MKG Knitters’ Knews  1  October 2013 

The Madison Knitters’ Guild meets the second Monday of each month September through May. Doors open at 5:00 pm • Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. • Bishop O'Connor Center, 702 South High Point Rd, Madison, WI 

 

October 14 Meeting features Carol Anderson of Cottage Creations: Cottage Creations is an inspiring American success story, founded on the talents of two creative women and their supportive families. In 1983, Carol Anderson and partner, Kristi Williams, each invested $500 from family savings and founded Cottage Creations. The business still thrives, with Carol as sole proprietor. Indeed, Carol’s enduring classic designs are a delight to knit and treasured gifts for babies, kids or adults. Carol continues to publish a new pattern annually; she now has over 30 pattern booklets in print as her designs inspire knitters to knit for themselves, their families and the community.

When we asked Carol Anderson to describe herself, she told us “I’m a most fortunate person who grew up the middle child of seven in a loving family, married a great guy, mothered four wonderful children and happened upon the finest of crafts. My mother often quoted a Bible verse, “Unto those whom much is given, much is expected.” According to her, if God has given one the ability to create or teach, you have a personal obligation to do so. I

hope I’ve done just that.”

“As to the popularity of my patterns? I hope the reason is the fact that I’ve done my homework before publishing. I’ve always used test knitters to knit each pattern and give me feedback before going to print and by so doing am able to offer a pattern that is hopefully mistake-free. I think knitting should be totally a joy and when someone tells me they’ve knit more than one of my patterns, I feel complimented.”

“I ‘cut my knitting teeth’ on argyle socks as a junior in high school. Four years later, after he was gifted his 14th pair of socks, Paul Anderson proposed. Today, 55+ years later, he’s

still around and knitting remains my passion. After the first time I went to Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Camp (now daughter Meg Swansen’s, of course) I learned to approach knitting from a different perspective, to think more creatively, to utilize newly learned techniques to create a whole, rather than pieces of knitting that needed to be seamed. Experimenting, I knit a doll with a patterned sweater, knickers, socks and boots with double point needles—totally seamless, requiring almost no finishing.”

“Kristi Williams, a knitting student in my vocational education class admired my little ‘Sven’ doll and suggested that together we could publish the pattern. We employed the talents of my daughter Kari (who has a degree in commercial art) to illustrate and draw diagrams, then borrowed $500 each from our family savings accounts and went to work. Kristi’s degree in home economics journalism enabled her to manage the business end while I taught special education by day and worked on pattern development evenings and weekends. While working together on our first pattern, ‘Sven Scandinavian, a Knitted Friend,’ I remember saying something that wasn’t really relevant to the pattern, then correcting myself by saying ‘but of course we

Knitters’ Knews Vol. 34, Issue 2         October 2013 

In This Issue:   

October’s   Speaker – 1‐2 

Message from the President – 2‐3 

Upcoming  Events – 3 

Library Notes –  3 

Treasurer’s Report – 3 

Meet Our Vendors – 4 

September Guild Meeting Minutes – 5 

Sneak Peek at  November – 5 

Brown Bag     

Exchange – 6 

Membership – 6 

Website Updates – 7 

Community Projects and Pattern – 8‐9 

Ewe and Janine – 9‐10 

Vogue Knitting Live! 

Bus Trip Form – 11 

Sponsors – 12 

MKG Knitters’ Knews  2  October 2013 

can’t include that.’ She replied, ‘Oh, yes we can. This is our pattern.’ Our style became established! The name ‘Cottage Creations?’ We both lived in Cottage Grove, WI. ‘Creations’ came quite naturally.”

“I’m blown away to think one of my oldest patterns, The Wonderful Wallaby, is still my best seller. The Wallaby is really nothing but a hooded sweatshirt, a design that has been around forever. Kids like it because it’s easy to put on and they find the pouch perfect for little treasures or cold hands. Knitters like it because there is minimal finishing to be done once the knitting is complete. Long before the pattern was copyrighted in 1984, I was knitting the sweater for my kids. I have a photo of my 48-year-old son wearing a Wallaby at age 13.” But then there is Sven, ‘my firstborn.’ I knit 65 Sven’s and

Solveig’s, almost acquiring an addiction—I had to stop!

