Needle Arts Corner
By Madonna A. Terlizzi
Needle Arts Corner - November 2011
November is kind of an interesting month because sometimes it is warm and sunny, then on other days it is snowing and bleak. I try to soak up the good days outside as I know what is around the corner. I have been found reading a book on the porch on a sunny day when I should be working (don’t tell Joe), thus the book reviews. On not so nice days I have updated my website and have been lining up projects and books that I want to be involved in over the next few months. It is working out pretty well for me, so you may want to give it a try too!
This month I shall review a book I recently read that I found interesting. The book is called The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs. It takes place on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Georgia Walker is raising her 12 year old daughter, Dakota. She basically runs a yarn shop and raises her daughter. There is a cast of ladies that frequent the store and meet on Friday Nights for coffee, knitting, friendship, support and treats from Dakota. They consist of Anita, a helpful wealthy lady and mentor, Lucie, a TV producer, who decides to become a single mother. There is Darwin, a doctoral student and feminist and Peri, a part time employee/purse designer who is in law school. KC, a former co-worker who has yet to finish a knitting project and two other surprise characters play roles in this book. The book is written in the same style as a knitting project. I found it to be an interesting book as it takes place not only in the United States but in Scotland as well. An interesting cast of characters and a few unexpected twists and turns makes it a great read. Enjoy!
I have been knitting since I was a child and find it very relaxing. I can hold my own with the best of them, but am far from a professional. Grace, one of my students, recently came to class with a new knitting pattern as I am finishing up the book. So, of course, I have to pull out the needles and yarn to try out her pattern. It is working up well, despite the fact that I need to find my row counter! I also made up a felted change purse kit that Jane had given to me about a year ago. It came out very cute. With this knitting fever going on I decided that maybe others would want to learn to knit. So this month we will be holding beginner knitting classes here at my Studio. You will learn all the basics, like how to cast on, knit stitch and purl. We will start with a simple scarf so you can get the jest of it. You may also want to visit the Yarn Shop located at the Savers Bank building in Uxbridge. Kathleen has some beautiful yarn, I was in recently checking out her stock. Yes, I bought some. I needed it!!! She has needles, patterns, buttons and yarn. Everything you need for class. Call me for more information!
Oh yes, the other thing that I am doing is taking a class at the Uxbridge High School through the Adult Education program. It is really interesting to learn new technology that I can use daily. I feel like a dinosaur with some of the computer programs that have come around. I think that I am doing okay so far, Mrs. Fletcher has not thrown me out yet! I cannot wait to try another class out. As an added treat, I met up with an old friend (Carol) that I had lost touch with! Does it get any better? I do not think so.
So have a wonderful Thanksgiving, don’t eat too much and exercise. Call me if you want to meet some new friends and acquire a new skill. Peace. Madonna A. Terlizzi, BV Needle Arts Studio, 508-294-5721 or www.fabricaddiction.net
