Saskatoon Knitting Circle...

If you are interested in joining our knitting club / group then all you need do is show up at MacKenzie Coles Coffee (815A Gray in Saskatoon, SK) We meet every Sunday, except holidays, at 2 pm and stitch until 5 pm. You can also find us on Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SaskatoonKnittingCircle/) and our blog home at (http://saskatoonstitcher.wordpress.com/). I do hope to see you there!!!!

Happy Stitching...

Guitar Hero Antics

A wonderful surprise showed up at my door on Sunday March 29, 2009. Sean Allen and Krista Baird were home from Korea. The sneaky little twigs decided to keep their arrival home a secret until showing up at my door. Visiting, giggling, and fun was had by all. Sean even enabled my husband in his quest for more video game gear. Under the guise of a quick trip to Walmart, they came home with Guitar Hero: World Tour for the PS3 (not that we really needed another game, mind you). Fun was had by all and the entertainment value more than made up for the sneaky purchase, as you can see on this video.

(Even the knitting can be seen over in the right corner by the couch)

Change of venue...

As many of you know, our little log home on the web was "reported" enough times that it was frozen in virtual world. Since then (about the middle of July 2008) we've moved. Our new home to Live Journal. Check us out, we are still known as The Saskatoon Knitting Circle.

I hope to see you over there. We may, one day, resurrect this blog...who knows...anything is indeed possible.

Don't miss out on the knitterly fun. Check out our new home and sit a spell.

The Frog Queen in Action!!!

Frogging. What can we say about it. It can be therapeutic to some knitters. It can be frightful to others. But it is part of knitting. We are only human and sometimes our knitterly pursuits go terribly wrong. This week we are highlighting the Frog Queen herself...in action.

This past Sunday was extra special. Although our numbers were small, we did observe an extra special treat... The Frog Queen (aka Melissa H. or the Yarn Girl) showed us her stuff. Gale had experienced an egregious gauge error. After much debate, coaxing, and convincing Gale finally handed over the "sock" (or shoe bag, as we dubbed it - this thing was truly enourmous and big foot himself would have had trouble wearing it - even if it was shrunk!) to Melissa who happily frogged along.

Extra special thanks to Jan, the Frog Hand Maiden, who graciously offered her assistance. enjoy the video and feel free to send your condolences to Gale at rai dot cara at gmail dot com.

Although Gale's mystery sock mysteriously turned into a shoe bag and ultimately met the fate of the Frog Pond, we had other successes!

The mystery sock before meeting its fate...



Leanne made a day trip to Regina and haunted the local shops (The Golden Willow and Hip2Knit). She came with treasures in tow and showed them off. Lots of ooooh's and aaaaah's were had as we all joined in the petting rituals of the nifty finds she found. She also finished another sock. She is embracing the sock addiction like a seasoned knitter...





Mellissa finally won the battle of the BSJ and completed the jacket, a tiny berry hat and one bootie. What a lucky baby the recipient will be!







Marion completed knitting and felting this adorable hand bag (which carried her supplies and projects to group).



Finally, I decided to take a dip in the designer pool and built my favourite technique into a sock (yes, I too am quite addicted to both cables and socks). One is done and the second is currently in progress...



The "Crack Lady" cast on (or, Judy Becker's Cast on Method as demonstrated by sock guru"ess", Cat Bordhi). This has quickly become a favourite method within our group...can be found at...

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=lhBIS0AhhQY

To Frog or not to Frog...

Frogging. Yes I've moved onto the darker side of knitting. Instead of fighting a losing battle with Cat Borhdi patterns I, with much encouragement from the Frog Queen herself (Melissa), I frogged not one but two UFOs this week. I consider myself to be somewhat accomplished in knitterly pursuits. I like to think that the needles and yarn will do what I tell them. I've fearlessly taken on cables, tackled simple lace and numerous sock patterns. However, I have met a match in Cat Bordhi.

First, let us discuss the Flow Motion socks found in The Ultimate Sock Book by Vogue. I'm sure you will agree they are beautiful and look simplistic. Don't let the picture fool or the flowing seemingly simple lace pattern lull you...

They are nasty little critters intent on reaching the frog pond. The author has purposely created these beauties to lull us unsuspecting sock knitters into believing that we too can end up with a pair of toe warmers with ease and perfection. It is NOT true, I tell you...

I had the right size needle, the right yarn and even got gauge! Whatever was the problem, then, you might ask? The lace was too tight, the foot was too long (even though I measured every few rows and followed the directions to the T. I didn't take it personally until...

