For the first time in three years, the Guild will be back to in-person meetings!!!! Using a hybrid meeting approach, we will continue our online presentations, but we will also be meeting in-person at the College of Alameda. Our meeting will be held in Room H154, of Building H – the Liberal Arts Building. This building is on Webster Street, on the east side of campus. A campus map can be found here: https://alameda.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Campus-Map.pdf
The Machine Knitters Guild of the San Francisco Bay Area supports the art and craft of machine knitting through our activities and charitable programs. Membership benefits include: monthly programs and newsletters; members-helping-members programs; yarn and swap events to trade or renew your stash; a lending library with books, magazines, and CDs; plus, the members-only chat group.
Our program year, September through June, includes presentations on machine knitting techniques, garment inspiration and design, current trends in knit fashion, shaping hints, short-row techniques, socks, garter bars tricks and much more.
Our in-person meetings begin at 10 AM, on the second Saturday of each month. The first half our meeting, from 10 am until 12 NOON, includes a discussion of Guild business, sharing of our “makes,” design ideas and machine knitting techniques. During the second part of our meeting, from 12 Noon until 2 pm, we have an invited guest speaker from around the world of machine knitting. Note that depending upon where the speaker is located, we may “flip” our schedule and have the presenter start at 10 am.
Questions about membership?
If you have any questions, please contact the Guild by sending an email to: machineknittersbayarea AT gmail DOT com. Dues for the 2022- 2023 Program Year, which begins September 2022, are $50. Please join us!
Our Full Library is on Ravelry
Did you know that the Guild has a lending library of books, magazines and patterns for machine knitters? As these items become more difficult to find, we’re very lucky to have access to such an extensive collection. The entire collection is listed on Ravelry. For questions about the library, please contact our Librarian.
Tuck Lace created with a punchcard knitting machine.
Bay Area Events and Shows
STITCHES WEST
The 2023 Stitches West Conference will be held March 2 – 5, in Sacramento (note the new city location). Please check out their website (https://stitches.events/events/west-2023/) for more information.
The Guild will have a booth at the 2023 Stitches West Conference. Check back for pictures later in the month.
From 2020’s Conference — Okay, okay, so how do you spell “fun” in Yarnspeak? S-T-I-T-C-H-E-S. The Stitches West Conference in Santa Clara, February 20 to 23, 2020, was, as always, a total blast.
How do you even explain Stitches to people who aren’t into yarn? Well, it’s like Graduation meets the Super Bowl and the World Series, while visiting Disneyland with all of your Besties. It’s four days of the most fun. Lots of yarn, lots of people, lots of classes, lots of products, lots of laughter, lots of everything!! The Stitches Conference is sponsored by Knitting Universe, and that name says it all — Stitches provides everything in the Universe to people who knit.
The Guild had its own booth, super popular with people who are generally curious about anything happening with yarn. We displayed lots of garments that were made by our members using various gauge knitting machines, and there were two machines set up for people to try their hand at knitting a swatch.
The Lookie-Loos fell into two distinct groups. The first group were people who had had a knitting machine “years ago,” or their mom or grandma had a machine, and they were pleasantly surprised that the machines were still around. The second group were die-hard knitters who thought that getting a knitting machine would be a great way to get through their yarn stash. Heh, heh, heh, little do they know…..
Special thanks to Adrienne for schlepping machines, tables and garments to the Santa Clara Convention Center and setting up everything.
And thank you to all our Guilders who worked a shift in our magical booth as we showcased our craft.
Check out our photos ….
Guilders having fun.
Lois demo-ing on a standard gauge machine.
Reba being Reba .. sweet!
Okay, knitters are funny.
Knitters are .. um, affirming?
Okay, knitters are silly!
There were beautiful wares to purchase.
Lots, and lots, and lots of yarn.
Even though this was handmade, it’s beautiful.
One of the most popular items in the booth. People were curious about how it was made on a machine.
And more yarn.
Oh, we think we may have a new member!
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2020 EAST BAY MINI MAKER FAIRE
Awaiting information about 2022
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the East Bay Mini Maker Faire was virtual this year. The Virtual Faire was held on October 25, 2020. Our own Adrienne SLAYED. Her video of how to design and knit a futuristic puppet, using 1980s knitting machine technology, made Geppetto jealous. Adrienne’s submitted video entry was one of the most popular. Check it out here: https://makeprojects.com/project/knit-a-puppet-using-a-hacked-knitting-machine.
Thank you, Adrienne, for being such a great champion for machine knitting!!!
Keep your fingers crossed that next year’s Faire will be back to in-person creating. Check their website for more information (https://eastbay.makerfaire.
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MKGSFBA had a booth at one of the most well-attended conferences for knitters, the Vogue Knitting LIVE! San Francisco. This event is similar to Stitches — lots and lots of yarn folk — but it is strictly for knitters. Classes, wares, friends. An excellent opportunity to learn and create. According to their website, 2023 dates will be announced soon.
South Bay Machine Knitting
Adrienne Hunter has organized a smaller machine knitting group in the South Bay. The meetings are now being held at the Maker Nexus, a collaborative work space in Sunnyvale (https://www.makernexus.com/). This group is a bit different from the larger Guild in that it is more informal and hands-on. Knitters are encouraged to bring their knitting machines so they can learn from each other and gain access to Adrienne’s deep knowledge about machine knitting. Beginners are very welcome to attend. We encourage membership in both the Guild and the South Bay group, as the two groups are very different, yet wonderfully complementary.
To find out about the next meeting check the South Bay Machine Knitting Meetup Group
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Highlighting Our Members
Our membership is our most valuable asset. Many of our members have their own machine knitting or yarn inspired businesses. Here are the sites of a few of our members.
Nancy Roberts, local Silver Reed dealer, sells machines, tools, supplies, and teaches classes. Nancy has been a member since 2005. Visit her site: Machine Knitting to Dye For
Sarah Etchison provides private lessons on any brand of knitting machine. Send her an email for more information at: queenknitter@gmail.com.
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We Support Our Local Yarn Shops
Machine knitters go through yarn at a FURIOUS pace. We are lucky to have fantastic brick and mortar yarn shops in the area to support our craft. We hope you will check out these partners who offer Guild members discounts on their yarn purchases.
ImagiKnit at 3897 18th Street in San Francisco – https://imagiknit.com/
Avenue Yarns at 1325 Solano Avenue in Albany – https://www.avenueyarns.com/