“We need to remember that not every knitter is technology savvy, either by choice or economics. We are blessed in that, by and large, knitting lends itself to conversation, unlike weaving or sitting in front of a sewing machine. Therefore, I am content to follow the old-fashioned, time-tested ways. I think this reflects the thoughts of many people who wish they could turn back the clock once in a while. Knitting allows us to do that. My morning begins nearly every day with coffee and knitting for an hour or so in my favorite old rocking chair in a corner of our dining room. I always knit in the car or if we’re watching television in the evening. I’ve been known to announce if a blizzard begins that I’m going to knit all day—the storms don’t happen often enough!”

Don’t miss the October meeting, a time to laugh, knit and reflect as we explore Carol’s timeless designs. And yes, she “rips a lot.”

– Barbara Rottman, Programming Chair

Message from the President: It’s been a quiet month for the Madison Knitters’ Guild (MKG) – NOT! I’ve spent a lot of time in the car this past week so I got a full dose of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion CDs. I realize that while all our women are strong, our men are good looking and our children are above average, we never have to be concerned about being bored as long as we have a couple of sticks and a ball of string! 

Giving Opportunities:  Besides your own knitting projects, MKG is here to help you avoid any of that Lutheran (or Catholic, Jewish or any other domination, for that matter) guilt by giving you the opportunity to keep a grade‐schooler warm with handmade hats or mittens, warm the heart of a woman experiencing a difficult time with a hand crafted scarf or encourage a blossoming reader with a fun toy. Donations for Porchlight, Inc. and The Road Home are on deck for November. Clean, dry socks and warm hats and mittens are a real health necessity for homeless men and women. If you don’t have time to knit, I’m sure they’d appreciate purchased items just as much as homemade. Check the Community Projects knitting calendar for more details.  

Bishop O’Connor Center Plans:  We may need to enlist the skills of Guy Noir, private eye, in locating a new meeting space for the Guild next year. Please check your email for a special note from me regarding the Bishop O’ Connor Center news and our next steps. 

New Member Gathering: Just like Pastor Inkfest we want to make sure that all knitters feel welcome in our fold. At 5:45 p.m., just before the start of our October 14 meeting, the MKG board would like to invite all new members, those who have recently joined, or anyone else interested to gather in the dining room. We’ll quickly review the calendar for the year and answer any questions you have about the Guild. We’re also curious about what brought you to the Guild and what you hope to get from your membership. Share at the meeting or give us your thoughts in a brief survey. 

New Publicity Co‐Chairs: We’re excited that Teresa Werhane and Stacey Parenteau have volunteered to spread the word about the benefits of MKG membership as our new Publicity Co‐Chairs. We’ve heard from several sources that people are aware of the MKG but think that you have to be a Master Knitter to join. This couldn’t be further from the truth. MKG welcomes knitters of all skill levels. Our goal is to help anyone interested in learning or improving their knitting skills and expand their knowledge of all things yarn.  

MKG Knitters’ Knews  3  October 2013 

Message from the President, continued… 

Be Our Guest!  Teresa and Stacy’s first suggestion to break that “expert” stereotype is to create a “Be Our Guest” event for the November meeting. People feel most welcome when they receive a personal invitation. Please consider inviting a friend to the November meeting. Knitting’s always more fun with friends. Teresa and Stacey have a goal of 50 guests in November. Let’s not disappoint them. We’ll have more details at the October meeting. 

MKG Knit Connections:  The October New Member Gathering is also just the first of our efforts to create a stronger sense of community in the guild. We’ll have a series of gatherings in the BOC dining room in upcoming months. In November we’ll welcome our guests, in December we’ll split into North, South, East and West so you can get to know knitters that may be in your neighborhood and in January, Stacy Parenteau will provide a short Ravelry Tutorial.  

Brown Bag Exchange Reminders:  If you participated in the Brown Bag unveiling last May, wear your shawlette on October 14 for a runway show. If you plan to participate in this year’s exchange, bring two colors of yarn that can be turned into an accessory for you (scarf, mittens, etc.) or your home (pillow, tea cozy!) 

