MILLICENT’S NEWS
APRIL 2005
Find a free pattern for a flower pin at the end of our newsletter!
Artful Bags and Such: April 16 through May 15
Artful Bags and Such is a collaboration among area artists to present how bags, purses, and accessories can be created in a variety of forms and media. Bags of all sorts will be shown at the 60 Centre Street Gallery, the Connoisseur shop and at Millicent’s Knits and Yarns.
Our media, needless to say, is YARN! Knitted bags, crocheted bags, felted bags, tatted bags, beaded bags, embroidered bags. Large, small, teeny-tiny.
Take time to show your creativity and skills by making a bag to show -- and even to sell—at Artful Bags and Such. Please bring in your work between April 1 and 5. Fill out an application, label your work, give it a price, and be proud to strutt your stuff!!
Mel’s Bags
I’ve been knitting like crazy over the last month to make as many bags as possible. I find deadlines give my knitting a purpose and I can whip out any number of items when I feel that deadline looming. Millicent’s has many bag patterns, ranging from easy to difficult, felted and not. I spent a fair amount of time knitting the Entralac Bag in Himilaya Yarn and even lined it (whoo, whoo, whoo!). I’ve enjoyed using small pouch type bags as a blank slate for stranded color work and intarsia. And now I’m delving into two new and one not-so-new books on knitting bags to find inspiration. And inspiring they are!
Bags-A Knitter’s Dozen has 21 great patterns from the pages of Knitter’s Magazine (which, by the way, we sell at Millicent’s). The felted entralac Market Bag is there as well as five other felted bag patterns while the rest are knitted. I’m working now on “ZigZag on the Town” and would love to try the “Pocketbook in Blocks”. And then there’s the felted Mitered Bag – ah me, so many ideas, so little time!
Pursenalities has only felting patterns and recommends Cascade 220 because it is such a great felting yarn. One of the bags uses a mix of Cascade and Noro Silk Garden – that’s the one I’m doing now. But waiting in the wings is the Ruffles-to-Riches Bag as well as the Not-So-Vintage Bag which combines Cascade 220 with Berroco HipHop (a thick-thin multicolored wool).
And then there’s the favorite from last year: Folk Bags. I’m currently working on the Market Bag, a knotted mesh bag knitted from Euroflax Linen (and you wondered what to do with this yarn!!) I made the felted African Shigras last month in order to help figure the pattern out for a customer (it turned out to be great fun), and at least have the yarn picked out for the Irish Cables bag (not felted as it turns out). I’ve always had my eye on the Felted Bushoong Zigzag Bag based on a Congolese design, but I think even I am overstepping what is possible to do in the next several weeks. Stop, Mel, stop!!
Folk Bags, Pursenalities and Bags--a Knitter’s Dozen are all available at Millicent’s Knits & Yarns. I would love to give classes on any or all of these bag designs. Please let me know your interest and we can make it happen.
A Call for Cotton Dishcloths
Many of you know Dawn Persinger who frequently visited Millicent’s over the last two years. Funny, friendly, thoughtful, and a great friend. Like many of you, Dawn came to our community only three years ago and found a community of friends at Millicent’s. Although she warned me several months ago that she would be moving, I kept ignoring the reality until suddenly she was gone, back to southern West Virginia from whence she came. Ahg!
Dawn sent me an email recently asking for a great favor. Because she does not have a dishwasher in her new house, she is doing her dishes by hand. She asked if her friends from Millicent’s could take some time to knit her dishcloths which could serve two purposes: 1) they would help her with her dishes (remember folk, Dawn has two teenage sons and a husband who likes for her to do the dishes!), and 2) they will help her remember her knitting friends fondly each time she uses them.
I’ll collect the dishcloths through the end of April to send on to her. Just drop them off and I’ll make sure they reach her. WE MISS YOU, DAWN!
Workshops by Beth Brown-Reinsel
Even though the workshops are a year away, several knitters have already signed up for the Aran Pullovers and Latvian Mittens which will be help on March 25 and 26, 2006. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of America’s greatest knitting teachers! The fees for the workshops include all materials except needles, extensive handouts, lunch and snack throughout the day. One workshop is $125 and both are $220. To register, please send a $25 downpayment for one workshop and a $50 downpayment for two. Out-of-towners stayed at the Inn at Walnut Bottom, a local bed-and-breakfast which I can highly recommend. (The increase in fees comes from Beth’s increase in her fees: as she said to me, I need to save money for retirement and can’t work for less any longer. Ah, don’t we all know that reality.)
