TTC Knit-A-Long

The Passport has been updated with Alterknit's correct street address.

The Passport is now ready and available!

T-7 days and counting...

There are a few good reasons to pre-register for the TTC Knit-A-Long. Registering ahead of time is completely optional -- feel free to meet up with us at any of the three morning rendezvous, or en route. However, pre-registration helps us gauge what the turnout will be and helps keeps us organized and prepared, and also present a couple of tangible benefits to you:

1. A pre-printed TTC Knitting in Public Guild membership card.
2. The opportunity to pre-order t-shirts ($25) or buttons ($2).
3. If you're joining the North team, Alterknits has generously offered to host breakfast for us, so with headcount we can be sure to have enough pastries, coffees, and perhaps even mini-quiches for everyone!
4. Some of the stores have mentioned they might be putting together goodie bags for people who pre-register. No, I won't tell you which stores are doing this, but if you already know you're coming out next Saturday and you know which team you want to be on, why not take 10 seconds to send us an email on the off chance that it'll get you a fabulous loot bag from one of the participating stores?
   

Cheers to all, and the passport should be coming soon.

A few people have been asking where the passport is.

The answer, of course, is that it isn't ready yet. We're working away on it as fast as we possibly can, but it won't be up on the website for another week or so.

Fret not, fellow knitsters, there will be a big announcement when the passport is launched, and it will also be blindingly obvious where to grab it from on the site.

Happy Knitting to All -- I'm start to compile my Knit-A-Long shopping list already!

Double, double toil and trouble, knitters knit and yarn stores bubble. Did you know that knitting can be diabolical? Yes and to prove how crafty we can be the Toronto Knit Rabble will take to haunting Toronto's finest yarn stores on Saturday October 28th in our first ever TTC Halloween Knit A Long.

Knit yourself an outrageous costume or come dressed as your favourite, project (rumour has it that one of the organizers is coming as Clapotis), I am personally coming as "leftover stash."

There will be three starting points: the New Kid on the Block, Alterknit at 1024 St.Clair West (at Oakwood), the edgy Knit Café at Queen and Ossington, and of course our Nabe fave, the Naked Sheep in the Beach.

From these points we'll take over any TTC vehicle we encounter and trick TTC Operators into believing that we can work miracles just by rubbing two pointy sticks and yarn together, while we treat our fellow zombies (err I mean passengers) to an ongoing monologue about the beauty of our art. (I curse those who imply that there is something wrong with "staying home and knitting on Friday nights."—yes I'm talking about you Belinda—may your expensive cashmere pill!)

In between we'll hit the city's best LYS, including Fab Haley's Knitomatic, the Grande Dame of yarn stores Romni Wools, and end at the funky Lettuce Knit where we can stock up on yummy sock yarn before knitting, dining and dancing at a local hot spot yet to be named. (Suggestions welcome!)

TTC Knit A Long Passports are $2.00 each and can be downloaded from our blogspot at: http://ttcknit.blogspot.com

Passports include:

• Map of Toronto Local Yarn Stores, and how to get there by TTC
• Great TTC knitting patterns with pictures (contributions welcome, especially Halloween patterns)
• Lists and lists of KIP friendly bars and restaurants and even nail bars.
• Stories about the knitting adventures from the last Knit A Long
• Updated Tips on TTC Knitiquette
• Some stores are also offering additional discounts to passport holders on the day of the event. Knitters will be asked to purchase a passport, and a TTC day pass.

There will also be prizes for:

• First Finished Object
• Most Original Object
• Wittiest Knitticism
• Most yarn purchased a.k.a. the "Needs a Sherpa" award
• Yarnorexia (although we do NOT encourage anyone to be anorexic!)
• And of course "Worst Knitting Disaster" (One of our organizers won that one when her yarn wound up on the subway tracks, all 12 knitters with her screamed and the TTC was forced to add a new code to emergency procedures manual, " K2, P2 St.Clair West Station!" )

When is it?
Saturday October 28th, starting at 10 am

The North Team will start their hauntings at Alterknitat St. Clair and Oakwood for breaky before heading off to Knitomatic and Romni.

The West Team will mummify at the Drake Cafe before heading to the Knit Cafe and Romni.

The East Team will rise from the grave at the Naked Sheep before heading to Romni

All teams will meet up at Lettuce Knit in Kensington Market in the late afternoon shop, knit, and perhaps even pick up some beads on Queen Street.

This sounds great. How can I help?

As a knitter: tell your friends, we welcome crocheters and spinners too! Or volunteer – we will need people to act as route DJs and Route Captain to help with other logistics.

As an LYS: help us promote the event. But most of all – get ready to host a horde of stash-mad knitters!

As a transit rider or environment or other community group; help us promote the event to your members, we want to get everyone reclaiming this public space of ours!

As media: come join our event and see what a zany but civic minded bunch we are.

To join download our passport and send an email to ttcknit.register@gmail.com with the following information:

• Your name
• Your contact information (email/phone number)
• Which team you want to be on (North, West or East)
• Party RSVP whether or not you will be unraveling at the the TTC Knit-A-Long wrap party

Hello knitsters! Here's some more information on the next TTC Knit-A-Long on October 28, 2006.

Schedule and Route
This year we're doing something a little different. There will be three teams starting at different points in the city, eventually all converging at Lettuce Knit in Kensington Market. The schedule is as follows:


Registration
This year, pre-registration is appreciated, but not required. Feel free to just show up and join the Knit-A-Long at any point along the way!

Pre-registration can be done by sending an email to ttcknit.register@gmail.com with:

• Your name
• Which team you want to join

The advantage of pre-registering is that we'll know who you are and can print out your Knit-A-Long membership card ahead of time. Also, if you want to order a button or a Purl Harder t-shirt, we can make one up for you ahead of time. Otherwise the cards will be handwritten when you meet up with your team, and t-shirts and buttons are only available while our limited supplies last.

Either way, the participation fee has been dropped to a low, low $2 (payable when you show up). Turns out that the third time's a charm and we've finally figured out how to do this without incurring massive printing costs and we've also received some very generous donations.

Speaking of printing, we will have another gorgeous passport available for all TTC-A-Long-ers. The passport will be available for download and printing in a couple of weeks, watch this space for updates.


TTC Knit Swag
This year we will still be selling t-shirts and buttons. Team captains will have a small supply of buttons on hand, but we hope to get our CafePress store up and running in the next couple of week with additional designs and more swag!

And as always, there will be fabulous prizes and giveaways throughout the day.

So mark your calendars for October 28th, and drop us a note at ttcknit.register@gmail.com if you'd like to come along!