Group Reports

BLACKTOWN

Over the last few months, the Blacktown Group has welcomed some new members and also enjoyed a variety of workshops.

In August, Caroline Craig taught us how to make Dorset buttons with a ring and thread. At our September meeting, Sue Hobbs instructed us in the continental purl stitch, and in October, Wendy Healy demonstrated how to make two di erent crochet bags.

A number of our members are also taking part in charity projects, including knitting poppies for the Sydney Eye Hospital’s Remembrance Day display; and the annual yarn bombing of Blacktown CBD to raise awareness for domestic violence prevention.

We are all looking forward to FibreFest this weekend (at time of writing) as well as some more interesting workshops in the months to come. Katherine Flanagan, Secretary

BLUE MOUNTAINS

No report received.

CAPITAL REGION

The Capital Region Group's members are enjoying some of our regular happenings. In September we could hold our annual destash event in person, complete with yarn squishing. We've held modified versions of the event in the past couple of years to make sure we were following Covid safety rules but this year it was back to normal. Members can destash yarn, books, tools, patterns and other cra supplies. Members then also restash these items - it feels like we're participating in the circular economy right there. The group receives a small commission and members go home satisfied, with new goodies and/or cash for their stash. Teresa Morey, Secretary

CLARENCE VALLEY

Valley B&B was most enjoyable. The weather outside wasn’t the best so we sat around the open fire and knitted – while glasses of wine and cups of co ee appeared by magic. What could be better! Unfortunately, the train trip to Hive & Gobbler had to be postponed, but it is still going to happen.

We went to Jenny’s home to refresh our skills making Dorset buttons – they really are interesting and practical to make. In August we made knitted jewellery with silver wire. It was a bit hard on the hands, but some good results were achieved – Judy’s bracelet was stunning. Marg knitted a beautiful jumper from Bendigo Alpine yarn; it was so so and lovely to wear. Jenny always has socks on the go, and a couple of members have been doing wraps and shawls. We always enjoy our meetings, with lots of laughter and fun.

Cynthia, from the Hunter Valley Wool Shop, made the trip to Gra on for a weekend, and it was a lovely break for all of us. We sat and knitted and talked and nibbled. She, of course, brought lots of goodies with her, so it was a wonderful opportunity to replenish our stashes – good wool shops are very scarce in our area. Evol King, Convenor and Helen Ada, Publicity

CROCHET TURRAMURRA

We’ve had a great few months despite the awful weather. August was The Gathering, and a few of us had a wonderful time there, as well as purchasing more yarn, which we brought in for Show and Tell. September and October were the busiest meetings we’ve had since Covid. The word got around that we only had a few members at each meeting, but the last two months we’ve had 15 ladies. In September Lana demonstrated and taught her version of a lacy Tunisian Scarf. It was so popular we’ve extended it to the October meeting as well. It is interesting how the di erent yarns produce such di erent e ects, and I took a picture of a few in progress to show the di erence. Di Scaysbrook, Convenor

EPPING

visitors with numbers around 30 each Monday. Our monthly Show and Tell is inspirational, with the standard spectacular and full of variety. A large amount of charity knitting is handed in throughout the month and distributed by our charity person, Maria Stagnos, who assures us they are gladly received.

Recent monthly optional mini workshops have been well attended. The participants for our dyeing workshop are now winding their dyed hanks, and some have even started a project using their dyed yarn. A special thank you to our member, Brenda Horne, and Marie Clews from the Epping Weavers Embroiderers and Spinners (EWES) group for this workshop. The Judy’s Magic Cast-On mini workshop was well attended. Under the guidance of Maria Stagnos, participants were able to successfully master this cast-on. The wellwritten coloured notes, and the demonstrations provided by Maria, made a di icult skill achievable. I’m sure we will see a few toe-up socks being completed in the near future. It was good to have notes, and links to YouTube videos provided. Judy’s Magic Cast-On is a skill that can be easily forgotten. Shirley Gregory, Publicity

Epping Brenda Horne spectacular creation

Epping: Charity Knitting

EPPING CROCHET

At our September meeting, we lined up all the versions of Sophie’s Universe for a group photo. They range in size, ply and current stage of work; from a small one just started to a square one finished to fit over a lounge chair. A creative one, where Janine stopped following the pattern to do her own freelanced take around the rest of her rug, and all the way up to two finished rugs. We shared them at the Epping Group Show and Tell in the morning before our Crochet Group meeting. Whether they are in a single colour, muted tones or highly colourful, no two are the same and everyone agreed that they are all impressive works of crochet. For most of us, the concentration continues as we work towards getting ours to the end stage one day and the encouragement received from everyone has helped a lot. Anne Moore, Publicity This group has been busy with some members enjoying the Cra and Quilt Fair and The Gathering at Stanwell Tops in recent times. Members Bev and Narelle assisted in the manning of the Guild stall at the Cra and Quilt Fair. During October the group held a stall with the local quilters for the Goulburn Lilac Festival, and on another occasion attended a crocheting workshop at Castle Handmade at Wingello, despite the rain. There are wonderful cra supplies at this venue, too.

