Yes, you read that correctly. The Carolinas Machine Knitters are planning another seminar in Raleigh. Sept. 20 and 21 we will be at St. Giles Church just off Glenwood Ave (US 70) the same place we were in 2011.
I still need to contact a motel for sleeping rooms and still need to finalize other details.
We have contacted 2 demonstrators and are looking forward to an inspiring, but laid back seminar. I'll write more as the details are ironed out.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Cheating, Ha, Ha, Ha
I know, this is supposed to be about machine knitting, so I guess you could say I have "cheated" by handknitting these two sweaters for my grandkids. I was doing a lot of riding in a car so I handknit these out of an acrylic yarn called Kids Rock. The pink cardigan is for Helena and is big, intentionally. I did that in case I did not get finished before she outgrew it. She found the sweater in my knitting bag, still in progress and declared that she loved it! Of course I had to finish it for Christmas. She still loved it so much she put it on right away and wore it all evening. How's that for a 4 year old's appreciation of my work!!
I am so happy to have finished them in time. I am glad that the two older grandsons (9 and 11) did not care that I had not made them something this time. But I am sure they would have been appreciative IF I had made them something. I am so lucky.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
November monthly meeting
Our Triangle Machine Knitters held their monthly meeting this morning at our usual site at a church in Raleigh. We had about 15 people present.
We showed off our NC State Fair entries and our winning ribbons. We showed off our other finished projects and unfinished projects too.
We discussed how much fun we had had at the Knit-in and made plans to book a site for next spring, after we email the members who were not at the meeting so they can have input to our planning.
We discussed the Comfort Dolls that LuAnne was collecting for sending to Africa. We had knit some flat pieces to be the dolls and LuAnne's church ladies were going to assemble them and stuff them and take care of getting them to those in need. Read about them here: http://www.creativestitchonline.com/pattern.html
Some of us, specifically Elizabeth, had knit some toiletry bags for distribution to the homeless near the church where we meet. She had also gathered some toiletries to stuff the bags with.
We also had the program we had planned for, which was a measuring meeting. Peggy talked to us about the body measurements needed to make a well fitting garment and handed out papers with this info on it. She gave each of us a new tape measure and we measured each other and recorded our measurements on the papers. I can't tell you what anyone wrote, because we pledged "any measurements mentioned in this room, stays in this room!"
We reminded everyone of our holiday party next month at RaeAnne's house.
After this fun meeting, 5 of us went out to lunch at our regular lunch spot, a Chinese buffet, which is Americanized and also has ingredients for tacos!
We love getting together and talking knitting!
We showed off our NC State Fair entries and our winning ribbons. We showed off our other finished projects and unfinished projects too.
We discussed how much fun we had had at the Knit-in and made plans to book a site for next spring, after we email the members who were not at the meeting so they can have input to our planning.
We discussed the Comfort Dolls that LuAnne was collecting for sending to Africa. We had knit some flat pieces to be the dolls and LuAnne's church ladies were going to assemble them and stuff them and take care of getting them to those in need. Read about them here: http://www.creativestitchonline.com/pattern.html
Some of us, specifically Elizabeth, had knit some toiletry bags for distribution to the homeless near the church where we meet. She had also gathered some toiletries to stuff the bags with.
We also had the program we had planned for, which was a measuring meeting. Peggy talked to us about the body measurements needed to make a well fitting garment and handed out papers with this info on it. She gave each of us a new tape measure and we measured each other and recorded our measurements on the papers. I can't tell you what anyone wrote, because we pledged "any measurements mentioned in this room, stays in this room!"
We reminded everyone of our holiday party next month at RaeAnne's house.
After this fun meeting, 5 of us went out to lunch at our regular lunch spot, a Chinese buffet, which is Americanized and also has ingredients for tacos!
We love getting together and talking knitting!
Our Knit-in
A lot has been going on in and around Raleigh. Last weekend between 10 and 15 of the Triangle Machine Knitters attended a Knit-in at a local camp, which is used for autistic people in the summer. The ten of us stayed overnight in a bunkhouse, some in private rooms (7x7) and others shared a big bunk room with 16 bunk beds (but only 3 of us stayed in that room so it was sort of private, ha,ha).
Meanwhile we had arrived on Thursday to set up our knitting machines in the dining hall. We brought meals to share throughout the weekend. Some of our knitters set up their machines, but decided to drive home nightly. Those folks mainly lived nearby, while those of us who slept over were 1-2 hours from home. The last of us left after lunch on Sunday after cleaning up the kitchen, bunk areas, and dining hall where we knit and ate.