Make it Possible!  And just like they say at Public Radio, home to Prairie Home Companion, your support makes the programs you love possible. Get involved. Mary Jo Harris is recruiting for the Knit‐In Committee, we can still use a few tech savvy people to assist Carrie Hafele with web work and Barbara Rottman would like a someone good with details to plan programming events for a few of the Neighborhood Knits sessions. See you all in October.  

– Mae Knowles, President

Library Notes:   The new library shelving has arrived!  Stop by to see our new display and browse the collection with ease. In the coming months, we will be making more updates to the library, check here for the latest library news.

This month's library acquisitions include Interweave's The Unofficial Downton Abbey Knits, featuring designs inspired by the popular PBS TV series. As we continue to transition our

VHS collection to DVD, we've added a selection of six instructional DVD's from Schoolhouse Press, many featuring Meg Swansen. The subscription to Knitter's Magazine has been renewed for three more years. Our October speaker, Carol Anderson, graciously donated her most popular pattern booklets to the library, including The Wonderful Wallaby. Thank you Carol! – Marijka Engel, Library Chair

 Upcoming Guild Events: 

October 14: Guild Meeting, program by Carol Anderson. Wear last year’s Brown Bag Shawlette! Bring your Brown Bag to exchange!

November 2: Bus Trip to Vogue Knitting Live!, Chicago, IL

November 11: Guild Meeting, program by Cynthia Dalzell

December 9: Guild Meeting, program by Amy Detjen

January 13: Guild Meeting, program by Nancy Marchant

January 24-26 : UFO Retreat, Chalet Landhaus, New Glarus

Other Knitting Events: 

October 13: Finishing Workshop with Carol Anderson, The Cat and Crow, Mount Horeb

November 1‒3: Vogue Knitting Live!, Chicago, IL

November 9–10: Stone Crest Llama Farm “Christmas in the Country” Open House, Fort Atkinson, WI

Treasurer’s Report: 

     Month:      August 2013      Membership:    274      Income:      $5,167.97      Disbursements:   $3,774.63      Checking:    $34,097.19      Savings:       $3,067.97 

MKG Knitters’ Knews  4  October 2013 

Meet the Vendors for October: 

Carol A. Anderson is the designer/owner of Cottage Creations, a small home-based company serving over 400 shops plus 500 retail customers nationwide. Carol has been knitting since she was a junior in high school, has taught 4-Her’s, vocational school, seminars, and at Stitches conventions. Over the years Carol designed and published thirty-five patterns—baby sweaters, afghans, knitted dolls, socks, caps, scarves and sweaters. I’ve been a devotee of Elizabeth Zimmermann for years and most of my designs reflect her influence—classic, seamless construction, minimal finishing. Her trademark pattern is the Wonderful Wallaby, published first in 1984 has been reprinted 26 times, 3000 copies at a

time. Carol has a degree in education and taught special education classes in Madison, WI, until retirement and a move with husband, Paul, to a farm in Iowa in 1993. They have four children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with a fourth expected October2013.

Website: www.cottagecreationspatterns.com Email: cottagecreationspatterns@gmail.com Phone: 641-324-1280 Visit: 4562 Zinnia Ave., St. Ansgar, IA 50472

 Stitchers Crossing, a quilting and knitting shop located in the charming red brick Homestead Shoppes, has been serving the Madison area fiber arts community for over 32 years. Our shop is known for the latest in fabrics from fun children’s designs and beautiful hand dyed batiks, sophisticated designer fabrics and classic reproductions. Yarn was added in 2003 and has been a great addition to the fiber of our store. The yarns we currently

carry are from Brown Sheep, Manos, Plymouth, Berocco, Lang, Sun Valley, Knit One Crochet Too and Skacel. Customers know they can count on our extensive needle selection: Brittany, Knitters Pride Dreamz and Addi. We offer a free once-a-month knitting and crochet retreat on Saturdays from 9:30 am–12:30 pm. Our

year-round classes range from beginning knitting and crochet to more complicated projects such as lace and socks. Our bi-monthly newsletter is available either by snail

mail or email. Email subscribers will also receive periodic messages regarding new items, events, sales or other items of interest.

