BVKCG Upcoming Events

 Happy Fall Y'all!

Here are some upcoming events that BVKCG is hosting.

---

Social knits 

All are welcome to attend, no matter the craft, skill level, age or gender.  You DO NOT have to be a paid member to come!

EVERY Tuesday from 4-6PM at Brookshire Brothers on George Bush Dr. in the upstairs mezzanine.  Grab a beer, wine, coffee, drink and/or snack and come hang out!

--

4th Sunday at Blackwater Draw in Downtown Bryan.  1-4pm (They open at noon and close at 5 though).  Come hang out! They have a full tap of beers plus some wines and non-alcoholic drinks, plus a food truck  They also run a Sunday special on glassware where you can purchase and re-use a glass with drink tokens and save some $$!

Our next Blackwater draw event will be on Sunday, October 23rd.

--

November 5th (Saturday) at Wildflyer Mead Co. in Navasota.  They open at noon and have mead as well as a food truck.  Some options for non-alcohol are available and you can bring your own food if you want.  We will be there starting at noon and it's very come-and-go.  Click on the the link above to visit their site and get directions. 

------

Our next official Guild meeting is Sunday, November 13th from 2-4PM at Degallery in Bryan.  We will have a class over the knitting Tubular cast on and also discuss a Knit/Crochet-along of hats for the fall. Bring your pattern ideas, as we may choose to all make the same, or we may decide to all do different ones! 

**If you plan to attend and have never been, we ask that you plan to pay dues of $20 for the year to take our classes**

------

The December meeting will also be our Holiday event, which will be a potluck and gift exchange.  Details at the November meeting, but the date is December 11, from 2-4 at Degallery. 

------

Follow us at Instagram @BVKCG.  We also have a Facebook group - Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild and are hoping to be more active on Ravlery!

-----

BVKCG September Meeting

 Join us for our September Guild Meeting! Sunday, Sept. 11 from 2-4 pm at Degallery, 930 N. Rosemary Drive in Bryan. ALL levels and crafts are WELCOME!

*Since this is the first official Guild meeting, be prepared to pay dues: $20 regular membership/$10 high school/college student membership

We will be voting for officers! The class for Cast Ons and Bind Offs will be postponed until October. Instead, bring your favorite knitting or crocheting tips, tricks, tools and ideas to share!!

If you have any books to donate to the library, please bring them! Have some book titles in mind? We'll make a list of those for the library as well.

Bring your own snacks and beverages. We'll decide on what refreshments the Guild can provide starting in October.

Hope to see you Sunday!

BVKCG First Fall Meeting

 NOTE LOCATION CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR:

We will meet at Degallery, a local art gallery space in Bryan. The address is 930 N. Rosemary Dr, Bryan, TX, 77802. It is right at the corner of Rosemary and 29th street. There is ample parking and the space we will be meeting in is a huge, spacious room with great lighting. We will have tables set up and there is plenty of room to social distance if you need to.
--
This is the first meeting of our 2022-23 year, and is more of a planning meeting than anything else. We will not have a formal class and will not be collecting dues until September, but ANYONE who considers themselves a fiber crafter is invited, regardless of age, gender or skill level. We are very friendly and welcoming group and always love to meet new people. If you are on the fence about joining, this is a great meeting to attend.

On the agenda:
Officer nominations for this coming year. Voting in September.
Discussion of if we like this location (the library is no longer an option - I'll explain at the meeting).
Discussion of what classes you want to see this year.
Discussion about our donation of books to the library (how ironic...).
Other events/programs/social knit opportunities.

We would LOVE to see you there!

BVKCG Summer Plans

 Curious about BVKCG happenings in the summer? 

While we don't usually hold formal "2nd Sunday Meetings" in June and July, we still like to keep in touch and do things!  Here are some of the plans we discussed at our last meeting for what we plan to do this Summer. 

*Events are subject to change, and we will make every effort to post on Facebook and email our email list when this happens.* 
(Email Lisa.urban.24@gmail.com to get added to the email list).

