Cable Gram Blog
Crafting Warmly
Ann Lake Shawl - Free Pattern
Looking for something to knit over the holiday weekend? May we suggest the Ann Lake Shawl?
The Ann Lake Shawl pattern is our Great Guild Getaway Design Contest winner by MKG member Christine Petterson. The pattern is the first in a series she has planned for traveling knitters, perfect for those of us heading over the river and through the woods next weekend. It is an asymmetrical shawl using two colors with simple and easy-to-memorize stitches. The pattern has instructions for two different shawl sizes.
MKG members can download the Ann Lake pattern, along with other patterns that are free just for Guild members, on the Exclusive Patterns page of the website's Member Area.
Donating to the December Auction
Our December meeting is the ever popular, yearly silent auction.
You are welcome to donate yarn, knitting books, and knitting tools to the auction by bringing them to the November or December meeting. We ask that all yarn be full skeins with labels and natural fibers are preferred over acrylics.
If you have something to donate, please print the Silent Auction Form and fill out the information and bring it with your donation. This will help set up move much faster on auction day.
MKG Member Profiles: Alex
Welcome to our new column where we feature some of the great members of the Guild! For our second post, we're featuring a newer member, Alex Wolf! If you want to be featured in a future column (or have a member to suggest) reach out to Jess Dahlberg!
Name: Alex Wolf
Ravelry ID: alexw07
Instagram (if applicable): alexw07
Years Knitting: 5
Years in the Guild: Less than 1
- Who taught you to knit? Or, why did you learn to knit?
When I first moved to Minneapolis in 2012 and was trying to make friends I met a few people at a concert, who then invited me to come to their knitting group. I didn’t really have an interest in knitting, but I went anyway just to make some friends. After a couple of weeks I decided I’d give it a go and had them teach me the basics. I got hooked immediately and the group still meets every week.
- Are you a picker or a thrower?
I started as a thrower, but quickly switched to continental. I asked my friend to teach me in the middle of my 3rd or 4th project and you can see exactly when I switched because my tension changed so much.
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What are your favorite types of projects? (E.g., hats, baby items, blankets, socks, shawls, sweaters, etc.)
Definitely socks (toe-up or bust). I’m a fairly practical knitter and I figure one can never have too many socks. Plus they knit up quickly and I love playing around with new stitch and colorwork patterns.
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Do you knit mainly for yourself or for others?
It’s a pretty even mix. Last year, as a stash busting effort, I made a bunch of projects for friends. They could request any small project, but I got to choose the yarn. I was expecting a lot of requests for hats and mittens, but they surprised me with some really unique ideas. It not only turned out to be a great way to use up a bunch of yarn, but learn some new techniques too. I usually knit a few things for Christmas presents every year too.
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Do you have multiple WIPs going on at one time, or are you project monogamous?
Since I’ve been working on small projects lately I’ve been mostly monogamous. Every once in a while if I’m working on something bigger I’ll have a second smaller project to work on out and about.
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What's a new skill or technique you're hoping to learn this year?
I recently came across a knitting machine at a thrift store and I’m excited to learn how to use it. I’ve had an idea for a sweater brewing that would be a little boring to knit by hand because it’s completely stockinette with some intarsia colorwork, but would be a quick project with the knitting machine!
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Any knitting goals for 2019?
Does getting a knitting related tattoo count as a knitting goal?
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Who is your favorite knitwear designer?
Elizabeth Zimmermann for sure. I absolutely adore how she approached and wrote about knitting and she will always be a source of inspiration for me.
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Do you have any favorite accounts to follow on IG?
mere_berry, wingandaprayerfarm, goodwitchknits, abolajiooo, su.krita, woollymammothfibres, carlenergy, alpenglowyarn, prideofmice, westlakeknits,
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It's the middle of winter, how many hand-knit items can you be found wearing?
I’m a year-round biker, so I’ll definitely be wearing my balaclava (just fold up the bottom a couple times and it doubles as a regular winter hat, which is convenient) and some hand-knit gloves under a pair of (non-knit) mittens. There’s a good chance I’ll be wearing a hand-me-down sweater that my grandma originally knit for my dad.
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Next on your to watch/read/listen to list?
- Watch: Adventure Time (I’m about halfway done with the series, but can’t wait to watch the rest).
- Read: Currently looking for book recommendations so if you see me at a guild meeting feel free to give me some ideas.
- Listen: the next episode of the podcast My Brother, My Brother, and Me.
Links and Resources from the Oct '19 Meeting
Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in last night's Designer Showcase. We thought some of you might find the links to some of the websites, books, classes, etc... that the designers talked about useful.
First of all our designers...
