Holiday Gathering

Our December meeting turned out to be Merry and Bright in every sense of the word. Many gathered to stitch, exchange ornaments and play Holiday Bingo. Our special visitor was thrilled to join this meeting. Wendy from Wendy's Fast Food Restaurant came and participated by leading the bingo games and also handing out the exchange ornaments. She also gave away coupons for Wendy's popular Frosty Desserts.

Shelia treated everyone present with very special gift bags which warmed up everyone's hearts. Thank you Shelia for making this meeting so special. We really appreciate all you have done to make Stitch In such a special time to everyone this year.

The refreshments were provided by members of the Mint Hill Stitch In

This year's gathering brought smiles to all present and prizes were awarded for the winners of the Bingo game.

In addition to the prizes awarded all present took home a book donated by the Library.

Modular Knitting Workshop

A Modular Knitting workshop was held on the first November meeting during our Mint Hill Stitching Session. Aura has been learning all about this exciting technique from the book by Iris Schreier Modular Knits. Here Shelia demonstrates how to attach equilateral triangles using two different colors of yarn.


By connecting triangles a beautiful scarf suited for a beginner begins to take shape. The bright colors are achieved by using Noro Kureyon Yarn. I purchased Noro Yarn at the Cottage Yarn in Mint Hill. This yarn does require handwashing and I've been told it does soften after washing.

This is Aura modeling her finished Modular Knitted Scarf. The pirate next to her is Barnacle Bill and it was created by one of Aura's friends.

Fall 2007 October Meeting

Charlotte Harkey one of the owners of the quilt shop Quilt Patch Fabrics joined us during the October 23rd meeting. Her store operates on 1017 Stallings Rd in Matthews.

Charlotte brought several quilts she has made and shared tips for constructing quilts as well as tips for organization. She has put together a ring binder in which she documents details and pictures about every quilt she has made. All the information is kept inside medium size sheet protectors which are available at office supply stores. Everyone enjoyed Charlotte’s visit and many were inspired to give quilting a try. She had fun too sharing about her passion and will try to come back sometime next year. If you’d like to visit her website the address is: www.quiltpatchfabrics.com

Charlotte's Well organized Pattern Book

Modular Knitting

I am now able to record the television show Knitty Gritty which airs on the DIY network. (The Do It Yourself Network). The featured technique on this show was modular knitting which in my opinion is for intermediate/advanced knitters. It took me a good part of the afternoon to master it. It definitely helps to use a row counter. Unfortunately the book Modular Knits by Iris Schreiver is not available at the library.

To get the instructions for these coasters go to the Do it Yourself Network.

If you are ready for a challenge give modular knitting a try. It involves using short rows, slipping stitches and doing SSK (slip, slip, knit)



Click on the word coasters to view the completed coasters. One ball of Sugar and Cream Cotton yarn will yield 4 coasters.

Beautiful Stitching done during our Meetings

One Skein Wonders - 101 Yarn-Shop Favorites

Striped and Scalloped Cap and Easy Mittens




I recently checked out of my library One Skein Wonders - 101 Yarn Shop Favorites and it has become one of my favorites. The book is for knitters/crocheters of all skill levels. The projects are done in various yarn weights. If you are looking for a quick one skein pattern you will find some in the section In the Thick of It: Bulky-Weight Yarns.

I chose to make the Striped and Scalloped Cap using noro yarn
Noro is 100% wool and comes in vibrant colors. You can purchase it locally at the Yarn Shop in Mint Hill. The second project I've completed are the Easy Mittens on page 134. This pattern was actually submitted by Baskets of Yarn in Charlotte, NC. I have not been to that shop but will have to investigate its location. I did modify this pattern since the small size is not small enough for me. The mittens can be completed in two days. This is an excellent choice for those on your holiday list.

Update: Baskets of Yarn is located in Charlotte. Here's the link to their website:

Baskets of Yarn

Knitting and Crocheting Kits

Shelia has found a creative way to use the Janway bags used for children's book kits. She put together knitting & crocheting kits. More and more people are expressing an interest to start knitting or crocheting but do not have their own supplies. The kits contain laminated instruction sheets, needles and yarn. These kits will be available for people who may want to give knitting or crocheting a try but do not have any supplies. Great idea, Shelia.

During our last session, Sandy insisted on taking Shelia's and Aura's picture doing their favorite thing (Knittting).

Click on this sentence to view picture. Aura had just stopped by to take some pictures and she had nothing to work on so she is holding Shelia's cap.

Stitchin' Meeting a time for sharing patterns & more

The ladies who come to the Mint Hill Stitch In not only share their patterns and crochet or knitting knowledge but also share about each others loved ones, favorite things to do, etc...Two of our ladies were doing just that by sharing photographs.

Everyone has been busy this summer working on a variety of projects. Santa's cross stitch is well under way and should be ready for Christmas. The lady who was working on this beautiful piece said I should not take a picture yet but I could not help myself. Santa will soon have his eyeballs stitched, I'm sure.

To view more pictures click on each sentence.

Sandy's kitty cotton blanket beautiful in the Camo yarn.

Tina's garter stitch shawl.

