On the Carbery Club stand, we were delighted to meet and talk to many machine knitters thinking of returning to the craft, as well as to new recruits. The sheer numbers of people attending the two speakers’ talks showed the enthusiasm there is for new designs and techniques. It was so refreshing to see how Denise Musk’s garments were so well received and admired. Fiona Morris’ talk also was much appreciated by those of us wanting to improve our knitting skills. So please accept a huge thank you, Anne, for once again giving us a show to remember. Best wishes, Joy Hopkins, Carbery MKC
Thanks so much for your kind words, Joy and I’m pleased to let you know that Denise is soon to join us as a contributor. Ed
2014
Penny competition
The squares start and end on waste yarn, so they can be adjusted. Each Christmas the club holds a competition and the winner chooses the charity to support the following year. Pat Wright was presented with her trophy by Cllr Eve Martin. For 2014 she’s chosen Barby Keel Animal Sanctuary, Charity No. 1095382, so members will knit a blanket with animal motifs. They’ll also fund raise by selling small knitted items and holding a raffle. If you’d like to know more about Priory Knits, call Sue Castro on 01424-437468 after 6.00 pm or email her at sue@1066.net
Changing times
Would you make sure, please, that any of your readers who are interested in membership of KCG contact our current treasurer, Tricia Basham and her details are given below. Thanks very much, Elspeth May, Director, KCG. Knitting & Crochet Guild, Unit 4 Lee Mills Industrial Estate, St Georges Road, Scholes, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD9 1RT.
Tricia Basham, Treasurer, KCG
Tel 07905- 796563
Email treasurer@kcguild.org.uk
Fingers crossed
I’ve recently obtained a Brother 836 and can’t wait to use it, but worried about jamming it up. I’ve enrolled on a college course, but the one I’ve joined doesn’t start until the autumn. Can anyone help? I tried to call the number in the listing for Harrow but it doesn’t accept incoming calls. Please can you help? Thank you so much and fingers crossed! Kind regards, Jeanette Foster
Helping hands
We’re a group of 16 ladies who meet once a month, we’re all experienced knitters and our excellent committee works very hard. Each month we’ve a guest speaker, mostly concentrating on knitting and related crafts. Also, each year two ladies come from the Guild of Machine Knitters to demonstrate. We meet on the second Monday of the month and we also have an all-day workshop every two months. We look upon it as a ‘help day with a theme’ and the first one this year is on the single bed colour changer. We’re all there for each other, we’ve room for lots more members and the more the merrier! To join our group, please call Mrs B Fenton on 01772-684712. Thanks and best wishes, Alwyn Yost
Rainbow’s End
Every nook and cranny has been turned into a storeroom. However, Paul is confident that stocks will reduce once the museum opens from Wednesday to Sunday each week from the beginning of April. In the past, local companies have donated end of run yarn and whilst gratefully received, this has tended to be in just one or two colours. One huge bonus of readers’ yarn is that it’s come in every colour of the rainbow. This means that each area looks vibrant and exciting and the museum has sprung to life. More details from museum manager Paul Baker, Framework Knitters Museum, Chapel Street, Ruddington, Nottingham NG11 6HE.
Tel 0115-984 6914
Email Rfwk-Mus@btconnect.com
Cosy toes
I think your filing system might be somewhat better than mine so I wonder if you could help. Thanks and best wishes Phil Jackson
Here are a couple of patterns to knit with any 4-ply oddments, Phil.
BED SOCKS
Version 1
Push 39 Ns at centre of machine to WP with extra N at right. Using MY, cast on by hand. Set RC at 000. Using MT, K 50 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of every 10th row until 29 sts rem. RC shows 100.
* Shape heel ** Set carriage to hold. Push 1 N at carriage end to HP on next 16 rows. Push 1 inside N at opposite end to carriage from HP to UWP on next 16 rows **.
Sole K 60 rows. Adjust length at this stage, if required.
Shape toe Work as given for heel from ** to **.
Instep K 60 rows. Adjust length at this stage, if required. Place marker at each end *. K 100 rows. Push Ns to UWP. Lay yarn over Ns and K by hand taking Ns down to NWP, then cast off with a latch tool or work a loose cast off.
