The second oversized vest class was great! It was a small group but we had a great time and everyone is in good shape and if not finished with their vests - they are well on their way. I completed my vest for my 5 year old nephew for Christmas! I LOVE the colors and cannot wait to give it to him. Meanwhile I FINALLY gave my sister my niece's sweater. It has been completed for a while and I had already posted pictures of it. I added some hand embroderied details to the back - They came out beautifully. A nice option if you do not know how to crochet flowers!

I also wanted to share with all of you a great supplier for labels for your knitted works. Lucille and I discovered them over the summer at the Knit Show and I FINALLY ordered labels - you MAY be able to make out the labels in the photos above. They are a great quality with TONS of options in colors fonts etc! The Company is Heirloom Woven Labels out of New Jersey. Their web site is: www.heirloomlabels.com .

I ALSO wanted to share a GREAT supplier of silver plated magnetic clasps for those of you knitting jewlery! I had been struggling to find silver magnetic clasps and these while not 100% Sterling - they ARE siler plated and really pretty and PERFECT! They are also VERY well priced. The prices will adjust according to how much you order. The order was to me in four days - REGULAR shipping. They also carry a wide selection of beads and I have added them to my favorites:

Best Buy Beads: www.BestBuyBeads.com I encourage you to give them a try!

The next Guild Meeting is THIS Saturday and I hope to see many of you there!


Next Meeting: Saturday, November 4th 3:00PM at Lula's

Knit Happens
Naugatuck Knitting and Crochet Guild
October 7th and October 19th, 2006



The following was discussed:

Everyone welcomed Kathy Harris as the new Vice President. Thank you Kathy!
Everyone also welcomed Sue Gerchy as the new Membership Coordinator. Thank you Sue!
Our CGOA membership application is being processed. If you volunteered to be on the membership application, Tammy will be contacting you shortly.
We need to finish voting for our logo. While we were there, Kim presented another new idea that included a crochet hook so she will play around with it a little bit more. The sheep seems to be winning so she will try to incorporate that as well.
We currently have 39 paid members in our guild. All paid members receive a membership card. If you haven’t received one, please see Kristin at the next meeting.
A vote for the location of our Christmas party was held and it looks like Tammy’s neighborhood club house has won. It will be December 10th at 1:00 p.m. and be a “pot luck”. Secret Pal sign up sheet is located in the Knit Happens corner at Lula’s. More information will follow along with directions to the club house.
A “Knit Crawl” is being planned for February 2007.
Lucille shared a demonstration of a beautiful lap blanket using the chunky wool that many are using for their bulky vests. She used a yarn over stitch for the first few rows and then straight knit for the middle and ending with the yarn over stitch for the bottom. She used the size 50 needles and said it was very quick and easy to do!
Tammy talked about a web site she found that sells bottoms for felted bags so they won’t “sag”. The site is http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/ and they sell wonderful acrylic bottoms for your felted bag.

The next scheduled meetings for are November 4th at 3:00p.m. and 16th at 6:30 p.m.

Tonights meeting went very well and we had another great crowd!! I am sorry I forgt my camera to take pictures. A big decision was made regarding the Christmas party. Lucille and Sue will work on planning and creating a great party. Anyone interested in helping out would be welcomed! We are all excited and a show of hands was taken and it was decided that instead of having the party at a restaurant that we will have it at the Glendale Community Clubhouse. It s a great spot with round tables and chairs and seating for 60 people and a working kitchen with two ovens and stoves as well as a eautiful working huge stone mason fireplace it will be a nice, comfortable and casual setting. Soooo... decision made! It will be there - thanks everyone! It will be Sunday, December 10th at 1:00 PMat the Glendale Community Clubhouse. Directions will be given closer to the date! Our new Membership coordinator - Sue - suggested making it a membership dirve as well. A great idea and I will coordinate advertising in Citizens News and Telemedia.

A link I wanted to share on the blog was a site I found and shared with the guild tonight for acrylic bottoms for bags. They are 1/8 inches thick and come in various sizes. The bottoms are called Bag-E-Bottoms and can be found at www.lazygirldesigns.com/bag-e-bottoms.php . These bottoms are for felted bags and will prevent drooping of your felted purse or bag. I am ordering one and will let you know how they are. Meanwhile I did want to share the site. I know many of you are already working on Christmas presents and thought this site would be helpful for all of you for your bags!

