Do you belong ot Knit or Crochet and why?

I am talking about a group, sorry.

Dennis

My Mother knitted and crocheted, as a girl of about 9 I sat and watched her for hours....she never taught me but I learned by watching. Then years later I was stationed in Charleston S.C. in 1975 and my Bosses wife Gloria she was around 40 at the time and was a knitter....at that time I was bonkers over needlepoint and crosstitch...actually I loved all needlecrafts and taught myself how to do Hairpin Lace and Broomstick Lace. Anyway Gloria was a knitter and never just sat and watched TV.....her hands were never idle and she would sit and knit while I did crosstitch.......then I decided I wanted to make a baby sweater but thought knitted sweaters looked better then crocheted ones and asked if she would help me.....I knew how to knit and purl. Make a long story longer ;-) I went and bought some yellow baby yarn...I don't remember the brand but is was not made in the US and sooo soft. So I knitted all the peices.....or there was a single cable running on the edge of the fronts. She helped me with the finishing and I gave the sweater to my Sister....she was pregant at the time with her first.....I was so proud of myself. I have fond memories of all the Sunday afternoons sitting and working on needle crafts and the laughter we enjoyed. I was not close with my Mom and Gloria was like a real Mom to me....we still talk and laugh on the phone today

Donna

Spike Driver wrote:

Whoops it's too early and Yes I belong to a local knitting guild, we meet on the 3rd Monday of the month.....they have a morning meet and one in the evening which is nice for those that have to work during the day. Usually about 30 ladies are there and all are very friendly and helpful. There are planned activities.....last month 3 different ladies gave demonstrations on knitting socks using 4, 2 and 1 magic loop, it was interesting to watch the processes. Also local and not so local yarn shop owners bring yarn in for sale at discount prices....which is nice....usually 2 or 3 different shops a month. I also go to our local Library on the 4th Monday of the month for 2 hours also in the evening...the are about 4 of us regs.....a few will come in to learn how to knit. It's a nice group.

D> My Mother knitted and crocheted, as a girl of about 9 I sat and

Dennis

My grandmother was a knitter, and while I have a wonderful afghan she made for me, she didn't have the patience to teach me how to knit.

However, her daughter, my dear aunt, noticed I was very interested in fiber crafts, and she didn't knit, but she did crochet. So she gave me a hook, a ball of yarn, a book, and then showed me some basics. After a few days, she showed me how to do a granny square. It was the best family visit I've ever had, as it taught me how to do something I still love doing.

My grandmother and aunt are gone, but their legacy continues. I found a friend at home a couple of years later who knit, and she encouraged me to buy needles, and I encouraged her to buy a hook, and we exchanged skills. She taught me to knit and purl, and I taught her the basic crochet stitches. I still have my first hook and pair of needles, and priceless memories of those who shared their skills with me.

So while I never had a mentor who gave me detailed info, I did have people willing to spend time to teach me the basics. Over the years, I subscribed to a few mags here and there and bought books and learned all the techniques I could. I've tried to pass it on, but I can't seem to find any students willing to sit down and learn, even when the crafts are "in style", like those thin knit and crochet scarves have been for the past few years.

Leah

I have just discovered the local stitcher's guild. It is a big group that has been going strong since this area was mostly cow pasture. And, it has fairly strong ties to groups in neighboring towns. It has large closet full of books, and I notice that most of the books on yarn crafts in the country library were contributed by the Pleasant Valley Stitches Guild.

They are a non-profit, so we can destash into the guild's store and take a tax write off. Then, they sell yarn, fabric, beads, and sewing patterns for a couple of hours before the monthly meeting. I bought 24 oz of lace yarn, and after the meeting, the lady who runs the store came running up to me and gave me a couple more balls of that yarn that she found as she was packing up. They are real nice people. (Will I ever knit that much lace in my life??)

Then, they have a deal with the local Michael's where they sponsor yarn craft, sewing and quilting lessons in Michael's classroom.

