MEETING THIRTY, OCTOBER 23rd 2009

Our last meeting was all about happiness and this meeting was all about celebration... and it was a double celebration as Sharee and Eleanor were both bashful birthday babes. A double celebration meant a double helping of cake!

In a funny co-incidence they were both wearing socks they had knitted for themselves. Perhaps not so funny as tis is the Friday night SOCK Club after all!

Eleanor wore socks she had knitted using some Regia Square Color yarn she had received for her birthday the previous year.

Eleanor also left with a lot more than she was expecting... this was her birthday prize haul.

Sharee was showing off a toe full of sunshine with these cheery yellow socks
The international nature of our group came to the fore with the addition of Patricia, an exchange student who is currently staying with Angela. Verena who is also from Germany was well able to let Patricia know of our strange Kiwi way of doing things. I wonder if someone will ask her to 'bring a plate' next time! :-)

Angie isn't one to turn her back on people... especially other knitters... but I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a photo of her beautiful Fair Isle vest.

Carolyn was being clever and working on a non-sock knitting project... she was however using sock yarn to make a beautiful baby jacket. So that made it all OK.

And here's Carolyn stitching away merrily with Gloria and Yvonne... Yvonne is a recent convert to sock knitting and she has developed a ravenous appetite for Vintage Purls sock yarn. I always knew Yvonne had great taste!

Marnie proudly showed off her latest completed pair of socks... a stunning pair knit up in Regia designline 'Exotic' by Kaffe Fassett, the colourway is called Easter. Hmmm another tasty sounding treat.

One of the cakes featured meringue finger which started to 'droop' as more and more of the cake was cut and devoured. The drooping finger was the cause for a little innuendo but boys will be boys and James decided to add a couple of cookies to reinforce the point of discussion.

MEETING TWENTY-NINE, OCTOBER 9th 2009

Given all the bad weather we've had lately I thought we'd focus on the positive and talk about happiness...

Happiness is another meeting of the Friday Night Sock club...

Happiness is a table full of edible delights to tempt us while we knit. Ian baked chocolate muffins and a sultana cake while Marnie brought along a lemon tart, Angie brought along a chocolate cake and Lady Penelope brought along some raspberry and white chocolate muffins...

Happiness is finding the perfect spot to take a nap... Jazz decided that Lorraine's jacket was that perfect spot...

Angie clearly thinks that happiness is spending an evening knitting socks with friends... and wearing a beautiful handknit vest...

Eleanor was also showing us the happinness you have from wearing warm handknits on an unseasonably cold evening...

Heather knows the happiness you get from knowing the best way to place your pinky finger while knitting...

For Verena happiness is the completion of another sock... Mermaid by Lucy Neatby and knit in Regia's Designline Landscape by Kaffe Fassett in the colourway 'Caribbean'... perfect for a mermaid.

Marion knows that happiness is sunshine... and having fun playing with fibre and learning new skills along the way. Inspired by Jan Messant, Marion experimented with freeform picture knitting and created this delightful garden scene. A glimpse of sunshine was just what we all needed... thanks Marion!

MEETING TWENTY-EIGHT, OCTOBER 2ND 2009

The squares have started to roll in for our very first knitted friendship quilt. We were needing 35 squares for the quilt and it looks as though we've almost reached that target after only one week. Now we just have to sew the squares together in time to present it to it's recipient at one of our upcoming meetings. Watch this space for the finished quilt!

This meeting was an extra special, off schedule, meeting in order for us to welcome back Morag of Vintage Purls who was in town to teach a sock design workshop at J.O.Y. the following day. Luckily for us Morag also brought with her a suitcase full to overflowing with limited edition sock yarn fresh from her dyepot. The temptation was too great for most of us and we indulged in a little retail yarn therapy for no other reason than the yarn looked fantastic... as if that isn't reason enough.

Here's a shot of Morag in action teaching a select few the finer points of sock design. She really knows her stuff!

Ian saw to it that we didn't go hungry at the meeting with his delicious contribution of hokey poker biscuits and chocolate walnut slice... the perfect match for an evening of sock knitting.


Marion had been very busy during the week at the Feltmakers convergence at Masterton. Over 180 felting fans in one place, quite an amazing achievement. She brought along this selection of felted items including brooches and a fish.

Speaking of felting... Angie managed to pry herself away from her beloved grandson, Billy Bud, for the evening to join us and brought this lovely felted bag with her. It was shop bought but it shows just how creative some people can be and how wonderful it is to have handmade things around us.


James had rearranged the furniture in the living room at Scarlet Oak Cottage since we last met and in order to fill a space on one of the walls hung one of his larger knitted projects from years gone by. He said that the work is an ecological entreaty for us to look after the environment... could you tell that from looking at it??? No, neither did we... it does look great on the wall though!

MEETING TWENTY-SEVEN, SEPTEMBER 25th 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!

Our 27th meeting marked the first anniversary or our group and amongst those present were James, Eleanor and Carolyn who were there at the very first meeting.

Birthdays are always worth celebrating and made so much nicer by celebratory food...

in this case with lolly cake made by Ian and a raspberry chocolate gateaux James procured from the Metro New World at Wellington Railway Station. Eleanor also provided us with a beautiful cake complete with a single candle to mark the special day.