We have a new logo that Guild member Kim brought to the meeting - she is still doing some tweeking and many of the members at yhe meeting tonight gave input. Kim was very apprecaiteive and it helps her to create a logo we will all like. We all are grateful for Kim's creativity and work on it and look forward to her revisions and new design coming soon!

Not much else to report! The big sweater vest class part 2 is Tuesday, October 24th at 7 at Lucille's shop! Even if you are not doing the vest - come out and join us for fun and knitting and crocheting!

Do not hesitate to call me with any ideas and or suggestions for upcoming programs or speakers, visitors etc! Your input helps the guild keep going!

More news coming soon!

Peggi got a head start! She had her back done and one side before we even started class and is jumping ahead to the crocheted edge with Lucille!
Joelle and Cathy now you are NOT reallly giving the full sense of the FUN we are having!!!!! Cathy looks like she is ready to give up completely and I think Joelle is trying to figure out how to use her needle as a weapon? YIKES!!!

Truly, the Vest class Saturday was fun and everyone made great progress!

My daughter and I atop the Mountain at Hubbard Park.

Views today from atop the mountain at the castle above Hubbard Park in Meriden!




Saturday was a huge success! We got quite a few people making vests! Nearly a dozen so we were a great group and we had fun - right gals!????! I do not know, there was some swearing and frustration as we started on the left side and not the easier part of the vest - the back. Everyone made great progress and we had some good laughs! The colors were FANTASTIC!!!!!! Everyone had a little different variation and I have to admit that they ALL looked so awesome and made me want to make 20 more (well,.... maybe one or two more!) As it took longer than expected we are reconvening again on October 24th at 7PM at Lula's. Anyone interested can join us even if it is just to knit and chat! We would love to have you and I am so looking forward to everyone getting these vests put together!

I have been wearing mine constantly!! It is warm and easy to just throw over whatever I am wearing - I do not think my down vest will be uncovered this year! I actually wore mine today on a hike with my kids and husaband (he wore his green vest for the first time! It looked GREAT on him!). It was a gloriuos day and we unexpectedly ended up at Hubbard Park in Meriden and hiked the mountain to the castle. My first time and husband's first time since being a kid! The view was incredible and worth the very steep climb! I am including pictures - I LOVE Fall!

I hope you have all enjoyed your weekend. I am sharing some pictures from the class for you as well. Looking forward to seeing you again on the 24th! Don't forget our Thursday night meeting this week!!

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday October 19th 6:30 PM - Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, October 24th 7:00 PM Vest Class part 2

I hope everyone is enjoying their weeks so far....

I have hoarded a bunch of ideas so as to hopefully have a few postings up my sleeves to keep the Blog going for a bit!!!!! Great news from Guild Member Gerry today via email. She made a connection for the Guild regarding the distribution of the Prayer Shawls to cancer patients at the Harold Leever Cancer Center in Waterbury. Thank you so very much for your help Gerry! I want to again thank and give tremendous credit to Karen (who is a freind and co-worker of Guild Member Anne) who, along with family and friends, have been knitting away to meet a goal that they have set for the group of 50 shawls! They have done an incredible job (31 at last count are at Lula's awaiting distribution) and the Guild is honored to have received them with the trust that we will distribute them to people in need. I will keep everyone informed of the progress on that. Meanwhile a bit of fun for this posting. .....

Guild Member Jen (www.yarnista.blogspot.com ) mentioned a fun knitting video clip at the meeting last week and I wanted to offer the link for all of you - it is a silly nonsense video but I had a good laugh over it and my kids were convinced it was biographical of me and my obsession of knitting. I am sure you will all apprecaite it. Check it out! Saturday is fast appraoching and the oversized knitting class (for the vest as pictured in the Summer 2006 edition of Knit 1, page 52) Hope to see a good aoumnt of you then. I promise another posting before end of week (Sunday!) Keep the Needles and Hooks flying!


www.youtube.com Click on the video entitled: "The Last Knit"

