Wool Show at Lang Lang

The Black and Coloured Sheep Breeders Association (BCSBA) held their annual wool show at Lang Lang on Sunday 29 August 2010.  A small group of members  (Valerie, Yvonne, Margaret, Lindy and Anne) went to the show to represent the Handknitters Guild.  The show was open from 9.30 a.m. until 3.30 p.m. 

Members of the Guild donated three prizes for the raffle – two scarves and a pair of socks, and the BCSBA were very grateful for the prizes.  All prizes are made using natural coloured sheep wool.  There were two fashion parades through the day, with garments and items from the stallholders featured.  Valerie’s lovely possum yarn wrap was featured, along with two of Anne’s scarves.  An assortment of knitting was on display showing different techniques and yarns. 

Continuing the tradition started in 2009 by Yvonne (a guild member) who won  the first prize of a handknitted jumper, the first prize this year was a handknitted travel rug and was won by Anne (a guild member). 

If any member would like to knit a prize for the BCSBA raffle next year, we will have wool available for you to use early next year.  Contact Anne (president) at any Sit and Knit meeting to register your interest.

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Library News

New titles
New books purchased for the library are:- The Great North American Afghan,  Knitting the Perfect Pair which is a sock book, The Little Box of Scarves which has 20 cards of rather nice scarves, Colour Knitting Techniques and Jean Greenhow’s The McScarecrow Clan.  

Computerised Library Catalogue
In the near future our library will undergo a major change – we will be updating to a computerised library catalogue.  The Guild are purchasing two new computers, library softwear, including a library package, printer/scanner, bar coding device etc. A lot of work and data entry will be required to set up the system.  Barbara Bugg will be running this project, so if you would like to volunteer some time to help, please see Barbara at any Sit and Knit meeting.

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Jewel of the Month

September‘s ‘Jewell of the Month’ is sapphire so there are all sorts of blue tones that can be used. 

October‘s ‘Jewel of the Month’ is the opal which has colours like green, blue, red and yellow or creamy pastels. 

You can knit beanies, squares, possum pouches or something for yourself.

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Raffle Winners

The raffle was drawn at 3 pm on August 1 at the Sunday Sit and Knit. The winners are:-

1st Prize – Cathy O’Shannesy
2nd Prize – Helen Classon
3rd Prize –  T Errey 
4th Prize – Noela Liddy  
5th Prize – Marilla from Templestowe  

Congratulations to the winners.  Plans are underway for next year’s raffle throw and the pattern and wool will be given out at the October Sunday Sit and Knit to those who wish to knit a block.

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Thank you and Welcome to new members

Thank you
A big thank you to those members who spent a half day at the Handknitters Guild stand at the Quilt and Craft Fair.  It would appear that four persons per half day session was quite adequate enabling one or two to spend time away from the stand to look around or participate in a workshop.

Welcome
Welcome to our new members: Bronwyn, Pauline, Libby and Johanne.

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Woolly Weekend Wrap

This year our Woolly Weekend was at Heathcote for accommodation and Bendigo for the wool mill and Bendigo Sheep Show, followed by a detour to Castlemaine on the return trip to Melbourne on the Sunday. The weekend was a great success.  Thirteen people took part and on Saturday night we had a fantastic “show and tell” to show off our purchases, followed by a hands on felting workshop led by Barb Bugg to make a rose brooch.  Our crew had mixed results but we had a lot of fun. Due to the success of the weekend we have made a tentative booking at Heathcote Lodge to incorporate the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show for next year – 2011.

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Charity Knitting – Marsupial Pouches

A thank you from the marsupials and possums for their lovely knitted pouches.  Over 2000 pouches have been passed on to the Wildlife Victoria Carers and are very much appreciated.  Thanks to everyone who has knitted these pouches. 

As part of our Charter, the Handknitters Guild Inc support many charities by knitting garments and items for them.  Amongst these are Wildlife Victoria with possum pouches, Anglicare diagonal squares knitted or crocheted to be sewn up for the elderly in nursing homes/hostels and for each foster child as a part of their own belongings prior to housing. Penguin jumpers for the fairy penguins at Philip Island, beanies and jumpers for Aboriginal babies to keep them warm during frigid nights in the outback, Caroline Chisholm who need baby and child garments to the age of 4 to be given to struggling families, baby garments for the Alice Springs Base Hospital for Aboriginal babies, beanies and scarves for KOGO and Guardian Angels knitted items to be distributed through the Salvation Army and World Vision, just to name a few.  The charity knitting file is available on request to Lindy O’Neill email lindyjoy@bigpond.net.au, or at our Sunday Sit and Knits.

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