Memorial Day 2011

On Memorial Day we remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. One of the ways to remember, according to usmemorialday.org, is "by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans."

Being an amateur historian as well as a knitter, I look for ways to combine my love of history with my love of knitting whenever I can. The National WWII Museum has a program that does this and does it well. Knit Your Bit provides scarf patterns for knitters (and crocheters) and then distributes the scarves to Veterans Administration Centers nationwide, a tangible, yet small, way to say thank you to those who have served our country.

Knitting Events at the Charleston Museum

The Charleston Museum is sponsoring two great events on World Wide Knit in Public Day. In addition to the group knitting time in the courtyard, 10am-1pm, check these out:

Textile Workshop Series: Mid-19th Century Knitted Mitts

June 11, 2011

9:30-12:30

$30 for members and $35 for non-members

~~and~~

Curator-Led Tour: Knitted and Crocheted Collection

June 11, 2011

11:00 am

Free for museum members and free with admission ($10/adults, $5/kids, under 3 free)

World Wide Knit in Public Day

We are excited to announce that KnitOasis is partnering this year with the Charleston Museum for World Wide Knit in Public Day! The Museum has a day full of fun knitting activities planned, in fact, with more on the horizon to come.

Knit in Public Day details:

Date: June 11, 2011
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Charleston Museum
Address: 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

Price: FREE for Museum members and FREE with admission ($10/adults, $5/children, under 3 free)

World Wide Knit in Public Day is celebrated, well, World Wide! Since 2005, knitters (and crocheters) have been finding public areas to congregate and share the fibery fun with each other while taking some of the mystique out of making things with sticks and string. A lot of us knit at home alone much of the time, and this is a great way to get to know other knitters in our communities.

So join us for the largest knitter-run event in the world--you'll make progress on your latest project, get some fresh air (weather permitting!) and make new friends, too.

For more info, email me at knitoasis@gmail.com, click on the links above to the Museum or World Wide Knit in Public Day, or email the Museum at rchesser@charlestonmuseum.org.

What to do when knitting goes wrong...

One of the hardest things I've had to learn to do as a knitter is to fix my mistakes. If you knit for any length of time you'll realize that mistakes in knitting, as in life, happen. Some are harder to fix than others, and some can be left in and called a pattern adjustment. Hey, don't judge.

So what do you do when you find yourself in a knitting pickle and there's no one around to ask for help? Here are a few resources that have saved my knitting and my sanity on more than one occasion:

KnittingHelp.com
When I first started knitting, it was this site that I turned to most for clear, easy to understand videos showing techniques from casting on to binding off and every step in between.

The Knitting Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face: Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask
In this case, go ahead and judge the book by the title!

KnitPicks Tutorials
Love the store, love the site, love the tutorials!

I know knitters who have had great success finding how-to videos on YouTube, and of course you can always Google your problem and see what comes up. Sometimes a knitting friend far away can answer your questions via email or Facebook--or you can always post a question on our Facebook site (KnitOasis) and we'll try to help out anyway we can.

How about you? Have you got a tried and true resource to help you over the rough patches in your knitting?

President's Day Knitting!

Looking for something to do on Monday, February 21, aka President's Day? Ever wanted to try your hand at knitting, but didn't want to pay the $$ it costs for lessons?

Come join us at Atlanta Bread near CSU on Monday from 10-11:30 for Monday Morning Knitters, a group that meets regularly for knitting instruction and support. We have knitters of all ages and skill levels.

If you're new to knitting, we have spare needles and yarn to get you started, or you can bring your own.

Knitting is a centuries-old art that is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. It can be whatever you need from a hobby: simple and inexpensive or complex and pricey (and anything in between!). It's portable, not that hard to learn, therapeutic and fun. I have taught knitting for 5 years to boys and girls as young as 8 (if you don't count a friend's 2 year old toddlers!) and adults so old they wouldn't tell me their age :)

For President's Day, we have a special bonus: The first 5 attendees who arrive wearing red,white and blue will get free yarn!

There's never been a better time to try it!

Hope to see you there!

Getting to know some knitters, part 1

When I went to the SC Knitting Guild's Knit Inn 2011, not only did I get to see my pal Becky and her very funny Dr. Who-loving friend Lisa, I also got to meet many interesting new people. I said yesterday that knitters were a good group--I'd like to introduce you to a few of them over the next couple of days, in no particular order...

Mimi (I know her as Michelle) and her friend Flo were among the knitters who were so sweet to me when my friend Becky was MIA on Friday night. They were so lovely in fact that I spent the rest of the weekend touching base with them because if I could have, I'd have packed them in my suitcase and taken them home. When I gave them an official standing invitation to Monday Morning Knitters, they reacted as though I'd suggested the funnest thing they'd heard of in ages. It's a bit of a drive from Hilton Head, much less Ohio, but I hope they know that if they ever do pop in, they will be welcomed with open arms.

Mimi has some mad sewing and embroidery skills and has a great Etsy site with creative gifts for all ages (pictured above: personalized knitter's pillow case). During the weekend, she and Flo were seen sporting the custom Knitting Guild t-shirts that she also sells. Two words: TOO CUTE! Much like Michelle and Flo, in fact.

