Getting into the holiday spirit

Just before the afternoon ladies arrived I made sure the tea was ready and the Christmas carols were playing quietly in the background.

 When they did arrive they hit the ground running! Debbie, Barbara, and Elaine are working on the project I mentioned last week, the Adopt-a-family program at my son's place of business. Barbara donated the red Plymouth Encore Worsted Weight yarn so Elaine could get started on the hat, of which she had knitted a good 3 or 4 inches by the time our knitting session was over. Debbie is new to knitting but in spite of that she also knitted a few inches on her Mistake Stitch scarf for the 9 year old boy. Barbara opted to wait until she got home to start the two-at-a-time, magic loop mittens. That takes a little concentration to get started and with all the chatting we do, there would have been too many distractions. And we had a visitor this week. My neighbor, newly retired Jan, came to brush up on her knitting skills. That's her on the far left.

I had the yarn for the little girl of the Adopt-a-family program and finished the Scallo-pie scarf and added mittens and hat designed by me. I used magic loop for the mittens so they would be the exact same size with the scallops starting at the exact same row. And I found a crochet video on Youtube to make the flower for the hat. I like it so much that I might make it again with the leftover yarn.

Dorah is working on a scarf for our next donor, The Romero Chemo Center in Latham, NY. The yarn is a very nice mottled blue and denim color. It will be a good generic scarf for either gender.

Carol's hat is coming along nicely. The ribbing looks like she knit the knit stitches through the back loop so it has a nicely defined edge.

And look at Maureen's fingers flying along on her hat! You can see a bit of the chart over her left hand where the kitties will be knitted into the crown of the hat. It's going to be a cutie.

Speaking of kitties, remember the mouse I made for my grandkitty, Joules? Well.....

I'm told she loves it so much she doesn't play with any of her other toys. She loved it to the point that  it lost an eye! Look at that pitiful expression on her face. It's almost as though she feels remorse. LOL! Yeah, sure. She's saying, "Give me back my mouse!"

I guess Santa will just have to make her another one for Christmas!

Two holidays down, on to the next

The time from Halloween to Christmas seems to go by faster and faster every year! We just put the summer clothes away yesterday, didn't we? I had a houseful of family for Thanksgiving this year. There is so much for which I am grateful, not the least of whom are my Chicks. My son texted me this morning to find out if I could make two sets of hat, mittens, and scarf for a needy family of a nine year old boy and two year old girl. My Chicks, God bless them, stepped right up to the plate and we've got it covered. Barbara said she had enough red yarn to make the boy's ensemble so she, Debbie, and Elaine are going to make his set and I dove into my stash and found a periwinkle blue and soft pink superwash wool I had stashed away for a baby sweater (which I never made) and I've knitted the Scallo-pie scarf for the little girl up to the point where I want to start the scallops in the pink. I'll need some quiet along time to tackle the instructions though.

                                        

Barbara and Debbie worked on their chemo donations projects until they can get the red yarn. Barbara is working on a scarf to match a lovely spiral hat she made. Sorry that I forgot to get a photo!

Elaine casted on for a soft pink chunky knit hat. We'll see more of it next week I'm sure.

Cinzia liked Barbara's spiral hat so much she decided to start one in the lovely burgundy angora blend yarn. The pattern is free on Ravelry.

Cinzia made a beautiful cowl out of some donated yarn. It must be merino wool because it is so soft.

Elaine added to our inventory too. This hat...

and a hat and scarf set went into storage for our next delivery a few months from now.

Carole actually finished her Handbrake cowl before she left tonight. It's lovely. And it didn't even need blocking!

Maureen finished her Lotus hat too! Look at that stitch definition! Just beautiful Maureen!

This will be her next project. She will make it with black yarn and gray kitties.

Here is the start. Can't wait to see it finished!

I better get back to my knitting. I have until the 18th to finish the set and I still haven't finished my own Christmas knitting! I just wish I could knit in my sleep!!!