Back on Zoom

We’ve had some stormy weather here in the Capital District of NY so we couldn’t meet at the river this week. But luckily, we have options!

Speaking of options, we started our conversation this week with the best spots for grocery shopping in the area, and the places to avoid where the wearing of masks is not enforced, if you choose to be safe. So many stores now offer delivery too.

Our first set of photos starts with current projects. My cowl (upper left) is called Cache-Cache and is free on Ravelry.com. I used a short color changing yarn and it took only two weeks to make. It probably would have been quicker if I had not put it down as often to work on other projects. I’m a fickle knitter! Janna, bottom row, center, received some beautiful gradient yarns in the mail and is thinking of making small shawls to show off their pretty colors.

 She also had two pretty sock weight yarns and needed ideas for what patterns would be good for a shawl using both colors. I see something which uses mosaic knitting.

 Top center, Annika said she has one ball of yarn left to use for her shawl. And Maureen crocheted a cute baby blanket that has an elephant motif in the stitches. Carole, below me on left, is almost finished with her “Close to You” shawl, another freebie on Ravelry. Jan, in the center, is working on a delightful little baby sweater called “Bella”. We haven’t seen Margaret in a long time so it was a treat that she was able to join us and show us the start of her “1898 Hat”. 

And back to the bottom row, center, Janna treated herself to a knitting accessory, a beautiful teakwood yarn bowl. It is carved with a curly-cue design through which you pass your yarn so when you pull on the ball of yarn, it doesn’t fly across the room.

We really needed the rain but I’m hoping that we can resume our river knitting next week. In the meantime, keep those needles clicking!

It was a hot one today!

It was 90 degrees at the river today. Thank goodness the breezes were especially strong to cover the fact that it was so hot.

The water was quite choppy too. Those little white specks on the river are the white caps that appeared all along the water.

Something else appeared today too. It's the first time I've ever seen a goose in the park. Luckily, he minded his own business.

Cinzia, Janna, Barbara, and I were the whole group today. We had to move our chairs a bit as the sun moved through the sky and suddenly left us in its direct path.

Janna started a new cowl/scarf using a beautiful russet colored yarn. The pattern is called "Calistoga Cowl" and is free on Ravelry.com. The yarn is fingering weight with a size 4 needle.

Cinzia started a baby blanket using her talents for crochet. This is the center block and the edges will grow out from it in different colors.

Barbara B. finished the beautiful little dress for one of her granddaughters. It's adorable! She has two more to make and is thinking of making matching bow ties for her grandsons.

I frogged a shawl that was 2/3 done because I didn't like the pattern and this yarn was too nice to waste in something I wouldn't wear. I'm much happier with the way this pattern shows off the pretty colors. This is the Racimo Cowl, a freebie on Ravelry also.

That's it for today. I'm going to spend the rest of the day inside with the AC. I hope you have a cool spot for knitting away the day. Keep those needles clicking!

Riverside knitting

There were people all along the shore enjoying the Henry Hudson Park today. The air was dry and the light breezes made the 78° day feel very comfortable. We didn’t see any herons or eagles this afternoon but we did see a fisherman. I wonder if he caught anything.

Barbara K., Barbara B., and Janna sat facing the river so they had the best view.

While Debbie, Liz, and Annika sat in the dappled sunlight.

Janna finished her teal blue scarf (around her neck) and added to the length of the Palindrome scarf.

Liz worked on her “Old Shale” Pattern scarf using yarn that has a sparkle thread through it. It glittered beautifully in the sun.

Barbara K. started the brim of a hat using a bulky weight yarn which will make it knit up quickly.

Annika’s scarf is coming along nicely too. The self striping yarn gives a simple triangular shawl some pizazz.

Debbie put the finishing touches on the hat she worked on last week.

My Sightseer Cowl is about an inch longer than ot was last week...

While Barbara B.’s is about the same size. I love her color combo!

Liz brought her winter knitting to add baby and adult hats, sweater, fingerless mitts, and a scarf to our inventory for a future donation.

We’re hoping the weather continues to be this beautiful so we can meet at this lovely park each week. It’s a peaceful spot to spend a few hours enjoying the fresh air while we knit. So keep your fingers crossed that Mother Nature will continue to bless us with pleasant temperatures and light breezes that we may keep those needles clicking.

Down by the river

With the restrictions being a bit more lenient here in New York State, we decided to cautiously meet down by the river on a breezy, beautiful, sunny day. 

It felt so good to gather and see each other in person instead of on Zoom! And as you can see, we were appropriately distanced from each other.

Our biggest surprise was seeing Liz appear from her car! None of us knew she had returned from her winter quarters in Florida. 

Barbara B. wore her fancy mask that she made while she knitted a baby blanket.

And Barbara K. and Debbie chatted about where to get the best take-out while enjoying the light breeze.

On the far left is Janna's twin, Annika, who has so graciously led our weekly Zoom meetings. The Chicks were happy to finally meet her in person.

It's a good thing my camera has a zoom feature so I could get close up pictures without crossing the 6 foot barrier. Debbie learned how to make a double thick brim on the hat she is knitting.

Barbara B. had yarn left from a previous project which worked out perfectly for the baby blanket.

Janna picked up where she left off on her eyelet scarf.

And lastly, I am making progress on a cowl called "Sightseer". These yarns were destined for a different cowl pattern which I purchased but after getting through a few inches of the chart which was very difficult for my eyes to read (the designer used two dark colors and dark symbols, a bad combination for someone who hates knitting from charts) I saw a huge mistake and the frustration I felt overwhelmed me so I threw the WIP on the floor, said a few choice words, and abandoned it for Plan B. 

I'm a happy camper now and very happy with the results of the new pattern.

If the humidity doesn't overwhelm us, we will meet by the river again. In the meantime, we continue to maintain our distance and wear our masks. It has been a challenge to say the least but we will do what is necessary to keep healthy so stay healthy, stay happy, and stay home (unless you have a nice river to park your chair) and keep those needles clicking!

FO and gradient yarns

Janna finished her shawl and it looks beautiful! Great job Janna! And a nice gift to yourself too.

(Bottom left picture)

 Dorah showed us the pretty gradient yarn she is using to make the “Light and Up” shawl for a friend. The yarn is from Freia and you can find a variety of beautiful colors at Cece’s Wool in Hamilton Square in Guilderland, NY. 

 That picture to the top right is Dorah’s “Heavy Metal Shawl” for which she used two skeins of the Freia yarn. She started the shawl from the outside of the first ball of yarn and when she reached the end, she started the second ball of yarn from the center so she could continue the gradient in the opposite direction.

There was conversation about the spoiled pets and plant care but mostly about knitting. I started a hat but don’t have much knitted so it’s not very interesting to see. Maybe by next week I’ll have a completed hat. For now, I’ll get back to work. If you believe in the power of prayer, our world needs all the loving vibrations you can give. Stay healthy, stay happy, stay home and keep those needles clicking!