Happy End-of-year Dinner

Posted by Sonia Knits in Sonia December 8, 2013

It is a Richmond Knitters tradition to go out on a Saturday night in December to celebrate the year that was. To spice things up a little this year, I felt a Knitting Trivia contest was in order, we all know how competitive some Knitters can be!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself this year, maybe a little too much, after all I didn’t have to answer the trivia questions that made a few knitters drop their stitches, let me tell you. I felt like a high school teacher who had just sprung an exam on her students at a moments notice!

The food was delicious and the company was lovely, a definite high-point to the end-of-the-year. I’m only sorry not everyone could be there last night, next time and perhaps we should do a Xmas in July… ohh that’s right we do… it’s called Bendigo…

Special thanks to Susanne for donating a lot of the prizes, and thanks to everyone for making the evening so memorable.

Here are the Trivia questions from the night, how would you have gone?

1. a. What year was Elizabeth Zimmermann born?
b. In what country was Elizabeth Z born?
c. What does EPS stand for?

2. a. What is the name of the man behind Brooklyn Tweed?
b. What are the names of the yarns he has manufactured?

3. a. Which pattern has the most projects on Ravelry?
b. What is the designers name?
c. How many projects are there?

4. What yarn is used in the most projects on Ravelry?

5. Which pattern is the odd one out? Damson, Amelie, Gretel, Coraline

6. What is the name of Ysolda’s elephant?

7. Who is the editor of interweave knits magazine?

8. a. What year was Richmond Knitters established?
b. Name the venues Richmond Knitters have met over the years?
c. How many people showed up to the first meet?

9. How many projects has Sharon knit so far this year, according to Ravelry?
How many cats does Sharon have?
What are their names?

10. At last count, how many metres of yarn does Sonia have?

It’s a sickness

Posted by Sonia Knits in Sonia and tagged with Fab Funky Fibres, operationsockdrawer, sock yarn, socks November 17, 2013

Self-striping sock yarn, that is.

It’s the combination of stripes, without sewing in ends.

It’s the colours, the more the better.

It’s sock yarn, so it’s virtually blameless and guilt free.

I can’t get enough of it, I can’t say no…

Go on, I know you want some too. As a community service I will reveal that this is from Fab Funky Fibres from Etsy. I have no association, but really after showing you this, it would be cruel of me NOT to tell you where you can get some.

I’ve just passed the heel, and I’ve been swayed by Louisa’s suggestion (from Richmond Knitters) to do a solid colour for the heel, so I’ve chosen to do it in black Patonyle, the most reliable sock yarn on the face of this earth. And it looks great (in my opinion)!

If you have any secret sources for amazing self-striping yarn, I’d love to hear about it!

A Knitter’s Journey

Posted by Susanne Haake in Susanne October 11, 2013

I have had time after de-stashing and finishing a few hibernating projects to reflect on my knitting journey. I taught myself to knit in 2008 while I had glandular fever. It was a particularly taxing virus as an adult and my doctor ordered me to sit and do nothing for two weeks. I assumed I’d get a lot of reading done but realised I didn’t have the brain power for that level of concentration. After watching most of ‘The West Wing’ box set, I found some knitting needles and yarn and looked up ‘How to knit’ on Youtube. It was perfect for my foggy brain. All I needed was to repeat the same four steps over and over and over again. And thus my knitting journey began.

I joined my friends at Richmond Knitters in March 2009. I turned up to my first meet-up with an almost finished crochet cot blanket. The group was FANTASTIC. Welcoming, friendly, genuinely interested in what everyone was working on. It was at the first meet-up that someone suggested I get on Ravelry.That was a game changer! All of a sudden my knitting universe expanded from Lincraft and Spotlight to the world. I was browsing projects and patterns, reading forum posts and engaging with fellow knitters all over the world. My recent de-stash will attest to the fact that I went a little yarn crazy at that point and bought … well… a lot of yarn without really any discernment. I am happy to say that some of the deep, deep stash has now gone to a worthy charity.

In 2009 I went to my first Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show and felt like I had died and gone to yarn heaven. It was superb, made all the more wonderful by meeting up with my Richmond Knitter friends, browsing together, shopping together and having a great time immersed in all things yarn and fibre related. I was introduced to the world of knitting podcasts and now eagerly wait for the episodes to download – ‘Never Not Knitting’, ‘2 Knit Lit Chicks’, ‘Stash and Burn’, ‘The Yarniacs’ and ‘Craftlit’ to name a few.

Somewhere between then and now I graduated from straight needles to circulars and double pointed needles. I learned to knit socks and shawl, increase, decrease, bind off and block. I have knitted with wool, silk, alpaca, cotton and various combinations thereof. I have listed 90 completed projects on Ravelry, acquired 72,000 metres of yarn in my stash, met up with knitters in Jerusalem I met on Ravelry, and become part of a great community of yarn enthusiasts.

