Home - Fort Vancouver Knitters Guild

MISSION

The Fort Vancouver Knitters Guild is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide education to guild members to further skills in knitting, broaden their understanding of the craft, and to serve the community through services and donations.

WELCOME

All are welcome regardless of age, skin color, nationality, religion, gender identity or disability. We dedicate ourselves to the goal of a diverse, inclusive and spirited knitting community free from inequality, racism and injustice.

Upcoming Events

September Monthly Meeting

The next monthly meeting will be:

September 4, 2025
6:30 pm until 8:30 pm
Doors open at 6:00.
Zoom invites will be sent before the meeting.
Log in beginning at 6:15 pm.

Location:
Barberton Grange (Map)
9400 NE 72nd Ave
Vancouver, WA 98665

Zoom:
Zoom Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82190239695?pwd=uce2cpoy9e0G30KMRwqzmTzPXIy9IF.1

Meeting ID: 821 9023 9695

Passcode: 491510

Do you need help joining the Zoom? Here are instructions! Click here!

Door Prizes on Zoom:

If you are going to be on the zoom call, please click on this link and choose a door prize.
https://forms.gle/QzBt2Y4YW3KwMwfH6

Your name will be added to the spinner for that door prize.

You must choose your door prize BEFORE 6 PM on Wednesday, Sept 3^rd.

Agenda:
Social Knitting - 6-6:30 pm

Program:
Survey summary and Speed Dating/Karen Stral
Yarn Fest
Introduction of New Officers

Guild Business | Show and Share |Door Prizes and Social Knitting | Clean up

OUR GUILD VALUES

COMMUNITY

GIVING THROUGH KNITTING

EDUCATION

Community

August

* Projects completed by our members *

Anne Harrison

Beverly Walker

Jasmine

Melinda Lefave

Debbie Cardiff

Knitting News

A Note from Karen Stavis, FVKG President

September is a new year for the Guild with our new officers and the renewal of our dues.

At the September meeting Karen Stral will be leading a short discussion to finalize our 2025 Member Survey.
Plus, she will lead us through a fun exercise to renew and expand acquaintances with our fellow Guild members
through the Knitting Dating Game. Be prepared for a fun night of learning more about your Guild friends.

And, it doesn’t look like fall is coming anytime soon...but I know we are all beginning to think about fall
projects. I spent the weekend listening to a 4-day Fearless Knitter Summit with The Yarnist. Lots of
interesting things to learn and consider for future projects. With that in mind, we are excited about our
meeting in September. As a way of keeping our tradition of learning and supporting our guild ...grab a pattern
that you’re thinking of making and definitely bring it with you to September‘s meeting. We will have good
quality yarn that has been curated by our members and placed in $5 -$10 and a few $20 bags for projects. It
will definitely be a shop fest!

~ Karen Stavis, FVKG Incoming President

White Oak Alpacas invites you to our Fleece & Fiber Sale
2025 Saturday September 6, 11am-4 pm.

We will have raw Alpaca fleeces, roving, Art batts and yarns for sale. All alpaca fiber is from our herd. Bring a comfy chair, snack or lunch, spend time chatting, knitting, shopping with fiber friends. Covered barn area will keep us dry, if sunny we can sit and enjoy all the colors of the ranch. Directions can be found at www.WhiteOakAlpacas.com in map form or written.
Please no dogs, not even pocket size permitted.

Hope to see you all at the ranch,
Karin Finch | 360-841-7276

Sacred Sheep Festival Update
Webpage

As a sponsor we will have a table in the Meet-up tent that we will need to staff on Saturday and Sunday (November 15-16) . We will need about 10 volunteers to cover 3 to 3.5 hour shifts, @ 2 persons per shift. The one-hour Meet and Greet event will be held on Sunday, November 16. The winner of the member vote is " Know Your Yarn" which received 40 votes (vs "Speed Knitting" with 16 votes). We may need 2-3 additional volunteers to assist with this activity.

