Driving Directions: Sky Peaks in Northwest Reno. A map is available here. You can access it from 4th street a little west of Truckee River Nursery or from a road you can enter on McCarran going south turning to the right like you wanted to reach Home Depot. At that stop sign, turn right, keep going for awhile through a light and go another few blocks and Sky Peaks is on the left. The community room is on the back or NW side.
The April 10th meeting is at the Bartley Ranch School House. This meeting is potluck. A Learning Tree follows the meeting..
Driving Directions: Drive .8 mile west from the intersection of McCarran Blvd and Hwy 395. Turn left (south) on Lakeside Drive and continue .4 mile. Bartley Ranch is at the north base of Windy Hill. Turn left on Bartley Ranch Road and continue several hundred feet to the main parking lot. Cross the covered bridge and turn right into the parking lot for the School House.
Dues are due. They are $25.00 per year. Membership runs from January to December. Send dues to: Doris Woloszyn at P.O. Box 229 Chilcoot, CA 96105, and make checks payable to Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers.
SOCKS: Many of us have found the fun of knitting socks and have even made more than one pair. This question is for sock knitters: What is your favorite sock pattern? You can answer that anyway you’d like, including the stitch repeat that you like to use for the leg and instep, or more literally, the pattern structure.Amy Shannon: My favorite sock construction is toe-up using the instructions in “Simple Socks” by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. I prefer to use a set of 5 double pointed size 1 needles. I much prefer short-row heels and toes to heel flaps. As for stitch patterns, I like to keep trying new ones, though I am particularly fond of the simplicity of Boxcar Willie. Right now I am working on socks with a “Chevron Lace” rib pattern. How to avoid “Second Sock Syndrome”: When I knit socks I always work on both at the same time so that I don’t have to start all over again when I finish the 1st one. And as soon as I finish a pair, I go ahead and cast on for the next pair, so some are always in progress.
Virva Porcelli: Socks, Socks and more Socks???? Well, I haven't knitted socks for over 20 years. My blind sister used to provide us with her beautiful, warm knitted sock. But then Barbara came up with this brilliant idea of having a Learning tree on knitting socks on a Magic Loop at the Spinners' Retreat. Kind of intriguing, different, thinner socks. I have gotten used to knitting the heavier boot socks for winter warmth. So I took Barbara up on the challenge of knitting thin socks on one circular needle. Sounds funny, one needle, two socks at the same time..... Is this possible? Barbara assured us it was possible, works great and is easy on top of everything else.
OK, here we go.... cast of... weird!!!!! But I stuck with it, kept on knitting on and off. Tried to figure out the instructions. Unraveled. Knitted again. And it is a miracle.... a pair of socks turned out of all that mess. I can even wear them.... and they even look good.
I kind of liked it. So now I am knitting and other pair from the sock yarn blank that Mim dyed.
What I liked about this Magic Loop sock knitting.... It is a small project to take along.... you can do it in small spaces, like in a car. Once you have an idea how it is suppose to work it moves along quite fast. No wonder Barbara is stuck on socks. It might be catching.
Linda Lindsay: I think my favorite socks are the ones I'm doing now. It's just a plain sock pattern, two shades of purple on the cuff - but then I got goofy when I started the heel. So I striped it. But that wasn't enough. Next thing I knew, I'd Fair-Isled the whole foot, then knitted off the toe with alternating shades of purple. It was certainly interesting trying to figure out what I'd done when I had to knit the second one! Just finished it tonight - now let's see if they fit!
Barbara Hunt: Magic loop - toe up - two at a time. The best thing about this pattern is once finished I have two socks done at the same time. For me this is very important due to the fact I don't like doing the same thing twice. With this pattern it allows me to be as creative as I want. I can use any yarn or weight or stitch pattern. The socks fit great with padding at the bottom and back of the heal. I have a book of 356 stitch patterns and working throughout them. Having completed at least 20 pairs of socks and continue to be excited with each new pair.
Sharon Campbell: I’ve wanted to learn toe-up but get too exasperated with trying to figure out the toe cast on. I want to knit socks, not learn to knit socks. I always have a pair on needles, either for myself or for a gift. I just finished the second pair of merino socks from two-ply handspun, using the Falling Leaf pattern. I’ve become very fond of that pattern. I have Noro sock yarn in my basket now, waiting to be cast on. I’m going to use the four row, six-stitch repeat Chevron Lace pattern for these. It doesn’t make sense to deliberately knit socks with holes in them, but nevertheless, I really do like lace socks.
