Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

May you all experience the wonderment of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

Much love to you and wishes for a Happy New Year too.

Picking up where we left off

Barbara showed us the progress she has made on her granddaughter's Christmas stocking today. She was hoping to have it finished by now but it's been a challenge. It has to be knitted flat so she can knit the snowman Intarsia style. He looks really cute and Barb promises to take pictures of it when it's finished so I can post. She is looking forward to her granddaughter's first Christmas.

Kathleen had enough yarn left from last week's vest to make a hat and mittens, sans thumbs. They'll be added soon. Today she started another V neck vest which I'm sure will be finished the next time we meet.

And here it is. The yarn is a wool, acrylic and viscose blend in a deep forest green with tweed flecks. It knits up beautifully and will make a nice finished vest.

Maureen's Wingspan is a little farther along since last week.

And Dorah found some unfinished objects, otherwise known as UFO's. She couldn't find the pattern for these fingerless mitts but I'm sure she'll figure it out.

And look at this lovely Irish Hiking Scarf she is picking back up again. The yarn is so soft!

Beth had a bit of an issue with her yarn. It's going to be another cloche made with those telephone pole sized double pointed needles of hers.

Here is what it will look like when it's finished. I showed you this one last time but it didn't have it's button yet, a perfect finishing touch.

Carole worked on mitts tonight. It's hard to tell the color here but it's a lovely rich blend of purples almost burgundy. Really pretty!

And finally I started another man's scarf using Jojoland Rhythm yarn. It's a variegated color that will go well with jeans since the colors range from denim to gray and navy.

We will be taking the next two weeks off to be with our families for the holidays. We all wish you a blessed Christmas and happy and healthy new year!

Prayers

Just when I think I have run out of tears I find there are plenty more that pour down my cheeks in such utter sadness for those families in Sandy Hook, Ct. I used to live one town away from that sleepy little New England village. The main street is wide with a grassy island running down the middle, a tall white flagpole with, what I am sure is hanging at half staff, a proud American flag, and the iconic white steepled church on the corner. It will never be the same. My prayers haven’t stopped yet for those babies taken from their families at so young an age, the same age as my grandson, and for their teachers who tried to protect them. Prayers go out for those loved ones left behind who now wonder why. Please God, send them comfort in knowing their babies are safe with you now.

Warm and soft

 Kathleen finished a V-neck sweater vest this week. She used a Red Heart yarn called "Soft" and it really is for an acrylic. That will make it machine washable and dryable so it will be easy wear.

Her wool mittens will make warm hands for someone.

Barbara is catching up on some Christmas knitting by making a scarf for a loved one in his favorite team colors. She has two more skeins of that yarn so there might be a hat also.

Carole made a double knit hat. This technique is made by using two colors of yarn at the same time so one side is purple with green boxes and the reversible side is...

green with purple boxes! Wow! That looks great! It takes a lot of concentration to make sure you are using the right color yarn at the right time. 

Maureen has made great progress on the Wingspan she is knitting. And again she wore something that goes well with it.

I made a hat to go with the cowl I made last week.

The hat and this cowl, called Circulo were made with Aslan Trends Invernal yarn. This yarn feels like a cloud. It is a blend of rabbit angora, merino wool and nylon. It is heavenly!

I used another heavenly yarn for this Williams Neck Warmer. It is a silk and merino blend from Malabrigo called Silky Merino, duh!

Back to my needles then. I'm working on a baby alpaca hat which is very close to being finished. 

Look for it and more next week. Happy Knitting!

Telephone Poles for Knitting Needles!

This afternoon Kathleen brought another pair of mittens for the inventory. We talked about how we can use the exact same pattern and same size needles and no two pair come out the same size. I think with me, it has to do with my mood when I'm knitting. If I am stressed I must knit tightly. One time I made a pair of baby socks and had to knit a third one to get the same size and believe it or not, none of them matched in size! And I knitted them all in the same day! I guess I relaxed with each one I knitted. 

 Barbara started a pair of fingerless mitts. By 3PM the first one was almost finished.

 I finished the Wingspan shawl/scarf. I used Jojoland Melody superwashed yarn. I love how the colors blend into each other.

 Over the weekend I found a cowl pattern I liked and had some baby alpaca yarn that was just enough yardage to make this Elis neck warmer. It uses the Indian Cross Stitch. I enjoyed learning this new-to-me stitch which looks terrible until it's blocked. 

 The long threads are created by wrapping each stitch three times and then on the next row the stitch is pulled to the entire length, making the open work. This is a six stitch pattern so you cross three stitches over three in one direction and then after two rows of stockinette you do it again in the opposite direction. I know it sounds like gibberish but it's really easy to do.