When Ritual Dyes highlights the guild as a sponsor the focus will be on our Giving through Knitting program. Sacred Sheep promotional materials will indicate that we are currently collecting machine washable hats for the local food pantries and if attendees wish to contribute to our Giving through Knitting program we will be collecting hats for all ages at our Sacred Sheep meet up booth.

~ Vera Rasmussen, FVKG Outgoing President

A Note From Malinda

Since we’re getting close to Halloween, how about a cute color work cat and mouse hat? Free Ravelry download. Knit-A-Long, anyone?

~ Malinda Lefave, FVKG Member

Celebrate I Love Yarn Day
(October 11, 2025)

I Love Yarn Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in October — falling on October 11 this year — by yarn enthusiasts and craft lovers all over the world. To encourage others by sharing your love of yarn and raise awareness of fiber crafts, consider a yarn destash! Local groups that accept donated yarn include:

ScrapPDX - 3 grocery bags per donation, days to donate are located on their website. Their goal is to encourage accessibility/inclusivity/affordability in crafting

ReclaimIt - Portland-based. Their goal is to keep things out of the landfill. The make art and welcome volunteer artists to make treasures out of trash. Donations must be approved, but they will accept donated yarn.
Details are on the website.

Project Linus - accepts washable yarns. Donations must be approved by a local chapter coordinator.

St John the Evangelist Church in Vancouver They have a large prayer shawl ministry and accept donations of acrylic/washable yarn in muted colors (no pink/purple/brights, etc.). They don’t get as many yarn donations as
they would like.

DiscoFibers in Portland. Contact Zeb directly or attend the September 5 First Friday

Destash Event at Hook &Needle

And, of course, FVKG! We are a willing yarn and knitting book recipient!
~ Janelle Serio

FVKG Membership Renewal Is Now

Membership renewal notices will be sent out automatically to all FVKG members at the
beginning of August to remind us all to renew our memberships. The cost is $35 for the
2025-2026 year which begins on September 1st. There will be a total of 3 renewal notices
sent out.

Folks can pay by credit card on the website. Cash, ACH (authorized withdrawal from a
checking account), and checks are also accepted. Please contact me directly with renewal
questions at petersonmarla@att.net

Renewed dues payments are the income the Guild uses to pay for speakers, a meeting
place, website fees, business cards, and cookies at the Annual Picnic. Your prompt
attention to paying your renewal is appreciated for budgeting for next years costs.
The Board looks forward to seeing you all at regular meetings and special events.

~ Marla Peterson, Membership Chair

The Woolery Rewards Program

A valuable reminder: You can support FVKG and buy your yarn and fiber at the same time — what could be better?

The Woolery is a family-owned store, and the perfect place for weaving, spinning, felting, dyeing, rug hooking, punch needle, knitting, and crocheting. In addition to being a great resource for us for our addictions er, crafts, it can also help the guild out with a cash-back program. FVKG has enrolled in the Woolery Guild Rewards Program (WGRP), where the Woolery donates 5% of all purchases made when the member first clicks on the WGRP link.

Then look around online, and place your order as usual.

NOTE PLEASE, you must use this link to ensure the rewards go to FVKG.

Questions? Contact Laurel at treasurer@ftvancouverknittersguild.org.

Laurel Prager

Giving Through Knitting

Screenshot_2025-03-28_at_10.20.32_AM.png

"And, don’t forget the hat machine!"

Here’s a picture of a few of the hats I produced on our Guild hat machine last year, both for the Guild
project and for a gift exchange I was going to. The ombre and self-striping yarns produce such a pretty
product, and in short order!

—Sarah Kerridge

Giving Through Knitting
Thanks to one and all for your continued support and contributions to our charity knitting projects. Your efforts are very much appreciated. Please continue to knit items for our various charities.

There are several projects to choose from, or try one of each. Last call for 2025 will be at the November 6 meeting. Bring all knitted charity items to that meeting. If you are not able to come to the meeting, call Geri 703-599-9626 or Sue 503-968-9740 to arrange for a pick up.