Abbie Kenyon - Instagram
Diane L. Augustin - Ravelry, Instagram
Diane Mountford - Ravelry
Lori Ihnen - Ravelry, Instagram
Kathy Lewinski - Ravelry, Instagram
Roxanne Richardson - Ravelry, Instagram
Other links...
Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns - A great resource for basic patterns for hats, tams, mittens, gloves, and sweater in multiple sizes and gauges.
Craft Yarn Council Standards - Standards for sizes, ease, abbreviations, symbols, etc...
Knitting Graph Paper Notebooks - For hand drawing colorwork, cable, or lace patterns.
Online Knitting Graph Paper - Print out for hand drawing colorwork, cable, or lace patterns.
Stitch Fiddle - A free website for designing colorwork and lace patterns, recommended by Kathy
Stitchmastery - Software for designing cables, colorwork and lace charts, recommended by Roxanne
Diane A's upcoming Bead Knitting class at the Textile Center
Roxanne's bi-weekly podcasts
Kathy's Ravelry Group - Join to find up about yearly KALs
Ravelry Designers Group - Yarn companies and magazines post their calls for submissions here.
Using the Fibonacci sequence in knitting - Suggested by both Dianes.
Lori's books - Colorwork for Adventurous Knitters and A Garden Stroll: Knits Inspired by Nature
Urth Yarn - This is the yarn that Diane A. works with.
If there is anything else that you were interested in that I am missing, please let us know in the comments.
Thanks to Diane A for the use of her photos!
MKG Member Profiles: Deepa
Welcome to our new column where we feature some of the great members of the Guild! For our first post, we're featuring the vibrant and amazing Deepa! If you want to be featured in a future column (or have a member to suggest) reach out to Jess Dahlberg!
Name: Deepa Nirmal
Ravelry ID: deeni
Instagram (if applicable): n/a
Years Knitting: Lots! Learned as a kid but got back into it after her mother passed away.
Years in the Guild: Joined in 2016
- What is your favorite Guild benefit?
All aspects. I really enjoyed some of the demos and classes we’ve done, like the one on natural dyeing (lecture & hands on). I really enjoy the hands on stuff and love that we have a group of people with that much expertise. Always enjoy the show and tell -- easy to be inspired by expertise and hopefully inspiring others. The competitions are great too -- I’ve learned a lot from the constructive criticism during judging!
- Are you a swatcher?
Very seldom. I have a very consistent gauge, know my own gauge for weights and needles. Tend to not swatch. Maybe for expensive yarn, or tricky construction. Never done a fingering sweater -- would do it then since that’s an epic amount of work and I wouldn’t want it to come out wrong.
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Favorite place to knit?
Have bag will travel! No watching TV without busy hands either.
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Do you knit mainly for yourself or for others?
As time has passed, I have became more cautious for knitting for “muggles” (non-knitters). Handknit items are expressions of love, but not everyone speaks that love language. I make a determination if the recipient will really love it and take proper care of the item. Babies are always fun and easy though! Generally family, friends, and other knitters. I really admire people who do charity knitting. Not quite in that phase myself, but maybe one day.
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What yarn weight do you use most? What color(s)?
Huge sock yarn stash -- I knit a lot of shawls. Sweaters tend to be DK yarn and up. Really enjoyed some of the lace projects lately. Haven’t done true cobweb yet. Very varied in colors. Really like colorful things -- gravitate towards more colorful. Haven’t done speckled yarn, but really eclectic otherwise.
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What project are you itching to cast on?
Over a 1000 items in my queue. Going to decide on a small project for the fair (graciously, she offered to knit my little one an Ironheart sweater! It won a third place ribbon at the Fair!). Never tried designing, but perhaps interested to start trying!
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What's a new skill or technique you've learned lately?
I’m always looking to learn new skills and techniques. Patty Lyon’s ssk. Icelandic bind off.
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What's a new skill or technique you're hoping to learn this year?
Maybe brioche. Tried for the Flames hat a while back, but it was a humbling experience! Didn’t go very well -- I didn’t give it the proper attention!
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Any knitting goals for 2019?
Project monogamy. Finishing sweaters. Pretty good about not abandoning a project -- goal for 2019. No new UFOs. 2020, going to look at the UFO pile. Finish or frog.
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It's the middle of winter, how many hand-knit items can you be found wearing?
A lot. Hat, scarf/cowl, mittens, socks. Sweaters. This winter I made a concerted effort to wear handknit sweaters.
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Coffee or tea?
Tea. I grew up drinking Indian teas, Assam and darjeeling. Loose leaf only and it has to be properly brewed. Cut out the sugar sadly, but still need milk.