March Meeting: Meaghan Schmaltz (the Unapologetic Knitter) is back on Thurs., 3/12

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Meaghan Schmaltz
(a.k.a. The Unapologetic Knitter)
The Shape of Things: Creating Inclusive Designs

Thursday, March 12th, 2020
Fremont United Methodist Church
2620 NE Fremont Street
Bus lines that'll help get you there: 17, 24, 70.

Doors open at 6 p.m. • Program starts at 7 p.m.

Back by popular demand, Meaghan Schmaltz, a.k.a. The Unapologetic Knitter, will present The Shape of Things: Creating Inclusive Designs. With a focus on grading garments for the knitting industry, Meaghan will share the importance of representation and focus on the challenges and the rewards of creating an inclusive portfolio of knitwear for every knitter!

Meaghan’s past (and present) careers have been about precision and have generally been technical in nature: landscape architecture, wedding planning, bookkeeping, and now technical editing of knitting patterns with a strong focus on garment grading and brioche knitting. Meaghan’s YouTube brioche tutorials, created over 3 years ago, still get thousands of views each month: https://youtube.com/theunapologeticknitterknits

Meaghan’s journey from a hobby knitter, to a designer, and now a technical editor seems like a natural progression for someone who loves precision and sharing knitting knowledge!

The Free Table is back this month!
We look forward to seeing the goodies!

Kathryn Gearheard will be visiting our sister guild, Brave Girl Knitting Guild, in April. Kathryn has taught several women in Rwanda and Uganda knitting skills and they are teaching others. Kathryn will share her experiences with these women (and men) at the March meeting.

Do you have extra straight needles? This is one of the hardest things for them to find, so we're hosting a needle drive. If you have some needles to donate, please bring them to the meeting. Kathryn will take them with her on her next trip in April. (No DPNs or circular needles, please.)

If you don't have any straight needles to spare, but still want to donate, there are plenty of inexpensive needles one can buy at any of the craft or fabric stores, as well as online. (This set on Amazon is a great example: BetyBedy 36PCS Bamboo Knitting Needles Set)

LET'S GET READY FOR JEN BERG!
It's a NativeKnits-Along!

Join us for Puddletown's first knit-along (KAL)!

We find that creativity always flourishes when we have a fun, supportive community to cheer us on. That’s why we are hosting this KAL.

Come to one, come to all, start your project at any time, start with a kit from Weird Sisters, bring yarn from your stash, just be sure to bring your Native Knits project!

When
Tuesday, March 17th • 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, March 31st • 6-8 p.m.

Where
Bob Nelson Room
Fremont United Methodist Church
2640 NE Fremont Ave.

Puddletown will provide tea and snacks!

While there will be supportive and experienced knitters at these Knit Nights, there will be no teachers. This is a great time and place for new stranded knitters to practice and get ready to learn more advanced techniques at the April 18th “We Are Still Here: Keeping my culture alive through knit design” event with Jen Berg.

Join the discussion on Ravelry! Follow the Puddletown Group's NativeKnits ALong thread to ask questions or provide tips.

Get Started on the KAL with a Kit
Weird Sisters Yarn has kits for the Sunset Mesa Cowl, Chaco Beanie, Peaceful People Hat and Peaceful People Cowl! Stop by the store or order online.

Our Charity Project: Butterfly Boxes

Butterfly Boxes, started by Puddletown member Adrienne and her sister-in-law, helps established community members welcome refugees to Oregon. These newest of Oregonians come from around the globe and often arrive with few of the basic necessities or home comforts we take for granted. Butterfly Boxes seeks to bridge that gap with airport welcome bags, made by volunteers and delivered to the airport by their partners at Catholic Charities. These bags are filled with basic necessities like toiletries and towels, comfort items like stuffed animals and dolls, and organizational tools like calendars and folders to help settle into life in Oregon.

Puddletown Knitters Guild has set a goal of making 200 stuffies and dolls for the children of refugees in 2020. They should be huggable and washable. Safety concerns are low as the volunteers can direct items with choking hazards to older children. Keep in mind that most of the refugees are people of color, and dolls' skin tones should reflect their image.

Knit, crochet, sew, whatever craft speaks to you—just do it with love. Bring finished projects to each meeting, show them off, and hand them in for a ticket in a special raffle at the end of the year.

Check out our Ravelry page for pattern ideas.

Save the Dates!

We are excited to have Jennifer Berg as our guest in April!

MEET AND GREET
Friday, April 17 • 6-8 p.m.
Weird Sisters (8836 N Lombard Street, Portland, OR 97203)
Join us for Navajo tea, snacks, Native Knits designs and patterns, and more!

DAY-LONG WORKSHOP
Saturday, April 18 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
We Are Still Here: Keeping My Culture Alive Through Knit Design

Jennifer will speak in the morning about her inspiration and design process, her favorite apps, and appropriation versus appreciation. Throughout the afternoon participants will learn stranded colorwork knitting tips and techniques while working on a project—a cowl she designed exclusively for this event—that features her own motifs and includes a space for attendees to insert a motif of their own design. There will be several expert knitters on hand for additional support. For full event details, visit the Puddletown's Guild Events page.

Explore Jennifer Berg's designs
Ravelry • Instagram • Etsy

Community Events

Pride & Prejudice KAL - Weird Sisters - 2/11, 2/25, 3/10 & 3/24, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

By Hand 2020 Makers Retreat

Registration is open for the By Hand 2020 Makers Retreat, May 7‑10 at IslandWood on beautiful Bainbridge Island—there are only 60 slots available and they’re filling fast! More information at www.byhandserial.com.

Membership Renewal

Membership dues are $35.

Renew online:
Email puddletownknitters@gmail.com and we'll send an invoice.

Renew in-person
We accept cards, check, or cash at meetings.

Put a Pin on It!

Treat yourself or your knitting bestie to a Puddletown Knitters Guild enamel pin. Pick one up for $10 at the meeting.

Meeting Volunteers

Thank you to the generous volunteers that help us set up, greet visitors, bring snacks, and put away chairs and tables.

You make it possible for meetings to go smoothly!

Kim Winter, our lovely volunteer coordinator, is always looking for volunteers.

Please email Kim at puddletownvolunteercoordinator@gmail.com if you're interested.

Guild Leadership

If you'd like to be more involved with programming, special events, or administration within the Guild, we're looking for members to help sustain and grow our Board over the coming years.

Let us know by sending a note to puddletownknitters@gmail.com, or letting one of the Board members know at the meetings.

Our mission is to promote a diverse community of knitters of all abilities, to support local fiber providers and artists from farm to needles, to model respect for the local fiber community by actively valuing their time and expertise.