It's a Small World, After All

I just love knitters. I've met them online, in person, and blogged about them without having met them. I'm sure there are other hobbies that have super nice people (the quilters I know are pretty awesome, for example) but my hobby is knitting and I have met so few super nice knitters that I'm calling it a trend. ***Correction: This was supposed to read: ...I have met so few knitters who were not super nice... Duh. Note to self--don't post to blog too early in the morning!!***

Just yesterday, for example, who should show up at my Monday Morning Knitters Group, but the mom who inspired me to take my knitting everywhere. And in a typical burst of tactlessness disguised as comedy, when I met her I said, "You inspired a blog post! Because you were knitting during that class at the museum and I wasn't!"

To her credit, she stayed anyway.

When I said in the post that I thought she must be a "kind, generous, lovely person," I was close. She is an extremely kind, generous, lovely person, and I was so glad to meet her and knit with her yesterday. I hope I didn't scare her off, because she was such a nice addition to our little group.

I had to wonder, too, if I write about other knitters, will the universe send them to me? Hmm...I can certainly think of a few I'd like to see walk through the doors of Atlanta Bread some Monday, knitting bag in hand. Why? Because knitters are just that nice.

New free pattern: The D.C. Traveler

So I knew I was going to Washington, D.C. for a few days. In January. This led me to believe it would be cold and I thought, maybe I should dress accordingly. I gave serious consideration to all my handknits. I know that a scarf is practical and can be versatile, depending on its length and width and yarn. After examining all available scarves and wraps, I realized that really there was not one that would fit ALL of the following criteria: a) provide warmth b) go with every outfit I would wear that week, from casual to business casual c) be short enough to not get caught in the closing door of a Metro train, or trail behind me as I scurried across a busy intersection.

I realized I would have to either forgo the scarf idea entirely or make something---quick! I scoured the internet (as in, Ravelry) and came up with this lovely scarf from Melanie Tindale, which I love. I came very close to knitting this exact scarf in a different color, and yet, I felt that the pointed ends were not what I wanted for this particular scarf, for this particular trip. I am indebted to Melanie for her ingenious key-hole design, which I used to make The D. C. Traveler. My daughter made a neck wrap a few years ago using Seed Stitch and I loved how that looked, so well, I knit up my own version of a keyhole scarflet and now I'm sharing the pattern with you....
The D.C. Traveler.

Here I am wearing The D.C. Traveler in the company of that great knitter, Eleanor Roosevelt. This scarflet worked so well for my trip. I could put it on or take it off with a minimum of movement (great for when you're on a crowded train), and it was small enough to fit easily in my pocket or purse. And because the keyhole design makes it self-closing, I never had to re-position it like I invariably do with other, longer scarves. It was also the perfect color for conservative Washington.

Local Charity Option for Hand-Knitted Items

Because I had a friend ask me for a local charity or ministry that would take knitted baby hats, I did some asking and found out that a wonderful local organization called
Tricounty Family Ministries will gladly take knitted (or crocheted!) items. They also have a current need for clothing, as they have given out all their clothing to the less fortunate in the Tricounty area.

You can also volunteer there in many different capacities as well.

I know there are a multitude of charities that take knitted items, both in this country and around the world, but if you ever want to help folks in your own backyard (and you live in the Charleston, SC area), this is a good option. And think of all the postage you'll save :)

Knitting in Public (or How Not to be a Hater)

There are many variables in my life (despite appearances to the contrary). I have many interests and a few true passions, plus there are things that must be done every day or every week to fulfill commitments and obligations. Knitting is one thing that can be described as a constant in my life, though. I've knitted through good times and bad. I've knitted easy things and things that were so challenging that I swore it was going to make me give it all up; lock, stock and yarn stash. I've knit alone and in large crowds and in everything in between. It is a rare day that I leave the house without a project, carried along "just in case" there is a moment that could become knitting time.

And yet...

And yet I sat today in a lovely class at the Charleston Museum (aka one of my favorite places), and witnessed someone, other than myself, knitting during the class. Why is this even worth mentioning? Because, believe it or not, I HAD NO KNITTING WITH ME. Knitting in the car, knitting in several rooms of my house, but not with me. I had just been chatting with a dear fellow Knitter-Mom about how we really should have brought our knitting in with us, chuckle, chuckle. Then not 10 minutes into this class, I catch a glimpse of this other mom, knitting away while listening to the teacher. I am sure this woman is a kind, generous, lovely person, but I found myself being a Hater. As in, I hate that SHE thought to bring her knitting, and I didn't. It was bad, let me tell you. The milk of human kindness had ceased to flow from my heart and I had no one to blame but myself.

I can excuse it all by saying I had no idea what the structure of the morning would be and thereby could not have known I'd have tons of sit-and-listen time to make use of. But really, is that a good excuse? I think not. I purposely carry a handbag large enough for at least a small knitting project (and I don't fill it with things that would take up valuable yarn space), I make sure I always have a small project on the needles to keep handy for excursions, and I know that knitting is an activity that can be done in so many different situations without being considered rude or distracting. (Of course, there are exceptions to this, but that's another story.)

Later, as we toured the Civil War exhibits in the Museum, I saw displays that featured knitting needles and yarn and descriptions of how the women left behind during the war knit ALL THE TIME for the boys on the front. I felt them mocking me, those women of the 19th century. I just know they were always prepared when they went visiting...Parasol? Check. Lace gloves? Check. Knitting? Check.

I claim to be committed to my craft, and I have big plans for all the things I will knit this year. So, if you see me taking a few moments to knit in public somewhere, please know it can mean only one thing: I'm trying not to be a Hater.