Welcome to the
20th Annual
A Knitter’s Fantasy
presented by the
Western Reserve Knitting Guild
Canfield, Ohio
April 11, 2015
Chaney High School
731 South Hazelwood Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44509
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A Message from A Knitter’s Fantasy Committee Members
Welcome to the 20th annual A Knitter’s Fantasy, hosted by the Western Reserve Knitting Guild of Canfield, Ohio. We wish to extend our
sincere thanks to everyone who worked to make this day a success. A
special thank you goes to the teachers, who have volunteered to share
their time and experience with us. We hope you find today to be fun,
educational and inspirational!
If you have any questions today, please ask a committee member
wearing a name tag with a yellow flower, or go to the registration table
near the front entrance and someone will be happy to assist you.
Raffle Auction: Raffle-auction tickets are sold until noon. Tickets are
$1 each, or 6 for $5. Winners will be drawn at noon and posted after
the Style Show. Check the winners’ board in the raffle area to see if
you had a winning ticket. All items must be picked up by 4pm. If you
need to leave before the prizes are posted, leave your tickets with a
friend who can check the prize board for you.
Door Prizes: Market vendors, yarn stores, individuals and yarn companies donated the Door Prizes for this year’s event. Please stop by the
MACHINE KNITTING DEMO Room (Room 151) to check out the prizes.
Winners were selected at random from all registered attendees, teachers and committee members and were notified when they picked up
their registration materials. To claim a prize, winners must show their
name tags/identification to the door prize attendant and must be present to claim a door prize. Any prizes not claimed by 4pm will be donated to the Western Reserve Knitting Guild. If you won a door prize,
please consider sending a thank you note to the donor.
Caps For Kids: Caps are being collected just inside the cafeteria area.
If you would like to enter a hand-knit cap in the contest, fill out an entry blank and the Caps For Kids attendant will pin it up for voting. Everyone attending Knitter’s Fantasy is eligible to vote on one cap for each
of the two categories. Voting ends at noon and the winners will be announced after the Style Show. Thank you in advance for your generous
donations, which will be shared with needy children in the Mahoning
Valley area.
Fashion Show: Begins at 12:15 PM. Participants should meet in room
151, just outside the cafeteria, beginning at noon.
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History of A Knitter’s Fantasy
The inspiration for A Knitter’s Fantasy came from Knitter’s Day Out,
held annually in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania since 1986. Those of us who
attended this event were so enthused that we thought, ”Why can’t we
do it here in Ohio?”
We established a Steering Committee in the fall of 1995 with members from four area guilds and met to discuss how we could accomplish this. It was decided that the Witty Knitters would host the first
Fantasy in 1996, and that it would be passed on to the other guilds to
host each subsequent year. The original members of this Steering
Committee were Candy Kratsas, Nancy Walpole, and Karen Staples of
the Witty Knitters; Dorothy Voitus, Marlyn Ibele, and Kay Thompson of
the Western Reserve Knitting Guild; Sue Crowe and Ann Egan of Northcoast Knitting Guild; and Rita Haby of Northeast Ohio Knitting Guild.
We have been passing the host duties among three guilds as the
Northeast Ohio Knitting Guild is no longer meeting.
Now, after 20 wonderful and successful Fantasy events, the three host
knitting guilds have decided it is time to turn their attention to new
endeavors. As such, this will be the last time they sponsor A Knitter's
Fantasy. On behalf of the Witty Knitters, the Northcoast Knitting Guild,
and the Western Reserve Knitting Guild, we thank you for participating
in this year's event, and wish everyone continued success and enjoyment in the pursuit of knitting, spinning, crocheting, felting, dyeing,
and all things fiber.
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A Knitter’s Fantasy 2015 Planning Committee
Co-Chairs: Jen Kendall, Loren Lease
Caps for Kids: Jean Kaba, Linda Lash, Linda Thompson
Door Prizes: Brenda Lawrence, Diana Strudwick
Fashion Show: Martha Largent, Patricia Williams-Jones
Instructors, Pre-Registration: Jen Kendall
Market: Jacquie Thomas
Name Tags: Elizabeth Dailey, Brenda Lawrence, Diana Strudwick,
Bonnie Smiley, Marlene Martin
Raffle: Eileen Dodson, Sherry Fender, Melinda Ford, Eva Pugh, Patty
Shives
Refreshments: Brenda Lawrence, Joyce Markota-Vitikas, Shawn Anderson, Earlyn Bentfeld, Trudy Burnham, Marlyn Ibele, Mary IbeleEmler, Lynne Janis, Helen LoSasso, Barb Rook
Registration/Tickets: Roni Bosze, Marty Cash-Burless, Michelle Collins
-Sibley, Vicki Felton, Barb Lyons, Judy Ramos
Signs: Judy Ramos, Elizabeth Dailey
Swap Table: Diana Strudwick
Treasurer: Jen Kendall
Event Volunteers: Crystal Carter, Jess Morris, Mel Waltman, and
members of the Western Reserve Knitting Guild
Additional Thanks to the Northcoast Knitting Guild for allowing us to
use their Knitter’s Fantasy website. Online registration would not
have been possible without their generosity.