We knitted, talked, helped each other, saw how other types of machines worked (or did not work as the case may be). I shared my "expertise" with the garter carriage with one knitter who had an 860 machine which needed special serrated rails to use the gc. I had read of such things, but never seen them before. We worked it out. I knew how to program a punch card machine, so I did not have to learn that part.
The next day I helped two knitters with 970 machines learn to use their gc's. It was easier for me since I had used a gc with a 970 at my home before then. (Another knitter sort of audited my "classes" and went home after the weekend and finally got her 930 to knit pattern, used her gc for the first time and was successful!!)
I was not the only person helping others. Some brought yarn winders, irons, ironing pads, an office copy machine, various knitting magazines to browse or to take home. We even had some yarn for sale.
There were some problems with static, knitting falling off machines, and nothing seeming to work right, but we had a great time.
We have been doing this once or twice a year for the last 3 or 4 years. We are debating trying out a new location, but we love the time learning together without the distractions of everyday life.
Meanwhile we had arrived on Thursday to set up our knitting machines in the dining hall. We brought meals to share throughout the weekend. Some of our knitters set up their machines, but decided to drive home nightly. Those folks mainly lived nearby, while those of us who slept over were 1-2 hours from home. The last of us left after lunch on Sunday after cleaning up the kitchen, bunk areas, and dining hall where we knit and ate.
We knitted, talked, helped each other, saw how other types of machines worked (or did not work as the case may be). I shared my "expertise" with the garter carriage with one knitter who had an 860 machine which needed special serrated rails to use the gc. I had read of such things, but never seen them before. We worked it out. I knew how to program a punch card machine, so I did not have to learn that part.
The next day I helped two knitters with 970 machines learn to use their gc's. It was easier for me since I had used a gc with a 970 at my home before then. (Another knitter sort of audited my "classes" and went home after the weekend and finally got her 930 to knit pattern, used her gc for the first time and was successful!!)
I was not the only person helping others. Some brought yarn winders, irons, ironing pads, an office copy machine, various knitting magazines to browse or to take home. We even had some yarn for sale
There were some problems with static, knitting falling off machines, and nothing seeming to work right, but we had a great time.
We have been doing this once or twice a year for the last 3 or 4 years. We are debating trying out a new location, but we love the time learning together without the distractions of everyday life.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Photos for 2012 Hat Contest
Blogger was not clear on how to upload photos. It gave me a list of places to upload from (this blog, my phone....as if I had that type of phone...my webcam...as if I USED a webcam... Picasa albums...which I could not get my photos uploaded to ) None of which I could get to work. Then there was another button "choose files" but it did not say "from your computer" and I thought the files were to be chosen from the list they provided (see above). Wouldn't that make sense to you? But no, it was not clear to me.
Why can't computer/internet people speak/write clearly for ordinary people to understand?
I love my knitting. My preference is to make a variety of hats to give the recipients a choice of hat style or color.
Now for details of the hat which is pictured alone:
The flower on the hat is adapted from Eileen Montgomery's flower pattern in the latest News & Views magazine.
The basic earflap hat in needle out of work pattern is called Adult Ski Hat from The Bulky Book available from Rocking Horse Farm at http://home.earthlink.net/~rhfarm/id15.html
The idea for the stripes is from the free Bulky Scrap Hat at http://mkdfw.homestead.com/Patterns.html
I love combining ideas from the various patterns I read or see.
Knitting Hats for Charity
I have been using the hot summer weather as a push to start knitting hats for charity for the upcoming winter. Because it is too hot and humid to go outside comfortably, I stay inside in the air conditioned house and plan and knit hats for Country Knitting of Maine News & Views Hat Contest.
In the past there was a challenge to see who could knit 100 hats. I had taken up the challenge and done this twice in the past. It was a way to practice my knitting skills, use up a bit of my stash, help others, and automatically "win" a prize for such a volume of knitting. There were other prizes offered in various categories of hats such as Best Man's Hat, Best Use of Color, etc.
The magazine is again having a hat contest with a variety of prizes, but I have not seen the challenge of 100 hats with automatic prizes. That has not stopped me! I realized I love the personal challenge and goal to work towards! It is fun to try out different knitting techniques, color combinations, other people's patterns (and my adaptations of them).
Find out more about this year's Hat Contest here:
http://countryknittingofmaine.com/_sgg/f10000.htm
or in your Sept./Oct. issue of Country Knitting of Maine News & Views.
