Mini-Retreat
On May 1, 2022, the Guild held a one-day Mini-Retreat at the White River Craft Center in Randolph, Vermont featuring two workshops.
Finishing Workshop:
Non-knitters like to say, “I don’t knit, because I don’t have the patience for it.” The reality is that many knitters get to a certain point in a project and find themselves impatient to be done; able to wear their new knitted item, give it as a gift or move on to something new. For some, this means rushing through the final steps, with the view that finishing tasks are a nuisance or speed bump on the road to a sweater. Unfortunately, the quality of a knitter’s finishing techniques can make or break a project. This workshop will focus on four techniques that are typically associated with completing a garment: seaming, sewing a hem or facing, picking up and knitting stitches, and weaving in ends.
Techniques:
• seaming—mattress stitch
• sewing a hem or facing—overhand stitch
• picking up and knitting stitches
• weaving in ends
Breed Specific Yarn Workshop:
Breed specific yarns are full of life and highlight the spirit of the animals it is from. As it relates to yarn, we will discuss the broad categories of sheep and then specific breeds within in each category, the characteristics of the breed and it’s best uses. How yarn construction can enhance the characteristics of a breed will also be discussed.
Through the combined hard work of fiber advocates, the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association and custom fiber mill owners, Vermont has an impressive selection of sheep and goat breed fiber and yarn available. The Vermont Yarn Sourcebook, a listing of VSGA members and swatches of their yarn, will be available at the retreat.
Sheep to Shawl Field Trip
The 8 GMKG members who traveled to Barton for the November LYS visit were in for a real treat! Donna Druchunas and her partner/husband/cohort Dominic Cotignola graciously showed us around their new (with renovations still very much in progress) shop. We were presented with copies of Donna’s #3 in the series Stories in Stitches – Around the World: World Wars I&II. Donna shared her journey into Lithuanian knitting with a “show and tell, feel and buy” presentation of their 2 month travels and knitting through Donna’s ancestral country. We were able to inspect, admire and try on a variety of mittens, socks, and amazing beaded wristlets.
Donna imports yarn from Lithuania and has written books and patterns for them. We happily left with arms full of yarn and books.
Keep an eye out for the shop’s grand opening in the spring. Sheep to Shawl, 325 Elm St, Barton, VT. https://sheeptoshawl.com/
30th Annual Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival
On September 29 & 30, 2018, GMKG debuted at VT Sheep & Wool Festival. Despite joining the festival only the month before, we put together a great booth, operated by wonderful volunteer Guild members, and shared information about the Guild with Vermont. We enjoyed talking to numerous knitters from Vermont and beyond. Visitors to our booth admired some of our members’ knits, and we admired theirs!
One new member, pictured left, was wearing a stunning Find Your Fade shawl in Autumn tones of reds, oranges, and yellows. Guild members at the booth recognized her shawl as the Knit-a-long of the month and got her attention so we could gush about her beautifully knit piece. It didn’t take long before she decided to join the Guild! We look forward to welcoming her and our other new members both near and far. Just imagine how our Guild will have grown and taken shape by the 2019 Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival!
If you didn’t have the opportunity to visit us at the Festival this year, please make a point to see us next year, October 5 & 6, 2019. We had so much fun; we plan to make it an annual event for the Guild!
Stitch and Pitch
Guild members gathered at a Vermont Mountaineers game in Montpelier on July 22, 2018 to knit and cheer on our team. Knitting brings good vibes, and the team could feel it. The Mountaineers pulled off an exciting Grand Slam and won the game 10-4! Way to go, Mountaineers!
World Wide Knit in Public Day
We held our first ever Guild gathering on the State House Lawn for World Wide Knit in Public Day, July 9, 2018. 25-30 knitters show up to sit and knit in the sun (and shade). It was such a success that many knitters suggested doing another State House Lawn knit-in before the summer is over.
We’re already looking forward to WWKIP Day on June 8, 2019.
According to WWKIPDAY.com:
“WWKIPDAY is unique, in that it’s the largest knitter run event in the world.”
Learn more and see participation stats at WWKIPDAY.com.