T I D E W A T E R K N I T T I N G G U I L D O F V I R G I N I A

Purls of WisdomD E C E M B E R

M E E T I N G

Monday, Dec. 37 p.m.

Holiday Party & Baby Shower for Newborns in Need

Note new location for this meeting only:

Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church, 2217 West Great Neck

Road, Virginia Beach

Check tkgv.blogspot.com to con-firm the meeting date. Questions?

Email us at tkgv1@yahoo.com.

December 2012

A Message from Our President

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2 Member Birthdays, New Member, Calendar, Roving Sheep3 Charity Knitting, Colorway Contest 4 Nancy Shroyer Class Photos5 Knitting App Review6 Book Review, Holiday Decorating7 Meeting Minutes8 Holiday Potluck & Baby Shower

I have come to the conclusion that I will not get all my holiday knitting done, even if I knit from morning to night until Christmas. As I grumbled a few choice words to myself and wondered why I didn’t start my knitting sooner, I rearranged my project list into three groups: must get done, would like to get done and in my dreams. I sorted by what should get mailed and I sorted by how much I could get done the fastest and whose feelings would be hurt and to whom did I promise something three Christmases ago. I sorted until my eyes were rolling in my head, cursing the day I learned to knit. Finally, I sat back, took a deep breath and said, “Knitting is no fun when you are this stressed and this is not what the holidays are about.” I know it sounds cliché, but I thought about how fortunate and thankful I am to have a warm home, food on the table, my family all together and more yarn than I know what to do with. I also felt a little bit ashamed that I was stressing over knitting projects when there are so many people dealing with much bigger issues and concerns. My project list became self-evident at this point and was ei-ther a need or want. I need to finish the mini Christmas stockings for Justin and his squad deployed to Afghanistan because he is far from home in a hostile land and I want to bring a little “home” to him. I pray they will all be home for the holidays next year, safe and sound. I need to knit a baby ensemble for the Newborns in Need program because there are babies in our area who don’t have adequate clothing when they go home from the hospital and the weather is cold. I need to knit a hat or two for a lonely vet in a VA hospital to let them know they are not forgotten. And I need to knit a scarf or cowl for Carrollyn Cox’s church project to keep the homeless warm. I want to finish my son’s other sock, but probably won’t get it done this Christmas. I know he will understand. He already told me he wasn’t going to hold his breath waiting for the other one. Warmest wishes to you and your loved ones this holiday season.

Debbie Henderson

Submissions for the January issue of the newsletter are

due Dec. 15. Email Editor Sonja Barisic at

snbarisic@gmail.com.

T R E A S U R E R ’ S R E P O R T

The Guild’s current bank balance is: $5,171. Beverly Boler

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Mark Your CalendarsGuild meetings start with Meet and Greet at 7 p.m., followed by the Business Meeting at 7:15 p.m. The Guild also offers a Help Clinic, starting a half-hour before the meeting.

Dec. 3 – Guild Holiday Potluck Party. Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church, 2217 West Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach. Instead of the traditional gift exchange, members may make or buy items to be donated to Newborns in Need. Bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert. See page 8 of this newsletter for details.

Jan. 7 – Guild Meeting. We’ll be back at our usual meeting place, the Westminster Canterbury penthouse.

Jan. 18-20 – “Winter Wonderland” Knitters Weekend Getaway, Stonewall Resort and Spa, Roanoke, W.Va. Info: www.yarnandcompany.net/knitterweekend-winter2013.html

Jan. 18-20 – Vogue Knitting LIVE! New York Marriott Marquis, Manhattan. Info: www.vogueknittinglive.com/ehome/index.php?eventid=46373&

Feb. 4 – Guild Meeting.

March 4 – Guild Meeting.

March 7-10, 2013 – TKGV Outer Banks Knitting Retreat, Knitting by the Sea. Hampton Inn, Corolla, N.C. Details in November 2012 newsletter.

M e m b e r B i r t h d a y s T h i s M o n t h Amy Upson Dec. 7 Jacqueline Scott Dec. 16

W e l c o m e N e w M e m b e r : C l a u d i a H o l t

Here’s a sheep made from roving, which Debbie Henderson taught members how to create during the Guild’s November meeting. If you missed the meeting, or you’d like to make a companion for your sheep but can’t remember what to do with those pipe cleaners and roving, you can find instructions for a simi-lar project at this website: www.sheepylady.com/store/ancillary.asp?ID=20.

