2018 Charity Hats

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Sandi

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

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.

The Loss of an Old Friend

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Sandi

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 Knitters’ Day Out

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Sandi

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.”

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.

Lehigh Valley Fiber Festival

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Sandi

On Saturday, September 23rd, Karen King and Marilyn Rittenhouse attended the Lehigh Valley Fiber Festival in Emmaus, Pa.

Festival Brochure

The festival was cosponsored by The Knitter’s Edge, a family-owned business located in nearby Bethlehem specializing in yarns for knitting, crocheting, and other fiber arts, and the Wildlands Conservancy Pool Sanctuary in Emmaus. The family-oriented event included nature activities for all ages. The conservancy grounds were a lovely setting, especially on this sunny Saturday.

Festival Participants

There were over twenty vendors displaying their wares in a pavilion and under canvas tents. There were people spinning and weaving with beautiful colors. There were also many vendors with fibers for dyeing and spinning. Several vendors had yarn for sale. Notable was What the Flock where they displayed bright colors in many varieties. There was also some lovely, soft alpaca yarn at Shepherd Hills Alpacas.

Just a short mile away, we found Conversational Threads, an Emmaus yarn shop, which has a huge selection of yarn and knitting supplies. A day seeing beautiful fibers and yarn is always a well spent time.

2017 Spring Knit Along Update

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Sandi

Brookside Knitters love a challenge, and this summer we have certainly been challenged in our choices of knit along projects.

Changing Light Wrap

Some of us who have chosen the Changing Light wrap have gotten past the “pinhole” cast on (several times, but we did it), while others have advanced past the center diamond and have now entered the “second sock” stage in completing the two ends. Janet’s Changing Light is now complete.

Changing Light by Jane1

I must say, photos don’t do justice to the lovely yarns in these wraps, but you’ll get to enjoy them all in January.

Are you new to Ravelry?

The main page for the Changing Light pattern gives you lots of information. We like to browse the Projects other knitters have completed deciding on a pattern or before choosing our yarn. Look to the right side of the page. In the About this Pattern box, find the projects link at the bottom. At the time of this writing, it shows “106 projects, in 630 queues.” Click there. Click on the link above the photo to see notes each knitter made (yarn choice, errata, and so on).

Baa-ble Hats and Cowls

A few of us challenged ourselves to two-color Fair Isle knitting. Joy and Janet knit Baa-ble Hats, while Sandi and LuAnn chose the I’ll Pack a Cowl for Rhinebeck spinoff pattern. These are fun projects with tie-ins to matching items (mittens, mug cozies, children’s items).

Baa-ble Hat by Joy

Baa-ble Hat by Janet

I’ll Pack a Cowl for Rhinebeck by LuAnn

I’ll Pack a Cowl for Rhinebeck by Sandi

Lenore’s 97th Birthday

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Sandi

Brookside Knitters visited local senior care facility Manatawny Manor to celebrate the 96th birthday of retired fellow knitter Lenore Daly.

The Manor always arranges for a room when “Lenore’s Knitting Group” meets. For this occasion, ice cream–Lenore’s favorite–was brought along as a treat to all. A pretty bouquet of flowers and a card from everyone added to the festivities, something Lenore could take back to her room to remember the occasion. (The ice cream never made it back!)

Lenore, seated at the table, with Laura, Sharon, Janet, Karen, and Vickie behind her. Not shown were Carol and Jane.

Fall 2011 Charity Baby Hats

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Sandi

October 2011 Baby Hats Pumpkin Patch

October 2011 Baby Hats in Fall Colors

It’s Fall and Brookside Knitters have been busy all summer knitting and crocheting newborn hats for delivery to–Where else?–the Labor & Delivery section of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.

Each month we’ve contributed 25 hats suitable for baby boys and 25 for baby girls. We enjoy adding special hats for patriotic holidays and moving toward fall colors for September & October.

I’ll include photos of the October “Pumpkin Patch” and “Fall Colors” selections and say that we are looking forward to the challenge of “Pilgrim Hats & Bonnets” for Thanksgiving. All local members contribute, and the Fall hat group includes hats by Joy, Karen, Lenore, LuAnn, and Sandi.

When hats turn out to be too large for newborns we donate them to other charity organizations. (Newborns need hats 10-12″ around with no do-dads. They need to be washable, acrylics or cottons rather than wool to be especially kind to tiny heads.)

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