I don't have ADD Oh look! Pretty yarn!

Margaret's hat of two colors of silk yarn has grown in length since last Tuesday. She's at the decreasing portion now and she thinks there is something strange with the way it looks. The spiral walks around the hat and then suddenly stops when the decreases start. Carole and I looked it over but we think it's just a feature of going from the spiral stitch to the decreasing crown. We think it will look fine when it's finished. Sometimes that happens with a pattern but I know how she feels. You don't want to finish knitting only to find out it's either wrong or doesn't look right. But I think this will work out just fine.

Carole started a Mistake Stitch cowl and the stitch definition is gorgeous! Perfect for this stitch!

But like me, she was easily bored with the project and decided to switch to her hat she started last week. We joked that we have knitting ADD because we couldn't possibly knit through to the end of a single project. Gotta have multiple patterns going all at once. I use the excuse that it keeps my brain young and elastic because it forces me to memorize multiple patterns when I knit from one project to another. Yeah! That sounds like a good reason! LOL!

So here is my One Row Scarf which is nearly at the halfway mark but knitting the brown yarn on gloomy winter days makes me want to pull my hair out. So on to...

the Miss Winkle shawlette that I started weeks ago. Some days it feels like I'll never finish a project but then all of a sudden I'll have two or three items finished within days of each other. 

Today I blocked my striped cowl which has a Knit Picks solid and a Mini Mochi gradient. The pattern is one I made up. Cast on enough stitches to fit over your head, join in the round, knit 1X1 ribbing for about an inch, then knit every row for as long as desired, ending with another inch (or whatever you knitted at the beginning) of 1X1 ribbing, and bind off. To avoid a color jog at the beginning of the round when you change colors watch this.

We had to cancel our afternoon group because of slippery roads and sloppy snow so I couldn't show you their progress but next week I'm hoping the weather will improve and we can get together again.

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

UFO sighting!

I have a case of "Startitis". There's no fighting it. You just have to give in and cast on when it hits. It doesn't matter that I have other UFO's (unfinished objects) on needles. When inspiration hits, you must get started on a new project. I was inspired to make this man's scarf after seeing Staci Perry's newest Facebook post of the scarf she knitted using a lovely gray hand spun yarn. The pattern is from Stephanie Pearl McPhee of the Yarn Harlot fame. It's a one row pattern and very easy to memorize which is why I like it so much. The yarn is from Berroco, a blend of acrylic and nylon so it's very soft and machine washable and dryable.

 I'm still plugging away on the Miss Winkle scarf too.

 The colors are a pretty blend of golds and aquas. 

 And five more rows will finish off this cowl I started months ago. It doesn't look like much here because it needs a thorough blocking to even out the stitching. The merino fiber is very soft so it will be a cozy hug around someone's neck.

 Barbara brought us a bunch of FO's (finished objects). The lacy cap is really pretty in pink!

 This spiral cap came from one of those One Skein Wonders books. 

 Here it is again in a solid color. It's amazing how different a project can look just by changing the yarn.

 Cinzia brought us a surprise today. Sofia had a snow day off from school so she joined us.

 It was so good to see her and catch up on all her activities. And she was excited to be able to find the time to work on the baby sweater she started over the summer. Once school starts she doesn't have the time to knit.

 Since Barb finished all those hats she went stash diving and picked out a pretty variegated yarn for another hat.

 And Cinzia wove in the ends of her cowl so it could be added to the inventory.

 These hands belong to our new Chick, Margaret. She picked out some silk yarns to make a very soft chemo cap. 

 Now that tax season has begun Maureen added her last hat for a while. She'll be up to her ears in numbers and won't have time for much of anything else. This intricate looking pattern is called Hat #21 Cool Slips B, free on Ravelry. Maureen said it's very easy to knit, it just looks difficult. Those zig zag lines are formed with slipped stitches.

 Carole worked on her Joline knit hat and....

 finished it before evening's end.

 One more picture before I go. Barbara's granddaughter loved the hat and scarf she made for her. The teal is Berroco Vintage and the violet is Cascade 220. And the model is adorable!

That's all for this week. I need to make some of those UFO's turn into FO's so I better get going. 

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

Baby, it's cold outside!

We Chicks have been working hard on warm items to donate to The Romero Oncology Office in Latham, NY. Up first, Barbara made a lovely gradient hat and scarf set. The denim colors will be perfect for casual wear with jeans! Her Mistake Stitch Scarf took up so much yarn she had to hold her breath right to the last bound off stitch! She was left with only a few inches of yarn. I love when it works out to the very end!