M a k e Y o u r O w n H o l i d a y S h e e p

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December sale:

All Manos del Uruguay products on sale for 25 percent off.

By Chris Goudeau This will be our end-of-the year collection for charity items. Please bring all of your items to our holiday party on Dec. 3. We will have a special baby table set up to receive donations for Newborns in Need. Charity items for our other or-ganizations will be collected as well. If you can’t make the meeting, please email me and we’ll see if we can arrange a time and place to pick up your items. Here’s a recap of the local organizations asking for knitted/crocheted items: Pet blankets – Virginia Beach animal shelters (must be at least 14” square) Baby blankets – Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society 8” squares – Hugs from the Heart (hospice patients) Hats and scarves for Veterans – American Red Cross Caps/blankets for kids – St. Mary’s Home, Project Linus, Newborns in Need Scarves – Winter Shelter Program for the Homeless Remember to sign the Charity Knitting log each month when you attend our meetings or email me at cgoudeau@cox.net. As always, thank you to all who take the time to knit/crochet for charity.

C h a r i t y K n i t t i n g U p d a t e

By Cheryl Cauthen-Bond The Unique Sheep will be dyeing a custom gradiance colorway for our Guild and our Knitting by the Sea retreat in March. Guild members are asked to help choose the colorway by submitting photos containing colors to use for inspira-tion in developing the colorway. The prize: One gradiance colorway set of Verve fingering weight. Contest Rules

1. Contest opens Monday, Nov. 5, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3.2. Members may send photos to cgcknits@aol.com (only use this email for the contest, and put Photo Contest in

the subject line), or post in the Colorway Contest thread in the TKGV group on Ravelry. 3. The retreat committee will select the top 10 photos, after which the Guild members and retreat attendees will

be able to vote for their favorite.4. The top three photos will be sent to Laura at The Unique Sheep to pick one for inspiration for our custom col-

orway.5. The colorway skeins will be a part of the retreat goodie bags.6. Guild members will be able to order additional skeins at a discount for a limited period of time near the retreat

dates.

Submit Photos to Help Create a Custom Colorway

As the temperatures have cooled I've become painfully aware, from a knitter's perspective, of how close the holidays are. As I pre-pared for Nell Ziroli's visit to the shop, I made a list of fingerless gloves, cowls and scarves to be made as gifts. Her hats and gloves can be made with one skein of Juniper Moon Farm's Herriot, so I'm able to create super soft items. The most fun has been searching out free patterns for small, hand-knitted items for hostess gifts and stocking stuffers. Who couldn't use a tablet cover, mug cosy or gift card cover? I'll be posting these finds on "The Drawing Board," a well-worn drawing easel I'm bringing into the store. Stop by to grab some free copies off the easel.

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Thank you

to the members of the Guild who have made me feel wel-

come in the Tidewater knitting community. I look forward to

meeting many more of you. Roz Klein

Baa Baa Sheep LLC754 W. 22nd Street

Norfolk 23517

S c e n e s f r o m N a n c y S h r o y e r W o r k s h o p s

Eleanor Cavin took some terrific photos during the knitting technique classes led by Nancy Shroyer (above left) on Nov. 3. Thanks to Lora Marin (above right) for organizing the event.

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Thirty-One Gifts’ motto is CELEBRATE, ENCOURAGE & REWARD. December is a great time to celebrate friendships, to en-courage those who come into your home with kind words and hospitality and in turn you will reward yourself with close friendships. Thirty-One Gifts offers exclusive products for women that are beautifully designed with many fabric choices from flashy and sassy to reserved and classy. Items include skirt purses, various thermal totes, a wide variety of organizing bins and totes (great for holding knitting projects and yarn) and Mini Zipper and Zip-Up Pouches for your knitting notions. What a better way to get your knit-ting and yarn organized then with Thirty-One products!

Holiday “Holi-Buys” for only $5!One-stop shop for all your Christmas shopping!