I stumbled into knitting entirely by chance and am grateful everyday that I did. The next stage of the journey will no doubt involve more learning with the continuing support of my knitting friends.

WIP-less

Posted by Susanne Haake in Susanne October 1, 2013

After 4 years on Ravelry, lots of knitting (90 projects), lots of yarn purchases and a few de-stashes, I am officially WIP less!

Finally finished the last hibernating Ten stitch blanket (Vintage Hues and Cleckheaton Country Wide). It looks great and I am really happy with the colours.

Would definitely do the pattern again but probably a 20 or even 30 stitch variation.

Right… now to stash shop and pattern browse!

Monster Madness

Posted by Susanne Haake in Susanne September 30, 2013

I came across the Rebecca Danger Pattern for ‘Monster Chunks‘ on Ravelry and fell in love with the little critters. I looked through the 1500+ projects by others and came across Saraem’s project for her son’s 3rd birthday party and the stop motion video she made to go with it. I thought “Wouldn’t it be great to make these for my graduating year 12s!”. And so I did!

Luckily I only have a class of 15 students!

The next step in the project was a stop motion video. Can’t wait to show the kids on their final day. Its not going to get the Golden Palm award at Cannes, but for a first effort, it’s not bad. It comprises 373 still images to make a 1:02 minutes long video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dM8GW3-dGE

Loads of fun to do and dead easy on the iPad! Another school holiday task done and dusted!

Mathematics

Posted by Susanne Haake in Susanne September 24, 2013

I’m not really a numbers person. The very basics I can do but beyond that it is well known that numbers and me don’t mix well. Numbers confuse me and today’s little stash re-arrangement is proof once again that the numbers just don’t make sense.

I unpacked 12 tubs of yarn.

I catalogued 67 items on Ravelry (thanks to Sonia and her example!).

I listed 72,490 metres (OMG!) of yarn in my stash (fairly sure I have enough yarn to last me until I am 104!).

I packed up 8kg of yarn to donate to the Outback Baby Knitting Project.

And…

I repacked 12 tubs of yarn!

How does that work? 12 tubs minus 8kg equals 12 tubs?!?!?!?!

The listing on Ravelry was exhausting but ultimately quite liberating. There is proof for the world to see that I don’t need any more yarn and shopping the stash has been made a whole lot easier! I did manage to destash some acrylic blend that I am sure will make an Outback baby very happy. I also embarrassingly discovered that I had WAY MORE Wollmeise than I thought I had (bonus!), probably enough Noro for a blanket (Yay!), a few garments worth of Pear Tree from Bendigo a few years ago and a whole tub of single sock skeins.

Now… to browse Ravelry for projects!

All Diets Must Come to an End

Cables and things

Posted by Susanne Haake in Susanne September 8, 2013

As far as knitting bucket lists go, cables were somewhere close to the top of the list along with entrelac. I think I had always assumed cable knitting was hard and confusing. It looks so impressive. After a long search for an iPad mini sleeve that could hold the iPad WITH a cover, I thought “Hey… I can make one!”

I found a pattern on Ravelry but it had cables and that freaked me out. That said, I thought I would give it a go. Ended up using about 30cm short of a ball of Jo Sharp Classic DK (it was in the stash so that was a bonus).

There is a tiny, little error in one of the cables (front instead of back). But overall I am happy with the result and am now starting to look for patterns with cables!

My ‘love/hate’ relationship with Jitterbug

Posted by Susanne Haake in Susanne August 24, 2013

I have finished Howlcat with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (Black) and Jitterbug (October Afternoon). Would probably choose different colours (ie not black) the next time. While I reconciled myself to the welt like stripes on my fingers when I was knitting, I was convinced that a good rinse or two would resolve the bleeding of Jitterbug. I washed it 11 times and it was still giving some colour. Have given up getting a clear rinse from that. Will try washing future skeins and the old vinegar trick. I love the way Jitterbug knits up. Its still my favourite of the sock yarns I have knit so far… BUT… the colour issue remains a challenge.

I’m down to 3 WIPs – two blankets and a pair of socks. Resisting the urge to cast on again. Need to find a patterns that I love!

Blanket Love

Posted by Sonia Knits in Sonia and tagged with Crochet baby blanket February 17, 2013

It’s been a little quiet on the Richmond Knitters blog of late. That may have to do with things going on behind the scenes, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a busier start to the new year!

I can reveal now, that the Richmond Knitters have been working on a baby blanket for one of it’s members! In record time (less than a month) we’ve planned, crocheted, joined, blocked, bordered and wrapped a baby blanket for Jane, (not to forget the additional vest Katie made to match). I’m feeling rather chuffed and happy with the result. But more importantly, I adore everyone in our group for being so generous with their time and effort to bring this project to fruition. Truly awesome people, and I get to knit with them every Monday night, how lucky am I?

Without further ado, here are so photos of what we’ve been up to!