We are still knitting hats for the food bank to be delivered just before Thanksgiving.

We are also knitting fingerless mitts in brown, black and grey for the nuns who take such good care of us at the retreats. They will be for Christmas gifts.

We continue to knit items for the Veterans hospital on an ongoing basis. They like fingerless mitts, scarves and hats in washable yarn as well as shawls that are size large and do not have a long V in the back. The longer shawls get caught in wheelchairs. These also need to be made of washable yarn.

If you have an idea for other charity knitting projects please let us know. We are always on the lookout for new things to knit!!

Stay tuned for a surprise project announcement in the New Year. In the mean time~

Happy Knitting from Geri and Sue

**Dan and I have a charity that needs knitting hands. St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Orchards is home to the Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO) for families. (About WHO) They get a hot meal, a warm place to sleep, showers, hygiene products, and tables of clothing and knits to select winter clothing from. We can knit and donate winter knits, and any winter clothing that you would like to donate. You can get started right away.

Dan and I cook dinner meals as volunteers for those in the shelter. For example, we bring pots of chili, cakes, and breads. Lots of warming food made with care. We will gladly take donations from our Guild members at meetings to the shelter when we go to cook, which is frequently during the winter months. So just bring them along to the meeting, find me or Dan, and drop them off with us. Easy peasy! Or arrange to meet me for pick up.

It makes a difference! Out of all of the clothing I watch being taken, the knits disappear the fastest. They are drawn to the knits table, and love knitted items! They are really wonderful people who appreciate and are grateful for the items they get there.

We begin in November and end in April. Please bring any knitted items and/or clothing to the November meeting for the WHO shelter this winter.

Trish Freedman

Education

Knitterly Reads

Mosaic Knitting Workshop - Ashleigh Wempe (David & Charles, 2023).

It looks complicated but after learning the basic technique, it’s something that any advanced beginner can master quickly. Color work patterns are created by using one color for two rows while slipping some stitches then switching to a second color and slipping specific stitches in those rows.

The result is intricate-looking geometric designs that can be worked flat or in the round. Unlike fair isle and intarsia techniques there are no floats to carry or bobbins to manage. After going over the basics of mosaic knitting, the author dives into 13 small to medium-sized projects. Get a taste of mosaic knitting with a coffee cup coaster or cozy then expand to cowls, shawls, and blankets. Unlike many pattern books, the samples are made up with affordable Lion Brand yarns rather than expensive and often difficult to find fibers. Charts are large and easy to read. A perfect starter kit for those new to the technique.

Knit Modern Scani Sweaters
- Marita Clementz (David & Charles, 2025).

This new book highlights 12 visually striking knitting patterns from a Swedish designer. All are made with Scandinavian yarns that have both a cozy and warm look and feel. The designs, which are a modern take on traditional Nordic knits, are primarily top-down, raglan sleeve pullovers in crew or turtle necks and short and long sleeves. And, it’s the patterns that are the stars here, The big bright, colorful, abstract floral motifs and geometric designs in interesting and alternative color ways are reminiscent of the well-known brand, Marimekko. Unisex sizing is inclusive from extra small to extra large adult and most of the knits are in DK (light worsted) weight. The
attractive and appealing designs designs also feature short rows and Ladderback jacquard or yarn floats techniques. For more advanced knitters.

To paraphrase Martha and the Vandellas, summer’s here, and the time is right for reading at the beach. Or the deck. Or the pool. Or the park. Or an air-conditioned room. What’s needed is something light and entertaining, a book that’s both pick-up-able and put-down-able, with a cast of interesting and clever characters, and an easy-to-follow plot. If it happens to be yarn-adjacent, even better.

