The first "deck day" of the season!

The weather app said it was 79 degrees but the gentle breezes made for a lovely afternoon on the deck. That is until the next door neighbors' lawn care service revved up their engines and the wind chimes behind me decided to dance the tarantella! I put the chimes on the floor but I couldn't do anything about the mowers and blowers. It's uncanny how they always know when I've planned to be on the deck. Thankfully, I found a soothing station to play on Pandora to calm the atmosphere.

Today's treat from Barbara B was sourdough chocolate chip raspberry biscotti. You know how biscotti needs to be dunked in a cup of hot coffee or tea to soften them enough to not require a visit to the dentist? Well, maybe it was because these were sourdough based, but they were soft enough to eat even though they were double baked, as a biscotti should be. Really yummy!                                      

I'm still working on the cowl with the Turkish stitch from YouTube. This yarn is lovely to knit too. It's Valley Yarn Valley Superwash from WEBS. I hope when I go to the May sale they have more for my stash. It makes a lovely garment and is machine washable.

Cinzia crocheted a car seat baby blanket for our Friday group. We were laughing because Barbara, Cinzia, Tina, and I are in both the Chicks and The Delaware Avenue Stitch Angels and we have trouble remembering which group is knitting for what causes! I really should write it down in my notes.

Carole worked on the Man Hat Here pattern using a heavy weight, maybe bulky, yarn. Yes, I double checked and it calls for bulky weight yarn.

This is the public side of the hat. Very nice!

But the inside is just as nice! Maybe it could be reversible.

Nancy chose the Quick Ombre Hat for her project.

That blue yarn stands out nicely against the purple base.

Dorah loves knitting her Bias Scarf! She highly recommends it. It's a good pattern for those gradient yarns or the very busy short bursts of color yarns to show off the slant of the fabric. I can't find the pattern on Ravelry but just cast on enough stitches for the width you require then follow:

Row 1: K3, Kfb, k to last 5 sts, K2tog, K3

Row 2: K all sts

Make it as long as your heart desires. And if you feel really ambitious, you can use two yarns and stripe it, alternating colors and carrying the yarn up the right side edge.

Maureen's Bankhead hat looks glorious in this vivid red yarn! It is even more stunning in person.

Jan was inspired by Carole's and Dorah's Bias Scarf so she started one too. Pretty colors!!!

Barbara B bought some nice yarns on our last visit to WEBS and started an 1898 Hat. 

It looks cool with the variegated yarn!

Tina finished the Owlie Baby Sleep Sack and has started a hat to match. It will have the cute owls too.

Fozzie waited for everyone to leave and then he came out to join me on the deck. However, he's giving me the cold shoulder because I won't feed him. It's not like he hasn't already had 2 meals today!

He'll just have to wait until 5 o'clock like everybody else in the family. LOL!

I hope you're having a nice day where you are and you're able to keep those needles clicking!

Back in the saddle again!

The husband is recovering nicely from total knee replacement almost two weeks ago so it was time to get the Chicks back here. I miss my weekly visits with them! 

Apparently, so does this guy! Or maybe it was just that he was looking for his third lunch of the day. But I'm a "mean mom" as my little ones used to say when they couldn't get their way, and I made him wait.

One of the projects I'm working on is Hoodola by Laura Nelkin. It's a fairly new pattern which was initially offered for free but now it's a purchase pattern. It has an interesting method of construction and comes with links to video tutorials, thank goodness! Because the beginning had me a little stumped. Now that I'm past that point, it's smooth sailing and a really good TV knitting pattern.

Carole is using James C Brett Marble yarn to knit the Mistake Stitch Cowl. The colors in this yarn are lovely and even though it's acrylic fiber, it feels nice to the touch.

The link above is for a pattern on Ravelry but Carole wrote down her own version and just noticed that she wrote "Repeat rows 1 and 1" which should read "Repeat rows 1 and 2".

Barbara B is knitting a baby gift for a friend who is due this month. This is the Gluckskind Baby Blanket. It begins with a pinhole cast on in the center of the square and grows outward with a variety of easy stitch patterns.

Nancy is working on an Ombre Hat with the prettiest color combinations.

She has completed one already and has more coming down the line.

Barbara K put together some pretty yarns for a Helix Hat.

All the yarns chosen were left over from previous projects. Not a strand gets wasted!

