THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF

K2TOG THE GUILD ASSOCIATION

CONTENTS

1 August 2019 2 TKGA and Program News 3 Bands 4 Meet a TKGA Member: Lisa Pannell

6 2019 Design Contest Prizes August 2019 August 7 Magic Motifs 8 Knitting Tips, Knitting in the News 9 Guild Renewals

August 2019

Summer is winding down, kids will be heading back to school soon, and hopefully Fall weather is somewhere on the horizon— and with it the chance to wear our hand-knits again!

In this issue, there is an informative article on yarn bands, a review on Magic Motifs, an interview with a recent Master Knitter, and more!

Enjoy, and Happy Knitting!

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TKGA and Program News

TKGA Education, Certifications, August 2019 August and MHK Your Co-Chairs have suggested that you take a look at these pages prior to sending in your submission. The photos on the We have updated our website! project pages have been selected as good examples of each

K2TOG K2TOG swatch. You can compare your work to these. While you might miss more subtle errors in your work, obvious mistakes If you are enrolled in a Correspondence or Certification can easily be identified and fixed prior to submission, saving course and need to contact your instructor, or you want more you a resubmission. information on one of these courses, you can now click on the instructor’s name found in the description of the course to email your question directly to the instructor. Go to the dropdown menu under Education for Correspondence courses, or Certification for Certification courses, then choose the course you are interested in. Guild News New TKGA Affiliate Logo For the Master Program, we have added some A graphic that can be used to identify guilds as affiliates of helpful pages. Under Certification in the dropdown menu, TKGA has been placed on the Member Guild Materials you will see a category: Master Knitting Useful Information. page. Feel free to use the logo on guild flyers, programs, Links can be found on this page to PDFs concerning other publications, blogs, and websites. Each January a new Reference Books, References by Topic, Information on dated logo will be available. Remember to log on as one of for the Program, and a List of Changes in the 2018 the two IDs that have member guild access. directions. Also are direct links to the Pattern Pages on with photos of the swatches for all Levels and some projects. You do not need to be a member of Ravelry to view these pages. If you’ve forgotten or lost your Co-Chair email, you can click on the Board and Committees listing at the bottom of any page under “About Us.” Located here are direct links to all Co-Chairs and all Board Members.

Correspondence and Mini-Course Graduates Basics, Basics, Basics

Susan Stayer — Yellow Springs, OH Maria Golberg — Edmonton, Alberta Canada

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Yarn Bands

By Nancy Simet Yarn bands, also called ball bands, are the paper labels wrapped around, or tied to, yarn balls and skeins. They contain much information to help you choose the right yarn for your project.

August 2019 August Fiber content is always listed, usually as a percentage. If you want your project to look and drape like the original, you need to choose a similar fiber. For wool, you can substitute a wool or wool blend or another animal fiber, like alpaca. Plant fibers like cotton will behave differently; for instance, cotton is heavy and can stretch under its own weight and won’t rebound the way wool does. For more information on fibers and their properties, I recommend Clara Parkes’ book The Knitters Book K2TOG K2TOG of Yarn.

The yarn weight (as opposed to skein weight) will also be given. Companies are starting to include a symbol (which looks like a yarn skein) with a number inside, ranging from 0-7, with 0 being the finest, thinnest yarns, and 7 being the thickest yarns. Yarn weight can also be determined from the knit , which is given on the ball band as stitches per inch or stitch- es per four inches; the more stitches per inch, the thinner the yarn. Choose a yarn with the same weight as the original, or you’ll need to recalculate the number of stitches throughout the pattern to get the same size; this can be a challenge with a complicated garment. The Craft Yarn Council publishes a chart of yarn weight standards: https:// www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system

Also listed is the number of grams and/or ounces of fiber in the skein, as well as how many yards it contains. Skein sizes vary, as do their number of yards, so when substituting a yarn, it is not enough to buy the same number of skeins the pattern calls for, nor the same number of grams; you must make sure you purchase enough yards of the yarn. Suppose, for exam- ple, the suggested amount of yarn is five 100-g skeins containing 220 yards (or 1100 yards total). To substitute yarn in 50-g balls containing 104 yards, you would need 10.6 skeins to reach 1100 yards (1100 yds needed divided by 104 yards per skein), so you would need to buy 11 skeins to make sure you had enough.

