Monthly Archives: October 2017

2018 Charity Hats

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As we do each year at the Pottstown Knit Out, this year we will be collecting knitted and crocheted items. Chemo caps, Knitted Knockers, and newborn baby hats we collect are donated to the Pottstown Hospital.  Hospital personnel are always pleased to receive these donations. You can find patterns on our website. However, you can choose any pattern you like that suits the category.  Chemo caps should use soft yarns like the Caron yarns in the patterns, much the same as you would use to make baby hats. When the 2018 Knit Out registration forms come out, you’ll find links to instructions for Knitted Knockers. Baby hats should be sized for newborns (10″ – 12″ round) and should be washable. Cottons and soft acrylics are best. Pom poms, buttons and other attachments are not allowed by the hospital.

Charity Baby Hat with duplicate numbers (2018)

2018 Charity Baby Hat

Some people are curious about the hats we post each year with the year date on them. So here is how this year’s 2018 hat was made. The “lettering” was the first step. Charts are available on Ravelry to show you how to create numbers or letters. What you want to stitch on the hat should be planned out first on paper, being sure the width of the numbers does not exceed the width of the hat.

Lettering Chart on graph paper with numbers 2-0-1-8 planned on paper

Lettering Chart

The hat was knit  from the base until just before the decreases, about 4.5 in. The stitches, still live, were left on the needles and the needles were capped to keep the stitches from slipping off.  Here you can see a basted line used as a guide for placing the numbers. It’s all about stitching the numbers on straight the first time!

2018 baby hat knitted the length of the body, still on the needles, with basted guidelines to aid in placement of duplicate stitching

Ready for Duplicate Stitching

The numbers 2-0-1-8 were added using duplicate stitching. If you are right-handed, you may want to start with the 8 so your stitching hand does not block your work. There are several videos on YouTube that teach duplicate stitch. After the stitching is complete, decrease, weave in your ends, and block your work.

2018 Knit Out

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Thank you for joining us for the fabulous 14th Annual Knit Out!

Knit Out Save-The-Date

We all had a wonderful day, as always. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this one better than ever–and they’ve all been good. Thank you to the instructors who donated their time and talents. Thanks to the vendors who bring exciting and beautiful products. Thanks to everyone who donated knitted projects for charity. Thanks to all the wonderful knitters who showed us their work. Thanks to Brookside Country Club, without whom this event would not be possible.

This year, EVERYONE won a door prize! The Raffle Baskets were amazing too. Congratulations to the winners and thanks everyone for their charitable contribution.

If you would like to attend next year, please make sure you’re on our mailing list.
Email: info@pottstownknitout.com

Please do not contact Brookside Country Club in regards to the Knit Out. Refer all Knit Out questions to our email.

We are always accepting donations of Baby Hats, Chemo Caps, and other comforting charity items. (See our site for easy patterns.) This year our featured item is Knitted Knockers. See registration form for more information and list of approved yarns. Thank you!

 

The Loss of an Old Friend

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Our dear friend Lenore passed away on Thursday, October 5, 2017.

Lenore was a member of Brookside Knits for longer than most of us can remember. She attended regular meetings and attended the Knit Out until a few years ago. “I always enjoyed the Brookside meetings more when Lenore came,” said Laura Piland. “She brought spunk into the room.”

Carol, Laura and Lenore sitting at a table at the Knit Out

Carol, Laura and Lenore at the Knit Out

When she retired to Keystone Villa in Douglassville, we would occasionally take our meetings to the Villa, and later to  Manatawny Manor in East Coventry. At other times, a few of her closest friends from knitting visited her at the Manor or took her out to lunch. “Suzanna said we should not forget about her when she moved out of her house,” added Laura, “and I wanted to make sure we didn’t.”

Joy, Marilyn, Linda, Vickie, Susan, LuAnn, and Sharon at Lenore's 95th birthday

Joy, Marilyn, Linda, Vickie, Susan, LuAnn, and Sharon join Lenore for her 95th birthday.

Lenore S. (Sturges) Daly was born in Phoenixville, PA, the daughter of the late Carl and Helen (Boyer) Sturges. She graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School in 1941. Lenore lived her life creatively.  She worked at an illustrator at Pomeroy’s Department Store. She won many awards for her watercolor paintings. In her retirement years, she enjoyed knitting, including her time as a member of Brookside Knits. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

2017 New York Sheep & Wool Festival

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Saturday, October 21, 2017 a small group of us took the bus to Rhinebeck, NY for the annual New York Sheep & Wool Festival. The bus left Emmaus at the early hour of 6:30am and we were in the Duchess County fairgrounds by 9:30am. It was a beautiful day for walking around the barns, starting out cool and warming up nicely by afternoon. We went through the bigger barns first, acquiring a few things along the way. After lunch we shed our coats and headed for the smaller barns. We walked around the fairgrounds with a few thousand of our friends, shopping, looking at animals and admiring the wonderful knits on display everywhere. We saw our friend Nancy at Tika Bags; she will be at our Knit Out again this January. After a break with some refreshing apple cider, it was back on the bus at 4pm and homeward bound. Everyone was tuckered out by the end of our glorious day. See you next year in Rhinebeck!

2017 Knitters’ Day Out

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On Saturday, October 7, 2017, Brookside Knits’ members Carol Mays, Laura Piland, Eileen Kampf and Janet Kakareka attended the 32nd Annual Knitters’ Day Out in Summerdale, PA. According to their website, Knitters’ Day Out is “a day and a half of classes, shopping, and camaraderie devoted to knitting and fiber arts, and has been held annually since 1986.” Knitters’ Day Out is a nonprofit organization, run by volunteers, which strives to make high quality knitting instruction “affordable and accessible.”

2017 Knitters' Day Out brochure

This year’s Knitters’ Day Out attracted 315 knitters. Thirty-nine classes were offered over the two-day period: Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon. Registration fees vary depending on the number of classes taken. Lunch and admission to the Market are included in the cost of class registration. Optionally, the Market is open to anyone not taking classes for only $2.Vendors offer all types of local natural fiber yarns and local hand dyes, as well as handmade project bags, yarn bowls, and accessories for all fiber arts.

According to our knitters, the lunch buffet was excellent as usual, prepared by the culinary students of the Central Pennsylvania College.

Beth, Janet, Carol & Laura at Knitters' Day Out showing yarn purchases

Eileen, Janet, Carol & Laura at Knitters’ Day Out

When they were not shopping or eating, all four members attended classes.

  • Carol attended Portuguese Knitting, taught by Ruth Santos. Portuguese knitting is said to be a “super fast method of knitting.” Their project was a cowl.
  • Janet took two classes, Lace Forensics by Tanis Gray, a class meant to encourage knitters who have previously shied away from lace,  and Reversible Entrelac by Gwen Bortner.
  • Laura, determined to master brioche, took Ann Weaver’s Introduction to Brioche Stitch, which taught knitters how to work with three-colors.
  • Eileen also attended Lace Forensics by Tanis Gray and Introduction to Brioche Stitch by Ann Weaver.

The next Knitters’ Day Out is planned for September 28 and 29, 2018.