Cable Gram Blog from January 2021
Jan '21 Meeting Wrap-Up
Service Knitting 2021
At this month's meeting, we kicked off our service knitting campaign for 2021 by meeting our three new community partners.
Hats and Mittens collects and distributes hats and mittens to those who need them in the 7-county metro area (though that area is expanding). They can use hats and mittens in sizes from babies to adults. They do tend to get a lot more hats than mittens, so if you are a mitten knitters those would be really appreciated. While they can use all sizes, they do have a need for items that fits ages 12 -15 years. They can except items made from any fiber.
Hats for the Homeless knits, collects, and distributes hats in the Twin Cities area. They need simple adult hats made for warmth. Hats need to be long enough to cover the ears and those that double over the ears are best. Hats that are knit with worsted yarn in a tight gauge. They prefer darker colors without a pattern or embellishments. There are free patterns on their website and they also highly suggest The Minnesota Hat. Acrylic yarn alone is not warm enough, so they suggest using washable wool, acrylic/wool, or other wool blends.
The Range Center helps people with intellectual/developmental disabilities to build skills and self-esteem in Northeastern MN. They can use all items hats, mittens, fingerless gloves, scarves, and lap blankets. This is your time to have fun with color and patterns, but please use washable fibers. Clients get to pick their own items and having fun things to choose from can be a highlight in someone's day.
We will have drive up drop-off days at the Textile Center throughout the year with the first being in April. You will also be able to pick up yarn to use for service knitting on those days. If you can't make a drop-off day, you can send items to us care of the Textile Center (address is here). We are also planning on having drop-off days at other locations around the state, stay tuned for details on that!
Service Knitting Thank You Gifts
This year we want to thank those of you who use your time and talents to help with our service knitting with some small gifts. We have curated a set of progress/stitch markers and as you donate more items through 2021 you will receive more parts of the set.
When you make a donation, we will keep track of how many items you donate. When you reach the levels below you will receive a marker.
- 5 items - sheep
- 15 items - yarn
- 25 items - scarf
- 35 items - mittens
- 50+ items - a custom Minnesota Knitters' Guild logo marker. (These will be awarded at the end of the year as we will have them made based on how many we need.)
Online Auction
Thanks to everyone who participated in our online auction. All the lots were sold and there was quite the bidding war on some! The Guild made just over $2,000 to use towards our service knitting and other activities. Because of the positive response, we will have another online auction later in 2021 as it is a way to include our members who live outside the Twin Cities.
Sunday Knitting Brunch
Our next Sunday Knitting Brunch is Sunday, January 31st 11:00am - 1:00pm. This is a purely social knitting get-together. We plan to continue them every other Sunday through at least February. Find the Zoom link in the calendar.
Upcoming Meetings:
February Annual Meeting
Our February 16th meeting is our required annual meeting. We will give a brief overview of how the Guild did in 2020, including financials and some goals for 2021. Our annual report will be available on the website after the meeting.
We'd also love to see how our members did in 2020 and invite you to submit a photo of the project you are most proud of from 2020 for the slideshow. Please email a picture, name of the pattern (if there is one), yarn used, and why you are proud of this project. This can be something that was a challenge for you, something that was sitting in your WIP for years, a first sweater or other items, etc... Email your submission to Nikky.
March Meeting
Our March 16th speaker will be Kim McBrien Evans who will speak about size inclusive knitting. Her yarn company Indiogodragonfly Yarns will be featured in our 6:30 trunk show before the meeting.
April Meeting
Our April 20th speaker will be Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes.
Programming Committee Members Needed
Do you like our monthly Newsletters? We do too! But they're getting to be too much work for one person to put together each month!
Featured Designer - Lindsey Fowler
Read all about this month's featured designer. She has some wonderful patterns that use up all those mini skeins you got in your holiday countdown calendar!
Prizes
We awarded prizes to eight random members who renewed or joined by the end of December 31, 2020. All the prizes will be purchased from local fiber related vendors, many of who have been Yarnover vendors.
Ada Vanderwiel - Knitting/Crochet Notions Bag from Becka Rahn
Susan Bathory - Yarn Bowl from Blue Room Pottery
Shirley Nygaard - Stitch Marker Set from Blue Room Pottery
Maressia Twele - Project Bag from Crafty Like a Monkey
Kristine King - Shawl Pin from Knitter's Journey
Heather Hart - Stitch Saver or Crochet Hook Set from Stunning Strings Studio
Zoe Cohen - Equivalent 2 skeins yarn from Lavender Lune Yarn Co.
Judy Ellis - Mini-Skein Set from Stunning Strings Studio
Door Prizes
Nomad Knits Issue 8 (Washington) - Christine Caldarale
Lindsey Fowler Pattern - Andrea Zukor
Lindsey Fowler Pattern - Becky Huerta
Trippin' With Dixi Trunk Show code - Susan Boinis
Textile Center Fiber Arts For All
The Textile Center will be hosting an in person and virtual Fiber Arts for All festival February 21 - 27th. The event will feature interviews, talks, workshops, and an online auction. Watch for details in the Textiles on the Town newsletter and on the Textile Center website.
Designer Spotlight: Lindsey Fowler
January spotlight series is Lindsey Fowler. Her designs go from child to adult and so who doesn't love a mommy and me pair of socks. Lots of cozy colorful knits to get us through this gray winter.
Did anyone get an advent calendar of yarn this year? Check out her new great cowl Spice Blend
Does anyone else think this other cowl might be a great combination with the MinneSNOWta hat that Kathy gifted to the members?
Lindsey designs are a ton of fun. You can find her on Ravelry and on instagram @larkspurknits. She also has her own website.
Let us know what you think. Any Desginers you'd like to see highlighted? Please email Melissa Marketingdirector.mkg@gmail.com
Monthly Yarn Store Spotlight Series: Yarnology



Sunday Knitting Brunch
Feeling a little isolated this winter and missing your in-person knitting groups?
Join us for our first Sunday Knitting Brunch on Sunday, January 17th from 11:00am - 1:00pm.
Grab your favorite morning beverage and catch up with other knitters at this virtual meet-up hosted by Guild President Kathy Lewinski. This is a purely social gathering and there will not be any planned programming, but feel free to bring questions about your current projects or knitting related topics in general.
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Zoom Meeting link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87206673375 Meeting ID: 872 0667 3375 You will be put into a waiting room when you first join in. Note: you do NOT have to pre-register as you would with our monthly meetings.
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Join in anytime in the two hours and stay as long as you wish.
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Some of us have decided to use this time to work on sweaters, but you are welcome to work on any project you wish.
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If the group is too big, we will split into smaller break out rooms for easier discussion
- We will schedule future Sunday meet-ups based on interest.
Questions? Email Kathy.
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.
2021
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