Note the dye lot on the band when purchasing multiple skeins of yarn. Color can vary from one dye lot to another, so make sure all the yarn for a project is from the same dye lot. Buying an extra skein is a good idea since, if you later discover you need more yarn, you may not be able to find that same dye lot.

The band also recommends a needle size with which the listed gauge was achieved. You, however, may need a different needle size to get the same gauge, or you may prefer a denser fabric, or a looser one. Knitting small samples with different needle sizes will help you find your best needle size and calculate your gauge. Care instructions are also included, usually given in symbols. A chart of the symbols and what they mean can be found here: http://www.textileaffairs.com/c- common.htm

With all this information at your fingertips, you can more confidently choose the perfect yarn for your project.

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Meet TKGA Member: Lisa Pannell

sweater 3 herLisaLevel in

Ravelry Name: Turbogal August 2019 August Ravatar:

K2TOG K2TOG

City/State: St Louis Park, MN Lisa was our first Master Knitter of 2019. I caught up with her recently and asked her some questions. K2TOG: How long have you been knitting? Where and how did you learn to knit? LP: I don’t quite remember learning to knit – none of my family knitted. I learned to from my grandmother, and then I think I learned to knit from a craft book. I crocheted quite a lot but then gradually put it down. In college, I was staying with a family in Holland and the wife was a knitter. She got me started again – my first project was a sweater, and I’ve been knitting more and more every year since. That was more than three decades ago! complete Level 3, eventually – I wanted to learn more! I say I learned in the program, but it’s not anyone teaching K2TOG: How did you find out about the MHK you. It is very self directed – you research the topic, you program? learn about it. I’ve taken classes on topics – all to get LP: A friend in my knitting group said she wanted to do better at the different techniques required by the program. the Master Knitter Program and asked if anyone else in the group wanted to join her. After hearing about it, I thought it sounded like a fun thing to try. K2TOG: How long did it take you to work through the MHK program?

LP: Level 1 took me two years. I started Level 2 five years K2TOG: What did you gain from working the program? later, and that took me three years. I started Level 3 a year What are your personal goals? later, and that took me five years. LP: When I started Level 1, I was a pretty experienced knitter by then, and figured that it would be mostly about proving what I knew. It just goes to show you that it’s true K2TOG: What have you learned? What was the biggest “you don’t know what you don’t know.” I had no idea insight you’ve had in any of the levels? how much I’d learn from the program. I went into the LP: Before I went through the program, I would seam program knowing one way to cast on, one way to , sweaters by just sort of sewing them up. I would pick up one way to , etc. I could knit anything I wanted, stitches by just picking them up wherever. Learning mostly because I knew one way to anything that was mattress stitch was amazing – suddenly I didn’t mind asked. I couldn’t believe how much I had to learn and (Continued on page5 ) how my knitting improved. After Level 1, I knew I would

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ceremony”.fun! How Lisa and fellow MHK and friend at their personal “pinning “pinning personal their at andfriend MHK fellow Lisaand

(Continued from page4 )

seaming at all! And learning how to pick up stitches so they actually looked great in the finished object – my finished objects all looked so much better. I had no desire to

become a knitting designer, but in Level 3 I learned the August 2019 August skills to design a sweater from scratch and make it fit. I still don’t intend to design, but the first sweater pattern I knit after I completed Level 3, I made so many modifications

K2TOG K2TOG (to make it fit the way I wanted, to make it look the way I wanted) that I ended up literally writing myself a pattern, in the format I learned in the program. I was a pretty fearless knitter before, but now I’m a much more skilled fearless knitter - I can create things that look the way I want.