I decided to give Leaves and Tendrils in Socks Soar on 2 Circs (a book by Cat Bordhi). Even though the pattern explicitly states, and I quote,

"This is the most challenging of the socks in this book, and will teach you the most new skills."

I naively cast on, thinking, this isn't too bad, since the pattern summary also noted the following:

However, it may be knitted by anyone who can follow directions.

I can do this, I thought, and it is so very pretty...

Others have done it, said I (a search on Ravelry produces many a successfully completed FO). So off I go... I completed the Turned Toe (no frogging yet) and even understood and executed the close curve (tendril), the embossed motifs (leaf). All was going well until I came to the "upside down heel." This pattern is indeed "an education in itself..." - and education in expanding one's vocabulary, an education in how far needles do indeed fly across the room, an education in the RELAXING concept of knitting, and an education in how to avoid all things Bordhi.

Two sock patterns - two successful Frogs. They have been ripped and reclaimed yarn is now making a pair of cabled wonders straight from my own brain. I am now left to wonder just what I did to anger the Knitting Goddess for I have indeed received punishment in spare. Even my Cabled sweater received a bit of frogging (when will I learn to READ a pattern and not skim) for the neck line was out a few stitches. So, I frogged...

My disillusionment with knitting came to an end today as I met up with good friends at our Garter & Giggles (thanks Melissa for the influx of new creativity). Speaking of Melissa, the Frog Queen, she has finally made significant progress on her BSJ. It is beautiful, but since I forgot my camera today we'll leave the posting of pictures up to Melissa (check out her Yarn Ramblings at All Yarn All the Time ). She provided much needed encouragement and comfort as I waffled between frogging my two disasters or to continue with the experiment in insanity.

Speaking of insanity...Kate had finished the socks that caused her a minor breakdown last week. She willed the stitches into behaving and achieved success! However, she forgot to bring them to show and tell today (but that is alright as my own forgetfulness wouldn't have allowed us to capture it anyway). Gale worked on some summer time socks with a pattern. Pam stitched away and reached the toe portion of her own sock. Jan continued stitching on her sweater attempted to climb out of the black hole of knitting. Mary was at the retreat, Leanne was missing in action and so was her Aunt Alison. Jeanette completed her Rainbow toes and even boasted about her newest creation...socks for her gal pal's 16 th birthday. Yes, she's been converted to stitching up socks. I think she just might be addicted.

Even though our numbers were small, our voices were boisterous and a good time was certainly had by all. But what is the point of my musings, you inquire? The point is frogging has its place. It is almost cathartic to rip out days, weeks, or months worth of effort. It is scary, tear filled, and even stressful in its own right. But, once you have resigned yourself to the fact that the author of the horrific pattern is truly at fault, you can frog with some comfort. Knowing that we have each other to commiserate with and for encouragement makes it worth while in the end.

(Let us join this knitted Kermit and smile as we frog...)

We all live for "Sock"undays...

We all live for "Sock"undays... Sundays have fast become one of the most popular days of the week. You might be asking yourself "Why?" Read on my friends, to discover new thrills to the end of your weekend. As a matter of happenstance, everyone, including our new joiners, was working on a favourite summertime projects... S O C K S! MacKenzie Cole's Coffee is definitely the place to be on Sundays in Saskatoon. Today reached a hot high of 30, but the air was cool in the air conditioned comfort of the back room but the discussion heated up and warmed the hearts and minds of the twelve knitters in attendance (you see, I wasn't joshing when I said that we are growing fast!) How do they find us? We've a listing on Kijiji, a home on Yahoo Groups, a corner of the expanding universe of Ravlery and signage all over Saskatoon. We host it and knitters come from far and wide. Today we welcomed a couple new knitters (thanks to Melissa's tireless PR efforts - she actually recruited them while shopping in a LYS). Most of our regulars showed with knitting and smiles and all had a wonderful good time, even though some started off a little shaky. Kate...what can we say about our new gal pal? She's beautiful, intelligent and a talented and dedicated little knitter. She began the afternoon fighting a loosing battle of lost stitches. She cajoled, she coerced, she cursed and she muttered. Her tenacious spirit held on and she struggled through convincing the little buggers to take their rightful place upon her Harmonies. Well, a bit of a stuggle preceeded the success, but all turned out well enough. The nasty little culprit of her "stress" lies to the left. However, she did a beautiful job on the first sock, didn't she? Question: Kate, how many meters of that dissertation did you accomplish today?

Jan returned to us, feeling much better. She has been busy during her forced rest / sick time this past week. She busy creating anlets suitable for flip flop lovers. I am still amazed at the speed of this knitter!!!

