West Coast Knitters Guild

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild meets the first Tuesday of every month at Oakridge Mall in the Oakridge Senior’s Centre. Continue Reading »

A mere eight days after our wonderful weekend workshop with Sivia Harding, Catherine A. completed her first lace design. Fill a Triangle with Lace was a two-day workshop where we learned the intricacies of knitting and designing a triangular-shaped shawl. We also learned ways of manipulating a lace stitch pattern to fit the triangular shape.

Catherine was so inspired and empowered by the workshop than on Sunday night after she went home she started pouring over her stitch dictionaries to begin a new design for yet another triangular lace shawl. Bear in mind that Catherine had just spent two days charting a completely different shawl. She was so energized by the process that she wanted to do it all over again with another stitch pattern.

She extended her dining room table to its full size, much to her family’s chagrin and started the charting process. Then the knitting began.

By Monday, just over a week later, Catherine was ready to block her new lace scarf.

On Tuesday night she brought her new creation to the Guild meeting and eagerly shared it with her workshop classmates. We had a show and tell session that evening and everyone at the meeting was able to see the very successful results of the Sivia Harding workshop.

Catherine has not ditched her original design that she worked on at the workshop. It will become a knitted scarf as well. We can’t wait to see it, Catherine!

We’re lucky to have Sivia Harding teaching two workshops for us the weekend of November 20 to 22nd.

Friday, November 20, 7 to 9 p.m.
River Rock Scarf
This luxurious scarf makes use of a large number of prestrung beads in a design that creates an illusion of natural beaded “rocks” that are embedded in a flowing knitted “river” of ribbing. Students learn how to manage the beads and channel their inner designer as the beads are knit into a simple 2 x 2 rib scarf. This class is suitable for advanced beginners as well as more experienced knitters.

Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fill a Triangle with Lace
In a gentle and supportive workshop Sivia gives you the tools to design your own lace shawl. You will go away refreshed and inspired, with all the tools you need to design your own top-down triangle shawl. Some lace experience is recommended for this two-day workshop. Lunch and refreshments are served both days.

For more information, download the registration form here: Sivia Harding Workshop .

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild will be participating in the Dunbar Community Centre Christmas Sale.  This will be the final sale of this year for the Guild so hope that you can come and see the many wonderful items that the Guild members have knitted and donated for this sale.  Hope to see you there.

November 28th, 2009

Dunbar Community Centre

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

4747 Dunbar Street

Vancouver, B.C.

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild is participating in the Wilson Height United Church Christmas sale.  We will have many knitted items for sale (socks, hats, mittens, sweaters, baby items, etc.).  The proceeds from this sale goes to Nova House (a transition house for women and children in need).  Please come and see the many wonderful items for sale.

Wilson Heights United Church

Saturday, October 24th

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

1634 East 41st (at Argyle Street)

The West Coast Knitters’ Guild is having a very,

very large sale of yarn at greatly reduced prices

 Douglas Park Community Centre

801 W. 22nd Avenue at Willow, Vancouver

Saturday, October 17th

12:00-2:30 pm

Cotton, Acrylics, Wool & blends in all gauges

Most Yarn will be 50 cents a ball

Sold by the bag only

For their most recent collection, the Norwegian company OLEANA looked to China for inspiration - an ancient culture with strong design and ornamentation traditions that has left its mark on the west from as long ago as the early Viking explorations.

OLEANA gathers new inspiration along the silk route and then takes it back home to Norway where their production is made in a small factory close to Bergen, by a crew of 60 highly skilled and respected workers.  Oleana sets an example for sustainable clothing production and ethical business practices. Continue Reading »

Please come and join us August 15th to knit in the beautiful surroundings of Stanley Park.

Enjoy the company of friends, meet new people, exchange ideas, methods, patterns and share knitting tips with each other.  We gather at the covered picnic area near the miniature train anytime after 9:00 a.m.  Bring your knitting, a chair and a bagged lunch and stay until dusk if you wish.

Everyone and anyone welcome to join us.

Originally scheduled for the April WCKG meeting, Tom’s talk has been postponed to our May meeting (May 5, 2009). Everyone is welcome.

In the 1950s and 1960s Mary Maxim sweaters were one of the most popular Canadian fashion statements. All over the country home knitters were creating heavy sweater-coats featuring flying Canada geese, crossed curling brooms, or leaping salmons. Other wild animals, sports teams’ symbols, patriotic emblems, and a vast assortment of icons (both Canadian and universal) were popular motifs.

Tom Graff was the first person in the country to draw academic and aesthetic attention to these humble, but important, elements of the Canadian fashion scene and his presentation will discuss his reasoning, his collecting, and his conclusions. Join us for an enjoyable evening. Bring your sweaters and tell your own stories of Mary Maxim.

We are lucky to have Jean Wong teach us two workshops on the weekend of May 23 and 24. The first workshop is all about Fine Finishing and will help put you put the perfect polish on your handknits. The Sunday workshop will be an indepth pattern drafting day where we’ll learn how to design a tailored vest.

If you’ve never had a chance to take one of Jean’s classes before then this is your opportunity. Download the Jean Wong Workshop Registration form for more information on the workshops and the weekend.

The workshops filled up really quickly so if you’re interested, contact Margaret (see registration form) to put your name on the wait list.

We recently received an email from Greenland informing us of an interesting knitting technique and a new book that describes the technique.

Hello From Greenland,

My name is Drissia El Yousfi, I contact you from Nuuk capital of Greenland. I have just published a little book about knitting of course. But not any kind of knitting … The book is about “tajarutit” Greenlandic wrists warmers. I provide in my book all the information about how to knit the wrists-warmers in the Greenlandic way (with glass beads onto the yarn). It´s the traditional way to knit the Tajarutit since glass beads were introduced to Greenland in the late 18th century. The purpose of this little book is not only knitting. I wanted to share with people some of a traditional handcraft unknown, to keep it alive and useful. I have created new patterns and used also one of our traditional pattern (for the Tajarutit we use with our national costume).

The book is already a real success in Greenland for the new generation who learns how to knit Tajarutit but also abroad like in Denmark and France. The book is now available in 4 languages: French, English, Danish and Greenlandic.

Knit Tajarutit, Greenlandic wrists-warmers is my first book. I´m looking for places where I can promote it and people who could help me in such big challenge.

Kind regards from Greenland

Drissia