Reminiscing about panty hose???

My photographer was unavailable today and I forgot to take a group picture but you all come to see the treats and knitting, right? Somehow we got on the subject of hosiery. Weird! We remember our mothers buying stockings that came wrapped in tissue paper in a pretty box and our first time wearing stockings with a garter belt. OY! What a pain! Then came panty hose and we are all grateful we don't have to wear those anymore! Another perk that comes with retirement. ;)

Our cookies from Barbara B today are Molasses Ginger Sourdough Cookies. The ginger was subtle but tasty.

Barbara B finished a hat called Roll with It. It's a paid pattern on Ravelry that starts by knitting lengthwise the narrow band between the rolled sections. Then stitches are picked up on either rolled edge to knit the hat on one edge and the rolled finish on the other.

                                          

She attached the pompom using a button and bow on the inside so the pompom can be removed when the hat needs to be laundered.

Showing that clever trick led to me getting my button boxes which contain some antique buttons that my grandmother collected in the last century! 

Jan found some cute ones and some of the largest ones were shared to use with pompoms on other hats.

Barbara B also completed a sweet little baby beanie for which she uses a soccer ball for a blocking form.

Maureen also found some buttons for the pullover she completed.

I finished the Beloved hat from Tin Can Knits and had almost all of a skein of yarn left over so...

I cast on to make a basic baby beanie and I'm tossing around the idea of making teddy bear ears to attach to the top. It all depends on how much yarn is left.

Jan's Beach Colors Baby Blanket is nearing completion. The vibrant colors are stunning!

Another colorful project is Dorah's Diagonal Baby Blanket. She is almost at the center of the pattern where she will begin decreasing edges to the far corner finish.

Barbara K started a 2x2 ribbed hat before finishing her Mistake Scarf so if there is any yarn left after completing the hat she can use it for the scarf.

Tina started the Peekaboo Pullover. This freebie starts at the cuff of one sleeve, then stitches are added to each side to make the body, then bound off at the other end to reduce the width to equal the first sleeve. It involves a little bit of seaming so be forewarned.

Margaret is just starting another baby hat...

It's the Golden Pear, a current favorite of hers.

Barbara B's current project is the Harbor Beanie. I think she said she's using Malabrigo yarn, or maybe that was the Roll With It Hat. Harbor Beanie is a freebie!

In all the discussion about panty hose I forgot to get the name of Maureen's little hat project. It's got some Fair Isle knitting going on there. Nice colors!

That's about it for this week. It looks like the weather is finally turning cooler which means I really need to put the summer clothes away, especially since this weekend is the New England Fiber Festival at Eastern States Exposition, Mallory Complex in West Springfield, MA. Everyone will be sporting their warm woolies! I won't buy yarn, I won't buy yarn, I won't buy yarn....🤞🤞🤞

Keep those needles clicking!

A rainy muggy day

It was a cozy afternoon around the kitchen table where we caught up on all the news of the grandchildren. We have a wide range of ages among them, my firstborn grandson started college last month and Margaret and Carole are waiting for new little ones to join their siblings. 

All the conversation was accompanied by Barbara B's 

sourdough pumpkin cheesecake chocolate chip brownies.

Barbara is working diligently on her "On the Spice Market Shawl" which came as a kit from the studio sale at Whole Knit n' Caboodle.

Tina is getting the hang of her Brioche Cowl. Knitting it in the brioche stitch makes it totally reversible with a different dominant color on each side.

Margaret finished her Golden Pear Beanie that she started last week. The I-cord top knot is a cute little finishing touch!

Nancy completed her Helix Hat which was started last week also.

Nancy's current WIP is a baby hat with a rolled stockinette stitch edge.

And Margaret's WIP is the Roxana Reversible Beanie. 

The pattern includes instructions for a matching scarf.

Margaret is our Queen of the Bulky Yarn Knits.

Jan's Triangle with a Twist Shawl is making progress. It is a pattern which is easily adjustable for size.

Carole started the Simple Baby Pullover, a favorite of mine for a little button neckline sweater. This pattern includes sizes from newborn to 3 years old.