Website: http://www.stitcherscrossing.com Email: info@stitcherscrossing.com Visit: 6122 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705 Phone: 608-232-1500 Store Hours:

Sun:12:00-4:00 pm; Mon-Wed: 9:30 am-6:00 pm; Thu: 9:30 am-8:30 pm; Fri: 9:30 am-6:00 pm; Sat: 9:30am-5:00 pm

 

 Neighborhood Knits — Class Preview

- Socks (2 sessions) - Teach A Child to Knit - Lace - Faces on Your Critters - Finishing - Picking Up Stitches - Color - Hats in the Round (2 sessions)

Watch the MKG website and the November Knitters’ Knews for upcoming information on class dates, locations, and registration.

Join Us for a New Member Gathering:

October 14 at 5:45 pm 

Bishop O’Connor Center Dining Room 

MKG Knitters’ Knews  5  October 2013 

September Guild Meeting Minutes: President Mae Knowles opened the meeting by welcoming members and our vendors, Green Mountain Spinnery and Five Oakes Farm. Then, Mae introduced the board and committee chairs and provided details on volunteer opportunities available with the Programs, Community Projects, Web/Communications, Knitters’ Knews, and Knit In committees.

Announcements: The annual brown bag exchange will begin at the Oct. 14 meeting, with

the unveiling of knit items at the May 12, 2014 meeting (see page 6). Seats are still available for the Saturday, Nov. 2 Vogue Knitting Live! bus

trip (see page 11). A “Knit to Flatter” knit-a-long is being planned. The Oct. 14 meeting will feature a shawlette parade with shawlettes from

last year’s brown bag exchange. The 2014 Knit-In will be held on Saturday, Mar. 15, and Sunday, Mar. 16.

Program: Speaker Deb Robson gave a fascinating presentation in which she explained how the makeup of wool fiber affects feel, elasticity, durability, sheen, and ability to take dye. Different breeds of sheep (and other animals) have a different fiber makeup, which is also affected by weather, nutrition and other environmental issues. The type of wool fiber, along with how tightly it is spun and knit, will affect durability and tendency to pill. Deb brought many swatches of knitting from different breeds of sheep for us to compare.

Show and Tell: Carol Spiegel had us all singing along to her fun knitting song. Then Carol, along with Joni Stein, Alvin Menninga, Connie Burmeister, Laura Gavins, Margy Blanchard, Pam Gallagher, Ellen Rosner, and Kirsti Johanson shared their knitted items. View photos of their beautiful handiwork online: Photo Gallery for the Sept. 14 Meeting

KNITTING SONG © (sung to the music of Garden Song) By Carol A. Spiegel, July 15, 2013 With apologies to David Mallett!

Chorus Stitch by stitch, row by row Gonna make this garment grow As I’m knitting to and fro On my needles firm and round.

Stitch by stitch, row by row Make one from the bar below Knit a sleeve or make a toe Till we end the final skein.

Verse 1 Read the pattern’s first page Check the drape, watch the gauge Get help from a knitting sage To reach your woolly goal.

Cables left, cables right Blessings for my new Ott light Even stitches, what a sight! See the bind off’s close at hand.

Chorus

Verse 2 Knit your rows short or long Purl while you hum this song Make your bind off not too strong So the sweater fits over your head.

Meditate on every stitch Lace knitting makes me twitch Frogging truly is a bitch But it all works out in the end.

