Cable Gram Blog from October 2005
Read, Learn -- and Knit! The Advanced Beginner
MKG Cable Gram - Volume 21, Number 3
Funny how life works. I've been a writer for a long time, and have had work published in magazines, newspapers, online, even in a park kiosk, but what's finally pushed my work into a real, live book-the Holy Grail for a writer-is none other than knitting! When I started writing for Cable Gram a year ago, I shared my personal story of how I got started knitting after I had a miscarriage. Not long after that, I heard about an editor at Voyageur Press (publisher of last year's gorgeous For the Love of Knitting) who was looking for essays about knitting for a new collection.
Second Annual Knit-Out
MKG Cable Gram - Volume 21, Number 3
A Grand time was had by all at the Knit-Out on Sunday, October 9th at the Ridgedale Mall in Minnetonka. We passed out more than 1,000 flyers announcing our event. The Hopkins Sun Sailor newspaper not only listed us in the community news, but had an article about Knit-Out as well. We had about 40 volunteers, and our Master of Ceremonies this year was Bob Gotwalt. We had knitting experts there to answer knitting and purling questions. We had a great charity table that accepted completed projects and gave out patterns to start new projects.
A Profile of Service: Charitable Crafters
MKG Cable Gram - Volume 21, Number 3
Charitable Crafters was started in August of 2001 by Tina Shaddox of Duluth, Minnesota. Tina had been reading about programs to send hand-knit items to needy people in other countries, but really wanted to keep her efforts local. She saw the great need locally for warm hats & mittens, chemo caps and blankets. She thought that perhaps other local knitters and crafters felt the same way, and decided to advertise the idea of forming Charitable Crafters. She put up flyers at local yarn shops, and ran ads in some of the newspapers. To her amazement, people responded.
Kaffe Exceeds Expectations in October Event
MKG Cable Gram - Volume 21, Number 3
"The entire evening was fabulous - a gala," one satisfied guest was reported as saying. "[It gave Kaffe Fassett] the warm welcome he deserves."
She was speaking of the October 7 event at the Textile Center, where internationally known textile designer Kaffe Fassett spoke to a rapt crowd for an hour and a half. More than 225 tickets were sold for the event, which both promoted Fassett's new book, Kaffe Fassett's Museum Quilts: Designs Inspired by the Victoria & Albert Museum, and raised much-needed money for the Textile Center Library, in which the Minnesota Knitters' Guild is a participating member.
Minnesota Knitters' Guild at the 2005 State Fair
MKG Cable Gram - Volume 21, Number 3
The Minnesota Knitters' Guild took up its post in the Creative Activities building as usual on the first Friday of the State Fair. It was a rainy morning outside, but inside needles clicked away as we answered people's knitting questions, promoted Guild activities, and shared observations on the wonderful knitting entries on display a few steps away. Our own Susan Rainey won the sweepstakes with a stunning cardigan that had a technically difficult construction. We had a record turnout of volunteers to staff the booth and so were able to provide a variety of solutions to knitting problems and to wax enthusiastic about the activities of our guild. Members of the Northern Lights affiliate made the trek from Duluth to help, making the day's activity truly an all-Guild event and living up to the State Fair claim to be the "great Minnesota get-together!" It was great fun to talk to non-knitters from Guild families, who showed remarkable knowledge of the State Fair knitting competition. Overheard remarks included, "The judges probably didn't like the buttons!" "Next year knit an Alice Starmore!"
Get the most out of your love of knitting! Membership benefits include pre-registration for Yarnover, organized public service projects and camaraderie with fellow knitters. Annual dues are $30.