Meeting of the Needles (Sept. 23, 2007)

The meeting of the needles came together as another success! We knitted and chatted (oh yes and our resident beader...well...beaded). We welcomed another new member of our group and enjoyed the return of several long standing and appreciated regulars.

The needles clicked with renowned purpose as Gale aided Pam with her attempts at beginning a scarf. Pam has been recruited by our beader, Michelle, and brought with her much enthusiasm and dedication as she perilously began to cast on a garter stitch scarf. This may not seem like a feat of enormity to those who have a long knitting career, but to Pam it was a feat of excellence. After a few false starts and an eventual success, Pam's scarf is well on its way to completion. She even noted that she learned more in the 2 hours she spent with us than she did at a $25 class from Michael's and all it cost her was the price of a yummy coffee from McKenzie Coles!

My own new knitter, Jeanette, cast on and made some excellent progress on her project of choice - Mousy Mittens. These have been a regular in her winter world since she was 5 years old and now that she is 15 I'm prepared to pass the torch to her and have her making her own. Since mittens are the forgotten soles of Winterland, she has consistently lost one or two of them per year. I'm sure if we found a way to permeate the black hole of mittens, we'd find enough lost mitts there to supply a third world full of children with the warm woolies. Jeanette's dedication to the craft brought the mitten just past the cast on stage of the thumb gusset and, by next week, she hopes to complete the thumb and be well into the hand construction.

Scarves and mittens are great projects to learn several techniques such as cast on, knit stitch, pearl stitch (and their combination into the stockinette stitch), increasing and basic construction techniques. Good luck to both Jeanette and Pam as they discover the journey through the Land of Knitting. Just one bit of advice...REMEMBER: Knitting is fun and relaxing!!!

Jan returned to our group with socks in tow. She's an expert sock knitter and enjoys each one of the approximate 20,000 stitches that build to create a warm wooly for the tootsies. Gale expertly worked away at creating warmth and love for a friend's impending birth of twins. Bonnie continued constructing a cable and bobble toque and Michelle touted her pleasure at seeing several of her belly dance costumes worn and fashioned.

Although we did not find resolution to the "Gauge versus Tension" debate, we did decide that we would enjoy creating warm woolies for less fortunate children of Saskatoon and intend to begin creating them with the supplies that were so kindly donated by other residents of our fair city. A big thank you to all who donated their unwanted yarns!!!

Thanks to all for joining in our numbers as they are growing. Thanks and welcome to the new knitters for their uniqueness, enthusiasm and laughter. Remember to continue to recruit...we are still in need of male representation (I know they are out there, we just have to find them!).

Until next week my knitterly cohorts...

September 30, 2007
2 pm
McKenzie Coles Coffee
Corner of Gray Ave and Central Ave, Saskatoon, SK


Keep those needles clicking!