Beading is Hot
Millicent’s now has kits for beaded scarves and bags for you to try out the latest craze.
WCBC Auction Items
If you are thinking about taking classes at Millicent’s, or would like private lessons, there are many certificates for these services available through the WCBC Auction. These are a great bargain. Listen in!
Is the Tri-State Area ready for a Knitting Guild?
There are now many many knitters in our local area. Some of you are meeting at Millicent’s, some of you are meeting one another through church or charitable projects, and some of you are meeting through classes. It is fun and fulfilling for knitters to gather in a guild which can then be supported by The Knitting Guild of America (TKGA).
What is The Knitting Guild of America? The TKGA offers educational outreach, national and regional conventions, a message board conversation area on their website. The TKGA also published the magazine Cast On which is free to all members. Creating a local guild is not difficult, as the TKGA provides a “Starting a New TKGA Guild Packet” with guidelines for creating by-laws, etc for setting up such a group and even gives the group a step-by-step suggestion list of how to hold early meetings as well as continuing support and ideas for the guild’s president.
What to knitting guilds do? They provide a focus for knitting activities. Many guilds get involved in knitting for various charities – and there are many local and world-wide charities which can use knitted items (the web has any number of programs listed). Other guilds like to challenge members by working on patterns with a new twist or skill. Some guilds like to hold educational events. And some are simply social and support groups. No matter how they take form, each guild is supported by the The Knitting Guild of America.
Guilds are formed independent of yarn shops. They meet at libraries, churches, etc, but not at yarn shops. A local yarn shop can support the Knitting Guild by offering project ideas and supplies for projects (even with discounts of large amounts of yarn are purchased), but a local yarn shop does take a leadership role in the Knitting Guild.
Are you interested? I am happy to help those of you who are interested in starting a Knitting Guild by collecting your names. Please call or email me if you are interested: I will need your name, address, telephone number, and email address. Some one will have to take the initial plunge of setting up an initial meeting place and time – who might that brave one be? Quilters in the area have formed not one but two guilds, and have grown over 25 years. Maybe the time for knitters to start is now!
Limited Shop Hours at the end of April
Millicent’s will have limited shop hours—10 am to 3 pm-- during the week of April 26 through 29, and will be closed Saturday, April 30.
Mel has been a member of the Cumberland Choral Society for the last couple years (I’m not especially great of voice, but I sure do have fun!).Our spring program, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff -- complete with a combined chorus of 100 voices, two pianos and percussion, as well as a dance company from Philadelphia-- is being rehearsed during the week of April 25. We then give three performances at Frostburg University on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. I invite you all to come – we will knock you socks off with this piece of music! For tickets, call Frostburg University.
Free Patterns: Flower Pins
Flowers pins are gracing garments this summer. I have a wonderful pattern from Two Old Bags for felted flower pins which has just come into the shop. But here are some free patterns from JCA for two flower pins: one knitted and the other crocheted.
Knitted Flower Pin
Use a heavy worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles.
CO 48 sts (leave a tail to use for sewing).
Next row: *K1, yo, rep from * and end K1 (95 sts)
Next row: Purl
Bind off in knit and fasten off. Roll to form a flower and sew in place.
Leaf: make 2
CO 3 sts (leave a tail to use for sewing).
Purl one row.
Row 1 (RS): (K1, yo) twice, k1 (5 sts)
Row 2: P
Row 3: K2, yo, k1, you, k2 (7 sts)
Row 4: P
Row 5: K
Row 6: P
Row 7: K1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1 (5 sts)
Row 8: P
Row 9: Ssk, k1, k2tog (3 sts)
Row 10: P
Row 11: Sl2, k1, psso (1 st)
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Sew leaves under flower and weave in ends. Sew to pin, barrette, or directly onto garment or hat.
Crocheted Flower
You can use our elasticized cotton yarn for this project. Size E crochet hook.
Leaving a long tail to sew flower together, ch 49.
Skip 1st ch and work sc in each ch.
Next row: Sk 1st sc, then work 3 sc, (sc, hdc, 5dc, hdc, sc) in 4th ch from hook twelve times.
Starting at center, roll to form flower, overlapping petals and sewing to previous rnd with long tail as you go. Weave in ends.
Happy Knitting from Mel and Dick
At
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Millicent's Knits and Yarns • 49 North Centre Street • Cumberland, Maryland 21502
phone 301-722-8100 • mel@millicentsyarns.com