Glen Waverley Library Knitting Group

Glen Waverley Library Knitting Group – Like a good yarn and knitting too?  The Monash Library Service is organising a knitting group at the Glen Waverley Library that would meet regularly (maybe fortnightly). The first meeting will be Thursday 3 September at 6.30 p.m. calling for expressions of interest. Future meeting dates and times will be decided then. Anyone can join regardless of skill or experience and work on group or individual projects. Please contat the library staff to confirm your attendance via their website at www.monlib.vic.gov.au

Craft and Quilt Fair

Come and visit the Handknitters Guild booth at the Craft and Quilt Fair (www. craftfair.com.au) - Thursday 23 – Sunday 26 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank.

Request for artists/teachers

The Victorian Tapestry Workshop (www.victapestry.com.au) is planning on running classes later in the year, with the focus on techniques that utilise their 300+ yarns  in 2 ply.  Victorian Tapestry are looking for experienced knitters and crocheters who can teach techniques/classes using this type of yarn.  If you are interesetd in running a class contact Lily at Victorian Tapestry for more details – lfaser@victapestry.com.au .

Handknitters wanted

The Handknitters Guild receives a steady request from members of the public looking for people who would like to knit garments, etc for them for a cost.  If you are a member of the Handknitters Guild and are interested in taking on this type of knitting please email the Guild at hkguild@gmail.com with your kniting experience, preference for types of commission knitting and contact details etc.  (We currently have approximately seven enquiries). It is planned that the Guild will create a database of knitters and this information will be forwarded to each enquiry.

Workshops at the Multicultural Hub

Nifty Knitters – Do you like to knit or would you like to learn? Volunteers will help get you started, or you may like to help others learn in this social knitting group. Bring your own wool and needles. Pop in after shopping at the Queen Vic Markets!
When: Tuesdays from 14 July, 10am -12pm (weekly)
Cost: Free!

Beading – Learn beading techniques to make your own bracelet or necklace and a set of earrings in South African tribal patterns. Phaweng Bahula is from South Africa where beads have a long history. He has been involved in making and selling jewellery for many years. All materials provided.
When: Tuesdays 21 and 28 July,6-8pm or Tuesdays 13 and 20 October, 6-8pm
Cost: $85 full $65 concession (2 sessions)

Felt Cards – Create felt cards with artist and art therapist Joni Cornell. Experience the beauty and joy of working with vibrant colours and textures; a process Joni calls, “painting with felt and silk”. Learn the basics of Nuno Felting – a process of laminating pure merino wool and silk embellishments to fabric by hand – to make four exquisite, personalised greeting cards. Materials and equipment provided. BYO waterproof apron recommended as water is involved.
When: Saturday 31 October, 10am – 2.30pm
Cost: $85 full $65 concession
Bookings: Ph: 9092 1500 Email: enquiries@multiculturalhub.com.au

Location: The Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, Melbourne (Opposite the Queen Victoria Market)

Big West Festival is calling all knitters…

Big West will be staging a large-scale knitting project as part of its 2009 Festival that will transform the landscape of Footscray from November 20 – 29. So we need to get knitting! We welcome anyone with a passion for knitting, from beginners to experts. Individuals and groups are welcome.

For all those interested in taking part, there will be two information and registration sessions:
Venue: Dog Theatre, 42A Albert Street in Footscray
Information Sessions:
Monday 27 July, 2009 at 6pm – 7pm
Tuesday 28 July, 2009 at 10.30am – 11.30am
RSVP: Please RSVP your attendance and which session you will be attending to: General Manager, Narelle Sullivan at narelle@bigwest.com.au

Big West Festival – Level 1, 101 Nicholson Street, Footscray Victoria 3011, Australia

July 2009

Join us at our next ‘Sit and Knit’ meeting from 2 p.m. on Sunday 5 July at Ross House, 147 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Raffle tickets are still on sale and cost just $2.  The knitted blanket made by our members looks fantastic.  The blanket received great comments when it was on display last Saturday at our Wool  and Craft Market. Our ‘Stitch of the Month’  patterns are boxes and checks.  Any finished squares can be handed in at the meeting. We are still accepting knitted breasts and will have a display at the Quilt and Craft Fair in July.

Annual General Meeting – Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday 2 August at 1.30 p.m. prior to our regular ‘Sit and Knit’ meeting.  If you would like to join the committe and/or have thoughts of how to broaden our horizons, please contact one of the committee members.

Membership update - A reminder that membership fees reduce from 1 July 2009. The cost for membership is $25. Please check for when your membership is due for renewal.

Upcoming events – The Quilt and Craft Fair is on again 23 – 26 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The Handknitters Guild will have a display at the fair in the area located for guilds. The  Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show runs 17 – 19 July and the Black and Coloured Sheep Show at Lang Lang is on 23 August.

There are two new wool shops open in Melbourne – Tessuti European Yarn and Fabric Shop , 141 Flinders Lane and Morris and Sons, Level 1, 234 Collins Street.

May 2009

Our next ‘Sit and Knit’ meeting will be on Sunday 3 May 2009, between 2 and 5 p.m. at Ross House.  We will be having a Biggest Afternoon Tea to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.  Cost $3. Join us for a delicious afternoon tea.  Daniel from Artisan Books (www.artisan.com.au) will also be visiting and will have new and interesting books for sale. Don’t forget to bring along your beanies and tea cosies for our competition prior to sending them up to the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. The best beanie and tea cosy each win a $20 voucher.  At our May ‘Sit and Knit’ we will have Emily and Vanessa from the Victorian College of the Arts (www.vca.unimelb.edu.au) .  The girls will be recording video footage to be made into a two minute film based around the theme of community. Thanks to all who contributed to our bush fire appeal.  Our ’stitch of the month’ will run over two months to June.  The stitch is any variation of Broken Rib. 