Here are some of my 62 (so far) hats for this year's contest!
Well, I would put up the pictures....I have put up pictures just back in May, but now I apparently have to download and install Picasa just to post these pictures although I have used Picasa in the past. I wish things would not change before I can learn to use them. Rant, rant rant.....gripe, gripe.... Maybe someday I will learn this technology...yeah and maybe someday I'll be 30 again
That was a good griping session...Maybe after 5 or 6 hours I will be able to figure out how to upload pictures to this blog.
Hope to write again later today.
In the past there was a challenge to see who could knit 100 hats. I had taken up the challenge and done this twice in the past. It was a way to practice my knitting skills, use up a bit of my stash, help others, and automatically "win" a prize for such a volume of knitting. There were other prizes offered in various categories of hats such as Best Man's Hat, Best Use of Color, etc.
The magazine is again having a hat contest with a variety of prizes, but I have not seen the challenge of 100 hats with automatic prizes. That has not stopped me! I realized I love the personal challenge and goal to work towards! It is fun to try out different knitting techniques, color combinations, other people's patterns (and my adaptations of them).
Find out more about this year's Hat Contest here:
http://countryknittingofmaine.com/_sgg/f10000.htm
or in your Sept./Oct. issue of Country Knitting of Maine News & Views.
Here are some of my 62 (so far) hats for this year's contest!
Well, I would put up the pictures....I have put up pictures just back in May, but now I apparently have to download and install Picasa just to post these pictures although I have used Picasa in the past. I wish things would not change before I can learn to use them. Rant, rant rant.....gripe, gripe.... Maybe someday I will learn this technology...yeah and maybe someday I'll be 30 again
That was a good griping session...Maybe after 5 or 6 hours I will be able to figure out how to upload pictures to this blog.
Hope to write again later today.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Diana Sullivan's seminar in Raleigh
Diana Sullivan was in Raleigh for a 2 day seminar in late April. She demonstrated many things including how to knit an entrelac hat IN THE ROUND!!
LuAnne and Linda, sisters, went home after the first day and knit the hat that evening!
Well, I could not let THEM be the stars of the seminar, so I knit one too. See my hat below this. I showed off mine at our TMK meeting this past Saturday at the NC State Fairgrounds where our group met to show off machines and machine knit items during the NC. FiberFest.
We had lots of people interested in seeing knitting machines and how they work. Many took home a flyer about our group and when and where we meet monthly. One lady hung around Leslie and her 260 for THREE HOURS!
I hope we can all get busy and pull off another CMKG seminar for next year...I hear one is in the planning stages!!!
Hey, I bought the book (and many others) at the seminar BEFORE she listed it for sale. I feel like a real trend setter!! Diana's books and videos are so simple to follow, and are not expensive to buy either. They are well worth collecting and knitting the items.
Monday, April 30, 2012
During my Sunday browsing on the internet I came across, again, the most wonderful site to search for many MK related items.
It has free machine knitting patterns, copies of the punchcards which came with various machines, MK videos, BOOK REVIEWS, where to get manuals, software, ....you name it and you can probably find the link to where to get it!! I even saw downloads of how to adjust your ribber (brother standard and bulky and the SR ribber). I even found a listing of where to get machine knitting yarn.
Check it out. Bookmark the link for your future reference....this site is well organized and the people contributing are knowledgeable.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Midgauge 6.5 mm garter bar for sale
One more smallish piece of equipment has come to my attention. Leslie has a midgauge garter bar (6.5 mm....the one which fits Silver Reed machines) she bought by accident. Contact me at fmcelroy@aol.com or Leslie (you know her from TMK meetings) for price.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Edith's machines are sold
Back in November, Edith contacted me about selling her machines (Passap and Brother 940). They have been sold to a local lady who is quite happy with them.
We hope Lisa has such good luck with her Toyota, which I listed in December.
I have knitted a couple of scarves for the Special Olympics. I used the bulky machine and a fisherman's rib stitch. They were fun and easy.
I have knitted some preemie hats (fisherman's rib again...it is my favorite easy but impressive stitch). These were done using Tamm 3 ply on the standard machine. I am working on the booties to match right now.
We hope Lisa has such good luck with her Toyota, which I listed in December.
I have knitted a couple of scarves for the Special Olympics. I used the bulky machine and a fisherman's rib stitch. They were fun and easy.
I have knitted some preemie hats (fisherman's rib again...it is my favorite easy but impressive stitch). These were done using Tamm 3 ply on the standard machine. I am working on the booties to match right now.
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