All new meaning to the term K1P1 arrived at our house late last week! "Patches" is a 1 1/2 pound kitten who we rescued from a feral mommy. She has been great fun but I have to admit she is a handful when yarn and my wood needles are present. Despite her flurry of jumping and attacking my yarn ball today, I was able to capture her adorable face here. My ball of yarn is bigger than her!!!! She is tiny - fits in the palm of your hand and DEFINITELY is a knitting kitty! She sat with me as I tackled my shrug (see previous posting regarding Decadent Fibers) I knitted for quite a while with her flipping over the yarn - grabbing it and attacking my double pointed wood needle everytime I went to use it! She finally settled right on my lap and purred as I continued to try and decipher this horrendous pattern. The actual work is not bad but the pattern continues to be a challenge and I ended up having to put it away as I need Lucille to help me figure out the hoorendous "code" it is written in for the next step. I really look forward to cold winter afternoons on the weekends with a CALM (ha!) Patches on my lap as I knit. Time to hide my yarn stash I guess!

October 7, 2006 Knit Happens Meeting

Lucille shares the latest edition of Vogue Knitting with the Guild! (Pictured behind her are the 31 Prayer Shawls knitted for donation to the Leever Center)

Top to Bottom: Guild Member Jennie shares her recently finished hat which was her first attempt at knitting with two colors. Fantastic Job Jennie - it is adorable!, Jennie shares her latest project with me from the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts The Hourgalss Sweater. Her yarn was gorgeous!
Lastly Jennie sahred a gift she received from her Aunt. An antique knitting book dating to 1910 loaded with knitting tips and tons of patterns - a real treasure and gorgeous projects!

Guild Member Shelia working on her oversized vest in red!

Knit Happens Meeting Saturday - October 7, 2006

Just a sampling of some of the 99 hats knitted by Guild Members for teh Hats to the Capital project - Great job by everyone!!!!! Prayer Shawls are seen in the back numbering 31 so far!!!

Prayer Shawls by
Karen and her family and friends given to guild for the Cancer Center - 31 so far!

What a fun meeting for the Guild yesterday. It was a smaller crowd and the Agenda was really light and self explanatory and I have to say that it was the first Guild meeting that I actually got to circulate a bit and get some pictures! Lucille has a new way to take minutes right on a laptop during the meeting and she did that as both Joelle and Kristin were unable to make the meeting. Rather than a demonstration Lucille talked a bit about the new Vogue Knitting that was out and we shared the incredible progress of Knitting Guild member Anne's friend Karen and her fanily and friends that have been knitting Prayer Shawls. I put them out for all to see before the meeting and everyone was VERY impressed. They have set a goal of 50 among just them and they have given the guild 31 so far!! VERY impressive and each one more beautiful than the next! Guild Member Gerry will be speaking to her friend who was instumental in starting the shop at the Leever Cancer Center in Waterbury as to details on how we can get them there. Meanwhoile there was discussion of doing labels for all of them and Lucille said she has an embrodiery machine she never uses and will bring it to the shop and we will actully try to make our own. If that does not work she did volunteer to donate labels that the Guild can put in all of these shawls so the receipient can know where it came from. Meanwhile, Gerry thanks for voluteering to coordinate our connection with the Leever Center!

The hats are pouring in for the "Hats to the Capital" Project!!! We had a new member walk in and sign up for membership and she brought a 1/2 dozen hats from her and her mom - Thank you Joyce! We are now at a total of 99 hats - yes, 99!!!!! We can Easily make 200 I am sure we can make it to 200 for the Guild by January! I KNOW we can!! Thank you to everyone who has been knitting so diligently. Meanwhile PLEASE do not forget that we have baby yarns that were donated to the Guild that are available to ANYONE who wants to knit hats for the Capital! Just stop by7 the shop and Lucille will let you choose what you would like to work with!

We discussed the Christmas Party and I suggested an alternate location of the neighborhood Clubhouse in my neighborhood. It has a wonderful working fireplace and is a large building with kitchen facilities and we could gather and have awonderful cocktail and appetizer Christmas Party. We could all bring our projects and knit comfortably as well. I have contacted Jesse Camilees and will have details on Tuesday of whether the restaurant will be availbale on December 10th and what the cost will be. More information to follow on that! I asked for anyone that would be willing to help coordinate this party I would so apprecaite them volunteering. So far Lucille has said she would like to help and we would sooo apprecaite anyone else who would be willing to work on a this party committee!