Chorus

Sneak Peek at the November Meeting: The November meeting will feature Cynthia Dalzell, owner and shepherd at Fly Away Farm, a small sustainable farm on Madeline Island in Lake Superior.  Fly Away Farm’s motto is: “Flocks and Fleeces Naturally Raised and Grazed on the Meadows of Madeline Island”.  At Fly Away Farm, wool is why we are here.  Here they are striving to raise the best combination of purebred Merino, Romney and Blue Faced Leicester sheep and their crosses.  One of the best crosses for knitters is the Merino and Blue Face Leicester cross and another is the Merino/ Romney Cross. They have just added a Cormo ram to the mix to further diversify their fleece quality.  Fly Away Farm is a leader in the drive to bring more sustainable farming and food choices back to Madeline Island and its year‐round and seasonal community.  Fly Away Farm is also a very active member of the Woods Hall Fine Arts and Crafts Gallery that provides studios for weavers and potters year round and opens its doors during the summer season for those crafts persons to sell their wares.  For almost sixty years it has been open to those seeking a place to learn and develop their skills.  Cynthia will describe the challenges and joys of farming on an island and take us on a pictorial tour of the Woods Hall Craft Shop. 

MKG Knitters’ Knews  6  October 2013 

2014 Knit‐In — Still Time to Volunteer  If you would like to be involved with the planning of the 2014 Knit-In, contact me at harrismj07@sbcglobal.net or through the MKG website.

At this point we have sent out invitations for vendors to participate in the Marketplace and are getting their responses. Once we know exactly who will be vending we'll publish the list so you can plan your purchases (and budget your money?!). Our next step will be to contact potential teachers and find out what they would like to teach. If you know of someone that would be a good teacher or have a topic that you would like to see taught at the Knit-In, please send me that information (see email above). March 2014 is going to be an exciting time!

– Mary Jo Harris, 2014 Knit-In Chair   

Brown Bag Exchange:  Two‐Color Knitted Accessory This is a great opportunity to experiment with the two‐color technique of your choice: holding strands together, stripes, mosaic, shadow knitting, double knit, color‐blocking, fair  isle, intarsia, entrelac, etc.!   

 

1. Find an appropriate amount of two different colors of yarn (buy new or pull from your stash) that combined would make a nice accessory. (Hat, mitts, mittens, scarf, shawlette, cowl, tie, purse, bag, belt, beanie, etc.) 

2. Put it in a bag—it doesn’t have to be brown, but it should be opaque  (not see‐through) 

3. Bring it to the October 14 Guild meeting and exchange it for someone else’s bag. 

4. Take the bag you picked out home with you and knit a two‐colored accessory for the person who owns the yarn in the bag. Who? It’s a secret!  What? Anything you want! 

5. Put your finished item(s) back in a bag and bring it to the May 12, 2014 Guild meeting. (Don’t worry, we’ll remind you!) 

6. At the May meeting you’ll  Show‐N‐Tell what you made and present it to your Secret Pal. 

7. Then your Secret Pal will come up and    Show‐N‐Tell what was knit for you from your own yarn!

 

 

  

 

   

Membership Update: 

We are now 

members strong!

MKG Knitters’ Knews  7  October 2013 

Get ready for the MKG Knit Along — Create Your Personal Croquis 

 

Enroll at www.makewearlove.com 

Download Custom Fit PDF o Take Your Measurements o Make a Swatch 

  Then watch the MKG website and Knitters’    Knews for the announcements on how to join   the MKG KAL!  During the KAL, you’ll share and   learn along with fellow members while knitting    a sweater for your body type by following Amy   Herzog’s “Fit and Flatter” method. 

Website Information & Updates! 

MEMBER LOG IN:  

Log into the Madison Knitters’ Guild website so you can take advantage of the latest MKG member benefits! If it is your first time logging in OR if you need to reset your password, please follow these steps:

1. Go to www.madisonknittersguild.com 2. On the left hand side click on 'Forgot Password', even if you’ve never

set one up (Figure 1) 3. Enter the email address you get Guild emails to and type in the secured

characters 4. Click on Submit and an email will be sent to your inbox. (Check your

Spam filter if you don't see it within 5 minutes) 5. Click the new password link in that email and you'll be taken to a page to

set/reset your password.

Any questions or things not working, please email web@madisonknittersguild.com.

NEW MEMBER ONLY SECTION:  

Once you are logged into the MKG website you will notice a new menu item, ‘Members’, on the far right (Figure 2). Click this menu to find:

Member Directory Board Minutes Show and Tell Form Galleries of Photos from meetings & events TKGA Newsletters (exclusive for us as a member) and links to

other guilds Access to Member Forums

o Including discussion topics like the Brown Bag Exchange and other Guild activities.

o If you want a new forum setup, email web@madisonknittersguild.com Also, we’d love to hear ideas on things you would like to see on the website!    

