It's a cold one today!

With 40MPH gusts of wind today, the Chicks were happy to be seated around the table for good conversation, good sourdough chocolate-chocolate chip cookies, and Masala Chai. I make the tea from scratch, a new skill I picked up after watching YouTube videos during the COVID lockdown.

Ron had to get everyone's attention so he could take the picture because we were so busy talking about  many subjects including college tuition costs, retirement and Social Security, and Janna's recent vacation to Iceland, Germany, Spain, Sicily, and France. She took a cooking class with world famous chef Ric Orlando, who began his start here in the Hudson Valley. 

Barbara B made sourdough chocolate-chocolate chip cookies for our treat today. 

They paired well with the chai.

It must have been cold out there because Dorah actually wore one of her shawls, the lovely On the Spice Market by Melanie Berg. She used yarns from Whole Knit n' Caboodle for a beautiful project.

For the donation inventory, Dorah added a hat and scarf she made using Noro Kureyon yarn which we all agree is not our favorite. It is splitty and tends to rip apart not to mention the splinters from debris that is left in the fiber. They dye gorgeous colors but the fiber leaves us sad.

I completed the Stretchy Swirl Beanie using Patons Classic Wool. It will need hand washing but will definitely keep its recipient warm.

Barbara B is almost finished with the Hoodola, a combination cowl and hat which can be turned up inside the hood portion to be used as a face covering. The designer, Laura Nelkin, lives in the Finger Lake region of New York, west of us, and has some great patterns available for sale on Ravelry.

Maureen finished her Helix Hat and has already cast on for another. Those colors look great together. The interesting feature about these hats is you can take colors that you wouldn't necessarily put together but somehow in a Helix Hat they look perfect!

Janna is working on a hat, 2x2 ribbing all the way up. There are countless number of patterns for this style hat but this one is my favorite and easy to memorize.

Carole has a hat started using a bulky weight yarn. What a great color!

Barbara K is also using a bulky weight for a 2x2 hat. The oatmeal color looks warm and cozy.

Dorah selected three colors to make her Helix Hat.

We must all be working through our left overs because I am also working on a Helix Hat. These yarns were a superwash merino left over from four hats I made for family members last year.

Cinzia and Nancy are playing catch-up on projects for themselves. Cinzia forgot she had started the Fagus Scarf so when she came across it recently, it went to the head of the line to be completed.

And Nancy really enjoyed knitting the Reverb Shawl so she's adding another to her collection.

Our photographer, aka my husband Ron, will be getting his new knee this week so the blog will be on hiatus for an unknown period of time. Keep us in your thoughts and send good juju his way.

 And as always, keep those needles clicking.