There were many projects being worked on during the meeting and I have some of them posted above. Great work ladies!!!! More news is coming as well as some fun postings.

Meanwhile, please do not forget to check out fellow Guild Member Jen's blog www.yarnista.blogspot.com and GREAT NEWS!!!! Lucille has started a blog - I KNEW she'd cave in to that! I am sooo looking forward to her future postings and all the great ideas, thoughts and creativity she has to share! www.lulasmelange.blogspot.com . Enjoy them and keep the ideas and input coming! See you all soon!!!!

Don't Forget:

Big Sweater Vest Class: Saturday, October 14 12- 3:00 PM - Lula's - Join us for the calss or just to knit along - it is sure to be a fun afternoon!

Well Better late than never!!! I am sorry the Agenda is so late but herre it is HOT off the presses for the October meeting - more news to follow! I look forward to seeing all of you at the meetings!

Knit Happens

AGENDA
Naugatuck Knitting and Crochet Guild
Meeting – October 7 and 19, 2006

Discussion of the following:
Vice President found!!!! Announcement of Kathy Harris as Knit Happens New Vice President. Thank you Kathy and WELCOME!!!!
Membership person found!! Announcement of Sue Gerchy as Knit Happens new Membership Coordinator. Sue, thank you we welcome you and are glad to have your assistance ! WELCOME!

CGOA Membership application being processed. If you are a crocheter and volunteered last meeting to be on membership application Tammy will call you if she is using your name to ok with you first!

Members votes needed for logo – please vote so we can finalize logo! We still have not finalized the logo and many have not voted PLEASE log your vote so we may finalize this! Thank you! A final tally will be taken at the October 19th meeting.

Sign up sheet (schedule of events attached) for NYS Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhineback , NY October 21 and 22

Progress of Guild: Last meeting there was discussion of progress made so far by the Guild and the hard work that has been done. Accomplishments thus far are as follows:
A Membership list of 60 plus people and a core group of serious members of approximately the same amount (a MASS mailing list of approximately 255 people), A current list of 35 PAID members, Name determined for group of Knit Happens and Incorporation and registration in Hartford of the Corporation, Creation of three logos currently being voted on to become official logo of Guild, Application and Assignment of a Federal Id Number, Opening of Guild Account and establishment of a checking account. Advertisement of the Guild on multiple occasions on Telemedia and local paper Citizens News, Name tags for all members for use at meetings, Membership cards for all paid members (thanks to Lucille and Kristin for obtaining GORGEOUS cards FREE of charge through a web site offering first 500 cards at NO charge!), Application to CGOA and TKGA for the Guild to receive national recognition as a Guild underway and nearing completion, A membership coordinator for the Guild volunteered and will handle all membership related issues, Successful contact of professional crochet instructor and author recommended by member Shelia Sweet and Professional Knitter, crocheter and author Melissa Leapman – future classes being planned (see sign up sheets for interest in Knit Happens corner at Lula’s), Successful kick off of charitable project “Hats to the Capital” as well as recruitment of outside knitters (by Member Anne Butler) for knitting of hats for same project as well as Prayer Shawls for local cancer patients, Start of kick off of the Guild’s participation in charitable project: “Red Scarf Project” for February 2007, Successful planning and attendance of trip to NYC Knit out last month, Planning of Christmas party in December, planning of a NYC “Knit Crawl” in February 2007, Informative handouts and Knitting demonstrations at Guild Meetings by Lula, Establishment and upkeep of a Guild Knitting Blog (www.deputyknittersblog.blogspot.com ).

It is an impressive list and a thank you goes out to all the hard work of the officers and Lucille. We have quite a list of accomplishments in the FOUR months of our existence. As always ideas, thoughts, likes and dislikes are ALWAYS welcome and encouraged. This is YOUR Guild and we rely on all of you to make it a success. Please keep in mind the hard work and effort that is going into it to make if FUN for everyone!
Christmas Party December 10 (Sunday) 1:00 PM - $15 limit Secret pal sign up for participation needed by November meeting. Sign up sheet in the “Knit Happens Corner” in back room of Lula’s Mélange – Please sign up so we can start planning. If anyone is interested in helping to coordinate this event the help would be very much appreciated. Please let one of the officers know if you are interested.

