West Coast Knitters Guild

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild meets the first Tuesday of every month at Oakridge Mall in the Oakridge Senior’s Centre. Continue Reading »

We do not have a meeting at our usual place in August BUT have a meeting in Stanley Park, see details below:

West Coast Knitters’ Guild

KNIT IN THE PARK

When:  Saturday, August 14, 2010 from 9:00 am to 4:00

Where:  covered picnic shelter (near the Miniature Railway and the Bus loop and former petting zoo)

What to bring:  your knitting and crocheting, your own bag lunch (there is also a food concession at Lumberman’s Arch), and a lawn chair.  There are wooden benchs for seating but your own chair would be more confortable.

We love to share patterns, tips and hints, resources, short cuts and anything else we can share.  Anyone is welcome so let everyone know and bring a friend.

WCKG National Knit in the Park

Gather in Stanley Park at the covered picnic area near the miniature train.  Bring your knitting, bagged lunch and a chair to sit in the shade or sun and enjoy the company of other knitters.  Exchange ideas, techniques and information about the passion we all enjoy.  All day from 9:00 a.m. to dusk.

Everyone is welcome!!

Download your registration form for the WCKG May Workshops here.

May Workshops

There are still a few spaces left.

****ALL WELCOME**** 

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild will be hosting

8 workshops on

Saturday, May 1st and Sunday, May 2nd

Saturday morning:

Holli Yeoh - Modular Magic:  Knit a cell phone, Blackberry or I-pod cosy in three modular strips, using self-patterning sock yarn.  Skills needed:  knit, purl, cast on and bind off, advanced beginner.  Materials: two 3mm double pointed needles, removable stitch markers, measuring tape, pencil, calculator, your cell phone, Blackberry,  I-pod or compact camera.

Lorna Brown - Socks - flap, heel and toe:  sock construction using a miniature model to demonstrate the flap, gusset heel and usual toe.  This workshop is for those who have never tackled socks before or those who need a refresher.  Materials:  set of 4-5 double pointed needles and appropriate sock yarn and usual knitting tools.

Saturday afternoon:

Paulette Lane - The Magic of Multi-coloured yarn:  Discover how to assess multi-coloured yarn to make the best choice for your garment.  Learn a trick to determine how a multi-coloured yarn will look without knitting a swatch.  Materials:  bring skeins of multi-coloured yarn or works in progress for in-class assessment and discussion.  Some homework required.

Holli Yeoh - Interested in Intarsia:  Tackle the intricacies of intarsia to add blocks and motifs of colour to your knitting.  You will learn all the basics including joining colours, avoiding holes, and managing all those ends and tangles, and reading graphs.  Skills needed:  knit, purl, cast-on and bind off - advanced beginner.  Materials:  small amount of a few colours of dk or worsted weight plain wool in light to medium colours, appropriately sized knitting needles for the yarn you are bringing and a tapestry needle.

Sunday morning:

Linda Hull - Finishing Techniques:  Learn how to block your garment, sew up the seams, attach sleeves, use a three-needle bind off for shoulder seaming, and pick up stitches to add neckbands or button bands, and more.  Materials:  smooth worsted weight or dk weight yarn, light or bright colour with the ball band for gauge (not acrylics or cotton), usual knitting tools, including tapestry needle, a spare needle the same size as your knitting for the three-needle bind-off.  Suggest:  Mission Falls 1824 worsted weight 100% superwash merino or Cascade 220.

Homework:  Cast on approx. 20 sts. and 10 rows of K1, P1 ribbing, commencing with two KNIT sts. and ending with two KNIT sts.  Then with right side facing, knit an additional 10-15 rows ending with the Wrong side (next row is right side) - do not cast off.  Leave a long tail (approx. 3 feet long) and cut yarn.  Place on stitch holder or waste yarn and knit a second identical piece.  Do not cast off - do not cut yarn and leave this second piece on the needle and transfer the first piece onto the other second needle.  These are for the three-needle cast-off and then the seams will be completed.

Cast on approximately 15 sts. and knit about 15 rows, cast off - make two identical pieces for the garter stitch side seam instructions. 

Pearl Chow - Needle felting:  needle felting is a quick, fun way to embellish your work or to make soft toys/sculptures.  Dyed fibre, foam and 2 needles will be available for $10 or bring scraps of yarn and fulled wool fabric if desired.