Figure 1

Figure 2

MKG Knitters’ Knews  8  October 2013 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Projects:  Off to a Great Start! 

Thank you to everyone who dropped off a knitted item or picked up a ready to go kit. In September we received: 14 scarves, one cowl, nine pairs of mittens, nine children’s sweaters, 34 hats, two mitten/ hat sets, one pair of slippers, four large critters, and six small critters for a total of 82 donations. Yarn was also donated to Madison‐Area Urban Ministry (MUM). The men at Fox Lake Correctional Institution knit hats that MUM gives out at their holiday party.  

In October we are continuing to collect hats and mittens for school children ages 3–11 at Hawthorne and Falk Elementary Schools in Madison.   

Looking ahead to November MKG is supporting Porchlight Inc. and The Road Home, local agencies serving the homeless and those in transitional housing. Porchlight has a high need for warm socks and hats especially for men in L, XL, and XXL, as well as mittens and hats for women. The Road Home has prioritized hats and mittens for children ages 2‐11. Both also welcome scarves. 

And next comes December with River Food Pantry and the East Madison Community Center. Both of these Madison program serve a large population in a variety of ways.  We are targeting knit scarves, hats and mittens for both children and adults. 

The December meeting will feature a sale of yarn, patterns, and supplies to benefit Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, Inc.  Please search your stash and bring your donations to the October or November meetings, then shop the sale in December. 

The Basic Lyon Beanie pattern on the following page is an option you might want to consider making for either an adult or a child. It has a two strand band making it extra warm around the ears. Using a 

worsted weight on a US size 8 and 10 in the largest size makes a hat that would be work well for L, XL, and XXL individuals.  Stop by the community tables in October to look at this hat in different sizes or pick up a kit to make a hat or a Critter for the Monona Public Library reading program. 

On Going Projects:  Handmade Especially for You You have the ability to make a difference in some‐one’s life by making a scarf for a  woman entering a domestic abuse shelter. You will never know her, but she will never forget your kindness. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Will you consider making and donating a “comfort scarf?”   

Handmade Especially for You is an organization that makes and distributes comfort scarf to women who enter a domestic abuse shelter. The scarves are given to every woman when she arrives at the shelter, simply because she was brave enough to get there. The scarf is a symbol and reminder of the woman’s strength and courage for leaving an environment that was frightening and often dangerous. The Madison chapter has given over 500 scarves in the past three years to two shelters in Madison and one in Baraboo.   

Looking for simple patterns, stop by the community table at the next meeting. Or consider looking for complimentary colors in your stash (you have one, right?) and knit the scarf the long way.  Checking your gauge, (if 20 stitches to 5 inches) cast on about 240 stitches on a size 8 circular needle to make an 60 inch scarf (approximately). Knit 1–2 rows with one yarn, switch to another knitting a few rows, continue in this manner until the scarf is 4–5 inches wide. Your scarf will be a unique creation. Information provided by Lois Anderson, coordinator of the Madison chapter. 

 ‒ Rae Sprague, Committee Chair 

Finishing Workshop with Carol Anderson at The Cat and Crow  Sunday, October 13, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. 

In this workshop you will learn to seam garter and stockinette stitch, do three- needle bind-off, work the Kitchener Stitch, and more! Twisted cord and provisional cast-on will be covered if time permits.

Cost is only $40 — MKG Members get a 10% discount off classes and workshops at The Cat & Crow! Limited spaces available, so call 608-437-1771, email thecatandcrow@mhtc.net, or stop by to sign up.

