Who knew!?!?

Who knew we would be knitting on the deck on October 22? The sun was driving the temp up to 78 degrees and it felt like it! I keep saying I'm going to put the summer clothes away but then we get a day like today and I'm searching for the lightweight short sleeve T's. No one was complaining though. Well, maybe I did, a little. I really love the cold winter weather but I do love the sunshine!

Barbara B's treat for the day was sourdough cinnamon snickerdoodles cupcakes. See what you missed Dorah! Not to rub it in but they were gooood! We had a discussion about cinnamon and how to tell if you are buying the real thing or a common substitute. After some googling, we found out that the most common product sold in grocery stores is cassia cinnamon which isn't really cinnamon at all. It comes from a completely different tree and in great enough amounts can cause some major health problems. The real deal is called Ceylon Cinnamon and should you buy it in bark form, would be fragile enough to break

 with little effort.

 

I finished a great stash buster project called the One Chevron Scrap Cowl. It starts with a provisional cast on so the short ends can be grafted together for an invisible seam.

I searched for six different sock weight leftovers and arranged them so the colors would blend...

from one color theme into another. Depending on which side faces front, it can look like a whole different cowl.

Barbara B finished the Avena Hat, a paid pattern on Ravelry. The bobbles along the cuff add a nice touch of texture to an otherwise plain design.

Maureen grew weary of knitting the baby sweater and decided to spice things up with a quick Helix Hat or what I refer to as another potato chip project...you can't make just one!

I also finished the Climber Crest Hat, a pattern with loads of texture. It's a very easy pattern that took no time to memorize.

In fact, I started another one right away. I was planning on making the Soldier's Cap but the thought of 9.5 inches of 2X2 ribbing made me want to give up. Since there were already 96 stitches on the needle, and the Climber Crest starts with 96 stitches and 2 inches of 2X2 ribbing, I made the executive decision to change patterns.

 

Barbara B started the Hat of Cat which starts with a provisional cast on. This pattern is a freebie on Ravelry.

Barbara K wanted to sit in the direct sunlight so she could see the stitches more easily while she knitted her Mistake Stitch Scarf. 

Carole enjoys working with bulky weight yarns and from the stash she picked out recently, she has already finished a stockinette cowl and...

is well on her way to finishing the garter stitch version of the same cowl. If you want a project to knit up quickly, bulky weight is the way to go.

Nancy started the textured section of the Twig Beanie. After searching the Ravelry site, I found out it is no longer available online in digital form but Ravelry hasn't removed it from the site. I'm glad I saved it in my library before it was discontinued! The pattern says to use a cable needle to make a two stitch right cable but here's a video that shows how to do it without all the fuss.

Jan started the Simply Riveting Scarf which has three points of increases making it sit nicely on the shoulders.

Here is the Sunnyside Sweater that Maureen took a short break from knitting to make the helix hat. She is working on the sleeves so it won't be long now until she's finished.

A couple of weeks ago my oldest grandson invited his grandfather and me to join him and his family as he and his fellow senior teammates were recognized before a big game. We were truly honored to be included in the festivities and my daughter and I had to bite our lip to keep from crying. Our "little baby" is graduating this year!!!😢 And yes, it's official! I am the shortest one in the family now (I was wearing heels so I look taller but I cheated LOL!).

Time flies by too quickly! Hug your loved ones and as always... keep those needles clicking!

We had two visitors today

We have jumped right into summer weather! It wasn't too long ago that we still had the heat on and now the AC is going strong. We did have some breezes cooling the outside air.

Even Fozzie decided to sit with us and enjoy the fresh air. He was our first visitor of the day. There was something about Carole's project bag that kept his attention, until he heard thunder rumbling in the distance.

Then Fozzie sat beside me for protection. 

He's getting braver each week as he gets used to the Chicks' Tuesday visits.

Barbara B finished a darling crown hat for a family member who is expecting. The yarn is from our visit in April to the annual sale at WEBS. The green yarn is Haydenville, a blend of merino and acrylic and the yellow is Plymouth Encore, all machine washable.

The matching cardigan uses the same yarns. 

I'm slipping at getting the proper names for patterns this week but here is another set Barbara B finished. This one is for donation.

                            

The little helmet hat even has a chin strap.

Barbara K had variegated yarn that was comprised of yellows, greens, and pinks, for which she wanted to make a blanket. However, she did not want the pink in the blanket so she carefully knitted to the start of the pink strands and cut them out, tied them together, and now she has a whole new ball of yarn made of just the pink colors.

She started the Umbilical Hat which starts at the cuff and ends with a little I-cord to finish the crown making it look like the stub of the umbilical cord. I can't seem to find the link to that pattern either!

Maureen said she'll be working on her Bert Baby Blanket for a long while. Maybe it will help people to appreciate how much work goes into a project if they see it week after week.

Carole found cute sour apple green buttons to finish off the Wee Bean Sweater.

And completed another adorable cardigan. Carole has the patience of a saint! She was able to get exactly matching sleeves by pulling out the skein of yarn so they would start at the same sequence of colors!

She also completed a hat for herself called Twig Beanie.

On her needles now is another Wee Bean Sweater for donation.

Dorah is rounding the bend, fast approaching the heel of her second sock.

And don't let me forget today's sourdough delight, Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins. 

Barbara B is too good to us! Delicious, as usual!

You might not be able to tell but I have started the sleeves for my Knit Baby Jacket Set. And because I was paying attention to the conversation, I inadverdantly knitted the sleeves in stockinette instead of garter stitch but the ladies wouldn't let me frog it. They convinced me to make it "a design element". That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Our second visitor hopped on by just as the ladies were leaving. I was wondering why Fozzie kept peering out the side of the deck before the ladies arrived. Now I know why!

Well, it's time to make dinner so have a great week and keep those needles clicking!