2nd Sunday - 2-4PM social knit/crochet/stitch time at a location tba each month.  We were discussing traveling outside the Brazos Valley (no more than 30 min) to a different location in June and July.  

Final Sunday - 2-4PM social knit/crochet/stitch time at Wildflyer Mead Company. We will resume meeting here on the last Sunday of the month, after having taken a short break in March/April.  

Every Tuesday from 4-6ish we will be social stitching at Blue Baker on University Dr.  IF this location changes, we will make an announcement. 

There is also a morning meetup group, see Facebook for details. 

---

We will resume our monthly formal meetings for the fall in August, with a discussion of officer elections and by-law changes, to be voted upon in September.  Dues of $20 are due in September if you wish to attend the formal meetings and participate in the monthly class.  If you don't come in September, dues are due the first meeting you make it to. 

More info about what these meetings look like will be shared when it gets closer. 

--

Have a great summer, and hopefully we will see you at some events! 

May end of the year event!

It's been a crazy, amazing year for the guild. Come join us as we celebrate the end of our year and the start of summer! 

We will be meeting at VP Stephanie's house on May 1st from 2-4PM.  Anyone is invited, so please email Lisa at Lisa.urban.24@gmail.com to get the address. 

Please bring a shareable finger food and your own lawn chair. Drinks and paper products will be provided.

We will have a BRIEF business meeting to finalize plans for the summer and fall and then enjoy each other's company with social knitting/crochet time.

If you have any questions, please let me know.  See you then!

 

March Meeting info

Our next official guild meeting and class will be on Sunday, March 13th from 2-4PM at Larry j. Ringer Library. We will have our general information meeting for the first portion of the meeting and then Stephanie will host a class over pom-poms and tassels.

Participants will have a chance to learn to make pom-poms and tassels that can be transformed into keychains, earrings and decorations. All supplies will be provided and it's sure to be a fun time!

New to the guild? We welcome ALL levels of skill in ALL fiber crafts. Come check us out! 

 

Social Stitch at WildFlyer Mead Co.

 We all miss having more time to hang out and knit, so at our January meeting we decided to start doing a bit more social knitting/crochet!

On the last Sunday of the month we will be hanging out and knitting/crocheting to our hearts content, and we all decided that after the success of last month we will be doing this for the foreseeable future at WildFlyer Mead Co. just outside of Navasota.

Location: 16481 County Rd 319 Navasota, TX

Come join us with your projects from 2-4pm on Sunday, February 27th They serve mead (of course) but also have some non-alcoholic options for those who aren't feeling mead. They have a wonderful patio that we can hang out on and that's where we plan to be! There is usually a food truck, but you are also welcome to bring your own snacks.

You do NOT have to be a due-paying guild member to attend, and all skill levels are welcome, so tell your friends and come hang out with us! 

February Guild Meeting - Amigurumi

Join the Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild for our February meeting featuring a class about how to make a simple amigurumi.  

The meeting will be on February 13th from 2-4PM at Larry J. Ringer Library in College Station in their large meeting room at the front.  This is a HUGE room, with plenty of space to social distance as needed. 

We will start the meeting with our business portion and then lead into a crochet class taught by Amy Y.

For our class this month we will be making a simple egg shaped amigurumi penguin. What is amigurumi? Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. These creatures are very popular right now, ranging from simple animals to more complex characters from every fandom imaginable.

This specific project is a beginner level that uses the following stiches/techniques:
Magic ring, single crochet, increase and decrease. The guild will provide a kit that includes the yarn, polyfil and safety eyes. Participants are asked to bring a G(4.00 mm) crochet hook, a locking/opening stitch marker and a tapestry needle.

The pattern is free on Ravelry, and is linked below. Guild will provide a print out of the written portions, but if you wish to have the step-by-step pictures, please consider printing your own copy.