Ideas for location: Jesse Camille’s was mentioned as a location – Tammy is working out details on the availability as well as the cost per person of an hor’dorve party – mores news will follow – PLEASE check out blog for developing details! www.deputyknittersblog.blogspot.com

Spinning Demonstration being worked on by Kristin Leary for future meeting – more news to follow.

Oversized knitted and crocheted edge vest class – 3 hour class on oversize vest as found in knit1 taught by Tammy has been scheduled for Saturday October 14th from 12 noon to 3:00 PM. Please contact Lucille if you are interested in participating for thoughts on yarn substitution if you do not already have yarn called for in pattern

Upcoming events and possible field trips:
Franklin County Fiber Twist October 28 Deerfield MA
Upcoming Dates:
Next Meetings October 7th and 19
Saturday October 14th – Knit 1 over size vest class with Tammy 12 – 3 PM Lula’s
October 28 - Franklin County Fiber Twist
January 2, 2007 – Deadline for Save the Children’s knitted/crocheted hat project

A "ROGO" Original Knitwear design!

I wanted to share another oversized vest - this one for a man. After all of the success with the button vest that I knitted for myself (pattern in Knit1 magazine ) on the 50 needles (see previous posting) that was such a hit with everyone - and after wearing it to my son's football game on a cooler day - I thought wouldn't it be nice to do one for my husband! Our anniversary was last week and I decided to do this about three weeks ago. I was admiring the yarn Lucille had used in the early September meeting to exhibit cable work. I thought the green was awesome and it was a nice chunky and it showed off the cabling so well. When I told Lucille of my thoughts she asked why I would not do a cabled vest?! Despite having taken the Melissa Leapman cable class in PA at the Annual TKGA Knit Show- I still had not actually done a cable project and I figured why not? I then started the hunt for a vest that I liked the look of and brought it to Lucille. Ray has always been a vets person and prefers v necks so I searched the internet and magazines for ones that I liked the looks of and brought them to Lucille. She told me I could do a plain back and three cables up the front of the vest - I told her I wanted a v neck pull over and I wanted the vest to be a heavy one that was large enough that Ray could wear over a few layers and use in place of a jacket. She then suggested a v neck in which the cable spluits and climb either side of the V in the neck.

The more Lucille and I talked and planned the more I became determined to do it. We are big Army football fans and spend alot of time tailgating and going to the games and I thought this would just be a great peice of knit wear to keep him warm and if I did not mess it up too badly he would love it!

Lucille went to work on her new sweater wizard software and perfected a pattern for me. She walked me through the pattern and I started in panicked frenzy to get it done for September 28th. I knitted in closed rooms and at the shop. I snuck around with that big thing and every spare minute away from him I was furiuosly working - I actaully was LOVING baseball for those two weeks because it kept him downstairs and allowed me to work in secret - HA! It went pretty quickly and despite some difficulty in figuring out different steps and having to alter the size (because Lucille entered "oversized" the computer I would have ended up with a virtual dress of a sweater!) while I was knitting - it did come out well. The only problem at the end was knowing the v would be too low. I presented it to Ray on our anniversary - had him put it on and the v was too low. Lucille helped me get it to a reasonable opening and Ray loves it. He even said this morning not to share his "original ROGO knitwear designed sweater" on the blog and refused to model it for a picture. "ROGO?" I asked - he said "Yes,your two last names combined!" I laughed - Hey Lucille, what do you think?? - he may have something there! You could do the design work and I can be the frustratated knitter! Hey - maybe a change in careers in the works.... NOT!!!!
Lucille was wonderful and I am so thankful to her that I could make my husband a beautiful unique piece that he will wear for many years to come! It is actually the first piece I have knitted for him (and completed - I have been battling a cashmere blend vest (he knows of THAT project and reminds me of its unfinished state quite often) for him for almost a year now!).