Maureen is nearing the finish line on her grandson's Teddy Bear Hat. Once the hat is complete she will add ears and duplicate stitch a face.

My Phazelia Mitered Baby Jacket took flight across the knitting room last week when for the umpteenth time my stitch count was off by a few stitches in spite of the fact that I had the correct number of stitches on the needle. There are so many sections to divide for back, fronts, sleeves and it seems every time I counted I came up with a different number! I could understand the missteps if this was the first time I knitted this but it's my fourth one!!! I'm back on track...for now.

The weather on Sunday was absolutely perfect for Dorah, Jan, Barbara B, and me to attend our first fiber fest of the season, the Adirondack Wool and Arts Festival at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich, NY. "Some of us" may have purchased yarn... I'm not saying who. Then we had a lovely lunch at The Witches Village Cafe in downtown Greenwich. Afterward, we were too stuffed to make our traditional stop at The Ice Cream Man so we might have to make a special trip.😉

Well, I need to hurry up and finish those WIPs that are waiting for me so I can start the new projects with the new yarn I bought, oops! Did I say that out loud?!?😁Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

How many more deck days?

The Chicks and I had a relaxing afternoon on the deck. It was almost 80 degrees and we were all wondering when the autumn weather would arrive. I, for one, love being able to wear my flip flops but would appreciate it if Mother Nature turned the temp down a bit.

 Barbara B made a brown butter pumpkin spice sourdough coffee cake that hit the spot today. 

  

I was visiting my grandson at college this weekend and missed the garage sale of yarns. But Barbara B and Dorah went and picked out some yarns for my stash. These gold and burgundy yarns will become a hat for my Ursinus College Bear grandson so he can proudly wear his school colors around campus.

And Barbara couldn't resist picking out these two for me. Does she know me or what?!?!

Dorah bought a bag filled with yarns for the Chicks to share for all kinds of projects but mostly some colors that would be appropriate for men's hats. 

Margaret found a bag of three nice Valley Yarns in her favorite, bulky weight.

Barbara B showed us what she bought for her personal stash and we all swooned over the beautiful colors and good quality yarns.

Dorah finished her Helix Hat for our inventory.

Then she dove into her WIPs and found the Prime Number Shawl which has ever increasing spaces between the pink bands in, wait for it, prime number order.

She also found this adorable baby sweater but couldn't figure out where she left off in the pattern.

After counting the number of stitches on the needle, between the two of us, we were able to have her pick up where she left off. The Toybox Candy Cardigan from Plymouth Yarn is the pattern and she might even have enough yarn left to make a matching hat.

I had to put the Phazelia Mitered Baby Jacket in time out because I was making too many stupid mistakes. I must have been tired because I've knitted this sweater three times before so I know it's not the pattern's fault. I picked up a simple scarf which I wrote from a YouTube video. Can you believe it?!?! I had to frog back 7 rows on this too! I think I need a nap. I'm back on track now.

Over the weekend when I was having so many issues with the baby sweater, I told Barbara B I probably should have my knitting license revoked. She asked where she could get her license so I made one for her! LOL! Her On the Spice Market Shawl is coming along quickly. This is the shawl kit she bought at the Whole Knit n' Caboodle studio sale two weeks ago.

Tina was intrigued by the brioche stitch so she's trying her hand at a brioche hat knitted in the round.

Margaret picked out the Golden Pear hat pattern for her current project. It's a freebie on Ravelry.

She had this much when we started at 1pm...

And by 3pm she was this far along. It is a Fair Isle pattern and real sweet.

Nancy had planned on knitting this hat but realized she wasn't going to have enough yarn so...

It's going to be a Helix Hat! They are always fun to knit!

Maureen was away all week filling in for daycare with her grandchildren so she didn't have much opportunity to knit. She was pulling into her driveway just as I was putting up the sign for the Chicks. She hurriedly put down her stuff and ran across the street to join us (Maureen lives right across from me). This is the Teddy Bear hat she started last week.

It looks like the nice weather will continue throughout the week so I'll be taking walks in between my knitting sessions. The cold weather will be here soon enough so I better take advantage while I can. Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!