Fall Knit-In at Camp Agape

In April I posted about our fun Knit-in at Camp Agape. Well it was so much fun that we are doing it again in a few weeks. We will be in a different building this time, one with a kitchen. Last time we had to bring our small appliances (waffle maker, crockpots, portable oven, etc.) because there was no  kitchen, just a fridge!! We still ate well, of course

I love knit-in's because they are a time to concentrate on knitting and socializing. We learn a lot from seeing how others use their machines. And if we focus on our own knitting we get a lot done!

I found where Diana Sullivan attended a Knit-in in her area in July. Her write up is quite inspiring and fun to read. Check it out!

http://diananatters.blogspot.com/2017/07/machine-knitting-retreat.html#comment-form

I've got to get back to planning what to take to our knit-in.....and before that I am trying to finish up the items I am entering in our NC State Fair for next week!

Keep knitting!

2017 100 hats for Warmth for Maine

Once again I have completed my 100 hats to send to Country Knitting of Maine News&Views contest. I did some handknit. Others I did on my midgauge (brother 350) standard gauge brother 965i, bulky brother 260 and also on Passap e6000. With some of them I used the ribber or the garter carriage.  I just need to put my contact info in the hats and send them to Maine!

Here are some photos.  

Fairisle Hats

earflap hats

Ribbed hats

Tuck with rolled brim

Earflap hats following pattern from Carol Wurst

DFW easy hats

Inspired by a rainbow stripes hat

Animal hats with earflaps

garter carriage ribbed hats

Handknit hats, yes I do handknit

Most of the hats on my bed

Fisherman's rib done on the Passap

Easy rolled brim hats

Rest of the hats on my bed

Fun experiment..bulky yarn #4 on standard brother machine with garter carriage using EON!

Sport yarn and fun fur together in a rolled brim hat

TMK Passap knitting

After a 5 year or so hiatus we have started up our Passap meetings here in Raleigh, NC. We have had 2 monthly meetings so far and another is scheduled for tomorrow.
At the first 2 we had 2 ladies come to be by my e6000 in my basement for a "blind leading the blind" class. Both were skilled brother machine knitters.

We are hoping to have 4 knitters and me for tomorrow's meeting. We play "stump the expert" and pretend that I am the expert. In other words I say, "What do you want to see done on the Passap?" They tell me and I try to do it.

The first meeting we talked and demonstrated cast ons and cast offs. And we assigned homework to try to copy the sample of various stitches in the DM80 book.....that pattern that made a mitt. Both ladies did it!! (Whoops, I forgot to try it.)

The second meeting we tried programming the console and following the directions. We used a pattern I had found on https://cckittenknits.wordpress.com   but I forget what month she published it. It was a pattern for a dishcloth and she also included how to do a Broken Toe cast on.

We were each to go home and try to do the dishcloth on our own. One lady phoned me for help yesterday, which reminded me I needed to try it myself.
I have just finished doing the dishcloth. Teena and I both used acrylic yarn, as we were not confident enough to try knitting with cotton, which has much less stretch or forgiveness
I got it finished, but need to hide a few yarn ends. Here are photos of the front and the back of my dishcloth!

TMK Spring Knit In at Camp Agape

Our local mk group, TMK, held a 5 day knit-in last week/weekend. I knit hats, but I also spent a lot of time helping others with their knitting machines, talking (what do you expect from me??), eating (again, what do you expect from me??) and generally being immersed in machine knitting. Most of us even stayed overnight at the camp facilities (inside a heated building with separate bedrooms....what a treat) 
We brought our machines and had a great time seeing other machines in work. I took my brother 260 and ribber. I learned/relearned to adjust the ribber and knit a variety of hats with and without the ribber. 
 The first photo is of the hats knitted (including the one in front that needs to be rehung and finished) but not sewn up. The second photo is of the hats I finished.

Of course, others knitted other things such as scarves, lacy jackets, tuck shawls, etc. 

YES this seminar will go on!!

CMKG is hosting a seminar in Raleigh on May 5-6. Many have registered already. Seminar will be held come h*** or high water.....no matter how many or how fewregister.

Check here for registration info:

http://www.carolinasmkg.com/Events/CMKGseminar2017.html 

Mary Ann Oger, Mike Becker, and April Mills will be demonstrating there. It is deluxe in a hotel!!

Rita in Raleigh

More info on our Seminar in Raleigh

The Carolinas Machine Knitters is having a seminar in Raleigh (near the airport) on May 5-6. 

It is super cheap....whoops I should not use that word, .....even if it is!

For only $70 for one day (INCLUDING LUNCH) or.....even cheaper, whoops I did it again is 
Two days for $125 (INCLUDING LUNCH) Also we are having an optional banquet on Friday evening. 

Our demonstrators are well skilled in using brother machines, silver reed machines and even Passap machines!! So they can answer your questions!!

Who are these people? 
Mary Ann Oger has been writing machine knitting patterns for at least 25 years, that I know of, perhaps longer (I forgot to dig deeper). She used to publish her own magazine, KNITWORDS, for years and the back issues are still full of useful learning information, besides useful patterns...good for daily living, not that fru-fru stuff of some magazines. 
Check her out at:
Knitwords.com
or
knitwords.blogspot.com 


Mike Becker has also been involved in machine knitting for 25 years, but I believe it has been a lot longer for him too!
He is the owner of DKNITS a machine knitting (and handknitting) store in Aurora, Indiana.....near Cincinnati. He has written many books of patterns for brother and for Passap machines. He has written The Passap Paramedic. Mike will be bringing us various supplies for our knitting machines. Check his website for what he has...if you don't see what you want/need, then phone or email him to see if he can bring it to you at the seminar. He has also written books on cut and sew, and on using sewing patterns for knitting! He knows DAK very well also. 
here is his website:

http://store.dknits.com/ 


Our third, yes third, demonstrator is April Mills, another longtime machine knitter...also familiar with many brands of km's. I have watched and enjoyed her demos on Scandinavian type machine knitting (you know, those snowflakes and dots, etc.) She also has written patterns/books on doll clothes, knitted flowers, etc. 
Her website just told me that she has been machine knitting since 1969......Almost 50 years....and she is only 27....okay I made up the last part!!
Check her website too:

http://www.aprilmills.com/index.htm 


I love all these demonstrators. Please think hard about coming to this seminar. Please register soon. We will hold the seminar with or without you, but you could learn a lot and have a lot of fun here. 

Registration information here 
http://www.carolinasmkg.com/Events/CMKGseminar2017.html 


Pay with a check or the easy way through Paypal!!

Please come

Seminar in Raleigh NC USA

Finally!! A machine knitting seminar has been planned for Raleigh/Durham on May 5-6, 2017. Info can be found at the CMKG website

http://www.carolinasmkg.com/Events/CMKGseminar2017.html

We are so happy to be moving up to a hotel for our seminar. Besides that, we are having great demonstrators: Mary Ann Oger, Mike Becker, and April Mills.

We don't know exactly what they will be teaching, but they are always entertaining and informative!!

Mike is also bringing the various machine knitting supplies that we always need.

Prices and registration form can be found at the link above.

Hope to see many of you there!!