Between the raindrops

Cinzia, Debbie, Maureen, and I managed to squeeze between the two hours of rain clouds blowing overhead. I guess Mother Nature knew we had important work to do.

Maureen's Easy Goes It Shawl/scarf looks beautiful in this lovely tonal blue fingering weight yarn. Ravelry has the free pattern available in DK weight as well.

Debbie is using my favorite color to make a pair of fingerless mitts. She's using my favorite technique too...two at a time on magic loop.

Cinzia put down her knitting needles and took up her crochet hook to make something but she hasn't decided what yet. :)

I'm making a baby alpaca scarf for my Christmas inventory and...

a pair of socks with no heel. The spiral stitching creates a bias fabric which fits the bumps and angles of the foot without having to knit a short row heel. The video link brings you to a tutorial which makes one at a time on double pointed needles but I like getting both socks done at once so I am working magic loop technique.

 The last couple of days felt like the last hurrah of summer but the breezes which are bringing the rain will definitely bring the cooler temps of autumn. This is the first year that I will not be attending any fiber festivals because of COVID19 so I'll be missing the beautiful colors in the trees on the drive to Washington County Fairgrounds or Rhinebeck. I will enjoy the ones in my own neighborhood though. Every time I see the fiery red burning bush at the corner I imagine how beautiful it would be as a yarn. I'll have to dive through  my stash for some of those colors for my next project. So enjoy your fall weather and keep those needles clicking!

Inside knitting as opposed to river knitting

Since it was too cold to sit on my front lawn or knit by the river, we have returned, once again, to Zoom for our weekly meeting. Joining me are Maureen, Annika, and Janna. And thank goodness, everyone is smiling! I guess we weren't talking about current affairs yet. 

Janna has progressed to the last band of color on her baby blanket. Those pastel colors are stunning!

Maureen is starting a second version of this hat called Rudensk. It's free on Ravelry.

This is the first one she made for her granddaughter but it didn't fit so she's making another.

Annika's scarf for her son keeps getting longer. She has 10 rows of border at the end for which she needs to save yarn to finish it off. I think I remember reading somewhere that it takes 4 times the width of your row to knit the row so she will have an idea of how far she can knit the pattern before starting the border.

Janna and Annika learned knitting from a neighbor when they were 14 years old and this is the bear Janna made WITHOUT USING A PATTERN! He's adorable! It's nice to have a keepsake like him.

I am working on a tribute collar in memory of RBG. It's crocheted and while the first time I followed a pattern, I had to rip it out due to a major booboo! This time I'm winging it and sort of making it up as I go along and I'm much happier with the design. Just a few more rows and I'll be done. Then it goes for a bath and blocking and I can wear her when I go vote. 

That's all the news for this week. Stay well and keep those needles clicking.

 

Hybrid meeting

If schools can have hybrid meetings, so can the Chicks! Maureen and I met on my front lawn because we knew it would be too windy and cool at the Henry Hudson Park today. Unfortunately, no one else could make it so....

I scheduled a Zoom meeting for tonight so we could catch up with each other. Barbara, Maureen, and Annika joined for me a lovely 40 minute visit.

Since I was taking the screenshot I couldn't really show what I was knitting (a pair of spiral socks which do not require knitting a heel) but Annika showed her son's scarf. Barbara didn't have her knitting with her and I think Maureen was working on a gift and didn't want to spill the beans.

The days are winding down as are the temps, so we might not have too many more days outside. That won't keep us from our fiber arts though. I've started knitting Christmas gifts and have finished three so far. I'm not sure how many I'll be making altogether since I doubt I'll be shopping in stores this year. I have a substantial stash of yarn and will be "shopping" in my craft room. I'm sure some of you knitters and crocheters out there can relate. In the meantime, keep those needles clicking!

 

HAPPY 15!!!

Yes! It's our 15th anniversary! Way back in 2005, I had an inkling of an idea to knit items to give to charity but I wasn't sure I could make a difference all by myself. I put flyers in my neighbors' mailboxes and talked to friends whom I knew to be crafty and here we are 15 years later, still meeting and knitting, and enjoying each other's company. There were many faces along the way and some who couldn't join us tonight. But I thank every one of them for making our group the success that it is. 

We gathered at the park again this week, masked and...

unmasked for a quick picture.

Thank you to all who have made our group so much fun and so productive. I couldn't have done this without each and every one of you.

KEEP THOSE NEEDLES CLICKING!

 

Zoom, zoom, zoom!

All my weather apps said there was a severe thunderstorm coming in the afternoon so I arranged for us to meet on Zoom. Wouldn’t you know it! We could have met at the river because it didn’t rain until 4 ish. Well, at least we got to see Dorah tonight. 

Annika is making a scarf for her son with yarn he picked out. It’s coming along nicely too.

And Janna finished her Emiliana scarf. It is stunning! 

 The summertime has left Dorah looking for her knitting mojo but I’m sure when the weather turns colder she’ll be back to the needles. We all need a break now and then. I’m using “Covid Times” to catch up on some personal knitting projects. When they are blocked I’ll show you what I’ve been up to. I’ve got to get back to my Christmas knitting. One can never start too early! Have a good week and keep those needles clicking!

Breezes at the park

Oh what a beautiful afternoon we had! We weren’t the only ones to have had the same idea to spend it at the Henry Hudson Park either. Our local assisted living residents took a ride in their private bus to spend the lovely afternoon at the park too.

Annika, Barbara B., and Debbie joined... 

Maureen, Barbara K, and me as we knitted the time away.

Maureen finished one hat and started another of the same pattern with pink and gray yarns.

Barbara B. made progress on her Freezia sweater and is already making sleeves.

Annika’s scarf for her son has grown since we last saw it. The lovely Merino wool will block nicely.

Barbara K. isn’t sure yet if this will be a scarf or a hat. Time will tell.

Debbie’s baby sweater is working up nicely in a darling tweed yarn.

And I am almost finished with the Christmas gift I’m knitting. The ball of yarn is getting

smaller so  I know I’m nearing the end of the scarf.

 

 That’s all for this week. I can tell by the crickets’ songs that we don’t have too many more weeks for outdoor knitting. It’s funny how you can hear the difference in Mother Nature’s sounds when summer nears its end. Well, we will enjoy it while we can and keep our needles clicking!

Wow! Look at the size of that ship!

I think there was more activity on the Hudson today than all the weeks we’ve been meeting here. I arrived in time to see these three guys pass each other. And then....

                                     This behemoth comes floating down the river!   

At the same time a tugboat is pushing a barge up the river and we all held our breath because from our vantage point, the river doesn’t look wide enough to accommodate both ships.

But it made it just fine. Maureen and I were wondering if this ship had no cargo since the aft portion was sticking out of the water. It was a busy river full of distractions for us.

Maureen worked on a baby blanket with sailboats worked into the pattern and “ropes” separating the panels.

Annika started the decreasing portion of her hat. The high contrast of her colors show off her pattern nicely.

My two at a time magic loop socks have made it past the heel and I’m working up the leg. Since I’m using both ends of the same ball of yarn, the stripes travel in opposite directions up the sock.

And lastly, Janna’s Emiliana shawl is at the home stretch. She has finished the mosaic portion and is finishing up the last solid section.

 It was REALLY hot at the river today so it feels good to be back in the AC. I hope next week the weather will be more conducive to sitting with wool in our laps. Until then, keep those needles clicking!