Debbie is back!

Barbara B.'s nails match her project! She is still working at her Irma Hat which is giving her fits. The stitch count can be off by one stitch if you forget to make 1 within the repeat of the pattern. So she's had to frog it a couple of times. I hope she doesn't give up on it because it really is a nice hat.

 Debbie is back from her winter break in North Carolina and she jumped right back in with her hat knitting. The Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn shows a subtle patterning.

 Cinzia is designing a scarf which is comprised of diagonal blocks using this boucle yarn.

 And Janna's scarf is a bit longer than last week. She's doing a great job on those cables.

 Debbie added the Declan's hat to the inventory. I think this is also Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn. It shows off those cable details beautifully.

 Cinzia finished her ZickZack Scarf which is Berroco Comfort yarns. It's sitting on my loom which is holding....

 This scarf (or maybe a cowl) which I warped on Sunday and worked today. For those out there who understand weaving, I double warped it with fingering weight yarn but the weft is a fluffy alpaca/acrylic blend and I love the look.

 You can see the up close details of the two strands in the warp.

 And five hours later it is done! I need to wet finish it and trim the fringe evenly but the hard part is done.

 Margaret finished her last version of the Julia Roberts hat and is anxiously waiting to start a project with new colors.

 Carole's Irma Hat is ready to begin the decrease portion of the crown. So it's almost finished.

 And Maureen is afraid you're going to get tired of seeing her blue Honey cowl because it seems to be taking forever. That's what happens when you use fine weight yarns. But the finished cowl will be beautiful!

 The thumbs on these simple mitts I'm making are now on waste yarn so I can knit the palm. These will match the woven scarf and knitted hat I made so there will be a 3 piece ensemble to donate.

I better get busy and finish these so I can move on to my next project. I have some hats which I have begun so I won't be at a loss for work. All I need is a few more hours in the day!

On this rainy Tuesday

Janna's Palindrome Scarf hit a snag today but she was able to tink back and find the error. She got herself right back on track. The Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn is the perfect yarn for this pattern.

 Last week I showed you the plaid scarf I wove with a silk/merino blend yarn. There was enough yarn left over to start a hat. I was hoping to throw in a few bands of solid purple but...

 there isn't enough for me to judge how to space them so I decided to use the purple for a pompom...maybe.

 Barbara B. is using Debbie Bliss Rialto yarn for her Irma hat. This is another yarn for beautiful stitch definition.

 Here is Carole's Irma hat. She's using Cascade 220, another good yarn for showcasing stitch work.

 Dorah's Irma hat is also being knitted with Cascade 220. A few more rows for the ribbing and then she'll start the fancy pattern.

 Margaret figured this is her fourth Julia Roberts hat from the movie, "Stepmom". She still has yarn to make another but I think she's had enough of this pattern.

 You can see the little sparkles in Maureen's Honey cowl. The yarn has a little nylon fiber running through it that gives it a little bling.

 On Sunday afternoon I warped my 16 inch rigid heddle loom with a cotton gradient yarn to make this cowl. I don't know about you but I hate knitting with cotton yarn because it's hard on my knuckles. I think it's because it doesn't have the elasticity that animal fibers have. Well, I discovered the same is true for weaving with cotton. At least the warping portion of the process is unforgiving to my hands. But I'm very happy with the results. I now have a nice springtime weight cowl for the women veterans' shelter.

 Carole knitted the Crystalline Cowl for a friend and graciously allowed me to show you. The bulky yarn and size 9 needle she used makes it stand up nicely against winter weather.

 She also finished another hat with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn.

 And here is Margaret's next to last Julia Roberts hat. She's really tired of this pattern. I wouldn't have been able to knit four of the same hat, one right after the other. 

 And I completed the Sockhead Slouch hat, finally! 

This seemed to take forever. But I bet if I check my records, it probably took only a couple of weeks. I guess I'm just a fickle knitter who likes to hop from one project to another.

I wonder what will be on my needles next week.

Making Progress

There were just three of us Chicks this afternoon. A few of them flew the coop for warmer weather. Jan and Janna joined me today. Jan finished her hat and the matching cowl is coming along nicely. 

