Meet the New Committee

Meet the New Committee (part 1)

Raewyn Tippett

Raewynis the Treasurer of the Newcastle Group. She has been actively involved in the Guild for a few years including holding a position on the executive committee. She joined the Newcastle Group four years ago a er moving from Sydney when she and her husband temporarily semi-retired.

How long have you been knitting/ crocheting? I have been knitting for over 45 years. I also learnt to crochet but did not do much of it. In the last two years I have gone back to crochet and learnt di erent techniques.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started out? I wish that I had known some of the di erent methods of casting on and where they are used. Also, I wish that I had known how to do mattress stitch for sewing up to give the garments that I made a better seam to them.

WIPs (work in progress) – do you like to focus on one or two projects at a time or do you have more projects on the go than there are days in the week? I like to do one or two projects at a time to give me a bit of diversity. Of late, I like to do a knitting project and a crochet project to give me di erent things to do. You notice a small mistake – do you rip back or carry on? It depends on who the project is for and how big a mistake. If for a client, yes I would rip it back and redo. If it is for myself and it will not be seen by others, I would leave it if it is a small mistake that you cannot see too easily. If a big mistake, I would rip it back and redo.

What are your favourite colours? My favourite colour is green. I wear other colours but green is my all-time favourite.

When you’re not knitting or crocheting you are…. When I am not knitting or crocheting I am either sleeping or working in my husband’s business.

Hannah Smith

Joint Vice-President Hannah Smith is a member of the Inner City Group. She has been actively involved in the Guild for many years, including holding positions on the executive committee.

What’s your knitting/crochet superpower? I’m not sure that I have a superpower. I both knit and crochet, and I like learning new skills. I have published a few times and I was particularly pleased to have my Tory’s Daisy Cardigan on the cover of Homespun Crochet #3. It is size inclusive and has nice little details. I have a couple of Shelley Husband’s books and had tried to do her imitation tr (treble) starting stitch but never felt like I was getting it right. At the Gathering I did one of Shelley’s workshops and it turns out that I was mostly getting it right, but I need more practice to ensure my tension is consistent. I was doing OK by the end of the session.

What’s next on your ‘learn to do’ list? Probably brioche, but my list is always long.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started out? I’d buy better needles sooner.

WIPs (work in progress) – do you like to focus on one or two projects at a time or do you have more projects on the go than there are days in the week? Currently I am working on the following: • A very simple stocking stitch knitted jumper for my daughter • A 4-ply version of a knitted crescent shawl that I want to publish • A crochet baby blanket and is using up odds and ends • A pair of fingerless mittens for a friend knitted with an owl motif worked in cables • I have a pattern charted and yarn purchased for a Fair Isle beret • I’m part way through a crochet table mat that is all motifs • I’m planning a jumper for myself, based on a pattern from Moorit • And I’ve yarn for at least two more shawls, and two cardigans. • There are not enough hours in the day.

You notice a small mistake – do you rip back or carry on? It depends on how small. If it is genuinely insignificant and won’t be noticed I will leave it, but I pull things out all the time.

What would we see in your stash? I have limited myself to one cupboard and I’m on a (permanent) mission to reduce the stash. I normally buy better quality branded yarn because if