Reminder

Even thought this week  is the fourth Thursday of the month we will not be meeting at Panera like we normally do. 

Look forward to seeing you after the New Year.  Our next get together wll be January 5th at Panera.  With our Knit-Lit meeting on the second Tuesday which will be January 10th. 

Hope your Holidays are full of Knitting. 

Remember the Move

Remember we are moving. This Tuesday the 11th we are meeting at the Panera that is on County Road E and 35E. We are reading the book Remarkable Creatures.

A couple of of us Knit-Wits went to Decorah this weekend with the Minnesota Knitters Guild. We got a private tour of the museum, had great food and fun knitting. Conciser joining the MKG it meets on the third Tuesday so it never interferes with Knit-Lit or Knit-Wits.

See you Tuesday.

We are on the Move

At our September meeting we decided to start meeting at Panera on our regular meeting date and at our regular meeting time. After many years of meeting at the Maplewood library we are randomly kicked out before our scheduled time is done or show up only to find another meeting has been scheduled at our time and it takes precedence over ours. As this is always random and we are not told ahead of time we feel that the library is not conducive place to meet any more. We know that Maplewood Libary is not doing their own scheduling and is in no way responsible but never the less we will be meeting at Panera on 35E and County Road E. We appriciate Becky Hass for starting the group and Maplweood for hosting us all these years.

Several service possibilities were mentioned at the September meeting. Helen is knitting blankets for the families of fallen soldiers. The link to more information is http://webpages.charter.net/ps4fs/Shawls/. Another service project, that we have done in the past is the scarves for the special Olympics. The link is http://www.redheart.com/blog/2012-special-olympics-usa-scarf-project. Carol has found that the Special Olympic scarves this year has a couple of yarn possibility so we don't have to make them out of the horrific yarn like last time. This year you can use there Red Hart Soft, it is a worsted medium and comes in the Really Red and Navy that are being used this year.


Bridgette told us about the upcoming Quilt Show that her quilt group holds at The Redeemer Lutheran Church in White Bear. Also Annette told us about a couple of events: Upper Midwest Alpaca Farm Tours, September 24 & 25 (Saturday & Sunday)http://uppermidwestalpacas.com/Info.aspx?phpurl=FarmTour.php Llama Farm Open House (Shady Ridge Farm, New Richmond, WI, October 1 & 2 (Saturday & Sunday). Learn about packing, cart driving and doing obstacle courses with llamas. Watch demos that teach you how to work with llama fiber. Products include llama yarn, roving batts and clouds, carded batts and felting kits, flower pins, wine cozies. http://www.shadyridgefarm.com/

If you have any questions about any of the upcoming events or our move drop me an e-mail and I'll get you contacted to the appropriate person. My e-mail address is revenstar@q.com.

September

At our September meeting we will be talking about our August and September books since we canceled the August meeting.

Mary Jo will also bring her supplies and teach us how to make the braided necklaces. Some of us made them a couple of months ago and it was fun.

We will also be talking about changing locations and if we want to do the Olympic scarves again.

See you this coming Tuesday at Maplewood Library.

Canceling August

It was hot enough in July for July and August so I would like to cancel August. Don't want to go back to school sooner so I guess that isn't a good idea.

Most of the regulars are going to be gone at the time of the August meeting and they were moving our meeting place anyway so we are canceling the August meeting.

We will knit and talk about the August and September book at our regular September meeting.

Hope you all have a good air conditioner and get to knit inside this month.

Something To Consider

For the second time recently we have been kicked out of the meeting room. Think about if you would like to meet at Panera for our monthly meetings. We don't mind moving for elections or not having it for some good reason. But just not getting it when we show up is not great. We would not have to do set up or take down. We could eat since we meet at 6:00 anyway. We don't need to decide now but it is something to consider. We could consider someplace else. Think about it and maybe we will vote ion September.

Something else to consider is Bridgett. We have not seen her in a long time. If you have a Bridgett sighting let us know.

It's a beautiful day out so here is hoping you get to go out and knit.

Still Collecting

We are still collecting Chemo Caps. I just finished my 3rd one. Carol is making lots of really cute multicolored ones.

Lots Of Books

At our last meeting we pick books all the way through January. See the long list on the left side of our Blog. So many books so little time.

We really liked Lucuna. If you didn't get it read it is well worth the time to read it when you have time. Our next book is Annabel.

Some of us thought Chris's Hitchhickers scarf would be a fun knit-a-long. Let us know what you think.

Happy Summer Knitting. So many projects so little time.

August and November Meetings

There is a primary August 9th and the general election will be November 8th. Unfortunately, both of those dates conflict with Knit Lit. We will be moving to the conference room that is right by the information desk for these two meetings. If there are too many to fit at the August meeting we may go outside or could use the entry way. They are sorry for any inconvenience.

9 Days

Only 9 days to finish Lacuna. I am over half done with the book and it is really so much better than I thought it would be.

I'm starting my 3rd Chemo Cap. Remember to bring any you have finished to our Knit-Lit meeting and I will see that they get to MKG were they will distribute them. I'm making one for my friend who is having Chemo treatments right now.

Next time we get together we need to come up with our next group of books to read. I started Hit By A Farm and it was so funny I almost spit out my milk at breakfast. Cathrine Friend is coming to the June Minnesota Knitters Guild. I can't wait to hear talk.