December Customer Special: For every $31 you spend, choose from a Mini Utility Bin, Thermal Tote, Cinch Sac, Timeless Wris-tlet or Timeless Beauty Bag for $5. Just shy of $31, personalize something for a flat fee of $7. Place your order by Dec. 10 to ensure delivery before Christmas.

Thirty-One is excited about the limited-time-only Holiday Polar Bear Icon It! Personalize it with a name or special saying … or nothing at all! Available now through Jan. 3, 2013. Remember all personalization counts towards your

$31 total. No party required orders can be placed at anytime. Visit my webpage to view the complete catalog and the monthly special, or place an order. Should you have any ques-tions, or want to receive the monthly specials flyers via email feel free to contact me directly. See you at the December meeting. I’ll have a few cash and carry items, too. Mention my ad when ordering -- 5 percent of sales will be donated to the Guild.

Knit Bits: Use Your Smartphone to Count By Lynn Clements Let me tell you about the best 99 cents you will ever spend as a knitter. Go to iTunes and download the Count-Meme app for your iPhone or iPad. My twenty-something daughter turned me on to this helpful tool. The word

"meme" is used for something widely sent over the Internet that becomes viral.  I'm working on a Knit Swirl sweater that requires keeping track of both rows and welts. The counter allows you to name what you are counting and then pre-set the numbers and so you just touch the + to add a row or welt each time you finish. No more wearing that goofy clicker (mine was flourescent green!) around your neck and forgetting to take it off when you go to the store, or, in my case, to sleep!  Here's the description from the website:• Multiple counters• Name your counters• Reset and delete each counter easily!• Enter starting and ending values so you can keep track of your numbers• When you reach your goal, you'll be alerted.• Use in any orientation - portrait, landscape, or even upside down portrait mode! Go to www.TapCrafty.com to get a demo before you buy this app. You also can check out the Gauge Ruler (measure swatch and calculate gauge), Raglanify (knit-ting sweater pattern generator) and Gaugefy (knitting gauge calculator). The last two are available for both Apple and Android smartphones.    I can even use Countmeme to count sheep when my phone lands in bed with me.

The holidays are here and The Yarn Club has tons of great gift giving items and yarns. Don’t miss out on our locally made holiday ornaments just for knitters and new bags from Namaste. What could be better this year than Namaste under the tree? We have a new local dyer in the shop and local yarns from Cornerstone Fibers, too.It’s cool to shop local this holiday season! Check out our newest vendors, Fiesta Yarns, Kauni, Made In America Yarns and Done Roving Yarns; more hand-dyed beau-ties to inspire and delight every knitter! XRX/Knitter’s Magazine is sending us a fabulous trunk show with great garments from K108. We are stacking up some great trunk shows this winter so check it out! Stay with us on Ravelry, www.ravelry.com/groups/the-yarn-club-inc, and Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/#!/Theyarnclub, to keep up with all the news. Happy Holiday Knitting, Andrea and all the gals at TYC!

240 Mustang TrailSuite 8Virginia Beach, VA 23452

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O n t h e K n i t t e r ’ s B o o k s h e l f : W h i t e , B e i g e a n d O t h e r “ S h a d e s o f W i n t e r ”

Shades of Winter: Knitting with Natural Wool, by Ingalill Johansson and Ewa K. Andinsson

By Roz Klein Ingalill Johansson and Ewa K. Andinsson have produced a book that is as much a picture book as a pattern book. Johansson's goal was to produce a collection of pieces that utilized ecological wool in two weights. Andinsson's photographic skills created a book that highlights each garment's features in a wilderness setting. Shot on location at the Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, the pictures are a harbinger of the cold weather to come. The patterns are divided into three color sections: natural white, beige and gray. Each section includes tops, shawls, dresses, sweaters, cowls and accessories, total-ing more than 25 patterns. Priced at $24.95, that many patterns makes the book a reasonable investment. There are simple patterns for beginners as well as more ad-vanced patterns for intermediate knitters. It's a book that can challenge you and grow with you as your skill increases.

