your home with kind words and hospi-tality and in turn you will reward yourself with close friendships. Thirty-One Gifts offers exclusive products for women that are beautifully designed with many fabric choices from flashy and sassy to reserved and classy. Items include skirt purses, various thermal totes, a wide variety of organizing bins and totes (which are a great way for holding knitting projects and yarn) and Mini Zipper and Zip-Up Pouches for your knitting notions. What a better way to get your knitting and yarn organized then with Thirty-One products!

Learn about the May monthly customer special during the May Guild meeting.

The 3rd Annual Fancy Fiber Fiesta at Chippokes Plantation State Park featured a variety of vendors, shearing demonstrations, spinning -- and a few sightings of Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia members. The event took place April 4 at the Chippokes Farm & Forestry Museum in the park and was sponsored by Endless Farms Alpacas.

F a n c y F i b e r F i e s t a F e a t u r e s F u n

An alpaca, before shearing. During. After.

Guild member Cheryl Cauthen-Bond couldn’t wait until she got home to try out her new hand-carved drop spindle, pur-chased from one vendor, using alpaca fiber ob-tained from another.

A baby alpaca, too young to be shorn this time around.

Below for your review are the unapproved minutes of the April Guild meeting. The president opened the April 2012 meeting at 7:15 p.m. by introducing the current TKGV officers. Amy Upson welcomed the eight guests attending the meeting. The president extended birthday wishes to those members celebrating their birthday in April. The minutes of the March 2012 meeting were approved pending correction. The treasurer gave the treasurer’s report advising the guild’s bank balance is $2,535.25. The Ways and Means Committee is holding a raffle for a sweater kit. Tickets may be purchased at the April through June Guild meetings. The sweater kit will be awarded to the raffle winner at the June guild meeting. The vice president advised the Guild she has researched knitting instructors who are available to the Guild within a short travel distance. She advised Nancy’s Knit Knack’s has availability in the near future to offer classes to our guild. Lora will post a list of class topics on the guild’s Ravelry and Facebook pages to measure class interest. The president advised the Guild will participate in the Gathering of the Guilds at the Frances Land House, Virginia Beach, on 4/7/12. The president advised the Guild’s World Wide Knit in Public Day will occur on 6/9 or 6/10/12. The WWKIP chair is researching alternative venues for this event. Linda Johnson has been able to obtain two entries in The Virginian-Pilot newspaper recently regarding TKGV activities. Sue Von Ohlsen, owner, The Knitting Corner, advised the shop offers a 30 percent sale on Fiesta yarns for April, 2012. The president advised the rules and entry information for the TKGV knitting contest are posted on the TKGV website. The president encourages everyone to enter the contest. The president advised the May program will be a review of different cast-on methods. Please bring a J or H crochet hook, size 8 knitting needles and some worsted weight knitting yarn to practice the various cast-on methods reviewed. The president advised the books on the back table are from Joanne Fischer’s collection. The Guild will take cash offers for the books. All cash raised will go to the Guild’s education fund. The Guild enjoyed the Ways and Means Committee raffle of cotton yarns and the “The Knitter’s Book of Socks.” Three Guild members lead the Guild in instruction on how to knit with beads. All three instructors received applause for their helpful instruction and demonstration of knitting with beads. The Guild enjoyed the show and share time. The president extended a thank-you to the members who participated in the Spring Crafts Festival. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:56 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ka tie Gerwien Secretary, TKGV

TKGV MEETING MINUTES, 4/2/12

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May sale: The long-awaited ELLA RAE LACE MERINO sale has arrived!!! This is my very favorite yarn EVER, a fingering weight merino in the most intense colorways, 30 percent off through the month of May.