Stephanie & Steven

Last Friday after work I went over to Steven B's to pick up a kit that I had ordered at YarnOver. Since it was the beginning of Memorial weekend there was only one other customer there so I could look around without wall to wall people, like it usually is when I'm there. As always there were fun patterns to look at and interesting yarn to feel. The best find was Stephanie. Stephanie was a regular at Knit-Lit until her life got complicated and then busy. She looks great and it was wonderful to see her. She works some days at The Yarn Garage and some at Steven B's. I would really encourage you to call ahead to find out when she is working and then go out and see her. She hopes to come back for a visit when her life calms down.

Switch

Doing a little switch for our books. We are switching Bel Canto and Annabel. They have been listed correctly on the up coming books. They are now just wrong in the Ramsey County news letter.

Next meeting we have to come up with our next set of book picks. So think about books you would like to read.

Saturday Without A Yarn Event

It seems so strange to have a Saturday with out a yarn event. I am busy getting all the work done that I didn't do after a couple of wonderful weeks full of knitting and friends.

Last Knit-Lit meeting we had a great book and a great time knitting together.

The next book is Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. It is her newest book but has been around for awhile so there are lots of copies around. It's a think one and so you might want to get started reading now.

Sheppard's Harvest was the best this year. It was the first in many people's memory that it was not raining. It was not only not rainy but it was sunny and warm out.

Four barns of knitting stuff put everyone in a happy place. The food was good. It was most fun to see so many people we knew. I saw people from Knit-Lit that I didn't come with, church people, MKG people and even people from work.


Spent too much. I bought shawl yarn and yarn for shawl like scarves and I don't even wear shawls. Since I had so many shawl pins I decided to I needed to change my ways and there was beautiful yarns to pick from. Also ordered a kit from Steven Be. You have to love that guy.

April Meeting

Our Knit-Lit group has decided to make Chemo Caps for our service project this year. Caps will be distributed by the Minnesota Knitters Guild. MKG has picked Chemo hats for their service project this year to honor a past board members that passed away do to cancer. Knit-Lit's first Chemo hats came in this month. A big thank you to Mary Jo and Deb. Keep them coming and we will take them to MKG.

April 9th 2011

There is a Shop Hop going on this weekend you might want to check out some of them.

This coming Tuesday is our April Meeting. We are reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult.

Look forward to see you there.

June July August

Maplewood library needs the books we will be reading at our June, July and August Knit-Lit meeting. So when a few of us got together at Double Ewe this weekend we came up with ones we thought would be good.

We try to pick books that have lots of copies in the library. Once in awhile we do pick harder to find books. Since it is sometimes hard to get new or less popular books checked out and read in time so I suggest that you put in your request now so that you get it read by the meeting.

Another great place to find books is the 1/2 Price bookstore. Often I buy the book group book there because it takes me more than the three weeks to get through a thick one. If I'm not enjoying a book it takes me twice as long to read it.

Slippers

This winter we did a slipper knit-a-long. Some of us brought ours to the March meeting. Several others had brought them to other meetings.

The pattern we talked about: Aunt Maggie's Slippers can be found at bevscountrycottage.com/maggieslippers

The group decided to adopt the Minnesota Knitters Guild service project as ours too. We will be making chemo hats. The are many patterns out on the internet. They need to be made from a specific chemo hat as the size differs. Also the fabric needs to be soft with little or no wool so it doesn't irritate the skin.

Most of us liked the February book The Girls From Ames. Although there were some that were less than thrilled.

The March book is House Rules by Jodi Picoult. Deb choose this book.

Snow Day

Enjoying a snow day. I wish it was not on a day we already had off from school but a snow day is always a joyous thing. Today I'm knitting on a Chemo Cap.

Yesterday a few us went the the Annual Minnesota Knitters Guild Tea. The food was great. Not many there because of the snow but a fun time was had by all. The MKG is going to be making Chemo Hats (in honor of a member who died of cancer last year) for it's service project this year. A few of us thought that would be great for our Knit-Lit group to do too. We could just take them to MKG and they would distribute them. They plan to distribute them in Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul. If any one in our group has a place they would rather take them I'm sure we would all be open to that.

There are a lot of patterns for Chemo Hats. They sized differently sized due to loss of hair. Also they are made out of different yarn since wool often too irritating. So please use a pattern specifically for Chemo and note the yarn used.

Hope you all get to enjoy the snow day by knitting.

The picture above is some of the scarves that we knit for the Special Olympics. Every one that had not done so brought there scarves to the February meeting for Pauline to mail off to the Special Olympics.

At the February meeting we all brought our favorite knitting book or magazine. It was fun to see what each of us picked as our favorite.

January Meeting

Everyone at the January meeting was knitting along on their Special Olympics scarf. Remember to bring them to the February meeting so Pauline can get them off to the Special Olympics people.

We finished up the Swedish series. Everyone liked the books but felt there was still so much more we wanted to know about the main characters.

After your done with you scarves don't forget our Knit-A-Long slippers that we will bring to our March meeting.

Happy Knitting

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Hope your starting out 2011 with a lot of knitting. Do you have any New Years resolutions that related to knitting? If so be sure to share them at our next Knit-Lit meeting.

I finished on of my slipper-socks. Since it was so not the pattern I bought the yarn for I need more yarn for my next sock. Lucky for me Kelly is having an open knitting today so I'll be up there knitting and getting new yarn. I'm hoping she has her gray mesh bags in too.

This coming week has the first Thursday of the month so the Knit-Wits are meeting at our regular Panera ( County road E and 35E) at our regular time (6:00).

The following week we are finishing up the Million series at our meeting at Maplewood library.

May you have a great New Years Weekend with lots of knitting.