 Janna's Palindrome Scarf is getting there. She will be able to knit a reversible cable in her sleep by the time she finishes this scarf.

 Margaret laughed about her hat looking the same every week but the colors are in different order each week. The hat is called the Julia Roberts hat because she wore it in the movie, "Stepmom".

 I had a hard time trying to get the true color of Carole's Irma hat. It is deep burgundy, rich and luscious! She decided to try it again with Cascade 220 which has just enough cuticle in the yarn to hold the stitches nicely.

 She inspired Dorah to try one too. She is also using Cascade 220 in a charcoal gray.

 Maureen's Honey Cowl is a bit further along. Since she has a new baby granddaughter she's finding it harder to squeeze in knitting time. I think the baby should take priority anyway. They don't stay tiny for long.

 Sunday I wove a pink and purple scarf and wet finished it yesterday. My edges are still a bit wobbly where I have to change colors but I'm happy with the end product.

 And I just LOVE this cowl I wove using the waffle stitch. Now that it's wet finished, the fabric is soft and drapey.

 I had enough yarn to make a hat and there might even be enough for a pair of fingerless mitts to round out a nice ensemble.

 This weaving gig is the bomb! Another scarf literally flew off the loom!

 And there will be fingerless mitts to go with the hat from last week that matches the scarf.

 Weaving will never replace knitting for me but it's right up there alongside it as one of my favorite things to do. 

Look at Dorah’s work!

Dorah took up weaving and this lovely scarf is only her second project! Gorgeous work dorah! She used Miss Babs Yowza using a 7.5 dent heddle on her rigid heddle loom.

I can’t wait to see what you make next!

Very busy hands

We start this week's post with some FO's. I made a hat to go with the woven scarf from last week's FO's. There is a good amount of yarn left so I might even be able to squeeze out a pair of mittens to make a nice 3 piece set.

 Cinzia made a cozy cowl using the Indian Cross Stitch pattern between fields of garter stitch.

 Carole's Olivia Cowl is finished too. This Debbie Bliss yarn gives beautiful stitch definition...perfect for this cowl.

 Maureen finished her 1898 Hat using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. The ear flaps are knitted flat then folded in half and the crown stitches are picked up along the edge and knitted to the top. I don't know why, but it seems to be the quickest knit I've ever made. Maybe because by the time you finish knitting the ear section, most of the hat is knitted.

 Margaret's third version of her hat with bulky yarn is ready to go into inventory. Further on you'll see she is making another.

 Barbara B. had to make a provisional cast on so the brim could be double thick. Here she is picking up the stitches from the cast on edge to be knitted together with the live stitches on the needle.

 Cinzia added many inches to her ZickZack scarf she started last week. Lovely color combo!

 And Janna really got the hang of those cable stitches! Her Palindrome Scarf has come a long way since last Tuesday.

 Jan's cowl has beautiful colors. I can't wait to see it finished.

 Here is the beginning of the hat I started today to go with the periwinkle blue scarf I wove last week. The loom is empty right now but I'll be warping it soon. I need to decide between four different yarn combinations so I'll know what to make.

 Dorah finished one mitten and is sussing out the directions for the second one. Sometimes the directions don't seem to make sense so they trip us up a bit. But she's got it now.

 Here is Margaret's third or fourth hat with that same bulky yarn. Each one has a different color pattern. I think she wants to give the 1898 hat a try next.

Last week I showed you Carole's Irma hat. This week it has been frogged in favor of a cable hat.

It seems as nice as the Irma hat pattern is, the Cashmerino yarn is too slippery for it so it kept growing and stretching. So Carole opted for this pattern instead.

Maureen has this lovely blue yarn with sparkles running through it so she is working on the Honey cowl. It's a nice easy pattern with slipped stitches to create the texture.

In case anyone is interested in learning how to weave the waffle stitch, I'll be teaching a class at Cece's Wool in Guilderland on Wednesday, March 4 at 1PM. The class is open to only 4 students with an intermediate level skill, so if you want to enroll, do so quickly.

So that's all for this week. Time for me to get back to my needles.