from random house: 4 reasons every store should host a knitting group.
the local knitting meetup is this wednesday at comfy chair - more info, check out melbourne knitters meetup group.
it's that time of year when knitting get togethers seem to be happening - on sundays, there's jazz and knitting (we're guessing it's not too far from wool baa) and we'll be going along to stitch'n'bitch melbourne, which sounds like it could well have its largest gathering tomorrow night.
this thursday - city knitting from 5.30pm at the journal cafe, just in front of the new city library at 253 flinders lane, melbourne (between elizabeth and swanston). this sunday, knitting at cafe banter (previous details). into venturing a little further? beaniefest is coming up, and there's a great bus tour available from bushaus.
"Now that it’s apparently Okay To Knit again, let’s show those basic knit-one purl-one pub-types what’s really possible with some needles, the occasional knitting machine, and hope in your heart!"
now if that ain't a call to arms (or needles....), we dunno what is. let's just say we're now enrolled to go to TAFTA in geelong, for a week in sept/oct for fibrous fun and sculptural goodness with karen searle. after a lil' chat with janet de boer, it turns out that there's bursaries available to students (how cool is that?). so, if you wanna go, here's the information.
it's on again this sunday - a little knitting get together at cafe banter - here's the previous details. yes, it's mothers day, but crafty mothers (excuse the pun) could always negotiate for their loved ones to take 'em to cafe banter for lunch, the knitters could stay on, and the others could go watch the footy or whatever they normally do of a sunday arvo. everyone wins.
the mini wool and craft expo organised by the handknitters guild would have to be one of the best community organised knit related get together things we've ever been to. mark it down in your diary and keep it free - sunday 6th june 2004, 10am to 3.30pm at brunswick town hall (sydney road brunswick - catch a #19 north coburg tram from elizabeth st in the city). there's free entry, door prizes, a chance to contribute to an attempt at the worlds longest scarf, a 12pm speed knitting competition, knitting lessons, and lots of vendors showing off their stuff under one roof:
martas yarns
sarah durrant
yarn barn
wendy dennis
plus heaps more including the infamous $1 a ball wool sale (however, if they are a bit more than that, don't kill the messenger, but they will be fabulously cheap), and other yarns, fibres, books, keepsakes, garments and craft demonstrations. so, it's truly worthwhile going, save up yr pennies beforehand, and be sure to bring a large bag!
swings and slides unfortunately had to close up shop - taking the punt to open a cafe is a huge one - we're sorry to see it go. the northern knitting group will be moving to cafe banter, which is at 462 lygon street, brunswick, and trialling meeting every 2nd sunday of the month from 2-5pm - first meet being sunday the 18th april (which is actually the 3rd sunday, but the second is easter, so a little sidestepping is necessary). to get there by public transport - number 01 and 22 trams depart from swanston st in the city, and there's a mcdonald's at the end of lygon street (this being the east end, not the swank italian drug lord underworld killings end), so plenty of parking.
wow - were we blown away by attendance to the first swings and slides...we thought it would be this little cosy coffee and chat thing for about six people. more like the group took the place over, gave the venue their highest capacity since they opened and the introductions (due to so many new faces) that started took a while to finish because people just kept on turning up. so, it looks like we're onto a good thing - it was great to introduce so many people to a new local cafe and give them our business.
claire's done a beautiful illustration - as for knitting in public, it's possible to turn up to one of these meets and due to drinking, talking, eating, checking out other people's books and various knitted goods, it's all too easy to make the night pass without a single stitch. yes, you too can fake being an accomplished knitter by turning up to one of these things with your grandmother's hand me down sweater on show, a couple of pattern books that you thrifted, and showing lots of interest in what everyone else is doing...
the new dates for swings and slides are: the 2nd tuesday of each month, which is 13th april, 11th may, 8th june.
if you'd like to keep up to date with most melbs knitterly happenings, subscribing to stitch'n'bitch melbourne is your best bet.
“The thing that really struck me was how there were all these stands where people were selling the scarves and hats they had knitted, but then were also selling the banana bread that their friend had baked or a CD of their friend’s band,” . oh, if only we could go to the renegade craft fair in chicago - check out the punk planet article.
while we heartily endorse stitch'n'bitch melbourne a few knitters/crafty types have been yearning for something closer to home for us northerners at an opposing fortnight for yarn holics where once a month get togethers just isn't enough.
so, you now have a fine excuse to get your knitting needles out and grab the latest gossip at a ruvly new northern venue. dear reader, you're welcome. just like s'n'b, there are no charges - just pay the cafe for whatever goodness you consume. Rathdowne Street Swings & Slides Cafe, 164 Rathdowne Street Carlton, tuesday march 16, 7-9pm map. need more info? contact kylie.
three hours hasn't gone so fast as the latest meetup of the handknitters guild (their website needs a little update - they now meet at ross house, flinders lane, melbs city, not too far from coffee haven degraves st). jude skeers (our lone male...) showed up with his latest creation - we think it was called the broome beanie, but the champagne was working its wonders at this stage. the hat/scarf/accesory par excellence was a neato tubular thing, knit on a combo of a size 10 and 4 circular needle with fancy yarns including the work of satan, sullivan's knitting yarn and ostrich. the neat thing about it was that because it was knit with those yarns, it was fairly giving and stretchy, so it was possible to fashion a normal scarf, a wrap, a hat, and other wearables out of it.
we come across a neat way of knitting circular that we hadn't seen before too - when knitting ickle things like fingers on gloves, do it on two double pointed needles, and simply slip the second stitch, which you've lined up to be a stitch from the back of the finger, and then knit the front one. which might sound terribly confusing, but makes a hell of a lot of sense when seen.
we met up with joanne, a fabulous lady we first met at a mini wool show when we bonded over her stash of colinette. she's the one who has made us see the light, and vow to get a little more creative in our knitting. so, the next project that we're really keen on is a ruana from cheryl oberle's folk shawls.
it's an amazingly beautiful long shawl in garter stitch that can be constucted out of your stash. needless to say, ours is going to be incredibly rosy hued, and pretty flurfy. the fun bit is definitely mixing all the yarn to create a sort of knitted painting.
mightily impressive to see so many people at a melbourne stitch and bitch last night - there were a few new faces, perhaps due to the popularity of the book, which is doing incredibly well with online sales - congrats on hitting the double digits at amazon, which is no small feat.
on again tonight (and every 2nd thursday) in fitzroy is knit'n'knatter, and there's a more recent addition to knitting get togethers in melbs - knitting and jazz on a sunday from around 2-5 at mayfields (Mayfields Bar Cafe Music Club 103 Smith St, Fitzroy (03) 9417-0666). there's a charge of $4 entry, but apparently there's also knitting lessons, and knitting with a jazz band sounds kinda special.
we're makin' our way to knit'n'knatter this thurs, so if you happen to be local or a little obsessed with knitting or crochet, the north fitzroy star at 32 st georges rd fitzroy north from 6.30pm could well be the place for you.
for those interested in getting together in melbs, there's a couple of options underway that meet at regular monthly intervals - knitting.meetup.com and stitchnbitch melbourne. if you've been to other meetups and get togethers organised through the internet, the bonus with knitting meetups is that they don't seem quite so awkward, and it's just a nice excuse to relax, sit down with a coffee and get some knitting done.
