New Members

I publish a pattern the yarn needs to be readily available. I have some 8-ply, but I find it too heavy for garments, particularly if they are crocheted. I do have enough Rowan DK for a cardigan. There is also the economical 8-ply acrylic that I have specifically bought for edging blankets for school, but that doesn’t count. There are some 5-ply remnants that I want to make a cardigan with a slip stitch pattern, I have a reasonable amount of 4-ply that I bought at the Inner City de-stash and some lace weight yarn for two di erent shawls I’m yet to cast on. I also have some silk that will probably become a shawl and some indigo dyed 4-ply cotton that didn’t swatch the way I imagined so I’m waiting for inspiration. And a couple of bags of odds and ends of cotton that will become baby blankets…

Patricia McGregor

Secretary.

Why I joined the committee? I have always believed that if I belong to an organisation of any kind and enjoy doing so I will try to give something back when possible, so when asked if I would consider the Knitters Guild committee I said “yes”. The role of Secretary was vacant and that is a position of which I have quite a large experience, so was happy to take that on. I have had the opportunity to meet so many lovely people too. Gerri Ricci is a member of the Blacktown Group. She has been actively involved in the Guild for seven years including holding positions as the workshop coordinator for the group. She is currently on the executive committee.

What’s your knitting/crochet superpower? Perseverance - to finish what I started.

What’s the most recent technique/tip you have learnt? At the Gathering I learned about the tubular cast-on which gives a fantastically flexible, elastic cast-on.

What’s next on your ‘learn to do’ list? I want to perfect my understanding of reading crochet charts. I’ve started, but still need some help.

How long have you been knitting/ crocheting? I’ve been knitting since I was seven, and crocheting since the first Covid 19 lockdown. I’m le -handed so it has sometimes been di icult for others to help me there, but YouTube has been super helpful.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started out? How to read knitting charts. I love them now, (thanks to a workshop run by Merrin Marks at our group) and o en prefer a chart to written instructions.

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’m quite a slow knitter so it takes me a while to complete a garment, and they can be di icult to take around with me if the pattern is complex, so I o en have one or two smaller projects on the go that I can take with me.

You notice a small mistake – do you rip back or carry on? I always rip back, unless I know how to fix it by using a crochet hook.

Why do you enjoy being a member of the Knitters’ Guild NSW? Meeting new people and learning new skills. Even though I’d been knitting for more than 60 years I’ve still learned so much more about the cra .

What are your favourite colours? Pink, red and the teal shades of blue.

What would we see in your stash? Too much - mostly wool as I prefer to use wool rather than acrylic. I tend to buy more yarn than necessary simply because I’m slow and worry about not being able to match the dye lot. That means I now have lots of single balls of di erent colours, perfect for crocheting blankets!!

When you’re not knitting or crocheting you are… Reading, talking to others or organising social events for the village where I live.

Robynn Ross

Tentatively, I put my hand up for the job of Committee Member for the Guild Executive at the AGM as I could see and hear the frustration of the outgoing Executive members when nobody else was o ering to stand. For the Guild to be successful, it must be represented by people from across the state and with various talents. My lack of updated computer skills can hold me back from volunteering and for me to attend a meeting, it is an all day a air with travel, BUT the Zoom meetings make everything easier to stay connected. Once I pulled back from my magazine editing and fixing other people’s patterns, I really had no excuse, so to keep my brain active and my connection intact, I volunteered to help the Executive.

They are a wonderfully kind, talented, giving bunch of people who love to create just like you do, but give up some of their time to make sure YOU are catered for happily within the membership. Think about adding your name to the Executive next year and have some input into this brilliant organisation. Robynn Ross (Robynn-El), Sthn Highlands.