Marion and Carolyn parked up on the couch for a serious spot of sock knitting and were listening intently when Marnie told us of her plans to have a sock stall at next year's French Fair at Tauheranikau. Everyone in the group was encouraged to knit up a few pairs of socks to sell and also to spread the word about how much fun sock knitting is.

We had another new member at the meeting, Katie, who is Lorraine's daughter. We love to see generational knitting... we just couldn't believe that Lorraine was old enough for her 'baby' to have been a teenager. Katie is pictured here working on a scarf... OK so it's not strictly sock knitting but Katie is new to knitting and she was making great progress on a scarf.

James was working on a new pair of socks using a pattern called "Oliver" he received as a free gift at the Men's Knitting retreat he went to. The yarn he is using is Socks That Rock from Blue Moon Fibre Arts and is in a colourway called "Typhoon Tina". Pictured on the sock is another of his free gifts... a decrease stitch marker with the American decrease SSK on it.

Gloria had been keeping busy working away on creating something very useful that every sock knitter should have... beautiful needle cases. It was the result of having an idea pop into her head and then making that idea a reality. The cases are made from recycled paper with a button at each end and an elasticised cord to ensure that you will never lose the lid. She even sold a few of them to us. Amazing proof that Gloria is so much more than just a pretty face.

MEETING TWENTY SIX, SEPTEMBER 11th

Win is another of our members who have become addicted to the delights of knitting a sock yarn blankie. In this photo you can see the progress she is making. Win is also debating whether or not to take it with her when she heads off to Australia to visit family. If you look closely you can see the hank of Socks That Rock yarn James bought her to say thank you for the use of her tartan tights.

Speaking of yarn purchases... James showed the group an assortment of yarns which he had purchased and received as gifts at the Retreat on his recent trip to the United States. The one thing which stood out was that American's are clearly prepared to spend more on yarn than we do but when you see the variety of what's available over there it's no wonder as everything is so tempting.

Eleanor was back in action powering away on another pair of socks and if you look really closely at the picture her project bag featured some beautifully embroidered flowers on the front.

Carolyn was working on a new pair of socks which was in a bright and colourful yarn featuring blues, pinks and yellows.

Marion had also been very busy and showed off this beautiful pair of socks...

As well as this pair knitted from a Vintage Purls Limited Edition which Marion had purchased at the JOY Anniversary Weekend Garden Party.

Nichola had just celebrated her birthday and was excited to show the group some of her knitting related presents... a wonderful project bag made from fabric featuring balls of yarn... and a mini sock key ring... both gifted to her by Sharee.

Our next meeting should be quite special... it will be our 27th meeting making it our first anniversary meeting. Happy Birthday to us!!!

MEETING TWENTY FIVE, AUGUST 28th

It's done!

Billy Budd's baby blanket is finished and here it is. Members of the group all contributed squares knit from various homespun yarns which Win then crocheted together. The finished size was quite a bit bigger than we anticipated which is great because it means that it will fit a single bed for years to come.

Eleanor was knitting up a storm as usual and had managed to complete another couple of pairs of socks since our last meeting. This puts her tally for the year at over 50 pairs... impressive in anyone's terms. The red pair are in Regia Designline by Kaffe Fassett Mirage in the Fire colourway. The other pair are in Regia Galaxy in the camouflage colourway.

It's not quite sock knitting but James showed the group the knitted swatches he had knit up for the workshops he would be teaching the following week at a Men's Knitting Retreat in the United States of America.

Persian Poppies and...

Bi-tone Honeycomb.

If you are a delicate disposition look away... NOW!!!

James made the mistake of showing the group a night shirt he had bought which had little sheep on it. There was to be a slumber party at the Knitting Retreat and this is what he was going to wear. Win then decided that the outfit needed a little something extra to make it stand out... that little something was her tartan stockings!

James was then coerced into modelling the ensemble for the group.

I told you to look away!!!

MEETING TWENTY FOUR, AUGUST 14 2009

Gloria was a burst of colour this week and was happy to show off her bag which she had knitted herself and felted. She said she chose the bright yellow yarn beacuse it made her happy just looking at it... do knitter's need any reason to buy yarn???

Keeping up with the bag theme (despite this being a sock group) here is Jen showing off a bag she had just completed also. I think Jen looks happy just looking at her yarn too!

Elizabeth then showed us an absolutely amazing lace shawl she had knitted in yarn she had bought from the Shetlands when she and her husband had toured through the region. We'll have to shoot the photographer because this shot does not do justice to either Elizabeth or the shawl.

Still keeping with knitting, but not sock knitting, James gave the group an advance preview of 'Doug's Comfy Chair For Charity" which was officially being launched on Sunday at the first anniversary birthday bash of J.O.Y. It is Doug's (James' Father) chair and on it was the last project he knitted and the lap rug James knitted for him. Next to the chair is a pair of knitting needles made out of the native timber rewa rewa Doug had made himself. People are invited to sit in the chair and knit on the project on the needles... in this case scarves for a local charity. Here we have James in the chair knitting for charity.

Finally we have some sock knitting to show... and despite trying to hide from the camera it's obvious that it's our resident sock superstar Eleanor whipping up another pair of socks at break neck speed!