Chevron Lace: 1) *k2, k2 tog, k2, yo; * 2) knit; 3) *yo,k2,k2 tog, k2*; 4) knit
Musings from Sage Creek
I have been retired for six months now, and one year ago at this time, I didn’t know that I would be retired at all. There had been rumors of staff reductions, but when the early buy-out incentives were announced, I applied and was declined. Rumors flew, people were leaving right and left, so I reapplied and waited to hear. I finally was confirmed and was emailed a copy of my contract the second week of June. I signed it on June 17th on my last day of work, and just like that, my employment was severed. I had entered, or rather, was catapulted into a new stage of my life.
I wasn’t sure what I would do with all the time that had previously been filled with employment. Every work day for me had been 11 hours long, including my lunch and commute. I would have an extra 55 hours each week, and I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how living every minute of every day with Ian was going to pan out. I had done everything I could do to get us ready for living on reduced income. I felt we were ready there, but I wasn’t sure if my head was ready.
I’m reminded of how I felt when I discovered I was pregnant for the first time. It was my first marriage, and I had only been married a little over a year. Starting a family hadn’t even been discussed, and then suddenly failed birth control left me facing something I was not prepared for. I was thinking about this the other day as I took my dogs for a walk. I had no idea what being a mother would be like. My parents had been older so I grew up with older people, not young families and children. I didn’t know how to be a mother, but I can tell you that I have loved being a mother, even if I was a little unorthodox. My children have provided the greatest highs and lows in my life and I’m so glad to have taken that route.
Retirement has also been satisfying. We’ve returned to cooking meals from scratch and sharing the cooking. We expanded our garden last summer and are now planning two more raised beds and are pouring over the Peaceful Valley Farm Supply catalog. I thought I’d have time to read a lot, but I find I’m really too busy for that. Though I still haven’t established a routine, I am able to spend several hours a day in my weaving studio. I cannot imagine how I ever had time to work.
My husband was a Marine stationed in the Philippines. My father-in-law, a Navy captain, brought his ship into Subic Bay, so we’d get down to visit him each week and take the baby. One special week, we took his captain’s gig out into Olongapo Bay to snorkel. On the return ride to the ship, one of his sailors asked me if I’d like to drive the boat. He explained how to site using a point of reference on the horizon. I was thrilled. After some moments, the sailor asked me I thought I was steering straight, and I allowed that I thought I was. He suggested that I look at the wake for proof. Following the boat was the darndest snaking trail of churned-up water I had ever seen. Many times I’ve thought about that day. I thought my life was directed, but I was probably more chasing Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen. That queen eluded me several times, and now looking back, while I thought I knew where I was going, my life has been much closer to the snaking wake. In the end, I got to where I needed to be. Here.
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Instructions: Learn to spin! Private and semi-private lessons available in Reno and can be arranged at a convenient time for you. Lessons are 2 hours long and include fiber. Spinning wheel rental is also offered for those students completing a lesson. Contact Allison Judge, fiberist@sbcglobal.net
Loom for Sale: For Sale like new, Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom 24 inches $200.00 firm. Call Vivian Olds, 575-5516 (7/09)
Loom for Sale: 8 Harness Gilmore 42" Loom. Includes Bench, Removable top tray, shuttles, raddle & clamp and 12 yard warping board. I purchased this loom new, a few years ago from Gilmore. It is beautiful and in excellent condition. Original cost was $2187.00 not including the bench and other accessories. Need to sell, will consider all reasonable offers. You can reach me via Email. 1960bndonohue@msn.com Nancy Donohue (7/09)
Spinning Wheel: Ashford Traditional spinning wheel for sale. Spins perfectly. Single treadle, single drive, scotch tension. $250. Contact Allison Judge, fiberist@sbcglobal.net
Wheel and Loom for Sale: Single treadle Ashford Traditional with Jumbo flyer, $250. Eight-harness Gilmore floor loom with extras, like premeasured warps and plenty of shuttles, $450. Contact Gina Caudillo ginamonster@yahoo.com
Spinning Wheel: Double-treadle Kronski Minstrel, asking $300. Contact Marilyn Clarke, peterjclarke@yahoo.com, 786-1709.
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