Version 2
Push 38 Ns at centre of machine to WP. Push every 3rd N back to NWP. Using MY, cast on by hand. Set RC at 000. Using MT, K 1 row. Using MT-1, K 39 rows. Push empty Ns from NWP to WP. Make a hem by placing loops from cast on edge evenly along the row. Inc 1 st at right edge. 39 sts. Set RC at 000. Using MT, K 10 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of every 10th row until 29 sts rem. RC shows 60. Work as for Version 1 from * to *. K 60 rows. Transfer every 3rd st on to adjacent N. Push empty Ns to NWP. Push Ns from WP to UWP. Weave in nylon cord, under and over Ns as a marker. Using MT-1, K 40 rows. Push empty Ns from NWP to WP. Make a hem by placing loops of marked row evenly along the row. Using MT+3, K 1 row. Push Ns to UWP. Lay yarn over Ns and K by hand taking Ns down to NWP, then cast off with a latch tool or work a loose cast off.
Making up Join foot and side seams, matching markers to sides of heel.
Successful year
We also held our AGM in March. Following a very successful advertising campaign we recruited six new members and we’re still receiving enquiries from other interested people. We’ve had several visiting speakers who’ve enriched our knowledge and experiences as well as generating much enthusiasm and confidence to try new techniques. Some members have made cardigans and blankets for the prem baby unit and bed socks, shawls and blankets for the elderly patients at The Royal United Hospital in Bath. Members also made vests for the ‘Fish and Chip’ babies in Africa. At the last count we’d over 50 vests with still more coming in. We’d some very interesting and informative ‘show and tell’ sessions. Members admired some lovely examples of work and we shared lots of tips, techniques and ideas.
We’d a lovely Christmas party and a good response to the Christmas theme competition. It was won by Sue Moore, who’d knitted a Christmas cake and finished it beautifully. We also agreed the programme for our coming year.
9th June Colour selection and co-ordination.
14th July Show and tell.
11th August Using the colour changer plus cut and sew Fair Isle.
8th September Show and tell.
12th October Crochet techniques and edgings.
10th November Intarsia.
8th December Show and tell, then preparing for the Christmas challenge!
12th January Christmas party and group competition judging.
9th February Scarves and gloves.
I’d like to pass on my grateful thanks to everyone for everything they’ve done to make this year such a success, but single out Bob Milsom, husband of club member Gill Milsom. Bob has kindly produced, without charge, a beautifully illustrated programme leaflet for the club along with a lovely information leaflet which he’s laminated for local advertising and distribution. After three month’s absence due to illness, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and hope to have completed a delayed Christmas present for my husband to show them! Many thanks for all your hard work, Anne and we look forward to receiving the next edition of MKM. Best wishes, Pat Hames
Members of Keynsham MKC meet on the second Monday of the month at Sterling Way Community Centre in Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1DF from 2.00 to 4.00 pm. For more details please contact Margaret Marsh (Chair) on 0117-986 5559 or Pat Hames (Secretary) on 01454-322553.
Take a bow
It’s such an encouraging, informative and helpful publication and I’ve no idea how you manage to come up with something new each month and for many years at that. The January issue was full of projects to keep us going well into 2014. I just loved the doggie draught excluder and the hottie water bottle cover with the panda on it. With a young granddaughter, the hats for little ones will keep me knitting until her birthday in mid-January. Very good to hear that the Malawi appeal has been so well supported – I’m assuming that we can continue to make the hats? Looking forward to hearing more news on that. Thanks too for the info on Action Aid, what a wonderful idea; there are so many good people out there! And how we all agree with Margaret Robbie re postal prices, it almost seems like they don’t want us to send parcels. We also have to send everything tracked as one thing which wasn’t went astray and it all adds to the cost. No more of the moaning, have an exciting and healthy 2014. With love and thanks from the far, far North, Barbara Curd
Side by side
When you’re writing up doing this sort of neck in the magazine, you almost always tell us to sew two rows of stitching around the neck before we cut out the shape. I know there’s nothing new under the sun and this won’t be original, but I always do just one row on my sewing machine, but with a double needle. It works a treat! Best regards, Ann Levington