 I started this cowl tonight but once I completed the ribbing I found out it's a pattern that requires my full attention so I couldn't talk with my Chicks. On to something else for the evening.

 Maureen's Wingspan is coming along nicely. The colors look great and matched her sweater.

Carole worked on another hat. 

 Beth finished her scarf with the keyhole end.

 And Dorah is plugging away on her never-ending scarf. She vowed to make something small next time.

 We all joked with Beth about the "telephone-pole-sized" double pointed needles she was using to make a cute cloche style hat. Well, by the end of the evening she laughed last because....

 she had a completed hat! Not bad for telephone poles! 

I'm sure she'll have another by next week. 

For now I am going to work on that cowl which needs all the stitches counted. 

A great big THANK YOU!

So I woke up this morning and as is my usual habit, I checked my email during breakfast. I received an email from a vendor on Ravelry notifying me that I had received a gift of an e-book of knitting patterns. All I had to do was enter the promo code word and I could download the book. Well, being that it was first thing in the morning and I don't drink coffee, my mind was kind of fuzzy so I thought for sure it had been sent to me in error! 

I sent a note to the vendor apologizing for my confusion but that I hadn't ordered anything. Her reply was "Tis a gift from a friend and its up to that friend to let me know who it is." 

Really?!!! Wow! How exciting! 

I immediately raced into Ravelry and downloaded my e-book of three lovely patterns from "The Downton Abbey" collection. The patterns are for a shawl, a neck warmer, and socks. Again, wow! I had to put aside my current knitting project and look for some worsted weight yarn to start the neck warmer right away. 

So to whoever it was that sent me this lovely gift, thank you for your sweet thoughtfulness! I am touched by your kindness and I really appreciate the gesture! God bless you!

My Cuties! And my Chicks!

I went to visit my grandbabies this weekend. Boy! I miss those cute faces!

 Leo learned how to scold and isn't afraid to use that chubby little finger. LOL!

 Moose ordered a kid's meal and the prize was a microphone so now he's doing his best Luke Bryan impression. Don't you love the Spiderman hat?

 This week with the Chicks was very productive. I finished a hoodie I started in March. I knitted all the way to the I-cord tie for the hood and put it into hibernation.

 Sometimes I need to distance myself from a project until I feel like getting back to it. I love this sweater from Knitting Pure and Simple patterns.

 Kathleen finished two hats and two pairs of mittens. She usually knits her mittens flat on two needles and then sews the seam. These two she tried the basic mitten pattern from 

Claudia Krisinski, free on Ravelry, which is knitted in the round on three double pointed needles. I think she might be convinced to try these again. I personally dislike sewing finished knitted garments so seamless sounds great to me!

 Barbara borrowed my iPad to look up a pattern to start a hat. Boy! That thing comes in handy!

 Here is Kathleen making another pair of mittens in the round. See? I told you she liked that pattern. 

 Karin worked on a hat with her hand dyed yarn and by evening's end it was finished.

 Beth worked on a scarf that has a keyhole opening to slip the end through so it stays snug around one's neck. She is wearing her Willow cowl. So pretty!

 Dorah and the never ending scarf! LOL!

 Maureen started a Wingspan scarf using a pretty variegated yarn for which she couldn't find the label, so we don't know what it is.

 We had a visitor last night. Susan stopped me at a New York State Thruway rest stop two weeks ago when I was wearing my Catkin shawl and commented that she liked it and she used to knit but could use a refresher course. Would I be willing to help her out? Sure! I'm hoping in exchange she'll agree to be a Chick!

 Carole started this slouch hat with a pretty teal yarn. Maybe you'll get to see it next week.

For now I'll just go back to my Wingspan and see if I can finish it this week. I am almost near the end of it so I can always hope!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A trunkload of prayers and blessings

On Friday I prepared the inventory for delivery to Staten Island for the survivors of Hurricane Sandy. The kitchen table was almost completely covered with warm woolies.

The mittens alone covered the whole corner!

 The scarves and neck warmers piled so high they almost toppled over.

 And many heads will be a bit warmer thanks to my Chicks.

 The ladies made some beautiful warm blankets too. I can picture a cute little munchkin clinging to his blankie for comfort and warmth. The grand total of items came to 95 (actually 131 if you count the pairs of socks and mittens individually).

 The trunk of my car was filled! Actually, there were more bags in the back seat as well. Not only did the Chicks and their friends knit items to give, we all also added items for cleaning, toiletries and other incidentals.

 We filled every inch of space right into the back of the trunk.

And wherever there was a gap we stuffed in a few extra prayers for strength and comfort for those who have suffered through Hurricane Sandy. 

To my Chicks I want to say thank you so much for your generous spirits and willingness to help others. And to the survivors, our love to you all! God bless you with healing and restoration of your souls.

 All our best to you!