A furry visitor this week

My grandkitty is staying with me this week while her Daddies go on vacation. Her name is Joules and she is the sweetest ball of fur I know! She has made herself quite at home and loves her morning routine of heading out to the screened in deck to protect us from marauding autumn leaves! She is an indoor cat and this has been quite the vacation for her too.

We were able to take advantage of the 72 degree weather and had a wonderful afternoon on the deck while Joules watched from behind closed doors. Not everyone is comfortable with kitties wandering free.

Liz finished the angora scarf. It's lovely!

It will be a warm defense against the cold this winter.

Then she started a hat to match and it's coming along nicely.

Elaine grabbed her knitting bag and hurried over here only to find out it didn't have her knitting in it! So she borrowed my needles and started a 2X2 ribbed hat in Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn in a heather red color.

I had yarn left from the scarf I finished last week so I started a cowl. I'm knitting 2 rows of each color so I'm getting lots of practice knitting the "Jogless Stripe". When you knit in the round you are creating a spiral of rows so the second round doesn't line up with the first stitch. The video shows how to avoid this.

This past Saturday was the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich, New York. It was a lovely day to be out and around in the sunshine. I found two yarns which I couldn't resist. The teal is from my friend Karin and it's from her new product, Delirium, a blend of Yak fiber, merino and nylon, colorway "Set in Stone". The gray is from Ball and Skein called Ariel, colorway "Silvery Moon", and is a blend of Alpaca, silk, and cashmere. These two yarns are so soft they have to be held down so they don't fly away! I'm making Martina Behm's Leftie scarf for myself. I think I'm going to love this!

Beth knitted a hat for someone and decided he wouldn't like the slouchy style so...

she knitted another hat for him using the basic principles from the Baa-ble Hat pattern, for sale on Ravelry. She had to start it with a provisional cast on so she could knit the ribbing for 5 inches then fold it up and knit 2 stitches together, one from the needle and one from the provisional cast on edge. This method gives a double thick band of ribbing and a nice finished edge.

Her son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby in November so she also knitted a hat with the colors of Ohio State. Cute!

And let's not miss the cute little toy she made! This little elephant was even cuter in person! This grandbaby will have the most unique toys and clothes!

Not sure of the recipient yet, Beth started "What Alice Found" scarf a few weeks ago. She was knitting along merrily when suddenly she realized the stitches were twisted! Those knitters out there who knit in the round know how frustrating it is to check and recheck those stitches when joining to knit in the round only to find out that those 300 stitches got twisted when no one was looking! 

It's those knitting gremlins!

From top left going clockwise: Liz's finished angora scarf, Beth's finished cowl, and Carole's finished lace cowl. Beautiful job ladies!

Carole started this hat last week with Plymouth Encore and made some progress tonight.

She showed us a project she is knitting for her friend who loves color so what better choice of yarns that Noro Silk Garden?! These are two different colorways that will be striped to make...

Shizuku. Carole is pointing to a section where she had to cut the yarn and bring in a new color because the two skeins were too close in color to knit together at that point. She did a very nice job of fudging it!

Dorah's Mistake Stitch scarf is growing steadily.

 

And Beth started a real Baa-ble hat tonight. Check out the pattern. It's really clever and cute.

Maureen is still plugging away on her cowl. The colors are just energizing!

And look who came to supervise our knitting. She had her paw on Dorah's knee to make sure she didn't get away.

The Joules noticed the end tail of the yarn. Now that's there just for her to play!

Maureen was under close supervision too. Yes, Joules is a big cat! And oh so loveable! 

I'm going to have a hard time giving her back!

Deck time!

 Cinzia and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon on the deck today. I worked on a cowl and she worked on finishing up her vest.

 She performed a 3 needle bindoff and didn't like the appearance of it from the right side so I think she wound up grafting the shoulders using the kitchener stitch. Now it needs to be edged with border stitches. It looks really nice and will be even nicer after it's blocked.

 We broke our own rules and talked politics tonight. Luckily, we don't get into heated arguments. We are adults after all! 

 Dorah showed us her new pattern for a shawl she claims she'll never wear. She wants to keep them so when she's gone her kids will scratch their heads and wonder why she made so many shawls and scarves that she never wore! LOL!

 Beth showed us the progress she made on her scarf. And...

 went on to add length to her cowl.

 I started a Noro Striped Scarf with yarn that I frogged four times. The knitting goddesses were trying to tell me it didn't want to be a chevron scarf and I finally listened to them and started this one instead.

