Once a Chick, Always a Chick

We had a visitor this week all the way from North Carolina. Pat Baker used to live here and joined us a few times before she and her husband deserted us for a warmer climate. LOL! She is sitting next to Elaine, second in from the right. She was in the area, staying with Sheila and her husband so we talked her into returning to the group for the day. Once a Chick, always a Chick! When she lived here she didn't know how to knit and never felt the desire, so she would do beautiful needlepoint while the rest of us knitted. But when she made new friends down south they talked her into knitting and now she's a knitting fiend. She has made dishcloths, swiffer covers and about 15 mistake stitch scarves! I guess when the knitting bug bites, it really bites!

This week we spent most of the afternoon hours writing washing instructions on labels and attaching them to the garments which we are donating to the refugees and immigrants who are being helped by the USCRI in Albany.
Elaine was excited to show us the sweater she knitted for her granddaughter just in time for Easter. I love those little bunnies!

Joyce was whipping up a quick scarf to add to our inventory.

And Karin finished a child's vest which had been hibernating for 10 years! She thought it was about time it went to a good home.

Some of the bags and blankets which will be going to USCRI...

a cute crocheted turtle hat for some lucky child....

And the tons of other scarves, shawls, hats, mittens, sweaters, and socks that will join them. At last count we had 88 items to donate. That means we have only 8 more items to knit so we can break the 1,000 count for the five years we have been knitting together. We'll be making the dropoff on April 13th so that gives us plenty of time.

This week's interview is with an honorary Chick. She is Kathleen's daughter, Pat, whom I am sure you remember from previous blog entries. She stops in to knit with us whenever she is in town, so I interviewed her for this week.

Interviewer: At what age did you learn to knit?

Pat: I was in my teens.

Interviewer: And who taught you to knit?

Pat: My mother taught me the basics of knitting and then when I went off to college I really felt the desire to learn more and taught myself.

Interviewer: What was the first item you completed and for whom did you make it?

Pat: I made myself a very ill-fitting sweater that had a reindeer and snowflake design knitted into it. I loved the process of making it but never wore it.

Interviewer: What is your favorite item to knit?

Pat: I don't really have a particular favorite so I'd have to say that whatever sweater I'm knitting at the time is my favorite until the next project.

Interviewer: What was your most challenging project?

Pat: I made a pair of gloves once using a very fine needle, probably a 1 or 0, and very fine laceweight wool. They were brown and mostly stockinette stitch and I made only one pair. That was enough.

Interviewer: What took you the longest to knit?

Pat: I would have to say the very large felted bag I made, which took about a year because it sat in hibernation while I picked other projects to knit in between.

Interviewer: What do you like to knit now?

Pat: I enjoy challenging and unusual designs which force me to learn new techniques. I really don't need another sweater!

Interviewer: What is your favorite fiber to knit?

Pat: I love working with wool. I recently watched an old Elizabeth Zimmerman DVD and she said that when she burns her old sweaters they won't pollute the air because they are all natural fibers and I thought that was a good reason for using real wool.

Interviewer: Where is your favorite place to knit?

Pat: I have an art studio on the third floor of my home that is a loft. It has dedicated spots to each of my crafts and my favorite spot to knit is in the area with white carpeting, lots of natural morning light and NO BOYS ALLOWED!

Interviewer: Where is the most unusual place you ever knitted?

Pat: I was on a dock in Greece knitting away.

Thank you Pat for a little more information into the private life of a knitter. Check in next week for more. In the meantime, have a great week and keep those needles clicking!