New to the guild? We accept all levels, ages and genders and would love to meet you! It's not too late to join! $20 one-time a year dues will allow you to take all of our classes all year long (Sept - May). You are also welcome to come and just see what we are about for your first meeting.

---

Penguin Pattern link: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/penguin-67 

See less

Learn to Knit with Us!

Interested in learning to knit? The Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild is offering an informal intro to knitting class once a month! 

We are resuming our classes in February, with the first being on February 1st and happening the first Tuesday of the month going forward. What does this look like? 

Well, we usually meet every Tuesday from 4-6 at Blue Baker on University Dr. for social knitting/crocheting on the patio outside. On the first Tuesday of each month we are going to be offering FREE how to knit classes beginning at 5:15 PM and going until 6.  Our social knit will still start at 4, but the class will not begin until 5:15 to allow people to arrive from work.  

What do you need to bring? NOTHING! You heard it right! We will have beginner's kits available with a ball of yarn, needles and pattern for you to use.   The pattern we will be working from is a simple corner-to-corner dishcloth pattern, allowing you to learn to cast-on, bind-off, knit stitch, increase and decrease.  One or more of our knowledgeable members will be leading this class and we are all happy to help!

This class will be limited to no more than 5, so get here early to secure a spot.  If more than 5 show up, we will try to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee a spot. 

**This class and the guild is in no way affiliated with Blue Baker. Blue Baker is simply the place we meet to knit**

For the latest up-to-date info, please ask to join our Facebook group - Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild .

Questions? Comment here or email brazosvalleyknittingguild@gmail.com.

November - Learn to Crochet Continuation

We will continue with our basics in crochet this month with a continuation of last month's lessons by the fabulous Susan. 

November 14th, 2-4pm, Larry J. Ringer Library, College Station, TX.

*Must have paid one-time $20 dues to participate*

If you’re brand new to hooking or if you’re an old pro, join in the fun and follow along as we crochet squares - starting with the very, very basics and progressing one square at a time through 63 crochet stitches!

Detailed group instruction will be provided at the October and November meetings, then we’ll adjust the amount of instruction at meetings based on the group’s ongoing needs.

We will be using the Sampler Afghan pattern by Darla Sims, available in booklet form Amazon or as a Ravelry Download (see pattern page for more info). The booklet has been published with a couple of different covers, so if you have one or find one that looks different, don’t panic. If it’s 63 squares by Darla Sims, it’s almost certainly the same book.

The November meeting will cover double crochet, treble crochet, and half double crochet as we move on to squares 3, 4, and 2. (I will introduce them out of order for reasons). After that, we’ll shoot for two squares a month, in order.

The pattern is geared toward a three-color afghan, but do it however you like! I’m going to stash dive and make the most colorful blanket I can from the yarns I have. There are no rules! 

So grab some worsted weight yarn, a size H hook, a copy of the pattern, and start an afghan journey with us!

October - Learn to Crochet-along

 Our October Meeting is sure to be a fun one! We will be beginning our intro to Crochet with an awesome Crochet-along taught by Susan!

October 10th, 2-4pm, Larry J. Ringer Library, College Station, TX.

*Must have paid one-time $20 dues to participate*

If you’re brand new to hooking or if you’re an old pro, join in the fun and follow along as we crochet squares - starting with the very, very basics and progressing one square at a time through 63 crochet stitches!

Detailed group instruction will be provided at the October and November meetings, then we’ll adjust the amount of instruction at meetings based on the group’s ongoing needs.

We will be using the Sampler Afghan pattern by Darla Sims, available in booklet form Amazon or as a Ravelry Download (see pattern page for more info). The booklet has been published with a couple of different covers, so if you have one or find one that looks different, don’t panic. If it’s 63 squares by Darla Sims, it’s almost certainly the same book.

We are starting with block #1, and the October meeting will cover how to chain, crochet into a foundation chain, single crochet, and tips for how most of the squares will be finished off.

The November meeting will cover double crochet, treble crochet, and half double crochet as we move on to squares 3, 4, and 2. (I will introduce them out of order for reasons). After that, we’ll shoot for two squares a month, in order.