Our group numbers recently grew to 30 and we are enjoying monthly workshops, learning new stitches under the tutorials run by Karen Gaspardis. We may possibly end up with a group rug to ra le. Happy cra ing Wendy Allen, Secretary.

Goulburn Castle Handmade excursion

INNER CITY

No report received.

INNER WEST

Everyone is welcome to come and join us on the 3rd Monday of the month at Camperdown Commons. We start at 10.30 a.m. with lots of chatter and admiring of items for Show and Tell.

We had the pleasure of Jane Downey joining us to speak about the different aspects and styles of crochet. Jane had brought along many different items for us to have a look at.

As a follow on to the sessions on stranded and Fair Isle knitting Asa spoke on the Gansey style of knitting. It was very interesting and may well inspire us to try it out to be ready for next winter. Judy Lawler, Secretary

Inner West Colleen's blanket

KATOOMBA

Katoomba group has continued to meet at the lovely Katoomba RSL, where every meeting someone comes up to have a look at what we are working on; a great opportunity to promote membership of the Guild. The last couple of months has seen our group members complete some interesting projects beyond our usual

Katoomba: Anne Stanly and her knitted bolster

Katoomba: Ronah amazed us with her crochet skills making Mario and Goomba for her Grandson

shawls, scarves and socks, including bolster cushions and amigurumi. As I am writing this it is on the eve of the FibreFest market day. It’s been so many years (well, two) since we have been able to get together and enjoy the fun and community that are the fibre arts Margaret Hardwick, Secretary

KIAMA

We have enjoyed being able to meet over the last few months without Covid or bad weather causing disruptions. Our Convenor, Anne Phillips, has set up a Facebook page for our group with most members quick to join.

At our September meeting, we were fortunate to have Kay Beynon introduce members to corner-to-corner crochet. This was a lively session with most participants able to master this technique.

Patterns and yarn have been distributed to members for the making of a blanket to be used as a lucky door prize at our birthday celebrations next year. We look forward to seeing the results at the October meeting. Jean Shelley, Secretary

Kiama: Kay Beynon corner to corner crochet Ku-ring-gai: At cafe

Macarthur group: Sue Smith- mosaic crochet workshop

KU-RING-GAI

Another busy three months for the group with monthly meetings, monthly social knitting and some small excursions.

We have had workshops on double knitting and Dorset buttons presented by a talented group member and a visiting member from Pittwater.

Both presenters were willing to share their extensive knowledge, with the group adding to and enhancing group skills.

At the September meeting everyone brought along a shawl or a scarf - an incredible and inspiring display of colour and talent.

Small groups have travelled to The Gathering and to The Dungog Tea Party.

The group has continued to grow in number and in supportive friendships - a testament to the power of a common interest - knitting. Gayle Parker, Convenor The ladies in the Macarthur group have once again shown what an amazing talent pool we have to rely on.

In August, one of our members, Sue Smith, continued her classes in 'Mosaic Crochet'. Her passion is contagious, with members getting involved and having a go! Sue provided numerous notes plus samples. Her enthusiasm for learning, then teaching others is amazing. Thanks again, Sue.

In September Alex and Delia (our dynamic duo) gave lessons on 'Knitting with Beads'. This course was twice cancelled - due to Covid and our original teacher being unavailable - so Alex and Delia spent some time learning the cra in order to teach it. Once again they presented great lesson notes and samples were provided. We were all impressed with the samples we created during the lessons. Thanks again to these ladies.

October lessons were provided by our convenor, Janice Ferrett, who guided us through various slip stitch knitting techniques. Samples and notes were provided to enable us to create a variety of samples and learning to play with interesting colour combinations using slip stitch techniques. Many thanks to Janice.

During the latter part of the year we have welcomed back our Life Guild member and former tutor Raelene McAdams - and thanks to Raelene’s daughter, Jennni, for bringing her to our Monday group to catch up with old friends and enjoy the vibe.