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2015 Vendors and Door Prize Donors
Annadele Alpacas
Autumn House Farm
Behind the Pines
Black Walnut Alpacas
Cultured Purl
Delightful Ewe
Dreamweaver Fiber Arts
Dyed in the Wool
Ewe & I Originals
Ewenique Fibers
Fibernymph Dye Works
Fields of Grace Alpacas
Gwen Erin Natural Fibers
Heidi & Lana Artisan Yarns
Knit Spin and More
Knit-Wit Knits
Michelle’s Assortment
Noah’s Landing
Oasis Yarn
Pleasant Valley Alpaca
Pucker Brush Farm
Roving Acres Farm
Sally’s Shop
Say it With Sheep
Sheephaven Hutchworks
Shepherd's Custom Woodworking, LLC
Soft ’n Sassy
Storybook Alpacas
Susan Yarns
The Flaming Ice Cube
The Woolroom at Longmeadow
Farm
The Yarn Shop
Wolf Creek Yarns
Door Prize Donors
Berroco
Lorna's Laces Hand Dyed Yarns
Blue Sky Alpacas
Patternworks
Brittany Needles
Premier Yarns
Brown Sheep Company
Plymouth Yarn
Cascade Yarns
WEBS
Coats & Clark
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A Knitter’s Fantasy 2015 Schedule of Events
8AM: Doors open, registration opens
8AM—4:30 PM: Yarn Market (located in the Gymnasium)
9-11 AM and 9:30—11:30 AM: Morning Classes
11 AM—Noon: Lunch
12:15: Fashion Show
Caps For Kids Contest Winners announced immediately after Fashion Show
Raffle Auction Prize winners will be posted shortly after ticket sales close at
noon.
1:30—3:30 PM: Afternoon Classes
All Day Demonstration (Except during Lunch/Fashion Show:)
Mahoning Valley Machine Knitter’s Guild, Room 151
Knitters’ Swap Table will be available from 8AM—4PM. Bring your
unwanted extra needles, pattern books, extra skeins of yarn and
knitting notions. Everyone is welcome to contribute items they no
longer have use for and take items they can use. Please, no sales–
free items only.
Facility Information
We are guests of Youngstown City School District and Chaney Campus
and kindly ask that all attendees respect the facility during our time
here. Please note that smoking is not permitted in the building at any
time. Also, food and beverages are not permitted in classrooms.
Please keep all food and refreshments in the cafeteria area. Do not
disturb any materials or equipment in the classrooms. Please put all
trash into appropriate receptacles. Thank you!
