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October 2015 Newsletter
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Announcements

 
The Woodstock Fleece Festival – October 17th – Looking to get behind the wheel? The festival will give you the chance to learn about spinning and has a great line-up of vendors. 
 
RHINEBECK! aka New York State Sheep & Wool Festival – October 17-18th – Carpool anyone? If it is your first or tenth time this is  one of the not to be missed knitting events of the year. See what this year’s festival has to offer.

Knitted knockers are prosthetics for women who have had a mastectomy or surgery to the breast. Knit in 100% pima cotton, they are light, soft and comfortable, and provided free of charge through the Knitted Knockers website that connects volunteer knitters with breast cancer survivors. Nancy Thompson, Founder of Knitted Knockers of Canada, will be speaking at the November meeting. If you are looking for something different in terms of charity knitting, this could be for you.
 
Our monthly show & tell sessions are inspirational, and we would like to follow up by listing them on our website and newsletter for reference. When signing up, please include the pattern (if used), the yarn, needle size, and maybe even your Ravelry name. And please indicate whether you are willing to share and to have your photo taken.  You can also post finished items on the TKG Ravelry forum.
 
Dr. Knit -- Denise Powell -- has moved further from Toronto, and may not always make it to meetings.  We are looking for experienced knitters who are willing to volunteer their knitting expertise at meetings to assist members with knitting challenges.  Please contact Debra.

Gilda has resigned from “Member-at-large” role.  We will leave this position vacant over the next year.  If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with any member of the executive, or send an email.  We like feedback.

Questions? Concerns? Please send any comments, questions and feedback to info@torontoknittersguild.ca
 
Happily always knitting,
Debra - TKG President

Renew Your Membership


Thanks to all who have already signed up! If you haven't already done so, please take the time to sign up for your 2015 membership before the next meeting. When you register online, you can choose to pay with PayPal or defer payment until you pick up your membership card. Membership fee is $50.
 
What does membership get you?
  • Admission to all 2015/16 guild meetings, including talks by guest speakers
  • Discounts at most Toronto area yarn stores.
  • Inspiration and camaraderie!
Sign Up for Membership

September Meeting in Review


We had a great turnout for our first meeting of the season, with lots of new and familiar faces. The meeting started out with an opportunity to catch up and break out the needles.

Our guest speakers were Becky Porlier and Jennifer Osborn of Upper Canada Fibreshed. They were inspired to begin the fibreshed after being introduced to the undertakings of Rebecca Burgess in California. Becky and Jennifer shared their ongoing journey to create a thriving fibershed and how that can positively impact a community. 

Upcoming Meetings


October 21st

Innis College Town Hall
2 Sussex Ave.
7:30 - 9:30
Doors open at 6:45 

Guest Speaker
Kate Atherley

Math for Knitters
Designer, teacher and technical editor Kate Atherley will be sharing tips and techniques for handling the numbers problems that come up in knitting: from yarn requirements to buttonhole spacing, as well as issues of gauge. And if you’d rather knit than spend time with a calculator, she’ll also talk about ways to avoid the numbers entirely! 
 

Next Meeting: November 18th


Guest Speaker
Patrick Madden

Doing it All
Patrick Madden of Signature Yarns in Toronto will be presenting about the life/work balance of running a small business, the importance of volunteering and making time for creativity. Patrick will also have an assortment of his hand knitting yarn collections for sale at the meeting. 

 

Next Meeting: December 16th


December Holiday Social and 
Ugly Sweater contest


A fun evening to sit, knit and socialize together and enjoy some holiday Sweet 'n Savouries! Come and join in on the fun.
 

Visit the Toronto Knitters Guild website for more information on upcoming events.

Guild Member Show and Tell: 




This was one of those stash-busting projects where you intend to use just the two skeins already patiently sitting there and then quickly realize you have in mind a grander project that will require (oh darn) a trip to the LYS! I started with the combination of the beautiful variegated blue Misti Alpaca Tonos and the light grey Blue Sky Alpaca because I loved the colour combo so much. I decided I wanted to make a sweater inspired by the design of Antler by ANKESTRICK, so I cobbled together a pattern owing much to 157-2 Silver Dream by Drops Design and headed out to find more Blue Sky. When that failed to materialize, I went with a few skeins of slightly darker grey Illimani Baby Llama and decided to keep the lighter grey as the yoke. I think it worked out well; gotta love a happy accident!

- Bree Zorel (tenderfield on Ravelry)

Pattern: Improvised from 157-2 Silver Dream by Drops Design, inspired by Antler by ANKESTRICK
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted, Blue Sky Alpaca Sport Weight, Illimani Baby Llama
Needles: 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm as needed to get consistent gauge

Travels with Yarn: Iceland

 
What to do with some last minute vacation? Grab that guidebook to Iceland that you bought a couple of years ago and jump on a plane!
 
Iceland is a stop that should be on every knitting traveller’s radar.  This is a country that truly celebrates wool and woollen garments.  The signature Lopi sweater is seen all over, worn by tourists and locals alike.  And the climate, which ranges from approximately -5C to 15C over the year, means that it’s sweater weather practically all year round.



There are lots of wonderful tours that you can take to see the amazing nature in Iceland.  I made 2 main knitting related stops: the yarn store Storkurinn in downtown Reykjavik, and the Alafoss wool store in Mosfellsbaer, part of the greater Reykjavik area.  (By the way, Ravelry is a great way to find yarn stores when you travel – just go to the “yarn” tab and use the Local Yarn Shop directory – put in the city you are visiting).
 
North American knitters would be instantly at home in Storkurinn – it’s beautifully laid out with a wide selection of international yarns (Brooklyn Tweed, Rowan and Debbie Bliss to mention a few) as well as a section devoted to Icelandic Lopi.  There’s a work table where I sat and swatched for a couple of hours and the staff speak good English and are very friendly.  It’s located on the second floor of a building on the main shopping street in Reykjavik, but you can’t miss the the signage at street level:



The Alafoss store was a bit more of a trek.  That required me to figure out the local bus system, but with the help of a friendly lady in the tourist information office I was on my way.  I left in pouring rain and high winds, which set a new bar for what I’m prepared to do for yarn.
 
The Alafoss store sells knitted garments, souvenirs and of course, lots of Lopi wool.  You pay the cheapest prices for Lopi here, with the best availability, as it is “direct from manufacturer”.  It’s a different experience from buying in a local yarn store as wool for knitting is only one of their offerings. Looking at finished Lopi sweaters as you ponder yarn has its advantages when it comes to selecting colours and patterns.
 
With these two stops on my itinerary, it was no surprise that I had to practically sit on my suitcase to close it on my way home.  But it didn’t end there.  Iceland gets brownie points for being the only airport I have ever been to that sells yarn and bamboo circular needles in the duty-free after security.  Not to mention I found this lovely art installation featuring naturally dyed Icelandic wool yarn.

So if you’ve been thinking of making a trip to Iceland, I strongly recommend it.  I will definitely be going back.  Icelandair offers great packages regularly as well as a free stopover of up to 7 nights in Reykjavik if you fly to Europe with them.

- Alison Rose, TKG Member
Have a suggestion for the newsletter? Email us at editors@torontoknittersguild.ca.

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