MKG Knitters’ Knews  9  October 2013 

Basic Lyon Beanie © Veronica O’Neil  

Easy, quick, colorful and warm wool beanie with cozy doubled-stranded ribbing. Available in three sizes for the whole family. Printed with permission. Click here for the full pattern. Yarn: Approximately 100 g (218 yd) of Worsted/Aran Materials: Stitch Marker, yarn needle Needles: Set of five US Size 8 (5mm) –AND– set of five US size 10 (6 mm) double point needles Gauge: 18 sts = 4 inches in stockinette on smaller needles Sizes: Child (Adult Medium, Adult Large) Finished Measurement: Approx. 18 (20, 22) inches in circumference Pattern Note: m1 (make one): Lift the bar between stitches with the left needle from front to back, knit this stitch through the back loop. INSTRUCTIONS: With LARGER needles and TWO strands yarn held tog, using long tail cast-on (or other stretchy method), CO 70 (80, 90) sts. Place marker and join to beg working in the round. Work 7 rnds (k1, p1) rib. Break one strand yarn. Switch to SMALLER needles. Next rnd: *K 7 (8, 9), m1*; rep from ** to end of rnd. 80 (90, 100) sts. Knit every rnd until work measures 5 (5.5, 6) inches (or desired length) from cast-on edge. Begin decreasing for top of hat as follows: Dec rnd 1: (K8, k2tog) to end of rnd. 72 (81, 90) sts. Knit one rnd even. Dec rnd 2: (K7, k2tog) to end of rnd. 64 (72, 80) sts. Knit one rnd even.

Dec rnd 3: (K6, k2tog) to end of rnd. 56 (63, 70) sts. Knit one rnd even. Dec rnd 4: (K5, k2tog) to end of rnd. 48 (54, 60) sts. Knit one rnd even. Dec rnd 5: (K4, k2tog) to end of rnd. 40 (45, 50) sts. Knit one rnd even. Continue to decrease EVERY rnd as follows: Dec rnd 6: (K3, k2tog) to end of rnd. 32 (36,40) sts. Dec rnd 7: (K2, k2tog) to end of rnd. 24 (27, 30) sts. Dec rnd 8: (K1, k2tog) to end of rnd. 16 (18,20) sts. Next rnd: K2tog to end of rnd. Remove marker. Break yarn leaving a 12-inch tail. Using yarn needle, thread yarn tail through remaining 8 (9, 10) sts and pull yarn tight to close top of hat. Weave in all ends.

Ewe and Janine — September 2013 I'm Janine Kam, a shepherdess in New Glarus, Wisconsin. I love sheep, knitting, spinning, sewing, dyeing, and all things textiles, especially wool. 

FARM — The Shetlands are still eating pasture at this writing although they will come inside for hay soon. Keira died selflessly defending her lambs, Logan & Linda, by letting herself be taken by a predator so the lambs could escape. There was uproar and out‐rage amongst all the animals (goats, sheep, chickens, 

turkeys, geese, pigs, and even bees) that whole day. Earlier, Tomah, the mioget ewe died of old age and Raj gave her ram lamb, Shadow, to MeiSi , the border collie, for care. MeiSi loves baby animals and soon 

taught him to drink goats’ milk from her bowl. After a couple weeks though she got sick of taking care of him and would hide from him on the 2nd floor knowing that he couldn’t yet bounce upstairs, so we put him outside with everyone else so he would get used to being a lamb and not a puppy. Polani, the black Aa ewe still nurses her girls even though they are bigger than she is and her whole back half is lifted off the ground as they nurse vigorously. Shael, the Ram, is glad that Buckling Fully‐Operational, went home so he doesn’t have to guard his girls. Everyone is ready for shearing 

(Shown in Noro Kureyon)

MKG Knitters’ Knews  10  October 2013 

Ewe and Janine , continued…                                in the next month especially Kismet, the moorit ewe who is most vocal about wanting a new ‘do; she’s very vain and always demands extra attention. She’s an Upper East Side type of ewe who wears high heels and has a big butt; she used to be a show sheep so she’s accustomed to being the cynosure of all eyes. The cashmere goats: Bianca, Bibianna, Juillet, and Aviv are starting to coat up for winter. Aviv is shedding the last of his buff‐colored 13μ fiber which is quite luscious this year. The goats and sheep love their new outdoor shelter with wheels. It even matches the barn which is my favorite color: red. I’m a red‐oholic if Jane hasn’t already told you. 