The pattern is geared toward a three-color afghan, but do it however you like! I’m going to stash dive and make the most colorful blanket I can from the yarns I have. There are no rules! 

So grab some worsted weight yarn, a size H hook, a copy of the pattern, and start an afghan journey with us!

September - Colorwork Headband with Cheryl

 Our September guild meeting will be on Sunday, Sept 12th at 2PM at Larry J. Ringer Library. There is AMPLE space to distance and masking is highly appreciated.

We will start with our general member meeting, which will include officer elections. We specifically need a Secretary and Treasurer for this coming year. We will also discuss the class schedule and any knit/crochet alongs that may be coming up.

The class for this month is a colorwork Norwegian inspired headband taught by Cheryl. If you plan to participate, there is a small bit of homework, see below. Class members must have paid their dues to participate.
--
Don't want to do the class? It's ok! You can stay and social knit on the other side of the room.

--
Supplies you will need:
1) Three contrasting colors of worsted yarn
2) US size 4 and size 6 16 inch circular needle
3) A stitch marker
4) Pen to take notes

There is no worry about gauge for this class.

Homework:
Using Main color (Background color), cast on 112 stitches and join in the round (be careful not to twist).
R1-2) place marker at beginning of round, K1,P1 around,
R3-4) With your second color choice knit 2 rows.

We will start here at the meeting.

Cheryl will bring copies of the pattern, so if you know you are joining, please let us know (although she'll bring some extras).

We have the TV/Doc cam, so we can easily space out if needed for this class.

Come learn to knit with us!

 Interested in learning to knit? The Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild is offering an informal intro to knitting class once a month! 

Starting September 7th, and happening the first Tuesday of the month going forward, we will be offering free intro to knitting classes as a part of our weekly social knits.  What does this look like? 

Well, we usually meet every Tuesday from 4-6 at Blue Baker on University Dr. for social knitting/crocheting. On the first Tuesday of each month we are going to be offering FREE how to knit classes beginning at 5:15 PM and going until 6.  Our social knit will still start at 4, but the class will not begin until 5:15 to allow people to arrive from work.  

What do you need to bring? NOTHING! You heard it right! We will have beginner's kits available with a ball of yarn, needles and pattern for you to use.   The pattern we will be working from is a simple corner-to-corner dishcloth pattern, allowing you to learn to cast-on, bind-off, knit stitch, increase and decrease.  One or more of our knowledgeable members will be leading this class and we are all happy to help!

This class will be limited to no more than 5, so get here early to secure a spot.  If more than 5 show up, we will try to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee a spot. 

**This class and the guild is in no way affiliated with Blue Baker. Blue Baker is simply the place we meet to knit**

For the latest up-to-date info, please ask to join our private Facebook group - Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild .

Questions? Comment here or email Lisa.urban.24@gmail.com (our president). 

BVKCG Post-Pandemic Updates

Well, I am sure that many of could never have expected what happened last March, and many probably still don't know what to expect a year and a half later.  

We have had a lot of things put on hold, including 'official' guild business.  We were meeting on Zoom weekly for social knits, and I apologize for not updating this page about those. But as we slowly progress towards the world reopening, I wanted to update now with details about guild things going forward.

Here are the latest guild happenings:

Tuesday Social knits at the Stella/Lakewalk/POV. 4-6ish. 
We have been meeting every Tuesday since June out at Lakewalk.  Normally, we have been inside/near POV coffee, but switched it up and moved over outside closer to the hotel/bar area. Despite the summer heat, there are fans and lots of shade, so we will continue to meet here for the foreseeable future.  Any and all knit and crocheters are welcome, new and old friends, any skill level. We simply meet to enjoy each other's company. 

