Black Sheep Knitting Guild

I think I've freaked out my new teaching partner by telling her that not only do I knit, but on a Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. I'm updating my guild's blog. . ."you're really into that, aren't you?" she asked. . .if she only knew. Many know that my New Year's resolution was to make a pair of socks each month. Socks have been tricky for me to fit correctly, or to keep for myself. My first pair ever was knit on the beaches of Florida two years ago in February. They were made out of Patons merino wool on size 6 needles and after wearing them 2 or 3 times, Joanie shrunk them in the wash. Not a good start. Socks are a great project, they keep your interest, are small to carry around and extremely useful when they're done. I find the self-striping yarns amusing and can't wait to see what color comes out of the ball next. You should know I wear a size 12 shoe, and my foot is bigger than what most of the patterns easily found are written for. I know t...

Having received verbal comments about how folks couldn't comment, I thought I'd check things out. To leave a comment, you'll need to click on the link that notes how many comments are made. A pop up window will appear and you can write your comment. After doing that, scroll down and select how you would like your comment credited (your identity)--either anonymous or you can enter your email address to have your name attached. . .for those protecting privacy, you could include your name in the post, and post it by anon. . .does that make sense? Anyway, after choosing your identity you will need to click on publish. Once that happens, a comment should appear. Will you all please try this out and help me ensure that it's working? I'll take pictures of my "January socks" and post them later this week and since I've started my February socks already, I may get a picture of one of those already. . .For those of you who don't know, my New Year's r...

In thinking about fieldtrips for the summer. . .I ran across this farm in Swartz Creek, near Lansing. Following links, I found this mill in Frankenmuth. . .Any thoughts?

An Evening in Paris was great fun! Plenty of knitters were spotted out in public wearing fine handknits and creating new items of beauty. Not only were we surrounded by folks with similar interests, but we sat amidst gorgeous rugs. Joan fingered one before the concert and stated, "this is a single spun wool. . ." and began to wonder about the woven construction. . .only fiber addicts. . .Knitting, rugs, food, and MUSIC. The musicians were amazing. It was a perfect combination of sensory delight last night. My favorite part of the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings performances are that they spend time educating their audience about what exactly it is that they're playing. Not only do they spend time teaching us about the instruments they play, they discuss the music and the composers. In the course of that brief education, the musicains spoke to their audience and tried to make connections between the knitting we were doing, and the way that the composition was written. T...

Okay, I'm truly exctied about our scarves, but irritated by technology. . .a really long post with links and everything just disappeared. I'll try to be equally as witty and entertaining as I rewrite it all for you. . .bummer. Pictures to come as I receive them from Coralee. But really, 36 SCARVES! Many hands really do make work light! Louise and I kept repeating on the way home, "We Rock!" We're so pleased and proud to be a part of such a generous group of knitters. Judith made the most (somewhere around 9 or 10, she modestly can't remember. . .) and Camille won "knitter's choice" the scarf we enjoyed the most! Two more prizes are up for grabs next month, but the charity focus remains for the year. So, when you find yourself between projects, knit a scarf (or hat or gloves) for SOS (South Oakland Shelter) . There are many in our area who need our warm creations. Welcome to new members Coleen and Phyllis! We're glad to have you, and look fo...

I can hardly believe it's been a month since our December meeting. . .my few short weeks off of school led to no real project completion and only left me more tired than before the break! I guess I shouldn't complain, since I know many had no time off what-so-ever. I'm posting a few pictures from the December meeting and a few from a get together at my house where many guild members dyed their own yarn with KOOL-AID! yes, the stuff you drink! We had a great time, and created some beautiful hand painted yarns. In December, Judith kicked off our charity project for 2007 and distributed bags of yarn to be knit into scarves (or hats if you desire) for the South Oakland Shelter. Judith will collect these at every meeting and drop them off at the shelter when she gets a bag full. I've already seen some really beautiful and creative items made from the mystery yarn we received. Remember, there is a prize for the knitter who makes the most, and for the scarf that wins "vie...