I'm thinking I might have to frog this too since I'm not sure it's wide enough. The Chicks all thought it was too narrow too. Ok! I'll cast on again!

Too hot to sit outside!

Cinzia and Barbara started the afternoon off with show and tell. Cinzia has the skill to look at a finished knit and she can figure out how to make it without a pattern. So she was examining Barbara's cowl and working out the pattern in her head. She'll probably make one, one of these days.

 Barb finished a warm ribbed hat that stretches to fit any size head... a good item when you don't know someone's exact size!

 She also finished her "Present Cowl" that I showed you last week and...

 the cowl that Cinzia was admiring.

 Up next is another Present with a beautiful deep teal yarn from Berroco Vintage.

 Dorah's knitting sported a cute set of sheep stitch markers. I would show you more but she dropped some stitches and had to start all over again. I hate when that happens to me!

 Beth finished an infinity scarf which will go into her personal inventory. 

 Then she showed us her latest personal knit using Periwinkle Sheep yarn. This is going to be a beauty when it's blocked.

 You can buy this pattern on Ravelry.

 Maureen's baby sweater is showing progress as she put the sleeve stitches on holders already.

 I finished the "O Sailor" Cardigan and had yarn left. I hate to waste yarn so I had to do something with it and  I started a top down hat to match. It needs a ribbed edge and it will be good to go. Oh! And I need buttons for the sweater. I see a shopping trip in my future.

I finished the Tubularity scarf/cowl. It took me a year and a month because I kept putting it in time out. I'm still not sure I like it. But then I don't have to wear it.

It can be a cowl or...

 a hood or....

 a shawl or scarf. I still have to sew buttons on it so the point can be buttoned in place. It was an excellent pattern for using up small amounts of sock yarn but if I ever make it again I won't make it as long as the pattern suggests.

I'm going to have to enclose photos to show how to wear it or no one will know what to do with it! LOL!

Our Annual Field Trip to WEBS

Last Saturday Carole, Elaine, and I made the trip to Northampton, Massachusetts to our motherland, WEBS (America's Yarn Store is what they call themselves). We had a lovely 1 hour and 15 minute drive on a beautifully sunny day.

 The front showroom was filled with beautiful yarns and tools and sample knits. And then we made our way back to....

 THE WAREHOUSE! It's row after row of shelves filled with heavenly fibers! We were overcome by the fumes of yarn everywhere! And if you buy $60 worth you get another certain percentage off so how could you not take advantage?!?!

 I came home with these lovelies that are an alpaca and merino blend. My plan is to knit a chevron stitch scarf alternating two rows of each color. By the time I get to it I will probably change my mind a dozen times.

 My other purchase was this 100% Baby Alpaca that must have been spun by the angels themselves! Talk about soft! They will become this shawl called Everyday Shawl. I just have to finish the skillion and one other projects on needles first.

 I did manage to finish this little bonnet called Bonnet Camponesa. There is a video showing the technique of knitting it, however, it's all spoken in Portuguese! I followed along watching with the sound off. 

 It was a very entertaining knit but I'll warn you there are mistakes in the written English version of the pattern. But if you watch the video you will be able to figure out the corrections yourself. I've written to the designer but haven't heard back from her yet.

 Another FO I made over the last week was the Cushy Cowl using my friend Karin's DK yarn of merino and silk in the color Ominous. It's really a deep teal but it didn't photograph very well.

 Barbara finished the hat she was knitting last week....

 and the scarf too. Now there's a nice set!

 Elaine added many inches to the baby blanket. She explained that she intended to make a sweater but it turned out so wide she decided to make it a blanket instead. When I asked her if she "got gauge" we all laughed hysterically!!!

 We started off the evening group with cheesecake. The afternoon ladies got some too. I can't have that stuff sitting around the house or I'll eat it all so it was nice to have someone to share it with. And look who's back to the land of the living! It's Maureen! (Third in from the left) 

Tax season must be over!

 Dorah switched back to making this a scarf instead of a cowl so she has a few more weeks of knitting to go.

 Beth put the finishing stitches on a pair of man's mittens.

 Then we all tried to figure out why the pattern designer made such pointy tops. Actually, once they are worn they look more normal.

 Maureen is almost finished with the hat she started before her hiatus.

 And Carole is working on her never-ending Minty Bricks. It's a lovely, easily memorized pattern but it feels like it will take forever!

Well, my projects are not going to knit themselves so I better get it in gear and knit. 

See you next week.