MKGM: March 2013

March is here, and spring has officially begun according to the calendar, but of course this is MinneSNOWta, and we’ve been getting some good snowstorms. For some reason Ma Nature just loves to hold off on the major snowstorms until the end of the winter just to toy with us. Maybe that’s where the term “March Madness” comes from? Just a thought.

Anyway, other than looking forward to spring, there is another March event that the MKGM now eagerly anticipates each year, and that is our major fund-raiser, the Silent Auction! This month saw our third annual Silent Auction, and there were some really fun bidding wars going on for a few of the items available. Sure, those that won those items may have overpaid a little for them, but the money all goes to a good cause: our guild!

There was no program for this meeting, of course, but Judy passed out different slipper patterns to every member, admonishing us not to open the sealed envelopes until we got home, and no trading allowed! Each of us is to knit the pattern in the envelope, then share the finished slippers and give our critique of the pattern at the next meeting; what we liked, what we didn’t like, what we would change, or whether the pattern was worth knitting in the first place.

Yarn for sale!

Some kits along with the yarn to knit them! And one of those teeny tiny looms. Remember those?

Even old magazines are good for ideas and techniques, if not patterns.

Lots more magazines and yarn.

Occasionally a knitting machine shows up for auction. This year there were three. The machines may not knit, anymore, but they are a great source for parts that might not be obtainable, anymore.

Auctioning off a partial can of Coke. Okay, not really, but there was a yarn winder, knitting needles, another knitting machine, patterns and even a stamping kit for other fiber-related crafts.

Lots of hand-knitting needles. Somebody must have decided that they don't want to take that kind of time to produce knits, anymore. Lots and lots and lots of patterns, technique books, kits and yarn.

More yarn. Isn't that royal blue gorgeous?

Assortment of different yarn remnants and a lace angel kit!

More yarn. That big blue ball in the plastic up front was won by yours truly! Also, that blue in the back left. Now it just needs to get up and knit itself into something. What, you mean I have to help it?

Perusing this year's goodies.

Taking a shopping break.

There were also show and tell items. The auction isn't all about shopping!

Donna made this really lovely neck-warmer.

And a very nice blanket.

Nancy made this "thinking cap". It's a brain! The knitting wasn't so difficult, just a basic hat, and many, many feet of i-cord. What took so long was tacking that i-cord to the hat! She made two of them, and decided that's enough!

Marilyn shows off one of the knit and fleece hats she made that Ellen had demonstrated (see previous post).

She also made this gumdrop hat.

New member, Sue, shows off a shawl she made at the knit-in. Can you believe this was knit on the bulky machine by using lightweight yarn? Look how light and lofty it turned out by doing it this way! Who'd a thunk it?

The other shawl Sue knit on the bulky machine. Ready for spring!

Bruce's take on the circular baby blanket.

This one in fun, suimmery colors!

Bruce is also a weaver, and showed off some of the weaving he has done.

Mar shows how you can salvage a boo-boo. This is one of Ellen's knit/fleece hats, but because it was knit too short, rather than gather the top, which would make it even shorter, she simply sewed straight across and made it a square hat. Don't unravel, get creative!