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MORNING CLASSES SECTION ONE: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
101 Brioche G. Patricia Williams-Jones
RM 198
102 Cuff Down Socks: Heels & Toes Mo Doerner
RM 175
103 Free Form Knitting Sandy Hardy
RM 157
104 Many Ways to Cast On Beverly Bortner
RM 186
105 Hand & Arm Injuries In Knitters Christine Jordan
LIBRARY
106 Double-Knit Pouch Margaret Myer
RM 154
107 Knitting 101 Melinda Bowen-Houck
RM 117
108 Viking Wire Weaving Tracy Jackson & Sheila Colarik
RM 176
109 Knitting the Eastern European Way Joanna Romaniuk
RM 174
110 The Incredible Alpaca Gail Bable
RM 193
111 Cabled Tea Cozy Elizabeth Dailey
RM 113
MORNING CLASSES SECTION TWO: 9:30—11:30 AM
212 Knitting A Swatch Olivia Johnson
RM 123
213 Stranded Knitting Portuguese Style Andrea Wong
RM 172
214 Put A Clock In It* Carol Briggs-Dragos
RM 197
215 Tunisian Crochet Nicki Kellogg
RM 182
216 Knitting With Roving Christy Macintyre Ball
RM 155
217 Finishing Knitting Projects John Martin
RM 124
218 Fixing Mistakes Jenny Dosch
RM 196
219 Knitted Broomstick Lace Sue Crowe
RM 199
220 Unraveling Ravelry Diana Parker
RM 136
221 Knitted Lace Ruth Fulks
RM 173
222 Lucy’s Ripple Afghan Kathy Meier
RM 189
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AFTERNOON CLASSES: 1:30 PM-3:30 PM
301 Beginning Locker Hooking w/ Roving Kathy Krisher
RM 155
302 Knitted Gauge Christine Jordan
RM 136
303 Peruvian Knitting Andrea Wong
RM 172
304 Bamboo Stitch Pillow Grace Williams
RM 173
305 Houndstooth Wristlet Bonnie Smiley
RM 115
306 Many Ways to Bind Off Beverly Bortner
RM 175
307 Mapping A Shawl Carol Briggs-Dragos
RM 193
308 Four Ways To Knit In The Found Terri Konzen
RM 186
309 Dorset Buttons Tracy Jackson & Sheila Colarik
RM 176
310 Unusual Knitting Techniques Gail Bable
RM 196
311 Cabled Tea Cozy Elizabeth Dailey
RM 113
312 Continental Knitting Jenny Dosch
RM 198
313 Shadow Knitting Kay Thompson
RM 197
314 Peyote Stitch Beadweaving Victoria Johnson-Parratt
RM 117
315 Double Knit Pouch Margaret Myer
RM 154
316 Knitting The Eastern European Way Marianna Dostal
RM 174
317 Intarsia Michele Barratt
RM 157
318 Easing Into Design Mo Doerner
LIBRARY
319 Crochet 101 Nicki Kellogg
RM 124
320 Easy Mittens On Two Needles Rochelle Kramer
RM 182
321 Knitted Lace Ruth Fulks
RM 123
322 Free Form Knitting Sandy Hardy
RM 199
323 Sock Yarn Soap Sweater Christy Macintyre Ball
RM 189
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A Knitter’s Fantasy Volunteer Teachers
Without the following talented people, A Knitter’s Fantasy would
not be possible. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and donating your time to make this day a success.
Gail Bable has taught at the East Palestine Library, at the Embroidered 4
You and Yarn 2 Knitting Shop, a class at Knit Wit Knits Knits, previous Knitter's
Fantasy events, and often for WRKG in past years.
Michele Barratt is the owner of The Flaming Ice Cube in Boardman, Ohio. A
longtime knitter, she offers many classes through her shop for students of all
skill levels and interests.
Beverly Bortner has been teaching knitting and crochet classes for at least
16 years. She first taught at two great yarn shops in eastern PA - Yarn Gallery
in West Reading, PA and Yarns R Us in Hamburg, PA. She also taught some
Adult Ed classes in knit and crochet for Reading Area Community College.
When she moved to western PA, Bev was fortunate enough to teach classes
for Wolf Creek Yarns in Grove City, PA for over 5 years. After a small break
from teaching she now has the pleasure of teaching for Never Enough Yarn in
Sharon, PA. Bev has also had the honor of teaching at the Pittsburgh Knit and
Crochet Festival for the past 4 years. She loves sharing with people her passion for knit and crochet.
Melinda Bowen-Houck learned to knit over 15 years ago and has been an
avid knitter ever since. She has taught a number of introductory knitting classes over the past few years. She is also the current president of the Western
Reserve Knitting Guild.
Carol Briggs-Dragos is originally from Scotland where she began knitting,
studying Shetland Lace, Aran Cables and traditional techniques. She now
owns Dyed In The Wool in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she teaches and
designs with Lynda Bowen. Their designs can be found on Ravelry under the
name Yarnwhisperers. Carol has been knitting for over 50 years and designing
for over 30 years. She has been called a "knitting technician" by Maggie Jackson as she believes in strong technical skills mixed with a healthy dose of innovation.
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Susan Crowe has been knitting and crocheting for 50 years. She is the recipient of many fair ribbons and guild competitions. Her favorite type of knitting
is Fair Isle. Susan has been teaching various classes at A Knitter’s Fantasy for
over 10 years and is a member of NCKG.
Elizabeth Ann Dailey learned to knit in grade school. She is an active member of the Western Reserve Knitting Guild. She has taught many classes at
both the WRKG and A Knitter’s Fantasy.