As our year draws to a close we are planning our combined AGM and

Christmas function in late November. We are also starting to plan what lessons we can schedule for 2023, knowing they will be fun, creative and inspirational. Alison Wootten, Publicity O icer

MAITLAND

Members of the Maitland Group have been busy learning new techniques and then sharing that knowledge with other members. Techniques have included mosaic crochet, and tips have included using larger needles for stranded colour work. We have even had discussions over the pros and cons of bottom-up vs top-down. In September we managed an outing to Hive & Gobbler in Dungog, a er which we found a lovely café to sit and knit away the a ernoon. Cynthia Mulholland, Treasurer

Maitland a ernoon knitting

MID NORTH COAST

No report received.

MUDGEE

Our members have been very busy doing charity knitting; knitted squares - these go to ‘Wrap with Love”, beanies that we send to the Seamen’s Mission in Newcastle, leprosy bandages that are collected and passed on by the local Anglican Church and knee rugs for Macquarie Home Stay in Dubbo. At our August meeting we had the usual Show and Tell with lots of discussion. Janet showed us how to make a Twisted Rose. We all managed to master the technique and went home with a rose that we could use as a brooch or decoration.

For the September meeting members were asked to bring an interesting knitting or crochet book or pattern. Members brought an interesting selection, and we had a lovely time looking through them and listening to the members explain why they found those books very useful. We certainly had an interesting and enjoyable a ernoon.

Our October meeting had to be moved to the fourth Saturday of the month as our usual meeting day clashed with the FibreFest weekend, with some members wishing to attend. At the October meeting Janet will show us the di erent techniques using garter stitch.

Members of Mudgee Group wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Barbara Gow, Convenor

NEWCASTLE

Each year Newcastle Group selects a charity for the next two years and any funds we raise during that time is donated to the charity. Our charity for 2022-24 is the Mentor Support Network, which provides scholarships to students in significant financial di iculties. These funds allow them to pay for educational items (computers, excursion fees, eyeglasses etc).

Throughout the year we receive many donations of yarn, which is either sold at little cost to members (funds raised going to our charity) or given free to those who will use it to knit/crochet items for charity.

In August, member Melissa shared her knowledge about The Fruit Garden Crochet Blanket, and in September, member David arranged a private tour of Newcastle’s Christchurch Cathedral. Among other items, the fibre art in the Cathedral is most impressive. Also in September, member Catherine challenged us to take part in knitting and crocheting for AKWAK for the remainder of the year (For more about AKWAK see the August 2020 issue of A Good Yarn),

Several of us made a presentation about the Newcastle Group with lots of knitting and crochet to show to the Tuesday Club – a group of women at The Place Charlestown – a local community centre.

Guests continue to find us and attend meetings; many of whom then become members. A Saturday group was started a few years ago and it is now coming into its own with around 15 participants each month. Katherine Heinrich, Convenor

NORTHERN TABLELANDS

The last few meetings of our group have been very quiet as several members have been away from time to time. However, they have not ceased their knitting, and have produced a variety of lovely projects. Following World Wide Knit In Public Day, several members continued with knitting and crocheting squares, which were assembled into blankets and sent to Lismore for flood victims.

Design of our next group project for the 2023 Armidale show is underway. We have also changed the location for our meetings to a more suitable site. Ingrid Chaku, Secretary

PITTWATER

The Pittwater group continues to grow in numbers, particularly given our new additional meeting being held on Saturdays. Also growing is the tally of our charity knitting and crocheting contributions by members. Many work tirelessly towards these important donations, for which we and the recipients are most grateful. As always, our talented members also continue to work on many exciting creative projects. The group has a display cabinet in Mona Vale library, where we exhibit work by our members. The displays are a great way to showcase the talents of our members work, as well as promoting the group and craft. We continue to have a variety of wonderful workshops and presentations by members of the group. Judy Thomas and Janelle Grange presented a wonderful talk recently on Stephen West shawl designs. They are among a number of our members participating in this year’s Stephen West Mystery KAL. The picture of the black lace shows progress by Cathy Aggett on a testknit of a 1924 Shetland lace tunic recreated by Paula Kibildis. Cathy Aggett, Convenor

