Who knew October 7 would be a deck day?

The AC was turned back on after a couple of days of cooler nights and days. But yesterday was a high temp of 81 degrees and today was a pleasant 76! 

The prettiest tree in the neighborhood is trying to tell us fall is coming but the blue sky and warm days are telling a different story.

Dorah and Barbara bought yarn at the Adirondack Fiber Arts Festival a couple of weeks ago to knit the Grid Gambit Cowl. Dorah started hers with the solid colored yarn as the backdrop...

Barbara B is a little further along. She reversed the yarns and used the variegated yarn as the background color. Same cowl, slightly different look. Both are lovely!

Tina added some length to her Little Fisherman's Beanie since last week. Great colors for the fall.

Nancy's River Rush Slouch Hat is at the beginning stitches too. Her yarn color choice is so rich!

Barbara K just returned from a dream vacation with her siblings to Sicily and Italy, the home of her ancestors. She had a fabulous time and has great photos to show for it. Her hat is just beginning with a deep purply burgundy yarn in a bulky weight so it should be a quick knit.

Jan has arrived at a new color on her Beach Colors Baby Blanket. I love how cheerful it is!

Maureen was away this week celebrating her granddaughter's birthday so she didn't have much time to knit but there is some progress on her Simple Baby Pullover.

Take a good look at Dorah's Toybox Candy Cardigan because it is no more! She couldn't find her place so she frogged the whole sweater except for the sleeves! She didn't mind because it's a quick project so it won't take long to get back to this point.

I had to put the Beloved Bonnet aside last week because the beginning required too much attention. I finished the first half during the week and...

now I feel confident knitting the second half in public. That is until I reach the very end when it will require my full attention again.

That wraps up another week with my Chicks. Enjoy the nice weather while you can and keep those needles clicking.

P.S. I forgot to take photos of our weekly treat. Barbara B made delicious chocolate chip cookies!

A beautiful breezy day on the deck

It was a perfect afternoon of sunshine and breezes! We caught up on grandchildren and what books everyone is reading.

All accompanied by Barbara B's sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. She always makes enough for us to take extras so I will be enjoying another cookie tonight with a tall glass of cold milk!

We had a few FO's this week. I finished the Phazelia Mitered Baby Jacket. It's the fourth time I've knitted this pattern, as I have mentioned before but I don't think the yarn wanted to be this sweater considering all the times my stitch count was off by 2 or 3. But I showed it a thing or two and plugged on to finish it. It will be a looooong time before I knit this one again. 😡

Jan did a beautiful job making the Fair Isle Johnny Hat. She was concerned that the section where the colorwork appears is a little snug so she wants to practice catching floats and loosening the stitches.

Carole knitted a baby hat for her soon to be born grandchild.

We all want to know if there's a pattern to make these adorable babies!!! LOL! 

The pattern is called 1-2-3 baby beanie and is a freebie on Ravelry.

Barbara finished her On the Spice Market Shawl in three weeks time! That's really remarkable when you consider there are other things to do like eat, sleep, clean up, etc.

Maureen made progress on her Simple Baby Pullover using a self striping, machine washable yarn.

Jan's Beach Colors Baby Blanket has a few new colors appearing with the ever-changing stitch patterns. This is a freebie on Ravelry too.

Carole worked on a five hour baby cardigan to go with the sweet little hat.

And she also added the ribbed bottom to her version of the Simple Baby Pullover just like the one Maureen is knitting.

Dorah is nearing the end of her Prime Numbers Shawl using the Texas Bluebonnet yarn.

Nancy added to her basic baby hat too.

Barbara B tackled the heavily cabled Diagon Hat. The instructions have you moving the beginning of round marker a number of times because of where the cables fall in the sequence. She admitted it wasn't the best choice for social knitting but she was smart to put in a lifeline.

I started a Beloved bonnet but got only as far as the section of increases because, unlike Barbara B, I can't talk and count at the same time so I opted to work on a simpler project, a hat for my grandson in his school colors. It's going to be a surprise so I won't be showing it.

Tina started the Little Fisherman's Beanie.

She chose a variegated yarn in yummy autumn colors. The pattern is free in one size only.

It is still so peaceful out here on the deck that even Fozzie decided to join me. He's having fun observing the blue jays and bunnies romp around the yard.

Enjoy the rest of the week and 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!