And let me not forget to show you this week's treat from the kitchen of Barbara B, sourdough chocolate/chocolate chip cookies with a little sprinkle of flaky salt on top! They were a hit!

I hope you're keeping warm wherever you are but I find this weather perfect for walking, single digit temps, no wind, and bright sunshine. I wear appropriate gear to keep me warm but I do love the brisk cold air! Plus, I earn my knitting time without the guilt.

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

 

This was almost written by a cat

This week's episode of the Chicks' blog was almost written by Joules the cat. Just as I prepared the photos, she decided to join in and brainstorm the layout. We didn't get too far though. Furry paws kept getting in the way. I guess the work was too strenuous as she is now napping...again!

 Three days ago I cast on for the Chevron Cowl using Periwinkle Sheep Merino DK in the colorway Memories of Summer. This is such a fun knit! The pattern is easy to memorize and easy to follow all the stitch cues. I placed markers between pattern repeats so if I get carried away or distracted and make a mistake, I'll see it almost immediately and won't have to frog a whole row.

 As I knitted the cowl I began to see a crown developing and got the bright idea that if I knitted a ribbing on the last rows of the chevron pattern and bound them off, I could then pick up stitches on the inside and knit a top to make a baby hat that looks like a queen's crown. The stitches are on the needle but I haven't knitted enough yet for it to show. I hope my vision turns out the way I'm picturing it.

 Liz put the finishing touches on her ribbed cowl this afternoon and added it too...

 another finished cowl and a sweet little baby hat. Today was her farewell visit as she heads off to her winter quarters soon.

 Elaine took a break from moving to join us so she could give Liz a send-off hug.

 Barbara started a hat to match her Palindrome Scarf (which Liz is holding in the background). The hat should knit up quickly since she doesn't have to make the cables reversible for a hat.

 Margaret finished her Ombre Hat and has enough yarn left to make...

 this hat. She just had to pick out a third color for the contrast section.

 Margaret is a fast knitter so this should be done in the blink of an eye.

 Maureen's Last Minute Cowl is coming down to the wire. The yarn she is using has great stitch definition which shows off the diagonal ribbing nicely.

 Believe it or not, this is not a bustier for a doll! LOL! Carole started the 1898 hat and this is the first earflap. I know, it doesn't look at all like a hat.

I understand we'll have one more summer like day and then the temps are to plummet to more seasonal numbers. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to wear my sweaters and shawls.

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

Busy knitters

Debbie returned from her trip to Paris (where she had a wonderful time) with a bunch of FO's. This hat is knitted with worsted weight using a Gansey pattern. Or is it Guernsey? Maybe they're interchangeable.

 She started a hat but wasn't sure there would be enough yarn so it's become a headband. Some people don't like to wear a hat over their whole head so this is a good way to keep ears warm without messing the hairdo.

 She also made a pair of fingerless mitts to match the hat she dropped off a few weeks ago.

 Liz completed her Present Cowl with a variegated yarn. You'll see another one she started a little further down.

 Cinzia finished the vest with the Chevron back. The pattern shows up nicely.

                                        

 But the vest has an awkward shape so someone who is very thin will have to claim it.

 Carole volunteered to model it and it looks good on her.

 I finished a worsted weight 2 x 2 ribbed hat. This is a great pattern to knit up quickly. And it's easy to memorize too.

 Cinzia spent the afternoon working the ends in on the vest so she could leave it in the inventory.

 Liz started another cowl with the same yarn as her Present Cowl but it looks so different because she started this one with a different color and pattern.

 Barbara's Palindrome Scarf is pretty long. Almost finished!

 And Debbie started another cowl. Love the chambray color!

 Dorah started a hat tonight.

 This is the pattern which comes in multiple sizes from baby to adult.

 Carole's Helix Hat is at the point where she'll be decreasing stitches for the crown soon.

 Maureen's Last Minute Cowl is almost finished too.

 Margaret's Ombre Hat has started showing the dots of color that look like falling snowflakes.

 Do you remember the Rickroll Wrap from last week that I made for my friend Connie? My husband delivered it to her over the weekend.

 She studied the video tutorial on all the various ways it can be worn.

 And it fits her perfectly. More importantly, she loves it! And she even had a blouse that matched the green exactly.

I have the same yarns to make one for myself too. After I finish some WIPs on needles I'll start mine.

Hmmm...how long do you think it will take me to finish 7 projects?