Wool and Craft Market – Brunswick Town Hall
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to change the date of our Wool and Craft Market to Saturday 27 June 2009. Apologies for any confusion caused. If you would like to have a stall at the market contact Valerie – 03 9878 3758.

World Wide Knit In Public Day – Saturday 13 June 2009
This year the World Wide Knit In Public Day (www.wwkipday.com) is  Saturday 13 June 2009.  More information will be posted following our May ‘Sit and Knit’ meeting.

Workshops
Design your Own Jumper – Saturday 9 May 2009 with Jenny Pakula. 1 – 4 p.m. at Ross House.
Cost $40 members and $50 non-members. A list of requirements will be sent to participants.

Sock Knitting Part 2 – Saturday 16 May 2009 1 – 4 p.m. at Ross House. 
Cost $30 members and $40 non-members. A list of requirements will be sent to participants.

Contact Valerie – 03 9878 3758 if you would like to attend either of these workshops.

April 2009

Join us on Sunday 5 April for our ‘Sit and Knit’ meeting. Katie Grady ( Wired for Fibre www.wiredforfibre.com.au ) will be showing and selling her yarns at this meeting. Remember to bring your knitted breast(s) for display in the Ross House Window during May 2009. Our stitch of the month is again Moss Stitch in any variation or basket weave stitch. Knit a 15cm square (6 inches square). All the stitch of the month squares will be sewn together for charity rugs.

Beanie and Tea Cosy Competition - We are again running the Beanie and Tea Cosy competition.  It can be knitted or crocheted and embellished in any way.  The winning beanie and tea cosy will receive a $20 Cleggs voucher.  All the beanies and tea cosies will be on display at our Wool and Craft market at the Brunswick Town Hall on May 30.  All entries will need to be ready by 3 May 2009.

Fay White Memorial Prize Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show- This is a prize for the best lacework knitting a the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show presented each year.  Fay White was a founding member of the Handknitters Guild and a very keen lace knitter, a great knitter and active HKG member. If you are interested in entering an item in this category or any other knitting category at the Royal Melbourne Show this year, the details can be on the website: www.royalshow.com.au Select ‘In Competition’ then ‘Art, Craft and Cookery’.

Artisan Books – Artisan Books are hosting their 9th Annual Beanie Exhibition between 7 and 28 June 2009. The most outrageous  creation will win a $50 book voucher. They still wish to exhibit a broad range of knitting traditions and techniques, so will accept beanies of any shape and size.  Last year they had over 250 beanies on display and this year hope to better that number. To be involved contact them directly www.artisan.com.au .

Workshop: Socks Part 1- The first part of our knitting socks workshop will be held on Saturday 18 April between 1 and 4 p.m. at Ross House.  Marcia is the instructor and will be teaching how to knit classic socks on 4 double point needles.  The cost is $40 for members and $50 for non-members.  Bring  yarn, set of needles to suit your yarn, stitch markers and a sense of humour. If you would like to attend the workshop contact Valerie on 9878 3758.

March 2009

Join us for our ‘Sit and Knit’ meeting on Sunday 1 March 2009 between 2 and 5 p.m.  All our meetings this year will have a dedicated Crochet Corner.  Shirley will be on hand to answer your questions and assist with crocheting troubles.

Stitch of the Month
As there was a reasonable response to our Colour of the Month last year, a stitch of the month will begin in March.  So for March at the Sunday Sit and Knit please bring in a 6 inch (15 cm for the metrics amongst us) square of any variation on moss stitch.  So cast on x amount of stitches in 8 ply wool that gives a measurement of 6 inches and proceed in moss stitch for 6 inches.  A border is not necessary and at the end of the year when we have heaps of squares in various stitches and patterns, they can be sewn into blankets to be passed on. 

Design your own Jumper

To kick start the workshops for 2009 will be Jenny Pakula who has written articles for “Yarn” magazine, who will be tutoring ‘design your own jumper’.  Date is March 21; time 10 am to 4 pm with a break for lunch and tea/coffee provided.  More information will be available at the March Sit and Knit.  Cost is $40 for members and $50 for non members.  Please ring Valerie on 9878 3758 if you are interested. 

Wool and Craft Market

Yes we need to prepare ourselves for the Wool and Craft Fair in the Brunswick Town Hall on May 30.  If members could spare 20 minutes or so to help out with the selling of raffle tickets and person the Handknitters Guild stall, it means that everyone spends a short amount of time at these places instead of a few doing long hours.  If any member would like to sell off their stash at the Wool and Craft Fair please let Valerie know for space purposes, and it is only wool/yarn that can be offered for sale.  We hope to let you know what stall holders will be at Brunswick to let your family and friends know what to expect and what to save the dollars for. 

Knit in Public Day

June 13, a Saturday, is the world wide event of knitting in public.  That means knitting or crocheting on public transport, at Federation Square, the foyer at the Art Gallery or at your local shopping centre or anywhere outside your home.  The committee thought we could have small groups of avid knitters or crocheters spending a few hours at various points around Melbourne and its suburbs.  Keep an eye on the newsletters for further information as we draw closer to the date. 

Library

Please return all borrowed books to the library in March as there is going to be a stocktake.  Some new titles for you, including some that have been uncovered during the clean up of the library.  Hip Graphic Knits; The Better Sweater 2; The Mixed Barnyard; Celtic Crochet; Textiles; Vogue Fashion Knitting; 100 Knitting Projects; Compendium from Patons Baldwins books; You Can Knit Better; Rowan magazine 44; Simple Knits for Sohpisticated Living; Garter Shawls for Yarn Lovers; Knit 1 Embellish 2; Rowan summer and Winter; and some Noro books.