Meet the Members

Alayne Alvis is the current Treasurer of the Inner City Group. She has previously been convenor and co-convenor of the group. Alayne is a conservator and has given highly informative talks on pest prevention to the group.

What's your knitting superpower? I don't think I have a super power, though I enjoy the ability to knit, chat and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine simultaneously.

What's the most recent technique/tip you have learnt? I've learnt to do a crochet provisional cast on and love the neat edge it gives to a garment. It's a great alternative to a ribbed edge and it gives a lovely smooth finish.

What's next on your 'learn to do' list? I think the afterthought heel as I struggle with getting a nice finish to the gusset on the pattern I use now.

How long have you been knitting/ crocheting? Seriously from 2003; I had bought a copy of Vogue Knitting and started knitting a jumper. I had no idea about what I was letting myself in for. Luckily it was a fairly simple pattern but did have some intarsia. I relied on library books to learn what I needed. I knitted most of the back during the Canberra bushfires and I found it soothing to have a useful and distracting task as I sat at home listening to all the emergency reports.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started out? Gosh, where to start! Understanding different types of terminology, how to read a pattern, the ability to see techniques demonstrated on YouTube, and the ability to consult the 'hive mind' of other knitters.

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 generally have one larger project that I concentrate on. I also have a few Member Alayne Alvis

projects requiring varying levels of skill and attention depending on how I'm feeling. Of course, it also depends if a deadline for a gift is coming up - that tends to concentrate my mind.

You notice a small mistake – do you rip back or carry on? It depends, if it is easy to fix or I know it will annoy me, I will definitely fix it. Otherwise, I prefer to think of mistakes as part of the individuality of the project.

Why do you enjoy being a member of the Knitters' Guild NSW? First and foremost, the members! I have learnt so much and gotten so much encouragement from them. I come back from every meeting with new information and ideas. The Guild's workshops are wonderful, with the ability to learn from great teachers, they have improved my knitting no end!

What would we see in your stash? A lot of sock yarns, which are great for so many projects. While I try to buy with a project in mind, my resolution is always tested at events like FibreFest or our Inner City Destash.

When you're not knitting or crocheting you are…. Trying to improve spinning with a drop spindle. So now, I look at both yarn and fibre at yarn festivals! I'm often on Ravelry, adding more and more to my favourites list. In the real world, I'm trying to get my garden into order as it has run wild. And I'm very fond of an afternoon nap on the weekend.

Eleanor Goldfinch is a founding member of the Guild, beginning her guild involvement with Northern and is currently convenor of the Epping Crochet Group. Epping Crochet needs the numbers to survive (almost all of Epping Crochet attendees are members of other Groups) and Eleanor also regularly attends Epping and West Ryde Groups. She is also involved in the Machine Knitting Guild. Eleanor was awarded Life Membership in 2021.

What's your crochet superpower? Although I have only been crocheting for a few years, my skills are still at the beginner stage and my preference is for Tunisian.

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 try to finish one project at a time.

You notice a small mistake – do you rip back or carry on? I don’t like mistakes so am often ripping back both crochet and knitting.

Why do you enjoy being a member of the Knitters' Guild NSW? I enjoy Knitters' Guild meetings for the companionship and the education possibilities available.