Another windy day!

The sun is shining brightly and the temps are in the mid 60's but the wind is making it too cold to sit outdoors so we had lively conversation around the dining room table. In June Nancy will be welcoming her first grandchild for whom she is knitting a lovely blanket you will see a little later. We all compared notes on what we did with our children and how "forbidden" those same routines are now. Our kids grew up to be healthy, stable, well-adjusted human beings who were put in the crib on their tummies and were swathed like sweet smelling burritos. But apparently those are BIG no-no's in this era! LOL! It was funny comparing notes. I hope we didn't scare Nancy!

I finished the Simple Baby hat that goes with the Dexter vest I made a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday I started the Newborn Top Down Cardigan using Plymouth Encore DK. It has an easy cable pattern running alongside the button bands and lots of markers to remind me when to increase for the raglan shaping.

We are all so proud of Jan with the progress she has made on her Top Down Raglan Child's Sweater. This is her first time making sleeves and she is doing a bang up job! Once she feels comfortable with the process, I think she'll want to try magic looping the sleeves.

Maureen is working on Baby Sophisticate, a darling cardigan with a shawl collar that makes a baby look like a little old professor. All one needs is shoulder patches and a pipe!

Here is the lovely blanket I mentioned earlier which Nancy is knitting for her future grandbaby. She couldn't remember the name of the pattern but she said it's easy as pie. Sometimes we need to take a break from complicated knitting and just relax with a good TV project. What's that joke? I'm taking a break from two sided lace knitting...I'm knitting a sweater to relax. LOL!

Carole's Wee Bean is growing some sleeves and she is using the aforementioned magic loop two at a time method.

Barbara B.'s Elevenses Hat looks great! The yarn is a perfect color and shows up those beautiful cables to their finest. The yarn is Lion Brand Wool Ease.

Barbara K. is working on the 2X2 ribbed beanie, another good pattern for socializing or TV watching.

Annika's blanket is growing each week. It's the Eyelet Stripe Baby Blanket which can look different depending on color choices.

I forgot to take pictures of our snack of the day, homemade by Barbara B. You'll just have to take my word for it, the Snickerdoodles were delicious!!!

Have a good week and keep those needles clicking!

 

We almost sat outside today

I had my lawn chair set up and ready to sit outside but gusts of wind were blowing all around me making a little chill in the air so Plan B was put into effect. It's just as well since it's too hard to eat Barbara B's delicious chocolate cupcakes and knit at the same time. Having the table to spread out makes it much more comfortable.

Carole is almost finished with the body of the Wee Bean Cardigan. She is going to attempt to knit both sleeves simutaneously using the magic loop method. The hardest part is wrapping one's brain around the instructions. Once you figure that out, the rest is a breeze.

She finished a lovely hat called Twig. I tried to link the pattern to share with you but the link to the page seems to be broken. I also could not access the designer's blog page so unfortunately, I can't share it.

Dorah made progress on her Knit Baby Jacket set using self patterning yarn in a machine washable and dryable fiber.

Margaret is working on the Flax pullover from Tincanknits. Ravelry has the free pattern available in three different yarn weights. She is planning on frogging and starting over because she thinks she got distracted and has too many stitches for the body which would make it way out of proportion. But hey! It's only knitting and can be frogged and re-knitted...unlike sewing when once the fabric is cut, you're commited!

Jan is finishing up the body of her Top Down Raglan Child's Sweater and is looking forward to knitting the sleeves. She's not up to trying two at a time but baby steps are still progress in the right direction.

Barbara B. finished the Avery's Happy Cap (for which I have no link) and The Gift cardigan.

The details on the sweater are adorable right down to...

the eyelet lace ribbing at the bottom of the body and sleeves.

I finished the Dexter vest using Plymouth Encore in DK weight. I used the sizing for 3-6 months.

Now I have a hat started to go with it. It's called Simple Baby Hat and I'm crossing my fingers that the size will correspond with the size of the vest.

Barbara B has another project going. It's the Elevenses Hat made with Lion Brand Wool Ease in a pretty heather pink.

Annika finished her first eyelet stripe baby blanket and has started a second one. 

And Barbara K started a hat using a tweedy style Plymouth Encore in worsted weight.