Well, Another project done and I told Lucille I am becoming frightened that I will never do anything but chunky patterns now - they are so satisfying and Instant gratification too! In fact Lucille and I uncovered a bunch of chunky patterns this week and I found myself drawn to them and wanting to do them. So perhaps there will be more projects in the near future on "Big stix"!

Speaking of BIG projects ....
I will be calling all that signed up at the shop for the oversized vest class. it will be held Saturday, October 14th from 12 to 3. I look forward to seeing you all there. Meanwhile, if you did not originally sign up and are interested... please get to the shop and see if Lucille can order your yarn for that date or offer a substitution! I am looking forward to seeing all of you there!

I WILL be calling the people that signed up and telling them in person - probably on Tuesday. Any questions - please give me a call!

Keep the needles and hooks flying!

Crocheted Hats to the Capital

I have to apologize to everyone - it has been a nutty week and I had every intention of posting much sooner than now and it just never happened! Now that my desk is free of the pile of paperwork and bedtime is looming I am finally getting the Guild "stuff" in order and have, of course, three postings in mind for the blog. BUT... First and foremost! The Guild meeting last week!! We had a great turn out. It was a fun meeting. We all missed Lucille who has been tending to her sick grandmother in the hospital who, I am happy to report and much to Lucille's relief, is now out of the hospital and comfortable in her home!

The Guild meeting went well. Shelia Sweet shared her crocheted hats to the capital and we all marveled at how they looked like little berets! I have posted photos above so that everyone could see how different in shape and look they are! I photographed them with a regular knitted hat - They are precious! Our collection is ever growing and a huge kudos and thank you to all of the Guild members who have knitted and crocheted hats already! Meanwhile we shared a great project for Valentines Day. Scarves to be sent to Foster kids in college. We learned of the project at the NYC Knit out. Care packages are sent to Foster children in college and red scarves of every hue are needed for Valentines Day. It sounded like a great project and I know there are Guild Members that are interested in using their left over red yarns for the project. If you are interested connect to this link: www.orphan.org/red_scarf_project.html
The page will give the specifications of what they are looking for. Please know that we have a huge stack of information cards on the project listing details as well in the shop - please stop by and grab a couple and share with your friends! What a great way to help kids have a piece of "home" and recieve, quite possibly, the first handmade item they have ever owned! If you are interested in particiapting - please start your needles and hooks flying and know that we will have a collection basket in the shop to collect them and we will ship them out in January for the group!

I have listed the minutes below and hope they are informative. Please keep in mind there is a "Knit Happens" corner now at Lula's and all Guild Members are welcome to take a look if they need to catch up on the guild happenings. It is located in the back room and is updated very regularly. Meanwhile if there is anything you would like to see added - please let me know and I will do my best! Keep the hooks and needles flying!!


Knit Happens
Naugatuck Knitting and Crochet Guild Meeting
September 21, 2006


The following was discussed:

- A slip stitch demonstration will be given by Lucille next month.

- Some members of the guild attended the NYC Knit Out and had
a wonderful time. There are some photos of the trip
on Tammy's blog www.Deputyknittersblog.blogspot.com .

- The guild is looking for a membership person. Anyone
interested please let Tammy know.

- Patience is very much appreciated in bringing the guild
together. We are awaiting paperwork for the CGOA and
TKGA. We are short 3 members for the CGOA so if anyone
would like to join, please let Tammy know. The guild cannot be
registered until these individuals are registered.

- Name tags are made and membership cards are available for all
paid members.

- The Sheep and Wool festival in Rhineback , NY will be
October 21 and 22.

- Jenny's blog is available up for everyone to check out. The
address is Yarnista.blogspot.com.

- We all are continuing to make our hats for the Save The
Children Project.

- Discussed a possible Knit Crawl maybe in January or
February. More information to follow.

- Shirley Legen showed everyone the beautiful socks she made and
offered to have a class to teach if anyone is interested. Thank
you Shirley!

- We will have a Christmas party in December with a Secret Pal
sign up sheet for anyone who would like to. There is a $15 limit.
Next month meeting dates are October 7th at 3:00 p.m. and October 19th at 6:30 p.m.