Guild Topic Archive
What can you learn at a kniting guild? Well, here's what our knitspiration knitting guild of Silicon Valley has covered in our first few years. Come visit one of our monthly guild meetings. All are welcome, no dues necessary until you join.
- 2010 Guild Topics
- February 11, 2010
- The Joy of Seams. Yes, Seams!
- Don't let seams boss you around! Learn Mary's three seaming secrets and start sewing seams that even the county fair judge will love. And Feburary's just the month to do it, if you want to look your best at Stitches West or tackle a sweater for the 2010 Ravelympics.
- Mary Wisnewski
- January 14, 2010
- Knit a Mesh Market Bag
- Bring a size 9 circular needle and cotton yarn (dishcloth cotton works well) to learn to knit a mesh market bag designed by Pam. Makes a great gift - or a great shopping bag for Stitches!
- Pam Kee
- 2009 Guild Topics
- January 19, 2009
- Stenciling designs onto T-shirts and knits - learn to make a stencil and apply paint to fabric. We'll be stenciling a T-shirt to represent our guild at Stitches West. (Held offsite to avoid paint splatter at the shop)
- Amy Klimt
- February 17, 2009
- Knitting with handpainted yarns :: with Stitches West coming up next week, we know we'll be tempted by the beautiful hand-dyed yarns. What have you knit with hand-dyed yarns? What worked and what didn't?
- Group discussion
- March 16, 2009
- Lace on, Lace off -- Learn to start and end your knitting in lace by knitting a strip of the simplest possible lace from which to pick up stitches to knit in a perpendicular direction. We'll reverse the process when it's time to cast off.
- Mary Wisnewski
- April 20, 2009
- Line that bag! Learn to line your hand-knitted bags -- and keep it simple! When you know the underlying principles, it's easy to custom-fit your lining to any individual bag (flat, big, small, bucket-style, etc).
- Guest instructor Cynthia Null
- May 18, 2009
- Getting started with lace - Get ready to wow 'em with lace. Jasmine will show us tips and tricks for knitting lace, including tips for managing your pattern, using lifelines and stitch markers, and generally making lace easier than you thought possible
- Jasmine Wu
- Special Event
World Wide Knit In Public Day, Saturday June 13, 2009 - Knitspiration guild members and friends will provide free "Learn to Knit" instruction in the Redwood Room of the Santa Clara city library, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Register at the 2nd floor reference desk or by calling (408) 615-2900.
- Marie Stroughter and her posse of Trained Knitters
July 9, 2009- Fixing common knitting mistakes
- Learn how to fix common mistakes without ripping out your work! Mary will demonstrate the impressive feat of fixing a mis-crossed cable. You must see this!
- Mary Wisnewski and Amy Klimt
- August 13, 2009
- "Live demonstration of the Knitter's Loom"
- John Panighetti
- Septemer 10, 2009
- Crochet for Knitters!
- Ever run into a pattern that needed a little crochet around the edges? Marie will help us learn how to use that crochet hook to perfectly finish or embellish your knits. Bring a bulky weight yarn and a size J hook if you are a beginner.
- Marie Stroughter
- October 10, 2009
- Knit In Set In Sleeves
- Knit on! Your sleeves that is. The homework will allow you to try out knitting on a set-in sleeve and a drop sleeve.
- Pam Kee
- November 12, 2009
- Knitting with Wire and Beads
- It's easy to make sculptural and jewelery pieces with wire and beads. Knit a wire bracelet and explor the many gift possiblities.
- Mary Wisnewski
- December 10, 2009
- Soaps in Sweaters
- ***SPECIAL LOCATION - Contact spinnity-at-yahoo-dot-com for info. We will not be at Yarn Dogs this month.***
- We will be learning how to make another (extremely) quick gift! We will be hand-felting colorful wool roving around soaps to make a lovely and useful item.
- Amy Klimt
- 2008 Guild Topics
- January 21, 2008
- Eek, Steeks! Learn to stabilize and CUT your knitting!