Sunday afternoon:

Christa Giles - The Piper’s Hat:  The skills included are top-down hat construction using one long circular needle, piping, and short rows.  Materials: Worsted weight yarn (e.g.  Cascade 220 and Ultra Alpaca).  The main colour requires approx. 140m (155m) for small (large) and contrast colour takes approx. 27m in either size, 5 mm circular needle 32″ in length (or DPNs and a 16″ circular needle), tapestry needle and a focal button, pattern fee $6

Mandy Moore - Sweaters:  Fitting and Flattery:  you will learn to measure yourself, to choose the right size when working from a pattern and which basic alternations will increase your sweater satisfaction.  Bring several sweaters or knit tops from your wardrobe, sweater patterns and a measuring tape.

 All classes are $50 per course and includes morning coffee/tea & muffins, afternoon coffee/tea, door prizes

Location:  Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, 100, 2245 W. Broadway (between Yew and Vine), Vancouver (on the #17 UBC and #9 Alma bus routes)

These workshops are open to all, members and non-members are welcome!

For further information, please contact Lynn Westwood (604-224-6184 or 4010lynn@telus.net)

A mere eight days after our wonderful weekend workshop with Sivia Harding, Catherine A. completed her first lace design. Fill a Triangle with Lace was a two-day workshop where we learned the intricacies of knitting and designing a triangular-shaped shawl. We also learned ways of manipulating a lace stitch pattern to fit the triangular shape.

Catherine was so inspired and empowered by the workshop than on Sunday night after she went home she started pouring over her stitch dictionaries to begin a new design for yet another triangular lace shawl. Bear in mind that Catherine had just spent two days charting a completely different shawl. She was so energized by the process that she wanted to do it all over again with another stitch pattern.

She extended her dining room table to its full size, much to her family’s chagrin and started the charting process. Then the knitting began.

By Monday, just over a week later, Catherine was ready to block her new lace scarf.

On Tuesday night she brought her new creation to the Guild meeting and eagerly shared it with her workshop classmates. We had a show and tell session that evening and everyone at the meeting was able to see the very successful results of the Sivia Harding workshop.

Catherine has not ditched her original design that she worked on at the workshop. It will become a knitted scarf as well. We can’t wait to see it, Catherine!

We’re lucky to have Sivia Harding teaching two workshops for us the weekend of November 20 to 22nd.

Friday, November 20, 7 to 9 p.m.
River Rock Scarf
This luxurious scarf makes use of a large number of prestrung beads in a design that creates an illusion of natural beaded “rocks” that are embedded in a flowing knitted “river” of ribbing. Students learn how to manage the beads and channel their inner designer as the beads are knit into a simple 2 x 2 rib scarf. This class is suitable for advanced beginners as well as more experienced knitters.

Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fill a Triangle with Lace
In a gentle and supportive workshop Sivia gives you the tools to design your own lace shawl. You will go away refreshed and inspired, with all the tools you need to design your own top-down triangle shawl. Some lace experience is recommended for this two-day workshop. Lunch and refreshments are served both days.

For more information, download the registration form here: Sivia Harding Workshop .

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild will be participating in the Dunbar Community Centre Christmas Sale.  This will be the final sale of this year for the Guild so hope that you can come and see the many wonderful items that the Guild members have knitted and donated for this sale.  Hope to see you there.

November 28th, 2009

Dunbar Community Centre

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

4747 Dunbar Street

Vancouver, B.C.

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild is participating in the Wilson Height United Church Christmas sale.  We will have many knitted items for sale (socks, hats, mittens, sweaters, baby items, etc.).  The proceeds from this sale goes to Nova House (a transition house for women and children in need).  Please come and see the many wonderful items for sale.

Wilson Heights United Church

Saturday, October 24th

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

1634 East 41st (at Argyle Street)

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild is having a very,

very large sale of yarn at greatly reduced prices

 Douglas Park Community Centre

801 W. 22nd Avenue at Willow, Vancouver

Saturday, October 17th

12:00-2:30 pm

Cotton, Acrylics, Wool & blends in all gauges

Most Yarn will be 50 cents a ball

Sold by the bag only

For their most recent collection, the Norwegian company OLEANA looked to China for inspiration - an ancient culture with strong design and ornamentation traditions that has left its mark on the west from as long ago as the early Viking explorations.

OLEANA gathers new inspiration along the silk route and then takes it back home to Norway where their production is made in a small factory close to Bergen, by a crew of 60 highly skilled and respected workers.  Oleana sets an example for sustainable clothing production and ethical business practices. Continue Reading »