Mo Doerner is a Craft Yarn Council of America Certified Knitting Instructor
and has taught previously at A Knitter's Fantasy. Mo is a member of TKGA and
is the Education Chair for the Northcoast Knitting Guild ("NCKG"). She has
been a knitter for more than 50 years and an avid sock knitter since 1995, and
has received many ribbons from NCKG and the Geauga County Fair.
Jenny Dosch has been knitting and crocheting for more than 15 years. She
began teaching two years ago at Wolf Creek Yarns in Grove City, PA.
Marianna Dostal learned to knit when she was about seven years old. Her
bear needed a scarf and her mom taught her how. She vaguely remembers a
small scarf knit so tightly that the dropped stitch went absolutely nowhere. It
wasn't until college when, as a poor student in need of Christmas presents,
she picked up knitting again. It was also at that time that she discovered her
friend was knitting completely the wrong way! Why did she throw her yarn
around so much instead of just picking it up with her needles? And thus she
learned that there are various styles of knitting. You learn all kinds of things in
college. Marianna has been knitting for many years and enjoys sharing what
she knows of knitting with those around her.
Ruth Garber Fulks taught 1st grade for 30 years. She has been knitting lace
for over 30 years. Ruth learned to knit at a young age from her mother. She
has taught at A Knitter’s Fantasy for several years and in different places in
the area. Ruth is a member of Witty Knitters.
Sandy Hardy is a TKGA Certified Knitting Instructor and has taught at prior
Knitter's Fantasy events. She believes having fun and trying again when things
go well or fail is the key to enjoying and succeeding in knitting.
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Tracy Jackson has been teaching lacemaking, weaving and needlework for
about 25 years. She owned a small business doing the same for 14 years.
Olivia Johnson learned how to knit 6 or 7 years ago when she was in high
school, and hasn’t stopped since! She’s taught many friends and family members how to knit, and recently founded the YSU Fiber Arts Club to teach students on campus as well as spread the love of knitting and other fiber arts.
Victoria Johnson-Parratt has been beading since the turn of the century.
One of her designs placed third in an international design contest. This design
was then on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Christine Jordan is a past president of Northcoast Knitting Guild and a longtime teacher at A Knitter's Fantasy. She has won ribbons for her knitting at the
Cuyahoga County Fair, Northcoast Knitting Guild, and Woolfest. Christine is a
practicing MD in the Cleveland area.
Nicki Kellogg is a self-taught crocheter who has been crocheting for over 10
years. She has taught crochet classes for the last year at Wolf Creek Yarns in
Grove City, PA.
Terri Konzen is the owner of Wolf Creek Yarns in Grove City, PA, which she
opened in 2007. She knits all the time and loves to share her knowledge and
enthusiasm with others. Her shop offers many classes for knitters of all levels.
Rochelle Kramer has been a teacher at Knitter’s Fantasy for over 12 years.
She is also a Knitting instructor at JoAnn Fabric Etc. in North Canton. Rochelle
is a member of the Canton Weavers and Spinners Guild.
Christy MacIntyre Ball has been knitting for over 30 years. She lives on a
small sheep farm in Stark County with her 2 teenage boys.
John Martin is the owner of Susan Yarns. He has taught at many events for
many years, and has taught in several areas including spinning, tatting and
knitting.
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Kathy Meier started crochet around 8 years old, from watching her grandmother each night make doilies. She has made afghans and baby items for
countless gifts and taught crocheting at Michaels for a couple of years. She
currently belongs to a group called the Knitting Angels from Holy Angels
Church that makes items for various charities. Kathy’s full time job is in law
enforcement, but her mental release is yarn projects. She loves to learn more
about color use, new techniques, and spreading the love of crochet.
Margaret Myer has been weaving and spinning since the 1970's, but resisted knitting until the 90's. Once she started she didn't slow down, and now
does more knitting than the other two combined. She has taught at several
Knitter's Fantasy conferences as well as at local guilds
Diana Parker has been a reference librarian at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public
Library for 15 years, where she teaches computer classes to the public as a
part of her job. She’s also been doing fiber arts for years, dabbling in spinning,
crochet and obsessing over knitting and dyeing. This will be her first opportunity to combine the two in a classroom setting! Diana loves knitting lace
shawls and socks and has published a few free patterns on Ravelry.
Joanna Romaniuk was born and raised in Poland. She learned to knit as a
child. It was just something that most women were doing. Long after she
came to the US (she came as an adult) she noticed that she knitted differently
from other women. She prefers her way of knitting, because it is much faster.
Joanna has a background in teaching both K-12 and college level.