Two new books that tick all those boxes are by a best-selling German author, Leonie Swann. The concept in both is to skewer the murder mystery genre by taking an animal’s point of view. In Three Bags Full (translated from German by Anthea Bell, Soho Crime Press, 2025), a flock of sheep in Glennkill, western Ireland, find their shepherd, George, quite dead. The behavior of the local humans is incomprehensible to the sheep, which include Miss Maple, a very clever sheep, Sir Ritchfield, the aging lead ram, Othello, a Hebridean ram with a mysterious past, and Mopple the Whale, a merino with a good memory. It soon falls to the sheep to solve the mystery of George’s death.

In Big Bad Wool (translated from German by Amy Bojang, Soho Crime Press, 2025), the sheep find themselves transported to a chateau in France, under the care of their new shepherdess, Rebecca. All is not as it seems with high jinx and mischief around every corner. With the help of some neighboring goats, the flock use sheep logic, courage, and the willpower of wool-power to save the day. Both books are available in print from the Fort Vancouver Regional Library.

—Linda Frederiksen

Hook and Needle
September Class Schedule

Hello, Knitters!

We have lots of classes coming up. Here’s our September lineup:
✦ Beginner Colorwork Workshop with Karel Chan - September 13
✦ Classic Ribbed Hat - September 20
✦ Mini Shawl - September 21
✦ Brioche Pastiche with Michel Bernstein - September 27
✦ Beginner Knitting - October 4
To see the full list of classes and register, go to https://www.hookandneedlefiber.com/shop/

Submitted by Julie Patterson

Used with permission and with thanks to KnitPicks

Volunteers

If interested, please contact president@ftvancouverknittersguild.org.

We need you!!

Fall Knitting Retreat is Coming, and We are Already Dreaming of Pumpkin Pie Spice, Coffee and Freshly Handknit Sweaters!

Can’t get enough of knitterly togetherness with your warm, wooly besties? Craving homemade, freshly

prepared meals and a seemingly endless sharable treat table? How about some yarn swapping or some gorgeous, green out-of-doors time, taking a stroll with friends or gazing up at the fall leaves at sunset? Then make it happen!

Join us at the joint Tigard-Fort Vancouver guild knitting retreat from October 2-5, 2025! This year’s Fall retreat still includes 1-day commuter options, a 2-overnight weekend option (Fri-Sun), but it’s also been

expanded to include a 3-overnight stay option (Thurs-Sun) for maximum knitting and relaxation.

Members can head over to the Tigard Knitting Guild website, click the calendar tab, then click ahead to

October. There you will find more details, along with links where you can choose your weekend stay

options.

Not a member? If you’ve been thinking about joining, now is the time so you don’t miss out on the fun!

Vancouver knitters can check out membership on the Fort Vancouver Knitter’s Guild website and

Portland area knitters can head over to the Tigard Knitting Guild website. Wherever you live, become a

member now, and join us for the October retreat!

**All FVKG members, new and old: Be sure to use Tigard’s website to join the retreat**

~ Janelle Serio, FVKG Retreat/Education Coordinator

Help Wanted - Programs

We are looking for volunteers who love to plan ahead. These persons would be responsible for assisting with planning membership meetings, engaging speakers, introducing programs at monthly meetings and presenters at workshops as well as recruiting other members to assist with annual activities such as the picnic, the Holiday party, etc. as needed. Ideally, several members will volunteer to serve on the Program Committee with one serving as the Chair and VP of Programs.

If interested, please contact:
president@ftvancouverknittersguild.org

Help Wanted - Fundraising

Be part of the first-ever FVKG fundraising committee! No experience necessary! Help us keep guild membership costs low while continuing to provide a high-quality guild experience! We are looking for a handful of volunteers to dream up a few fun, creative ways to generate a little income. If you’ve been thinking of donating a little time to the guild, but weren’t sure how to do it, this is
your opportunity!

Contact Laurel Prager at
treasurer@ftvancouverknittersguild.org for details.

Webmistress: Patricia Freedman
Email: webmistress@ftvancouverknittersguild.org
Last Updated 09/04/25