K2TOG: What has been the most frustrating task in the program? Why? How did you overcome it? LP: The most frustrating thing about the program has been when submissions were rejected because I was not clear what the requirements were. I have had swatches rejected 3. So I knit a second sweater that was completely for the yarn being too dark, for example, when I chose the traditional. It was actually much easier to design and knit yarn because I judged it to be a light color. My biggest than the sweater I submitted first. frustration was the rejection of my sweater submission for

Level 3. The main reason given for rejection was that it was not a traditional enough design. I had interpreted “in the K2TOG: What advice do you have for people following style of” to mean that there was room for interpretation. I you? was so mad, I almost stopped working on Level 3 right then LP: My advice for others is to ask for clarity, don’t assume. and there. I thought, “I’m doing this for fun, I don’t need I didn’t realize until the very end that the committee is very this. Just stop.” But after I calmed down, I realized that I available for questions and will happily clarify requirements. love to knit, I love to learn, and I’d be knitting a sweater anyway, so I may as well knit another one for Level I personally found the written reports to be the least fun of the program requirements. The knitting was the fun part!

So by the time I got to Level 3, I made sure to do all the reports first, before I started the swatches. The most important factor for me, in successfully completing the program, was to do the work with a friend. Through all the levels, I had a friend in my knitting group do the program with me. We took care to proceed at approximately the same pace. We did the work and then checked each other’s work. This led to a lot of great learning since she would find different references or take a different direction in answering a question. Also, it was great motivation to keep going. We met one night a week, for much of Level 3, and that regularity forced us to continue to make progress.

Lisa’s Level 3 Swatches (Continued on page6 ) 5

(Continued from page5 ) K2TOG: How do you explain your obsession with becoming a Master Knitter to other knitters? To non-knitters? LP: I say that I love to learn. Becoming a master knitter is all about learning. K2TOG: What types of projects do you like to work on? What challenges do you plan to take on in a future project? LP: I knit all sorts of things – sweaters, accessories, toys. Lately, I’ve really been enjoying knitting sweaters. My next August 2019 August challenge will be a particular Rowan sweater pattern that has been in my queue for ages, but I’m going to make some modifications to how it is knit, and that will be a fun challenge to work out. K2TOG: Do you belong to a guild or knitting group?

K2TOG K2TOG LP: I belong to the MN Knitting Guild and to a small knitting group that meets once per month. Both my Master Knitter partner and I have been members of this group for about 20 years. So when we finally finished Level 3, we had a little pinning ceremony with our group. We both brought all our swatches and projects from all three levels, presented our pins to each other, and had a little toast as a group. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions, Lisa. I’m sure our readers will enjoy getting to know a bit more about you!

2019 Design Contest Prizes

Our 2019 Design Contest is in full swing. Entries are beginning to arrive! Deadline for entries is October 15, 2019, so there’s still plenty of time to submit. We have not limited entries to any type of knitting or any type of object, so let your imagination run wild. Knitters of all levels are encouraged to submit their original design. The contest is open to both amateur and professional designers. This year our focus is on COLOR. Our winner will be designated the 2019 Maestro of Color. See our prize list below.

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Magic Motifs: Knitting with

a Secret Message

Review by Christina Hanger August 2019 August

Copyright 2018 by Carla Meijsen – The Dutch Knitters

ISBN/EAN 978-90-817955-3-1 K2TOG K2TOG 120 pages US List price $28.51 (on Amazon)