Bonnie Smiley has enjoyed learning/sharing a variety of fiber arts including
hand-spinning, felting, crocheting and knitting since 1992.
Kay Thompson is a founding member of A Knitter's Fantasy and Knitter's Day
Out in Pennsylvania. Kay is a Master Knitting Volunteer through the Craft Yarn
Council and PA State Cooperative. A knitter since she was 10, taught by her
Grandmother, Kay is the former owner of Colonial Yarn Shop in Shiremanstown, PA and current owner of Knit Wit Knits in Salem, OH for 15 years. She
has been a vendor and teacher at A Knitter's Fantasy for the past 20 years. Kay
is also a past president of the Western Reserve Knitting Guild.
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Grace Williams has been knitting, crocheting, working with Cross-Stitch,
Embroidery, Latch Hook, Crewel, and quilting for over 65 years. Grace belongs
to the WRKG, Liberty Knitters, and the Unity Church Centre’s Prayer Shawl
Ministry.
G. Patricia Williams-Jones is a seventh-generation knitter. She received certification as a Level I Knitting Instructor from the Craft Yarn Council of America
in 2004. She is President of the Liberty Knitting Group and activities coordinator of the Unity Church Centre's Prayer Shawl Ministry for over 5 years. She
has taught many times at A Knitter’s Fantasy.
Andrea Wong was born and raised in South America. She teaches knitting at
venues throughout the country, has been published in a variety of knitting
magazines and is the lead designer for her business, Andrea Wong Knits.
Andrea first learned to knit when she was 7 years old from her mother and
has been knitting since. In 2003, after receiving many invitations to teach
regionally and nationally, she quit her position at the yarn shop and open her
own business Andrea Wong Knits.
Over the past 10 years Andrea has taught thousands of knitters in the USA
and abroad to use the Portuguese Style of Knitting, either personally or
through her 3 published DVDs. She is known to be an expert in the subject.
Andrea is also very proud of her self-published book “Portuguese Style of
Knitting - History, Traditions and Techniques” in 2010. It teaches this method
of knitting step by step and includes 10 projects to practice the technique.
Andrea’s vast experience allows her to transmit her in-depth knowledge of
this style, into clear, concise, effective instructions making the technique
attainable for any knitter who is interested in learning this effective method.
Thank you to all of the teachers who generously
shared their time and talents with us today.
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About the Guilds of A Knitter’s Fantasy
The three Knitting Guilds that share the host duties for A
Knitter’s Fantasy are members of the national The Knitting Guild
Association (TKGA). TKGA’s mission is “To provide education and
communication to those wishing to advance the quality of workmanship and creativity in their knitting endeavors.” There are
currently over 290 local knitting guilds affiliated with TKGA. Individuals can also join and are encouraged to do so by their local
guilds. TKGA publishes Cast On, an educational knitting journal;
and also provides ample opportunities for knitters to increase
their skills through the Master Knitting Program. More info available online at www.tkga.com.
Western Reserve Knitting Guild of Canfield, OH, founded in
1984, is the first guild listed with TKGA. Some of our members
have been knitting for over 60 years. We have meetings year
round except in December. We donate children’s hats to different programs in Mahoning and Columbiana counties through our
“Caps For Kids” service project. Some of our members also donate blankets and hats to the Akron Children’s Hospital neonatal
division.
Our meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month (no
meeting in December) at 7 PM at the Rotary Building at Fair Park
in Canfield, OH. For more information, contact:
[email protected].
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Witty Knitters Guild began in 1989 in Warren, Ohio. Some of
their members have been knitting for over 50 years. They have
meetings year round except for in December, when they have a
banquet, and in August a picnic. The Witty Knitters donate hats
to Caps for Kids and knitted bears for police officers to use during domestic disturbance calls. They have also collected hats,
booties and blankets for preemies.
Meetings are held every 4th Tuesday of the month at 7 PM at
Grace United Methodist Church, 1725 Drexel Ave NW, Warren,
OH 44485. Their officers can be contacted at:
[email protected].
Or call 330-856-2208.
The NorthCoast Knitting Guild of Cleveland, OH serves knitters
in the East side suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. They meet the 2nd
Tuesday of each month, except December, at 7 p.m. at the Ross
C. De John Community Center, 6306 Marsol Rd., Mayfield
Heights, Ohio, behind Golden Gate Plaza, just west of the I-271
Mayfield Road Exit. Annual membership dues are $20.00. Guests
are welcome. For more information contact:
[email protected].
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Phone: (330) 788-8784 Fax: (330) 788-7997
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