Julie's beautiful knitted afghan with yarn donated. She said this pattern is tricky so she's had to undo rows several times.
Garter stitch baby cardigan.

Garter stitch cloche in progress

Christmas in July

It's hard to believe the hot days of summer will come to an end soon. July or any other month in Summer is the time when some crafters start to think about projects/gifts they would like to complete before the Holiday Season. Knitting projects do take time so it's not too early to start planning gifts. I have already completed two scarfs. I am in the middle of baby garter stitch cardigan.

The July Mint Hill Stitch In meeting's theme was Christmas. Shelia shared an adorable Knitted candy cane ornament with all the ladies. She said it can be made in an afternoon. This would be a perfect package decoration too.

Right is Right

"Right is right." When knitting something in the round (like a hat or socks), remember that the yarn attached to the needle should always come from the right needle - as opposed to the left. This is particularly important to remember when you pick your work back up (after an interruption).

Knitting in the round is my choice when knitting hats. The finished product is seamless and knitting goes much faster. For more tips on knitting in the round go to: http://www.littleturtleknits.com/circknitting.htm

Help to Understand Gauge Ranges

I recently checked out the book Teach Yourself Visually Knitting Design by Sharon Turner. It is a great book both for the new knitter and the experienced knitter. I fall somewhere in the middle and have so much more to learn about this wonderful craft. I would definitely recommend this book to better understand the mathematics involved in designing knits. The first chapter especially has helped me understand gauge ranges. On page 7 there is a Standard Yarn Weight System Chart which lists the different yarn weights by category name with the recommended needle size to use. Let's say you prefer to knit with Medium Worsted yarn. The right needle sizes for this yarn weight in U.S. size range is 7 - 9.

Have you ever looked at a pattern in a book which requires a specific yarn but does not give information about the yarn weight (whether the yarn is sport or worsted weight?) The master patterns provided for shawls, hats, bags, sweaters, socks, etc... give detailed information about the approximated yardage needed, how many stitches to cast on based on the gauge of each different yarn weight. Knitting books stress the importance of making a gauge swatch, this one does too. Do take the time to make one to insure that your finished product will fit.

One of our library's borrowers shared with me the name of this website: http://wiseneedle.com

This website provides helpful information about yarn by manufacturer's name and fiber content.

Knitting Tip from May Meeting

Why is my knitting curling?

For scarves, shawls, afghans or anything that you want to lay flat, stockinette stitch is not a good choice because it always curls. Garter stitch, which is made my knitting every row, works much better. Other options are K1 P1 ribbing or seed stich. Any stitch with an equal number of knits and purls on both sides of the fabric will not curl.

You can ad a border to the edge, such as seed stitch or ribbing, which will prevent the curling but the whole border may flip to the front or the back of the piece. Another option is to line the entire piece with a woven fabric or knit a second layer.

Tea Party to Honor Mint Hill Stitchers

The tea party held to honor all those who contributed to our last two service projects and to welcome new friends took place on May 8. These two projects benefited our community and we had an overwhelming participation. Following the guidelines of the Warm Up America organization four beautiful afghans were put together. You can see pictures of these afghans in previous articles written in this blog. Thanks to everyone's effort we donated these afghans to the Mint Hill Police Department and to the Mint Hill Fire Department.

The second project consisted in knitting or crocheting infant caps. Nearly sixty caps were made and donated to Presbyterian Hospital Matthews. Knitting or crocheting thse tiny creations can be addicting. Everyone sure did enjoy making them.

We are very thankful to the many businesses who contributed to our tea party by providing refreshments and beautiful flowers.

The Mint Hill Stitch-In meetings take place on t he second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 12:00 p..m. through 2:00 p.m. at the Mint Hill Branch Library.


(click images for larger views)


Beautiful tea pots and tea cups were provided by Mint Hill Branch Staff


Sandy working on knitted mouse cat toy

All in attendance received a potted Impatient plant, courtesy of Martin's Nursery

Delicious pound cake baked and decorated with edible flowers by Shelia

Beautiful flower arrangement graced the refreshment table

Another view of the refreshment table.

April - Mint Hill Stitch In - Meeting

The "Pot Luck" yarn swap took place which gave members the opportunity to either donate or swap yarn. This means that they will have some more space at home to put the new yarn they purchase. It was called "Pot Luck" because you could swap any type, weight or color yarn.

This project designed by Norma Zager is suitable for various types of yarn.
Check out these wonderful websites:

This site will delight and inspire you.

A website featuring nostalgic patterns.

An excellent website for those interested in selling or buying hand made items.

Knit Wiki - An Online Knitting Encyclopedia

I have added a link to Knit Wiki on the main page of this blog. The button is on the right hand side.

Knit Wiki is a community run knitting encyclopedia. To access this valuable source just click on the knit wiki icon. Knit Wiki is fairly new since it was created on February 2007. This online encyclopedia contains patterns, techniques, historical information, etc..contributions made by members. The creators would like all who love to knit to contribute by posting and sharing pictures of their own creations, patterns, tips or anything that would help other knitters. To participate you do have to become a member. On the main page click on the upper right corner create an account.

