fall schoolhouse newsletter

The new Sept 2010 newsletter from Schoolhouse press is available.  You can subscribe on the schoolhouse website or you can go to their website in future to read the newsletters.   Meg Swanson writes them and there is often good knitting tips in the letter.

Knit lit group in NY needs your support

I am posting this in case you would be interested in supporting a teacher/school that is using 

knitting as a means to connect with kids.  Voting for their project goes through nov 1.

Greetings!

I wonder if you would be interested in helping me spread the word about an amazing group

of knitting kids in New York who need your support - not money, just votes and publicity!  

My name is Betsy Rodman, and I run a knitting/book club called "KnitLit" at 

Haverstraw Middle School, in Haverstraw, NY (Rockland County).  Kids knit blankets for 

charity and we read and discuss a book together. This is an impoverished community 

(more than 50% of our students have free or reduced lunch), where knitting has caught on. 

KnitLit is extremely popular, and I even had to turn students away last year due to budget 

constraints. Sadly, the club is facing elimination this year due to a dire budget situation.  

How you can help: we have been nominated for a "Power a Bright Future" award from the Clorox 

company.  Winners are determined by vote (people can vote once a day through Nov. 1), 

and amazingly, after 5 days of voting we are in the TOP 5% NATIONWIDE among all of the nominees! 

BUT we have a long way to go to get to the top, with some serious competition from lots of sports 

activities and marching bands.  Wouldn't it be wonderful for handcrafts and the knitting world to 

see a group of young knitters win this award? Is there any way that you could help us spread the 

word to a larger audience?  Perhaps a blurb to your e-mail list? We need to move quickly, as 

voting ends Nov. 1st.  

To read our award application, go to this link:
http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/gallery?id=3048&cid=p1core-tbx05.f.1800/ae890/3b6/ef55c07c.e5c302e3793a9e1688da21fc91c1a7b4&page=1
For more info, go to http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/ and search on "KnitLit". 

You can read our award application there. We also have a KnitLit Facebook page. 

What a wonderful opportunity to help a worthy cause without donating a penny, and to spread the word of the power of knitting with young people! I thank you for any support you could lend us! Sincerely, Betsy Rodman Haverstraw Middle School KnitLit Club

Finally getting caught up

It has been a hectic few weeks.  Closed the store, started several classes and helped a family member move. Roxanne (the crochet teacher) has beginner crochet and tunisian classes going.  I have 2 sets of beginner classes.  One is an adult class and the other is 4/5th graders.  All that with a 5 day trip out of state to help a family member move from one assisted living location to another.

Anyway, on to the knitting news.  Skacel has not sent out the addi lace interchangeable needles yet.  They are still fine tuning to make them perfect BUT they have the natura interchangeable needle sets on their way to stores.  I do love this needle whether it is a regular circular or the interchangeable set.  The needles are great but the cord is so perfect.

The new Deep Fall knitty issue has some great patterns in it.

I got some new books recently....the knitters year by Debbie Bliss, the new commemorative Knitters almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman, Modern top Down and the new aran knitting by Alice Starmore.  The aran knitting is not just a reprint of the old book, it has been updated.  I have enjoyed reading through all of them.  

That's it for now.  Short and sweet so you wouldn't think I quit posting.