KNITTING —  I am still knitting my fuchsia half‐

hexagonal shawl with my accidental 2‐ply boucle and expect to finish it before the next meeting. If you haven’t heard the story, I bought half of the roving from Galina Khmelova at Stitches Midwest four years ago and the tussah silk roving from Anne of Blackberry Ridge. I spun and plied them with a nice twist that showcased the lustre of the silk as it turned in the light. I dreamed of a diaphanous icy pink shawl to wear when chilly. I put it in a pink dye mix and it came out a ghastly medium puke pink. I don’t wear this color so I used up Trish’s fuchsia that she didn’t care for which yielded the lovely rich color I have now. When it dried, I was horrified to see that the plies had dried at a different rate so it was a ‘natural’ 2‐ply boucle. Boucle is ordinarily 3‐ply and no, thwacking it did not help. I was comforted to hear that Anne said that if I had entered it in a skein contest she judged, she would have given me a prize in the novelty category because it was so evenly uneven! Anyway I am keeping to the Orenburg theme of strawberries and chevrons in a garter stitch 

background but with an unconventional shape. It was difficult to find stitches that wouldn’t make the fabric look like disease with the irregularities of the yarn.

PATTERN — The Half‐Hexagonal Shawl Materials: Size 7 Needles, lace weight yarn: enough to make desired size (1200 yards makes a 7’ x 3’ shawl). Cast on: 12 stitches.  Row 1: Knit 3 sts (edge sts), yo, K1, yo, K1 (edge st), PM, yo, K1, yo, K1 (edge st), PM, yo, K1, yo, K3. Row 2 and every other row: Knit. Row 3: K3, yo, K3, yo, K1‐yo, K3, yo, K1‐yo, K3, yo, K3. Row 5: K3, yo, K5, yo, K1‐yo, K5, yo, K1‐yo, K5, yo, K3. Row 7: K3, yo, K7, yo, K1‐yo, K7, yo, K1‐yo, K7, yo, K3. Row 9: K3, yo, K9, yo, K1‐yo, K9, yo, K1‐yo, K9, yo, K3. Row 11: Continue in pattern peppering the middle sections (K3, K5, K7, etc.) with Orenburg Strawberries from Galina’s book. It doesn’t matter where, just have fun and knit them in randomly where you have 9 sts and 6 rows! If you like chevrons, begin knitting a sequential chevron beginning at the edge stitches of each section that is always displaced by one stitch towards the middle until they meet. Or forget the strawberries and chevrons and knit in garter stitch with the above increase pattern for a lovely shawl that will showcase any gorgeous yarn.  If making an edging, save ¼–1/3 of the yarn total for this otherwise, knit until you run out of yarn ending in a few garter stitch border rows so it won’t curl. I adapted an edging from Galina’s book that echoes the strawberries and chevrons in my shawl.  

Next Month I will report on my visit to NYC, including my interview of knitter Robyn Love, who knits cozies for water towers on skyscrapers, Apollo 10 rockets or mile‐long yellow lines on roads and more! I am going to visit yarn at the Saturday farm market at Union Square, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, and of course, Denis will show me wool at Mood Fabrics, NYC. Sometimes Jack will have yarn there (usually luxury yarns) because his wife knits and if I can find his sock knitting machine at the warehouse, I will bring it back. He promised it to me years ago.  

 

 

 

Wear Your Shawlette in October!   The unveiling of shawlettes in May was simply awesome! There were so many beautiful pieces we’ve decided they deserve an encore showing. Start planning your outfit to show it off at its best during the shawlette parade at the October 14 Guild meeting.

MKG Knitters’ Knews  11  October 2013 

 

MKG Knitters’ Knews  12  October 2013 

 

Knitters’ Knews Sponsors: We thank these sponsors for supporting the Guild and encourage 

our members to support them in return when possible. Visit the Sponsors page for more info on each. 

Want to reach hundreds of knitters on a daily and monthly basis? Sponsor the Madison Knitters’ Guild Knitters Knews or advertise on our Website. Contact sponsors@madisonknittersguild.org for details.