April's featured article is "The Baby Surprise Jacket" designed by Elizabeth Zimmerman in 1968. The unique feature about this baby all in garter stitch baby garment is that all parts (front, back and sleeves) are knitted in one piece. The pattern itself is not free; the person who wrote the article said she used the instructions from the Knitting Workshop, the book written by Elizabeth Zimmerman.

March Stitch In Meeting

The Mint Hill Stitch In Meetings are now being held once a month on the second Tuesday of every month due to programming restructuring at the library. Some of the ladies asked if they could still meet on the last Tuesday of the month and their request was approved. They just love to stitch together. This day is now referred to as the "Unofficial Day" of Stitch In. Shelia or Neily won't be present on that last Tuesday of the month.

Our community room was nearly full to capacity with ladies of different ages. It's exciting to see the group grow each month and also see young girls participating. Thank everyone for the delicious refreshments. Shelia gave everyone a St. Patrick's card with a coupon to be used at the Yarn Cottage in Mint Hill. I've already used mine to buy size three double points since I lost two needles here at the Library. What a mystery; I still have not found them.

We continued to receive baby and preemie caps which were delivered to the Matthews Presbyterian Hospital. The total number or caps knitted/crocheted totaled fifty five. A big thanks to all who contributed.

Shelia announced the yarn swap which will take place on Tuesday April 10. She will make suggestions of what to do with leftover yarn. I am guilty of accumulating yarn which I purchase on sale and end up not using. This can become a problem since yarn does take lots of room so I'm trying to do better in this area.

More pictures - to view click on the words:

Young Crafters

March newsletter

Shelia's shawl

Shelia holding one of the baby caps to be donated

Neily holding one of the baby caps to be donated

Cross stitch work in progress

Delicious refreshements

Mint Hill Stitch In February 2007 Meeting

We had a dynamic Stitch In Meeting this month with great attendance. Several ladies brought a friend since it was "Bring a Friend Day." We also celebrated Valentine's Day and enjoyed wonderful refreshments and received neat favors. Shelia, this meeting was awesome; you made it special. The ladies enjoyed each other's company, shared tips and Shelia helped a brand new knitter get started casting on. Shelia's mother is now hooked on knitting and reports finishing some of her projects.

To view these other pictures click on each sentence.

Baby caps
Crocheted rectangles donated for Warm Up America Afghans
Valentine's Day Favor
February Newsletter
Prayer shawl completed by Shelia
The refreshments
Yummy treats
A knitting lesson

Technorati Tags:knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch

Flickr Tags:knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch

Baby Caps

The Mint Hill Stitch In facilitators invited its regular attenders to knit baby caps to be donated to the Matthews Presbyterian Hospital. The response has been very great and many stitchers have turned in their beautiful work. Babies come in different sizes and we have collected baby caps in various sizes.

A big "Thanks" and our appreciation to all those who spent time knitting these precious caps. The caps will be delivered during the month of March.

Sandy found this site with a Head Circumference chart very helpful.

Technorati Tags:knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch

The Popularity of Knitting

I get really excited when I find out a new knitting books has been added to our Library's collection. With the popularity of knitting there is a demand out there for new knitting books. I did a search and found that the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg lists 300 knitting books. New ones are being added every few months and the newest books have the most requests. Our collection has great non-fiction and fiction books. It's interesting that both knitters and non-knitters are reading the Fiction books. It would be interesting to find out how many readers who read the fiction books make the decision to learn to knit.

One of our new books "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs currently has 126 requests. Wow that is pretty neat!; if I had written this book I'd be thrilled. It's interesting that we only own two titles by this author. Her other book is a children's picture book "A Sister's Wish". The knitting genre is popular, there is no doubt about that.

Flickr Tags:knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch

Technorati Tags:knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch

Knitting Therapy for all Ages

It's never to late to learn something new, especially knitting. People of all ages are discovering and experiencing the joys of knitting.

A friend of mine shared with me today about her success in teaching her mother to knit. She went on to say she was glad her mother had not given up. It took a few lessons and she reported that her mother is truly enjoying this learning experience very much. Her mother is excited about this new nourishing skill and has already completed a project and is making plans for future projects. My friend also shared that she herself has noticed that when she knits in the evening before going to bed she actually sleeps better.

The following article written by Stacey Palevsky talks about why knitting can be beneficial and make a positive impact in someones life. To read the article click on the words Benefits of Knitting.

Benefits of Knitting

Samples from Mint Hill Crafters

Library Donates Blankets

This is the article which appeared in the Mint Hill Times during the month of January 2007. I would like to thank all the wonderful ladies who contributed donating the knitted or crocheted rectangles. It was neat to be part of this community project. The result of putting them all together was fabulous. The Lieutenant of the Mint Hill Police Department received two of the afghans and the dispatcher of the Mint Hill Fire Department received the other two. They will distribute the blankets to members in the community. I' sure that the recipients of these beautiful one of a kind afghans will be touched.
Thank you, Tim Long for writing the article.

If you would like to receive more information about the Warm Up America program visit this link: http://warmupamerica.com/home.html