Nancy started a blanket for her soon to be born grandchild. It's a machine wash and dry yarn and a good project for tv knitting which doesn't require too much concentration.

I'm going to have to get in gear and clean off the screened porch so these windy days don't interfere with our outdoor knitting. In the meantime, have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

 

Welcome home Snowbird!

Maureen flew back from her winter home last night and joined us for a sunny afternoon of knitting. She said as long as we could sit outside spaced apart, she would join us. We missed her so it was a good thing Mother Nature decided to cooperate. Look at that blue sky!

Maureen jumped right back into her knitting with a hat for our inventory.

As soon as I finished last week's bonnet, I cast on stitches for the Dexter Vest in a 0 to 3 month size. The yarn is Plymouth Encore (machine wash and dry) in DK weight. It's knitted flat and then side seams are sewn to attach the underarms.

Nancy's Helix Hat is nearing the portion of the crown when the decreases begin to close the top of the cap. She is able to use every last inch of yarn left over from other projects. I don't know about you, but I can't stand to throw out ends of a skein so this is a great way to put them to use.

Barbara B. is working on The Gift, a beautiful little cardigan.

 The bright sun washed out the design but...

I was able to get a shot of the pattern page to show you the adorable motif on the yoke.

Dorah's Knit Baby Jacket Set is looking like a sweater now. The self striping yarn does all the work without all the hassle of juggling multiple balls of yarn.

 

Barbara B. also completed an Avery's Happy Cap to pair with the above cardigan. It's a darling little bonnet with a sweet ruffled edge.

I've been working on a scarf for myself using the yarn I dyed with Wilton Food Coloring and I've finally finished! I wrote the "recipe" for it on my Ravelry page if you want to make one for yourself.

I love it paired with my raspberry colored blouse! 

It's so beautiful outside that I think I'll go for a quick walk before I have to start cooking dinner. 

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

Today's treat, DONUTS!

The Chicks started the afternoon looking very serious as they concentrated on their projects and...

discussed the disrespectful comment about Albany that was made by a certain commentator at the NCAA women's basketball tournament which was held in downtown Albany this weekend. 

Then we tasted Barbara B's delicious sourdough donuts, chocolate and vanilla. 

Suddenly the mood was lightened!

Those smiles were genuinely on a sugar high. LOL!

But we had to get to work again. Dorah's baby cardigan, the Knit Baby Jacket Set, is coming along nicely after a second start.

 The yarn is an acrylic and nylon blend that is machine wash and dry and self striping.

 

Annika's baby blanket, the Eyelet Stripe Baby Blanket, is much longer than last week's progress. 

It's a good pattern for social knitting too.

Jan's baby sweater is showing her skills off nicely. She is learning new techniques and doing a great job. It's the Top Down Raglan Child's Sweater and comes in multiple sizes.

Cinzia started the same sweater the Dorah and Carole are making, the Knit Baby Jacket Set.

I completed the Tincanknits Beloved bonnet and used the same yarn to make...

the Avery's Happy Cap which was designed by a knitting friend of mine, Iryth Ferrandino. The store where I purchased the pattern is no longer in business so I'm not sure where you can get the pattern but it's a darling bonnet. I wanted to use up this yarn but I would suggest not using a short color change yarn as it eats up the lace pattern in the crown. This hat is better suited for a solid or tonal color yarn.

Carole added buttons to her Knit Baby Jacket Set cardigan.

She has one of those tins, as do many of us, which contains hundreds of stray buttons. She was lucky enough to find just what she needed to complete this adorable sweater.

And her Helix hat from last week is finished too.

Now she is working on an acrylic and cotton blend yarn that has a beautiful drape to make a circular yoke sweater in the softest mint green.

Barbara K is still plugging away on her pleated scarf with the gradient yarn of pretty colors.

Barbara B used a cable from her interchangeable needles to make a provisional cast on for the brim/cuff of this baby hat so it can be folded up and the stitches from both needles can be knitted together as one to make a double thick fabric.

It's the Grandma's Baby Hat pattern and is free on Ravelry.

Nancy is working on what I affectionately call the potato chip hat, you can't make just one! ;) She is using up odds and ends of yarn to make the Helix Hat.

Now that my knitting needles are empty I'll have to hunt through the stacks of patterns and stash of yarn to find my next inspiration. Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!