Jeanette remained dedicated to her "Trippy Toes" anklets. After a long debate on the exact definition on what exactly "trippy" means, she finally completed her very first pair of socks complete with a 1/2 wrapped short row heel. Jeanette is coming along as a seasoned knitter. She has even taken knitting to school and this is where the term "trippy" was born. Her best friend Nicole decided to admire Jeanette's knitterly prowess and thus came up with the term "trippy" as its best descriptor. She's already cast on the next pair.

Some of us indulge in a change of scenery on the occasion and step outside to enjoy the *cough* fresh air. This is where the best discussions happen. Our small satellite group decided that upon reaching 50 and 60 years of age we ought to do something special to commemorate and to embarrass of familial survivors. It is certainly good to have goals in life. Welcome back Alison. We missed you in your absence. Alison's niece, Leanne, was working on a beautiful waving lace sock from her "Box of Sox" patterns and provided encouragement and a bright smile. Whereas Alison also worked away on a set of socks that she's not so enamoured with. Our resident "Plant Assasin," Mary continued knitting up a pair of beautiful pink varigated self dyed socks with pink fingers (this is always the tell tale sign of Mary's bursting creativity...she dyes her yarns before group!) And, now onto Melissa...our resident frogger... We were all shocked as she walked in adorned in an uncustomary frock that flowed and showed off her beautiful figure...it was pink AND a dress...yes I took pictures...

Melissa, switched between working upon her Beaudilaire and the BSJ, both of which have seen a few time outs, some frogging and restarts...

(Yes, Melissa, you were sitting right beside Mary and missed the yarn once again!)

Throughout the afternoon laughter and clicking went hand in hand. We certainly bring life to little shop on the corner. Conversations range from endearing to controversial to downright risque. We are a group that knows how to have and how to welcome others into the fold. Opinions change, personalities differ but one things remains constant, as Melissa had recently dubbed the phenomena, "We all live for Sundays!"

NOTE OF INTEREST: Mary is headed off to a Woman's Retreat at St. Michael's in Lumsden this coming weekend where teh focus will be on all things yarn and spreading the disease (oh yes, then there is that spiritual awakening and self discovery stuff mixed in). Have fun Mary and we'll see you upon your return.

Another week has passed and more stitches have been amassed! Well that's all I learned in poetry class...so onto knitterly news and queues. Since our wonderfully successful WWKIP in the park we've all been busy completing our charity projects. I want to show off some of the talents below. First up: Hats and more hats. Various materials, sizes and techniques. There will some very well topped people come fall...

Melissa has been busy enjoying our Sundays, and showed her appreciation by bringing in a grouping of crocheted hats. She successfully completed her first knit hat, dubbed the Helmet of Doom. As she was knitting she thought that the fabric was dense enough to double as a bike helmet (bottom left hand corner)! Great job Melissa.

Next up is Mary's wonder scarf and matching hat. It is as soft as it looks...

Many of you know Leanne (the gal who provided the scrumptious goodies at WWKIP day) and that she's a very new knitter. Leanne has come and along quite nicely knitting up socks like she's been a seasoned knitter of a number of years of experience. Other than socks, Leanne has finished her charity project: the cutest little mittens...

Now for the crown jewel of the charity drive to date: Kristin crocheted up this newborn star blanket that is even more beautiful in person...

Kristin the crocheter has come on over to the dark side and finished her first sock! You rock, Kristin...

One of the most exciting recent events has been Jeanette's inquiry into socks. She cast on some top down anklets and is now working on a short row heel...I'm so proud!

Yes, my friends, that is the Regia rainbow yarn in the background. I have heard that the Yarn Harlot has extolled the virtues of this beautiful (which I picked up at River City Yarns in Edmonton, AB). Now that Yarn Harlot has listed this yarn as a favourite and thus everyone on the planet HAS to have it. As Melissa noted in group, "The Yarn Harlot is the Oprah of the knitting world. Once she mentions something, the world sells out immediately!" Now how cute are these little critters? The big orange dog on the left was created by Kristin. The ice cream cone and little cupcake also belong to Kristin and the evil little cuties were crocheted the Tim Burton Bride, the Grim Reaper and the little devil and his companion Ninja!

To sum it all up: Melissa said it best when she noted that we "live for Sundays!" New members have joined, our charity stash grows each and every week, members are taking on new and exciting techniques. We've come a long way! Catch ya'll next Sunday :)

My apologies the pictures turned out a bit wonky, but if any of you would like to have a copy, please email me at zink dot bonnie at gmail dot com. I'll be happy to share, the only requirement being that you add them to your Ravelry (my ID is saskatoonstitcher).

Happy Stitching.