- Pam Kee
- February 18, 2008
- Mystery yarn marriages - bring two or three odd/novelty yarns to share and blend with interesting stitch patterns
- Mary Wisnewski
- March 17, 2008
- Sock options - knit your socks two at a time
- Janice Kang, sock designer
- April 21, 2008
- Travelling stitches - learn travelling stitches and contribute to our growing stash of 7 x 9 blanket square swatches
- Group discussion
- May 19, 2008
- Casting on, Casting off
- Group discussion
- June 16, 2008
- Teaching Knitting - tips from the trenches
- Marie Stroughter
- July 21, 2008
- Twined knitting - a Scandinaivian folk knitting technique
- Mary Wisnewski
- August 18, 2008
- Our Year in Review - what was your best knit? what guild topics did you apply?
- Group discussion
- September 15, 2008
- The intuitive approach to cables - yes, it is possible to read those charts, words, and fabrics and leave the paper behind!
- Cookie A.
- October 19, 2008 - 2 pm
- Hand-dyed yarn your way - learn about dying yarn from the Fiber Fiend at this special weekend meeting at the Fiber Fiend's studio
- Margit Sage, the Fiber Fiend
- November 17, 2008
- Spiral Cable Chemo Cap - use your own hand-dyed yarn or other yummy yarn to try out Margit's latest design
- Margit Sage, the Fiber Fiend
- December 15, 2008
- Understanding fit, dreaming your next sweater into reality. Learn about fit for different body types and assess that sweater you dream of knitting - will it need modification or will it suit you to a T?
- Lori B + group discussion
- 2007 Guild Topics
- January 2007
- Swatch a New Technique -- as the group createes a Blanket of "Project Linus"-sized swatches. Bring your stitch dictionary or a pattern to share.
- Pam + group
- February 2007
- Toe Up Socks -- learn to make short-row toes using a provisional cast-on
- Candace
- March 2007
- Stitches West Recap - favorite classes, new techniques and LOOT!
- Group discussion
- April 2007
- All About Fiber - knit with the unusual -- animal, vegetable and mineral
- Mary Lou Fall
- May 2007
- Knitware Demo - Resize that sweater!
- Ada Lai, owner of Great Knit Designs
- June 2007
- A Blanket of Swatches, part 2
- Pam
- July 2007
- Knit a modular scarf - why not a red one to donate to the Red Scarf Project?
- Christiane
- August 2007
- Hands-on Spinning - try your hand at spinning your own yarn on spindle or wheel
- Mary and Lori
- September 17, 2007
- Resize, re-knit, recycle! - Plan a rescue for your doomed knitting project - or give up and felt it!
- Group discussion
- October 15, 2007
- Needle felting
- Gunilla Leavitt
- November 19, 2007
- Resize, re-knit, recycle - show and tell
- Annual business meeting and fashion show
- December 17, 2007
- A.D.D knitting - quick-to-knit items
- Marie Stroughter
- 2006 Guild Topics
- January 2006
- Sweater design from the top down, with knit-in, set in sleeves.
- Diana
- References:
Barbara Walker, Knitting from the Top - February 2006
- Stitches West de-brief. Favorite classes, favorite yarns.
- Group discussion with show and tell
- March 2006
- Entrelac adventure - knit a drawstring pouch in entrelac
- Mary
- April 2006
- Knit and chat
- May 2006
- Yarn Party! Bring a lonely yarn and try out some favorite stitches
- Group discussion
- June 2006
- Make your own buttons - Fabric, cording, and crocheted buttons to make your knits sparkle
- Pam
- July 2006
- Half Hour Hats, a guild charitable project
- August 2006
- Knit and chat
- September 2006
- Pattern modification - before, during and after knitting
- Gunilla Leavitt
- October 2006
- Annual Business Meeting
- November 2006
- Knit and chat
- December 2006
- Tools, Toys and Storage ideas -- A shameless sharing of gift ideas for knitters
- Group discussion
- 2005 Guild Topics
- October 2005
- Inaugural meeting - election of officers and setting meeting schedule
- Hosted by Marie & Jan of Knitting Arts
- November 2005
- TKGA Master Knitter overview
- Mary Wisnewski
- References:
TKGA web site
So you want to be a Master Knitter - December 2005
- Show and Tell - favorite projects, problem projects
- Group discussion
Updated Feb 2010: MW