Magic Loop or Double Point Needles (4 Needles vs 3 Needles) Yikes!! Which One do I use???? What, When or How???

Patrica Kalthoff , our technique junkie, will solve the mystery of the what two, the how to and the when to during the October meeting. You can practice along with Patricia or just come to listen & knit, of course. As always, she gives extra tips and shortcuts during her demos.

MATERIALS TO BRING: 32 in. circular needle and same size double points to use with worsted (Preferable) weight yarn (not sock yarn--too fine to practice & learn the techniques.) Do not have a 32 in.needle? A 29 in. circular would also work. Yarn should be a plain smooth yarn & light in color- no dark yarns!

Patricia labels herself as a technique junkie. She teaches regularly at the Taos Wool Festival held every year the first weekend in October in beautiful Taos NM. She also teaches at Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe in Cedar Ridge TX (Austin burb). Patricia has been published twice in Knitters magazine. When she was a Frisco TX resident she taught at Yarn and Stitches and designed several patterns. She has served as DHKG Secretary and President.

Patricia now lives in Austin with her husband, Stephen, and 2 daughters.

2 socks @ a time??? Wow--A cure!!!

Drawer full of lonely knitted onesy??? No Pairs Knitted???

Knitting Stash full of the other skein??

Sherry Anderson, owner of Delightful Hands, will teach the Cure...That's right! She will demonstrate the technique, Socks 2 at a Time, from the top down & as a Bonus from the toe up. Its the "Shot" that will cure your 1 Sock Blues! This shot has added benefits--its doesn't hurt a bit!!

Materials to bring: 2 same size Circular Needles per technique with appropriate yarn size. Can be sock weight. Recommended Needle sizes: 24in., 29 in. or 32 in. You may bring a 16 in.; however, it must be used with 1 of the longer needles. Each technique (toe up & top down) requires a set of 2 circulars. That is a total of 4 circular needles.

As a corporate world refugee, Sherry Anderson opened Delightful Hands in 2006 on the Celina Historic Square as a paper craft, scrap booking resource and as a yarn shop. Recently, the bricks and mortar business closed. However, Delightful Hands & Sherry are continuing on an exciting new adventure as an on-line business, appointment only, knitting private lessons, and/or group lessons (think Tupperware parties--only better with yarn). Psalms 37:4 is Delightful Hands guiding principle. As an 8 year old, she learn to crochet, but is a self taught knitter. Sherry brings to us the knowledge of a yarn shop owner.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Razzle Dazzle Socks-have Additives: Cables, Lace, Beads
Additives can be a good thing for sock knitters! Just add one or another or perhaps all 3. Socks change from utilitarian to works of art.

December's program features Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer aka "Jackie ES" as she is known on Ravelry, on the Lace List & in the Sock communities will join us to cook up some fantastic knitting recipes to turn our basic socks into gourmet delights. Learn Pattern placement, suggestions and design possibilities from a Master Knitter. Nothing to bring except your knitting & perhaps the sock folder's blank note pages for note taking or design ideas for immediate or later use. This month's program is a listern, learn and be inspired before the hubbub of the holidays is upon us. Jackie was the co-designer of the Sock Calendar Series with Catherine Wingate. She has designed for Buffalo Gold (a Texas Cashmere resource), Tilli Thomas and others.

Jackie lives in Destrahan, a New Orleans suburb. She has presented several programs for our Guild in the past years & a free workshop for all members on Lace Edgings. As a certified master knitter and teacher, Jackie continues to share her love of knitting and knowledge through design and publication of skill-building pattern instructions, and conducting workshops, programs and demonstrations. Her interest in the fiber arts extends beyond knitting and spinning to include weaving, dyeing and all needle arts. She also enjoys tournament contract bridge and music. Her most recent 'play' thing is a cajun (diatonic) accordian. In her past "real life" she was an information technology consultant-now retired & designing full time.

Check out Jackie ES website is www.heartstringsfiberarts.com to view her Design Gallery, Artistic Statement, Classes, Mini Tutorials & Resources. Her blog is titled: Taking Time to Smell the Roses. Please note Heart Strings Fiber Arts is a wholesaler to the yarn trade--Dec. 1st Jackie is making an exception & bringing some items (i.e. sock patterns, lace patterns, etc.) available for purchase (cash & checks only) at the meeting. Just think you could save your family the trouble of shopping for your holiday present.

Heels & Gussets -- It's as easy as ABC!

Knit the Heel Flap, Now Turn the Heel, On to Gusset Shaping...

1, 2, 3....Ready, Set, Here WE Go!!!!!!

School is Now in Session!

Betty Kay Seibt, a retired English professor, will diagram the Heel & Gusset procedure for our January 5th meeting. Just like a sentence diagram, she will set us straight on nouns & verbs as it pertains to Heels & Gussets structure. By the evenings conclusion, you will learn to knit a paragraph on Heels & Gussets with precision as we continue on our "Year of the Sock" journey.

Now that she has retired from teaching, Betty Kay has been involved in several knitting endeavors. Currently, she is working with a Prison Ministry Crochet group focusing on kids that are incarcerated. (We will have her address their need for yarn donations at the meeting. If you are interested in donating.) She has taught a few sock knitting classes and beginning lace class at Yarn & Stitches. Betty Kay is working with a "Teach Kids to Knit" knitting club for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd graders. What an example of "Paying it Forward"!

If you were lucky enough to have subscribed or read the "Spirit of Knitting" newsletter, Betty Kay was the Co-owner, Test Knitter & Editor. Sadly, it is no longer being published. Betty Kay has been a DHKG member for numerous years serving as Membership VP, Newsletter Chair and President. She started knitting in 1970.

Betty Kay is a budding thespian. She has acted and directed plays for Denton Community Theater. Some of her credits are Arsenic and Old Lace and Waiting in the Wings. She also works at her daughter's daycare center in the new baby room. You can find her Rocking the Babies on an as needed basis.

Toes & Finishing

Form Follows Function -- Gotta follow the form so the sock will function--come find out how & why

Sabrina Brown's philosophy is "form follows function." She spends her days forcing flat fabric to wrap around a three-dimensional body and approaches many knitting projects from a woven textile viewpoint. If the pieces of the garment are not shaped to fit the body wearing them, the finished garment won’t fit either. (Yes, knitted garments have stretch, but their natural inclination is to be in a non-stretched state!)

She is a pattern maker by day, avid fiber junkie by night. Her undergraduate degree is in Textiles & Clothing, earning a BS in Textiles and Clothing Design from Iowa State University; with graduate work in Textile conservation, Anthropology of Clothing, and Clothing Design for Special Needs. Having attended one of the 1st Land Grant Universities in the country (and being a bit schizophrenic), she availed herself of some of the non-clothing class offerings that could have applications to the textile field, Spinning and Weaving (this was considered an Art class at the time), Sheep and Equine Management, Genetics, Organic Chemistry and Botany.

On Saturdays, she can be found working, teaching and finishing at Yarn & Stitches. It is commonly thought that Sabrina was knitting in her mother's womb. Since learning it by osmosis is not perhaps the most effective way to acquire knitting skills with long pointy objects; lessons continued after she was out of diapers.

Sabrina is currently a Senior Pattern-maker with Watters & Watters Bridal Gowns. Prior to moving to Big D in the mid 80's she was the proud proprietor of her own Bridal Couture Salon in Iowa.

Over the years, Sabrina has served DHKG in a variety of capacities: President, Secretary & currently, the Newsletter Editor.