2nd and 4th Saturday mornings at Tanglewook Park (Pavilion). 9am-11am-ish
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday morning we meet for social knitting at Tanglewook Park in Bryan. Tanglewood is off of Carter Creek Parkway and has a massive pavilion with picnic tables, but you can bring your own chairs if you like. This is the same as our Lakewalk meetups - social knit/crochet, any skill level, always welcome to new friends.   We will continue to do this for the foreseeable future, but check here or our Facebook group for updates. 

3rd Sunday Official Guild Meetings at Ringer Library, 2-4pm. First Meeting - August 15th. 
With the world reopening I am excited to announce that we will start our 'official' guild meetings back up on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the meeting room in Ringer Library.  The meeting space at Ringer is very open and allows for ample social distancing for those who may want it. 

These meetings are more formal than our social knits, in that we usually discuss business/upcoming classes and events and then host a  technique class over something knit or crochet.  The first one, August 15th, will not feature a class, but more of a discussion of what the Guild will be going forward and a chance for everyone to catch up with each other. Going forward we will plan for meetings to be structured with the first portion being 'business' and then those who wish to do the class will move to the other side of the room for their class while others may have social knit/crochet time.  Those who wish to participate in classes should pay their ONE TIME $20 dues, but dues are not required if you wish to just sit in on business and social knit time.   Please check back here/ Facebook for more updates on class schedule and Covid changes as they become available.

---

I plan to update this page more as things happen.  But please also feel free to find us at the following places:

Facebook - Private Group (ask to join and you'll be accepted) - Brazos Valley Knitters' and Crocheters' Guild.

Instagram - give us a follow - bvkcg

Or ask to be added to our email list! Email me at Lisa.urban.24@gmail.com.

I hope everyone is well, and hope to see y'all soon!

Your Faithful President,

Lisa 

March Member's Class - Intro to Crochet

Come join the BVKCG for our March meeting! March 15th, 2-4:30ish at Larry J. Ringer (College Station) Library. The front meeting room. Note, I put 4:30 as a buffer in case we run late. If you are not taking the class, you are welcome to leave at anytime after the business portion of the meeting.

We will have the first hour with our business meeting, including discussion of a T-shirt order, a knit-along check-in and Show-and-Tell.

The Member class for this month is Intro to crochet with Debbie G. Debbie is an experienced crocheter and will teach the basic stitches. She will also be beginning a block-of-the-month program for those who want to expand their crochet knowledge.
If you wish to take the class, you must be a due-paying member (you may pay at this meeting - $20/year). Please bring a size H/5mm hook and worsted weight yarn (Debbie uses Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek Low-pill). No dark colors! . Additionally, if you want to join the block-a-month, you may optionally purchase "63 easy-to-crochet pattern stitches" by Leisure Arts. Available at any local craft store and Amazon.

Don't want to take the class? No problem! After the business portion those who do not wish to take the class may stay and social knit/ask questions/get advice on projects.

February meeting and members' class: Two-color Brioche Basics

The next BVKCG meeting is at 2:00 PM on Sunday, February 16, 2020, at the Larry Ringer Public Library in College Station.

We will have our regular business meeting, plus:

• Check everyone's progress on on our Spring Knit Along (it's not too late to start!!  See the 2020 Spring Knit Along tab above for info!), 
• Share finished objects during Show and Tell, and 
• Hold our February members' class - Two-Color Brioche Basics!

For the class, please bring: 

• 20-30 yards each of two solid (or solid-ish) color worsted or DK weight yarns, one light and one dark and
• Size US7 circular needles (or a size that will work well with your chosen yarn.  Brioche creates a loose stitch, so err towards a smaller size).  You *must* use circular or double-pointed needles for basic two-color brioche.  It doesn't matter how long your cable is.  We will be casting on only 23 stitches, so plan accordingly.

Not a BVKCG member? No problem! Dues are $20 for the year and be collected at the meeting - this will allow you to take all the classes all year long!  OR, when it's time for the class, those who aren't participating have a social stitching circle where folks are welcome to come, meet new knitting and crochet friends, ask for help with their project, or get general fiber-y advice! Beginners are always welcome!

January Meeting - KALs, Brioche and Swag!