D e c o r a t e f o r t h e H o l i d a y s w i t h Y a r n Knitting at this time of year doesn’t have to be strictly for keeping yourself and your loved ones warm. How about incorporating some yarn into your holiday decor? Try some of these free ideas:

Drape your mantel with garlands made of yarn. http://greenweddingshoes.com/diy-yarn-garland/http://southernchiclove.blogspot.com/2012/10/diy-yarn-garland.html

Trim your tree with knitted ornaments. www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/10/30/decorate-with-knitted-holiday-ornaments.aspx

Create a yarn wreath, for any season.http://momadvice.com/blog/2011/09/how-to-make-a-yarn-wreath-for-all-seasons

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TKGV MEETING MINUTES, 11/5/12The president opened the November 2012 meeting at 7:15 p.m. by welcoming visitors and new members. The Welcome Committee Chair introduced our guests. The president extended birthday greetings to members celebrating birthdays in November. The president reminded members to renew their annual membership if they have not done so already.  The annual dues are $20.00, to be submitted to the treasurer. The minutes of the October 2012 meeting were approved. The treasurer reported the Guild’s account balance is $3,830.00.  The president extended her thank-you to the vice president for the vice president’s organizing of the prior weekend’s classes with Nancy Shroyer, for hosting the teacher, and for hosting the Guild.  Charity Knitting:

• The Charity Chair advised there was yarn from the Navy Marine Relief Corp. available for knitting baby blankets for the organization. 

• In addition, the Charity Chair advised a Guild member is seeking 65 knitted scarves for Christmas presents for a local homeless shelter event her church is sponsoring. The scarves should be sized for adults and are needed at December meeting. 

•  The Charity Chair reminded members to notify the charity chair of knitted charity items members send to groups outside of the Guild. In addition, we have a need for knitted items and small gifts for adult female and male long term care patients at the VA Hospital, Hampton. These items are needed by the December meeting. 

•  The Guild will hold a baby shower for a local charity, Newborns in Need, at the December meeting. Members can bring knitted baby items and/or newborn baby supplies, such as diapers, bottles and the like. Newborns in Need works with local hospitals to provide baby clothing and baby needs to new parents in need.

 The Newsletter Chair seeks articles re: favorite designers, favorite yarns, favorite books and other knitting topics for the newsletter. All newsletter articles are needed by 15th of the month.  Yarn Shop News:

• Baa Baa Sheep: The shop owner thanks the Guild for its great response to the shop opening. • The Knitting Corner: The shop owner advised all “fancy” scarf yarns are on sale in November. The shop will carry “Kauni”

yarn.• The Yarn Club: The shop hosts 2 charity knitting groups on Tuesday mornings.  The shop offers a variety of knitting classes

which can be found on the shop’s website or on the shop’s Ravelry group. The president reminded the Guild the December meeting will take place at the Lynnhaven Congregational Church, Virginia Beach, Va. We will have a potluck with members whose last name ends in A – L bringing side dishes and appetizers (savory items) and members whose last name ends in M –Z bringing desserts. The Guild will provide a main course.  The president advised the March 2013 TKGV knitting retreat registration is open. Classes are limited to 15 students each. The retreat is limited to 50 participants. Please see the TKGV website for registration information. The retreat organizer advised the retreat planning committee is holding a photo contest to find the inspiration for the color way of the yarn “Unique Sheep” will dye specifically for retreat participants. Please see the TKGV Ravelry group for information on the photo contest.  The Ways and Means committee conducted the raffle of yarn donated by a member. The president guided the Guild through an interactive program of making sheep from roving and pipe cleaners.   The December program will be the baby shower for Newborns in Need.     The Guild enjoyed the show and tell. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Katie GerwienSecretary, TKGV

Please Join TKGV for a Fun EveningHOLIDAY POTLUCK DINNER

& “BABY SHOWER” FOR NEWBORNS IN NEED

Monday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Note new location for this meeting only:

Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church2217 West Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach

* If your last name begins with A-L, please bring a side dish or appetizer. * If you last name begins with M-Z, please bring a dessert.

Main courses will be provided.

If you have simple table decorations, we would love to borrow them to make our tables festive.

Wear your favorite shawl and show it off.

As our way of giving back to the community, we will be hosting a “baby shower.” You are encouraged to bring either a handmade or store-bought item suitable for a newborn. All items will be donated to Newborns in Need.

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