Apologies, Apologies!

I’ve just realised that I haven’t told you all, in case you haven’t already heard through the grapevine, that the Stitches and Craft Show has been deferred.  So if you were thinking of travelling to Rosehill Racecourse this weekend, PLEASE DON’T.

BUT do put in your diaries Saturday and Sunday 17th/18th April.   Please bring along any donations or just turn up with your knitting. Or just turn up (and we’ll find you something to knit if you fancy that).

Stitches and Craft Show, Australian Technology Park, Sydney.  The show runs from 14th – 18th April with the Authorised Knitting section set up very kindly by Angela for us on the Saturday and Sunday. Please note the new venue.

Look forward to seeing lots of you.

 

All Shades of Grey

It’s being suggested that kicking the troublemakers (trans:  reformers/modernisers/believers in the democratic process) out of the Guild would be a win for Grey Power. 

They just don’t really get it. 

This isn’t an AGE issue.  I’ve had lovely emails and calls from elderly members of the Guild (yes – emails!  From older members of our society.) and I’ve come across younger members who want us to stay in our time capsule,   A number of members who were very vocal about the credit card issue (the Guild won’t take them) were over 70 – but credit cards have been a currency for some 30 years now (they’re older than the Guild itself). 

Some of the older members look at the younger ones with pride that so many young people are taking such an interest in THEIR craft.  They encourage them, teach them (and learn from them too) and are happy that knitting is safe in the hands of another generation. 

But apparently there are those who’d rather see the Guild die along with the founding members rather than acknowledge that knitters under 40 (or in my case, 60) may have something to offer.   

I thought Grey Power was about telling the world that you may have grey hair but you’re still an intelligent, functioning member of society not just sitting on the sidelines waiting to die.

Grey Power isn’t the issue here.  I think it’s more a question of Grey Matter. 

Technorati Tags: Knitting Guild of NSW

Some Interesting Reading

Welcome to blogland, Jenny.  Do pop over and say Hello to her . . . it’s a very interesting read.

You could also drop in on Atholie, who has just resurrected her own blog.  More fascinating tales. 

Happy Reading!

Knock, Knock . . . Is There ANYONE There?

Question:  How many lawyers does it take to give a legal ruling on a Knitters Guild Nomination Form?

Answer:    FIVE

We all know that if you ask two lawyers the same question, you’re likely to get two different answers.

So how did the 5 lawyers I consulted rule?

No. 1:         For me

No. 2:         For me

No. 3:         For me

No. 4:         For me

No. 5:         For me

I think we can sense a pattern here.

And how did the Guild rule?  Against me!

Further details to follow.

 

  

And Second Off The Needles

I’ve never joined a yarn club before but to support my friend, Ailsa, and because I truly LOVE her yarn, I joined the first Knitabulous yarn club. 

The second installment, delivered at the end of December, came with one of her own patterns – the Bollywood Shawl.  So I did something I don’t do often – I knitted the pattern with the yarn specified. 

A Knitabulous Shawl, knitted with Knitabulous 50/50 (Merino/Silk) Yarn.

p  >

Fabulous, Knitabulous!

Technorati Tags: Knitabulous

First Off The Needles . . . .

Well, that’s cheating really.  This was cast on in 2009 – and cast off in 2009.  But it was too small.

So I frogged the border, did a few more repeats and re-knitted the border.  And cast it off in 2010 . . . so I think it qualifies.

I’ve knitted it for a friend who wanted a cotton shawl for a cruise and as I never know what to get her for Christmas (or her birthday in January), I asked her to choose the design and the yarn.  Rather considerately for me, she chose Bendigo 4ply Cotton so it didn’t exactly break the bank ($12 for 200g and the shawl used 120g).  And she likes it.  So success all round.

 

My second FO for 2010 came off the needles on Tuesday so I’ve got off to a flying start.  Pictures and details in the next few days.

10.23

No idea why I’ve never heard of this organisation before but they sound like my sort of people.

10.23 – Homeopathy: There’s nothing in it.

Join them if you can on Saturday morning. 

Their main UK site is here

The Ukrainian Susan Boyle!

I’ve just come across this You Tube video (thank you, Judith) of the winner of Ukraine’s Got Talent (yes, there really is such a show).  She’s 24 year old Kseniya Simonova, who’s a sand artist.

She tells the story of the Second World War which killed a quarter of the Ukrainian population and in the process reduces most of the audience to tears.  And she does it all in sand.  It’s really quite extraordinary.

Winterwarm 2010

It’s difficult to imagine, while I’m trying to type this in the current heatwave (it’s about 32C today) that there are people in the world suffering serious ill-effects from icy cold weather – the most serious, of course, being death.  So it’s not easy to ask you to think about knitting for very cold babies and children in Afghanistan.  But here goes!

This year I’ll be collecting again for the Winterwarm Project, sending knitted clothing to Afghanistan for distribution by the Save The Children Fund.  Last year, we held a very successful event at the Stitches and Craft Show in August and collected 191 items.

In 2010, there are TWO Stitches and Craft Shows at Rosehill Racecourse and those wonderful folk at Living Creatively have invited us back.  

The first one is being held on Saturday and Sunday 13th and 14th February, from 10-5.  The Show runs from the 10th but we’ll only be there for the weekend.  So if you’ve visiting the show over the weekend (and frankly you’d be stupid to miss it), this is a wonderful opportunity to sit down and knit for a while.  If you haven’t brought any knitting with you, don’t worry – I’ll find you a scarf you can help complete.  If you can’t stay to knit, that’s a pity – but you can drop garments off to me then.  We collect hats, scarves, gloves, socks, jumpers, cardigans and blankets.  Knitted in wool, please.

Do remember – this ISN’T a competition.  ONE hat for a child may be all that is needed to save a life.  Knit 20 if you have the time and inclination.  But just one will do.

I find it a good opportunity to try something different – a pattern or technique.  I was a bit embarrassed about a hat I knitted which had a bit of a ‘jog’ in the stripes.  As was quite rightly pointed out to me, the hat was warm, did the job it was created for, and no Afghanistan mother is going to complain that the knitting isn’t quite as perfect as you would wish.  

Look forward to seeing LOADS of you there.   

Water, Water Everywhere . . . .

This sums up so many of my views but in a gloriously, witty manner I can only aspire to.  Thank you, Dara O’Briain.

My favourite line:  “Just because science doesn’t know everything, doesn’t mean you can fill in the gaps with whatever fairy tale most appeals to you”.