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE AND LOCATION CHANGE.
We will meet at Ringer Library, in their front room, for the spring (and hopefully onwards) on the 3rd Sunday of the month, January 19th, 2-4 PM.

With January being a month of fresh starts, our meeting will consist of the following:

-General business
-An intro to the spring Knit-along (see here for details - https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/brazos-valley-knitters-an...), including a brief lesson on Garter Tab Cast-on
-A quick refresher of one-color brioche, in prep for 2-color in February.
-BVCKG SWAG make-athon. Stephanie P. has graciously offered to bring her cutter and lots of vinyl to make stickers, decals, etc with the guild logo and a few other knit designs. She is asking for a small donation in return (will have specifics soon- think $5ish) so please bring cash if you would like a sticker for your car/cups/computer/head (ok maybe not your head).

Not a BVKCG member? No problem! Dues are $20 for the year and be collected at the meeting - this will allow you to take all the classes all year long! (there really isn’t an official class this month though) OR, usually when we split up for the class, we have a separate social stitching circle where folks are welcome to come, meet new knitting and crochet friends, ask for help with their project, or get general fiber-y advice! Beginners are always welcome!

Holiday Social - December 8th, 2019

We will have our Holiday Social this year on December 8th, 2019. The event is at ourVP, Laura's, house beginning at 12:30.  Please email Lisa.urban.24@gmail.com for an address. 

This event will be very much like previous holiday parties hosted by the guild. We will have a potluck lunch around 12:30/1. Laura is providing a turkey and fixing, so please bring a side dish, desert, finger food etc. After lunch we will have a brief business meeting and then do a white elephant style exchange of gifts.  The gifts are to be kept simple - a skein of yarn and a small treat. If you do not wish to participate, that is fine also. We will have plenty of time to social knit as well.

If you haven't been to meeting yet this year, or if you know someone who wants to try us out, this is a good chance to do just that.  All are welcome!

Questions, email me at the above address.  Hope to see you all there!

~Lisa - President 2019-2020

November Members' Class: Tunisian Crochet

Our November meeting will be at Clara B Mounce library in the upstairs room from 2-4pm. We will have our general meeting for the first thirty - forty five minutes then hand it over to Debbie for a class on Tunisian Crochet Basics.

November Members’ Class: Tunisian Crochet

In this class, BVKCG members will learn about the basics of Tunisian Crochet - a crochet technique that involves live stitches and a special hook. A basic understanding of Crochet is required.

What you need for the class:
Approximately 50 yards of DK or worsted weight yarn
You need a special hook: an afghan hook or Tunisian hook, in sizes G, H, or I. Debbie has some she can lend out and if you have any extras, please bring to share. No need to go buying one right now unless you really want to get into it!

Not a BVKCG member? No problem! If you’d like to take the class, dues will be collected at the meeting - this will allow you to take all the classes all year long! OR, we will have a separate social stitching circle where folks are welcome to come, meet new knitting and crochet friends, ask for help with their project, or get general fiber-y advice! Beginners are always welcome!

See you in November!

October Members' Class:  Intro to Brioche Knitting

In this class, BVKCG members will learn about the basics of brioche stitch -- a wonderfully squishy, stretchy, and semi-reversible stitch.  We'll focus on one-color brioche in this introductory class, allowing everyone to concentrate on the concept and flow of this interesting stitch.  We'll also learn about fixing mistakes, so you won't have to worry if you mess up!

What you need for the class:

• Approximately 50 yards of DK or worsted weight yarn
• straight or circular needles one size smaller than recommended on the label of the yarn
• crochet hook or "fix-it" hook for repairing errors

Not a BVKCG member?  No problem!  If you'd like to take the class, dues will be collected at the meeting - this will allow you to take all the classes all year long!  OR, we will have a separate social stitching circle where folks are welcome to come, meet new knitting and crochet friends, ask for help with their project, or get general fiber-y advice!  Beginners are always welcome!

See you in October!