 She also finished a darling confetti colored cowl that is sure to lift someone's spirits. She couldn't find the ball band so we don't know what the fiber is but it sure is soft!

 Barbara's next hat is from the One Skein Wonders book.

 She started it today and is already a good way through the lace band. It's really a two in one pattern. You can knit the band only and make it an earwarmer or continue up the crown and make it a hat.

 Elaine finished her scrunchy hat and had enough yarn left to start...

 another hat. This too, is a very soft fiber.

 I started the Cushy Cowl two days ago and finished it up today.

 It used to be a free pattern on Ravelry but it was deleted by accident. So here it is if you'd like to make it.

104 yds Chunky yarn 

Size 10.5 circular needle, 16” long 

Cast on 68 sts (76). Place marker for beginning of round and join without twisting. 

Rnds 1-2: *K1,P1* repeat between * to end of round 

Rnds 3-4: *P1, K3* rpt between * to end of round 

Rnds 5-6: *K1,P1* rpt between * to end of round 

Rnds 7-8: *K2, P1, K1* rpt between * to end of round

Work pattern 5X (40 rounds)

Bind off loosely.

 Maureen picked up this yarn from my stash on Saturday and has already knitted so much. The pattern is really nice but do you think I could remember it? If you think back to last week, she was making the cheerful yellow scarf but when she thought about it, she knew she could never finish it before her busy season took over at work. So she looked up this hat and VOILA! She's almost done!

 Carole's hat has grown many inches since she started it last week. But she was getting bored going around, and around, and around so....

 She picked up her Hitchhiker scarf. It's going to be nice and long considering how much yarn is left in the skein.

 The Birthday Cowl I showed you last week is done and blocked. This is Paton's Classic Wool Tweed and I like how it turned out. It's gender neutral and the yarn blocks beautifully.

 I found this hat pattern during one of my surfing expeditions. It was a good mindless knitting project. The cuff is double thickness so it is nice and warm. The yarn is from Berroco called Comfort. It's a nylon/acrylic blend which is very soft next to the skin and machine washable too.

My weather app says it feels like 23 degrees outside tonight so I think I'll make a nice warm cup of tea and cuddle into a warm blanket. Have a great week!

Holidays and knitting

Christmas time is for making memories and my grandson and I made a good one. I showed him a Youtube video of a woman shaping loaves of Challah bread and after watching it once he made perfect braids of bread. Can you tell he's proud of himself?

 His younger brother was thrilled that he received new clothes for Christmas.
Whew! I'm glad that was a success! 

 And I received some beautiful baby alpaca yarns straight from Peru, thanks to the generosity of my son and his partner from their recent vacation to Machu Picchu. Now what shall I knit? I need to pat it and cuddle it for a while to know what it wants to be.

 Two Saturdays before Christmas Eve I visited Karin's studio and fell head over heels for this gorgeous deep red silk/merino blend yarn and knew immediately that it HAD to become 

Childhood Memories. I wanted to wear it to a Christmas Eve party so that meant I had to knit it and block it in two weeks time. I started it on Sunday, December 11 and worked like a crazy lady every day. I kept saying to myself, "I'll never get this done." But by the morning of the 24th I had bound off my last stitch and dunked it for a bath. With the fireplace going, two fans blowing, and 212 T-pins, I did get it done and was able to wear it to the party! I love it and I'm so happy I made it.

 The afternoon Chicks had conflicts today so it was the evening group only. Beth showed us her Hitchhiker scarf she made with Periwinkle Sheep yarn. It's hard to tell here but it's a tonal blend of browns and beige which make it a warm and cozy wrap.

 And that's all that was left of the yarn when she finished!

 Beth's next project is a pair of these socks.

 And more Periwinkle Sheep yarn. That's a gorgeous blue!

 Maureen started this shawl tonight and felt she needed a cheery color to pick her spirits up on this gloomy weather day we've been experiencing.

 I'd say this is cheery!

 Carole finished her hat and cowl, all blocked and ready to wear.

Now she's ready to cast on for this pretty cabled hat.

This yarn is very soft and will show nice stitch definition too.

One more row and then the bind off row and I'll will finish the Birthday Cowl. 

I'm using Paton's Classic Wool Tweed yarn.

While we were on a break for Christmas I finished a pair of fingerless mitts and...

a Handbrake cowl. The mitts were made with DK weight yarn and the cowl was worsted weight.

I love these smaller projects. They work up quickly and they are satisfying to make. I think I'll go  stash diving for some more worsted weight yarns to make some more quick cowls.