At this year’s Masters Day, several of us were talking about how many knitters are scientists and mathematicians. A month later, the New York Times had an article about knitting and coding. Carla Meijsen’s work on Magic Motifs is just one more example of a creative knitter using mathematical principals to develop beautiful knitting projects. In full disclosure, Carla became a Master Knitter in 2016 so we know just how talented she is; her cardigan is a work of art. She has been studying different color knitting techniques and traditions of the Shetlands, Northern Europe, and the Baltic regions. Through these studies, she discovered a Latvian technique that uses mathematical principles to generate geometric patterns that are perfect for knitting and provide a way to encode messages in your knitting. Carla has been teaching these techniques for several years. Reading this book makes you feel you are right there listening to Carla describe her journey learning these methods. This small book covers a lot of ground. Carla covers various traditional symbolism, textile history of communities in the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, and the Shetland Islands, and how she discovered the Magic Square method for creating Magic Motifs. She expands on those instructions to include Magic Squares, Vedic Squares, and other ways of coding messages in knitting, including Morse code, Braille, and other digital codes. Her technique section has very clear instructions and color pictures on various techniques used in her projects, color knitting, and even beaded knitting. And there are patterns for mittens, mitts, cowls, hats, cushions, and pouches. The inside and back covers also have sample graphs for various messages such as “I love you,” “I miss you,” “Good Luck,” “Thank you,” “Congratulations,” and others. Carla gives very clear directions on how to create a magic motif in several different ways. If you can add and multiply, you can do it. I used her Vedic method to create motifs for my initial and birthday. You can see those samples here: the bottom is my initials and the top is my birthdate. Each motif is repeated twice. If you are looking for design inspiration for color work, this is a great resource. Or if you are looking for new motifs that carry a message, there are plenty of examples here to help you build confidence. We are excited to see how Carla is continuing her knitting adventures.

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Knitting Tips:

Some Cast On Tips -

August 2019 August When working the cable CO, bring the working yarn forward before placing the last CO stitch on the needle. When working the long-tail CO, going up a needle size will not make the cast on stretchier. (The needle does not size

the cast-on edge, the thumb strand does.) Instead, space the stitches farther apart while . K2TOG K2TOG For cast ons that use a long tail, try pulling from the outside and the inside of a ball of yarn instead of estimating the tail length. Or use two balls of yarn. When using waste yarn for a provisional cast on, make sure to use a contrasting color yarn, and pick a yarn that is smooth and will be easy to remove later.

Knitting in the News:

Remember the Heavy Metal Knitting Championships that were going to take place in Finland? Well, they happened on July 11th! Teams from nine countries participated, and it was the team from Japan that took home the prize. You can watch a recording of the competition here. Wool can be used for so many things, not just knitting or crafting! A company is making bandages out of wool. A life-sized model of Queen Elizabeth was knitted for the 65th anniversary of her coronation. They also knit models of 60 other people to represent what life was like in 1953 during the coronation. Ravelry’s recent decision to ban content that supports President Trump has made the news in several outlets. manufacturer Pailung showcased its latest innovations at a recent textile exhibition.

A lady walked into a butcher’s shop and com- plained to the butcher: “That leg of lamb you sold me last week shrunk by six inches when I cooked it!” “That’s funny,” said the butcher, “my missus knitted me a jumper, and when she washed it, it shrunk by six inches. Must have been from the same sheep!”

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August 2019 August New Guilds and Guild Renewals

The Knitters Guild of Cape Cod - Massachusetts K2TOG K2TOG Sheeper than Therapy - California Lebanon Valley Knit 2-gether Guild - Pennsylvania Green Mountain Knitting Guild - Vermont River City Knitters - Virginia

Editor Heather Storta Technical Editing and Proofreading Sharon Levering K2TOG Staff Leslie Gonzalez Binka Schwan Nancy Simet Contributors Christina Hanger Nancy Simet

Ravelry participants too numerous to list—Thank you all!

K2TOG is the official newsletter of The Knitting Guild Association. © August 2019. All rights reserved. No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without authorization or used for any other purpose without consent from The Knitting Guild Association. Statements of fact, opinion, and design instruction are the responsibilities of the authors alone. They are published in good faith and no warranty or endorsement is made, either expressed or implied.

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