The Chicks' delivery last week and catching up on a beautiful day

You might have noticed that there was no blog post last week. That was the day we delivered the warm woolies to The Falcon Market at Albany High School. We were warmly greeted by the staff and students who run the store for students and their families of Albany High School. All items are free of charge to anyone who needs them. It looks like the four students in this picture with Jan, Barbara B, Dorah, and me have already picked their favorite.

These students are some of the "clerks" who make sure the racks of clothing are organized and distributed accordingly.

The market supplies more than just clothing though. A new program this year is a section to help college bound seniors equip their dorm rooms with small appliances...

dishware, glassware, cutlery, pots, pans, casseroles, and behind that shelving is an area with linens and bedding.

A local grocery store supplied the market with refrigerator and freezer units to store the food that is distributed to families.

And they supplied shelving units for canned goods, non-perishables, and toiletries.

In the center of the market is the clothing department which is set up by size. It is such a wonderful gift to the families at the school. That's Joey DiPiazza explaining to us the set up. He said our donations last September were a hit and the kids were thrilled with the selections we offered them. 

Dorah was explaining to the photographer and a teacher that our friends and families have all the knitted garments they need but we haven't lost the will to knit so now there's a whole new avenue of giving open to us Chicks. It was truly an uplifting day to know we are still being productive in our society.

Now on to this afternoon. There were conflicts that kept some of the Chicks absent but the weather cooperated so it was a lovely deck knitting day with the six of us.

Dorah couldn't resist a little sniff of...

Barbara B's sourdough chocolate-espresso-chocolate chip cookies. They had a little sprinkle of chunky salt on top. Perfection!

Margaret made a hat for her daughter using Benjamin Matthews Orchard Harvest Beanie pattern. The Madelinetosh yarn really shines!

I'm still working on my Feather and Fan Cowl using the lace weight mohair/silk yarn that was a gift from my son's trip to Norway.

Barbara B's Easy Vivi Wrap is about 1/3 complete. The photo doesn't do justice to the beauty of the colors in this yarn.

Speaking of beautiful colors, Dorah's sock yarn is making a gorgeous scarf.

Margaret started a sweater for her grandson.

And Nancy, who loves knitting short rows, found another pattern to satisfy the urge. Calathea is a scarf pattern but Nancy started hers on a provisional cast on so she can turn it into a cowl/eternity scarf.

When I asked Cinzia what she is making, her response was, "We'll find out when it's done." 😉The finished piece depends on whether or not she runs out of yarn.

Well, "His Majesty" is waiting patiently for his meal. How can I say no to a face like that?!?!💖

Don't forget that the Adirondack Wool and Arts Festival is this Saturday and Sunday. 

Hope the weather cooperates!🤞

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

I thought we'd have a deck day

But Mother Nature had other plans. The rain and humidity made deck knitting out of the question. So here we are, it's September 1st and Barbara B made an appropriate snack for the ever-approaching autumn weather.

We had pumpkin spice sourdough cookies! They were soft and chewy with the right amount of spice.

Dorah started the afternoon prepping a hank of yarn into a ball so she could knit a pair of socks for a friend who needs some TLC. Ron stopped by to commiserate about the state of affairs with the NY METS. He and Dorah are baseball buddies.

She started the cast on with her trusty DPs and got through the first round when she realized she was using the tail of the long tail cast on to knit instead of the working yarn from the ball. Name one person among us who hasn't done this exact same thing. 

But don't fret, she's back on track with the correct strand.

Barbara B got this pattern from her sister to knit the Vivi Wrap. It looks like a good social knitting project, not too tricky but still engaging.

She's using a berry colored variegated yarn that still allows the texture to shine. 

I see blocking in her future.😉

Maureen is working on her Celtic Feather Cap for her granddaughter using that pretty lilac colored yarn. She should be starting the cable section soon.

Cinzia is knitting a cover for the steering wheel of her car. She's making it with a double moss stitch for a nice texture.

When my son and his partner cruised the fjords of Norway a few months ago, they stopped at a yarn store to buy me some souvenirs. This is one of the skeins they found at the second shop. The lady in the first shop asked my son if he needed help and he sheepishly explained to her, "My mother is sort of a yarn snob." She said she totally gets it and while she doesn't have yarn I might like, the yarn store a block away would have the perfect selection for him to peruse. Imagine that! Well, she was right! Even though I feel like I'm knitting with cotton candy, I do love the color and feel of this goat mohair and silk blend! This will be a Feather and Fan Cowl when I eventually finish it. I can knit only 4 rounds at a sitting. Those of you who knit lace weight mohair will know why.

My alternate project is the same scarf I've been knitting for a while now. It's from a YouTube video which I wrote up for the Chicks and me to make a KAL. 

Tina finished hers already. We were noticing the texture of the stitches looked different. After some discussion it was brought to my attention that Tina used a cable needle to make the mini cables whereas I made twisted stitches, left and right. It made a big difference in the look of the finished pattern. Next one I make will be the technique Tina used. Tina, your scarf looks great!

And after last week I thought Barbara B wasn't going to speak to me anymore. She was trying to knit the same pattern but she was confused about the increasing and how to allow for the pattern to flow from one row to another. But she got the hang of it once she got home and knitted in a quiet room without interruptions. Barbara it looks great too!

Tina's current WIP is the Simple Sideways Triangle Scarf, a pattern Jan made a few weeks back.

I found an online pattern which was free for a limited time so I shared it with the group and Jan hopped right on it. The Hollyhocks Hat pattern is still free to the end of today so hurry and grab it if you like it.

Margaret was hunting through her stash and UFOs and found a bottom up sweater she had started for her son many moons ago. She got as far as the yoke and the pattern instructed her to knit short row shaping so she put it in a bag and tucked it away for a time when she felt like she could tackle the challenge. Well, that day has come and she's determined to finish it. It's so close to the end and such a lovely gold color!

Nancy is knitting an adorable color work hat with such a lovely color combo! The pattern also has a matching scarf. And both patterns are free!

Fozzie is letting me know I'm done writing and need to tend to his needs. 

How can I say no to this face?!?!

Check back next week when we will deliver our goodies to The Falcon Boutique at Albany High School. Have a great week and keep those needles clicking.