Layering Granny Squares with Edie Eckman

I've finished my homework, sent an email to members with the handout and Zoom information and  I am getting excited for our Saturday, January 11 meeting.  Homework was sent out with the member newsletter last weekend, if you didn't receive the newsletter, please email: ctclist@gmail.com We'll be offering a Zoom option for the entire duration of the meeting (10am-1pm), but you'll want to be sure to be logged in or at Highland Park Library in St. Paul before 11am so that you don't miss a moment of our class with Edie. Plus, Bree mentioned something about bringing a surprise before education.

Our topic this month is "Layered Grannies" and our homework is to make 4 "grannys":  two squares, a circle and a hexagon in a sport, dk or worsted weight yarn.  As always when learning a new stitch or technique, using a smooth, light-colored yarn can be helpful. Some find it better to avoid variegated yarn with frequent color changes. 

You might ask, "Why do we have homework for a crochet class?" And I would say, "Good question" and I'll even give you an answer.   Edie will be teaching us how to build on a "normal" granny, so, to avoid spending class time creating the first layer, she's having us make the base. I am excited about starting a new year and looking forward to seeing you at one of our meetings or meet ups.  Stay tuned for further updates.  Happy New Year!  Theresa

Crochet with us in 2025

I just came home from the MOA meet up, there were 10 of us there. Like most of our events, it is free and open to the public, however, in order to participate in the January 11th class with Edie Eckman, you must have either paid your 2025 dues or made other arrangements with a board member (except for lifetime members). If you haven’t already paid your 2025 dues, please bring plan to bring $24 in cash to the January 11th meeting and make sure we have your full name, email address & phone number. If at all possible, please bring exact change, it makes it easier for our treasurer.  If you have not paid your dues and wish to attend the January 11th class via Zoom, reach out to a board member or ctclist@gmail.com to discuss your options.

Membership details are on our website: Crochet Twin Cities: About Us.  Remember, that official membership, including payment of dues (or scholarship arrangement) is required to continue receiving the newsletter and to attend the member only events. Members only events include classes taught by Tamara Kelly, Edie, Eckman, the MN State Fair and the destash and are indicated in the calendar as such.  Please reach out to a board member to request a scholarship or if you need information about lifetime membership. Lifetime membership is available to retirees who have paid dues for 5 or more years. 

The first board meeting of 2025 will be held on January 4, at 3pm. All 2024 members were sent an email with the Zoom link. If you did not receive the link, and plan to attend the board meeting, please email ctclist@gmail.com

I'm looking forward to a crochet-filled 2025! Hope to see you along the way.

Merry Crochet and a very crochet New Year!

November Destash - shopping the stash!

Happy Holidays!  Whichever holiday(s) you celebrate, I hope you find joy and crochet delight during the holiday season and into the new year!  

More destash shopping!

Our November meeting was our annual destash event. It's a fun time for all, although, we're seriously considering taking RSVPs and booking an appropriate room size for future years, as we got a bit crowded.

November 23, 2024 Roseville meetup

For our November 4th Saturday meetup, we returned to the Barnes & Noble in HarMar Mall. We had 24 members and guests show up, including 4 first timers! We'll be discussing our options for the January meetup at our December meeting, which includes a board meeting, where we'll officially pass the torch from the outgoing officers to the 2025 board.

Speaking of the meeting on December 14th at the Hennepin Co. St. Anthony Library; this is a member only* event. While the library doors open at 9am, the meeting doesn't begin until 10am, with education at 11am sharp! Tamara Kelly of Moogly, will be teaching us how to Crochet with two active loops. This will be a hybrid class with the option of attending virtual. Members will receive log in information via the December newsletter.

If you haven’t already paid your 2025 dues, please bring $24 in cash to the next in-person meeting and make sure we have your full name, email address & phone number. If at all possible, please bring exact change, it makes it easier for our treasurer, Carla.  

Remember, that official membership, including payment of dues (or scholarship arrangement) is required to continue receiving the newsletter and to attend the member’s only events. Members only events include classes taught by Tamara Kelly, Edie, Eckman, the MN State Fair and the destash and are indicated in the calendar as such.  Please reach out to a board member to request a scholarship or if you need information about lifetime membership. Lifetime membership is available to retirees who have paid dues for 5 or more years. *Joining in December 2024 to attend the Tamara Kelly class requires payment of $12 toward 2024 dues & the full 2025 dues of $24, for a total payment of $36.