A

I love being part of a knitting group. My mother was my mentor, and she was terrific. After a number of years, she also started learning from me, which really made me feel good. Have fun at the knitting group!

Higs, Katherine

Ouch, Shelagh! Have you seen a dr? I had to have a cortisone shot - two, in fact - but the second one worked just fine.

Higs, Katherine

Hi Dennis

I belong to a couple of groups. One meets twice a month, the other one weekly. We trade tips and help anyone having problems. Sometimes there's show & tell, sometimes we show new yarn we just bought. Sometimes someone will bring in yarn they want to give away or sell. It's all quite casual and friendly. The bi-weekly group sponsors a knit-out in August which is a lot of fun. Once in a while, we'll organize an outing of some kind. A couple of years ago, I arranged a trip to a nearby alpaca farm. (that was fun).

I met a dear knitting friend through the Internet and meet her yearly at a knitting camp in Colorado.

I think my mother taught me to knit - not totally sure, since it was a long time ago. I taught myself to crochet from pictures in a magazine. I usually knit, but if an afghan is needed, then I crochet since it's much faster (for me). I didn't knit or crochet for years, but approximately 5 or

6 years ago my DIL gave me a "Afghans Around the House" book, and that started the craze all over again (grin). I also used to do a lot of counted cross stitch, but not any more.

I never used to care about the type of yarn I used, always buying acrylic (nothing the matter with that), but will admit to recently becoming a yarn snob. I love the nicer (more expensive) yarns, such as cashmere or cashmere/silk, fine wools, laceweights, etc. and admit I have a huge stash, which I'm trying to use to make any new projects.

I love making felted bags.... and thanks to Wooly and Eastern Edge, I was able to make exchanges to add to my felting yarns. My fave felting yarn is White Buffalo, but it's been discontinued and is hard to find. I'm also a sock addict. ;>)

The only downside is I seem to have developed "tennis" elbow which I'm sure is from knittng constantly. It's very painful and no meds seem to help. I probably need to rest it and stop knitting altogether, but don't think I can do it.

That's my story. Shelagh

Saw the doc last month and didn't even bother mentioning it. I had heard of cortisone shots, so I guess I should make an appointment to talk to him. I hope he doesn't suggest physio.... bleah.

Shelagh

Donna,

Great, you found a great group it sounds.

I had a good time. Most of the knitters had 30 years or more. I will have a lot of fun.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

DAB wrote:

Thanks Leah,

I picked up most of my crochet from books and mags. Being an old Cobol database programmer if I have instructions I can do most things. It is nice to be able to follow books, you are lucky.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Leah wrote:

Great Aaron,

The group I met today has been around for ever also and gets many donations of yarn or money to purchase yarn. All the work is for charity and you can ask for yarn to knit. My stash is never ending so I use my own. It is great to find groups that have been around like ours.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net wrote:

Great Shelagh,

Yes I have elbows problems also, it is not fun.

It sounds like you have had a lot of fun knitting and crocheting, keep up the great work.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Katherine,

I had a great time!

The group is a great group. I was asked more questions about knitting than I asked. It felt good to be so helpful.

As I said I was blessed with being able to read instructions and follow them. I was able to help my mentor after several years also. Didn't it make you feel great?

Higs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Kather>> I am going to go to the two local knitting groups in our small town. It

What I like the most is seeing how others knit...hold their needles and whatnot

D> Donna,

Donna,

Yes lot to learn by doing that. I was only one doing continental and every one had questions.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

DAB wrote:

I don't belong to a local group, although I wish I had the time to do so. I do have a co-worker who enjoys knitting and so we both sit and knit on our lunch hour on pretty afternoons outside. She got me in the habit of just leaving a knitting project at work in my desk so that I don't have to bring in a project every day. :-)

One day when the kids are older I'll see about joining a group.

Me too, especially the "continental" knitters. It fascinates me. ;>)

Shelagh

I have seen some use there thumbs to throw the yarn.

Donna