Pittwater Judy Thomas and Janelle Grange during their Stephen West presentation

Pittwater The toy display in the group’s cabinet in Mona Vale Library

SOUTHERN

Southern Group has been the recipient of quite a few yarn donations lately and has busily been sorting, sharing and sending spare yarn and equipment to The Sewing Basket at Caringbah. They have all been well received. We have spent some time learning di erent crochet joining techniques to use to join knitted and crocheted blanket squares. Some of the donations we’ve received include bags full of knitted squares which we will use to practice what we’ve learned by preparing blankets for charity in the coming months. We have updated our library resources with new books on knitting, crochet and Tunisian crochet. Southern Group has been joined by some new members in the last few months and it’s been lovely to see their new faces in our meetings (which are starting to get pretty lively!). Abbey Bongers and Sheridane Kumanidis, Co-Convenors During winter, our clever members have tutored us in broomstick crochet to try something different, and flip top mittens where we learned Emily Ocker’s cast-on to minimise a gap at the fingers. Both lessons stretched our usual calmness. We have welcomed new members who are keen to learn techniques and try simple patterns to knit for their family. Our Show and Tell sessions are always inspiring as we are all on different knitting paths, but share a passion for extending our knowledge and creating beautiful products. Robynn Ross, Convenor

Southern Highlands Maria Stanley crocheted rug great eye for detail

THE ENTRANCE

Our group continue to meet the first Saturday of each month at the Halekulani Bowling Club in Budgewoi. We have an active social group and love visitors. The year is coming to an end and we can reflect on things we have done: helping our two charities, AKWAK and We Care Connect; as well as sharing and learning new skills. We have so many talented ladies and are never disappointed. Our venue is accommodating us with a more private section and our workshops will be active again in the coming months. Christmas is coming and we’re looking forward to sharing a festive luncheon. Our devoted members busily knitted and displayed our wares at the Wyong Orchid Show in September. Congratulations to Caroline and Berni for their winning entries. It was also a time to display our new banner - thank you Toni for your expertise - it’s gorgeous! We wish all members in our group and beyond, happy crafting and much joy in the coming season. Prue Smee and Sue Page, CoConvenors

The Entrance group at the Wyong orchid show

WEST RYDE

West Ryde Group recently donated two blankets to Ronald McDonald House. One blanket was a group effort, with individual squares done by group members and then joined, and one was donated by Beth Clothier. Both blankets had been completed a few years ago, but Covid restricted us from visiting any potential recipients. Both blankets

West Ryde Ronald McDonald house donated blankets

were warmly received.

A group of ladies also met for a train trip to Kiama in October on seaside market day, with nearly five hours of knitting and laughter on the way down and back, not to mention shopping. Beth Clothier, Convenor

WOY WOY

Now we’re regularly meeting face to face after Covid disruptions, and had a couple of stalls in the local shopping centre, our membership is gradually re-building. We’ve also been able to return to our favourite venue, the CWA hall in Woy Woy, which recently had a kitchen renovation.

Sally shared with us her list of very helpful and interesting knitting tips and tricks. Our collection of baby mittens for AKWAK was generously donated, and we’ve adopted a local charity, We Care Connect, which supports vulnerable children. Ruth Herman, Convenor

Vale Jeanette Sell

Jeanette was a very talented lady, she had trained as a teacher. In the 1990s she and husband Bill were living in Cherrybrook and Jeanette joined the Epping Group in 1991. When the Guild celebrated its 10th birthday, as part of the celebrations held in Darling Harbour, a ernoon tea items were crocheted. Jeanette made a pink birthday cake with a stand and ten candles; it won the Exhibition prize.

In 1999 Jeanette and Bill moved to Ilford for a quieter life on a farm. The closest group was Canowindra - this was a twohour drive - never the less she transferred to this group and drove the four hours each month to attend the meeting. When Jeanette was visiting Sydney she would also attend the Epping Group meetings.

Jeanette was also part of the Federation 100 years – 100 years of Knitting and Crochet, reproducing garments from an earlier era. Also for the display she made a Tunisian crochet wall hanging of the Southern Cross and the Floral Emblems of each state. The wall hanging went on to be judged champion piece at the St Ives and Castle Hill Shows.

Jeanette contributed to the Guild 20th birthday display, dressing a doll, and again for the Guild’s 25th Celebrations, making silver leaves.

Mudgee Group was formed in 2006, however Jeanette continued to attend both the Canowindra and Mudgee meetings, transferring to Mudgee when the Canowindra Group closed.

Jeanette had a vast knowledge of knitting and crochet, she was always willing to pass on this knowledge to members, through holding many workshops for us. Jeanette entered her handicra in many shows and, of course, won many prizes. She was also called upon as a Judge, judging at local shows as well as through the CWA.

Jeanette was made a Life Member of Knitters’ Guild NSW in 2016; she was a great Ambassador for the Guild.

Mudgee Group members miss Jeanette as a friend, member of our group and for all the knitting and crochet knowledge that she brought to our members.