Meet the 2025 Crochet Twin Cities board

Our October meeting had a lot going on!   We had our board meeting, elected the 2025 Board, talked about plarn, cords & foundation stitches, voted on the topic for our January meeting with Edie Eckman and were reminded that we'll start collecting 2025 dues in November. The preferred method of payment is cash, if you can bring exact change ($24.00), even better.

Members can sign up for demonstrating at the Fall Fiber Festival via:  CTC Demonstration at Fall Fiber Fest — Signup Sheet | SignUp.com.  If you're on Facebook you can find information about the event on their page: Fall Fiber Festival.

Our 2025  Past President - Theresa,  President-Elect- Bree, Vice President - Brenda, Secretary - Gloria, Treasurer - Carla, Education Co-Chairs - Barb & Veronica

Our October 26th meet up will be at the Mall of America as usual.  November 9th is the Destash at Southdale Library. We'll be checking out options for our November 23rd meetup, as the remodeling at Rosedale Center has left insufficient seating. 

Our January 11 education topic with Edie Eckman will be Layered Grannies - watch for details in the newsletter.   

In 2025, CTC will sponsor an additional State Fair ribbon in honor of Susi McCune, long time Mn State Fair judge and friend to CTC.  It will be a People's Choice ribbon, with a $50.00 prize and 1-year free membership in Crochet Twin Cities.   People's Choice ribbons are voted for by all Creative Activities staff.  Our first sponsored ribbon for best overall crocheted wearable and the judges select the winner.   Susi's ribbon will be awarded to an entry in the granny square categories.

I look forward to seeing you at a meeting or meetup!  Theresa

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

Like the October 12 meeting, this post is a melange of topics. Our October meeting will feature education on foundation stiches by Carla, making your own cords with Joy and making and using plarn (plastic bag yarn) in projects. In addition to the mix of topics related to education, we'll be handling a few business items. We'll hold a board meeting, (since no one has time for that at the November destash) and elect our 2025 board. We'll be meeting at the Merriam Park Library, in St. Paul, which opens at 10am on Saturdays. I do hope to see many of you there!

There are many great reasons to join the board - it gives you a chance to really get to know the group, to learn leadership skills (and for job hunters, it looks good on a resume). But my number one reason for joining the board is that I love our group. I attended my first CTC meeting on July 9, 2011 at Borealis Yarns in St. Paul, I think there were 8 of us. You can still find the blog post: Crochet Twin Cities: Thread Crochet: July 9 Meeting Preview.  Over the years I have watched the group grow, attended fiber arts retreats, gone to a CGOA conference, participated in the coral reef project and so much more!  While there have been a few years where I didn't attend meetings often, I don't think I've missed a single destash since they began. This year, we have 2 openings on the board: secretary & president.

The secretary is the go-to person for taking notes during the board meetings which occur in odd number months and maintaining the membership list.  If you are afraid to commit because you are not able to attend every meeting, please know that we have never had an issue finding a substitute to fill the duties of the role.  I have been the secretary in the distant past, and it was a great way to be introduced to the board & how it works. 

What to say about the president’s role?  For anyone who has joined in the past few years, I may be the only CTC president you’ve known. However, CTC has been around for over a dozen years, and we’ve had a number of presidents. The president role is continually evolving. As the group grows and membership needs and wants change, the role of the president adapts to the times. In the past we've had very structured board meetings, following Robert's Rules of order, and adhering to a formal format. These days, things have become more casual. Each president has their own philosophy; their leadership style and personality impacts how they fill the role. I consider myself to be a "servant-leader", I want to help the group be what it wants to be. We have a diverse membership and strive to encourage the group to pursue the interests that it is able to support. While some of our members sell their finished projects, most of our members crochet as a hobby. This in NO way is to imply that our members are lacking in skills, just check out the Ravelry and Facebook posts, you'll see what I mean. But it also gives us room to work with people who are new to crochet and help them build skills.

We're wrapping up another fun year of crochet, and I am looking forward to the new year! Best wishes. Theresa