The autumn temps are keeping us indoors

I have another favorite tree in my neighborhood! As I was walking I stopped to take this picture and a neighbor who was walking her dog stopped to tell me this is her favorite tree too. You can see why. Wouldn't these colors look great as a gradient or variegated yarn?!?!

Eight of us gathered around my kitchen table (where we get the best light) and chatted all things current. Maureen spent some time with her out of state grandchildren so we got to hear all about their antics. Barbara K attended her granddaughter's cross country meet last Tuesday and proudly showed us her pics. And Margaret delivered...

the sheep sweater she knitted for her grandson. It fits just right and the sleeves will allow him to wear it a little bit longer as he grows. So cute! The sweater ain't bad either😉

Jan almost wouldn't let me photograph her Skinny Scarf because she feels like it's taking forever. Well, scarves DO take forever. People should know that so they can appreciate the time and effort that goes into a handmade gift they receive.

I couldn't find the pattern on Ravelry but maybe this will help you hunt it down if you want a copy. Ooops! I spoke too soon. I accidentally came across the Skinny Scarf while looking for a different pattern!

I started the Cityscape Cowl using a merino/silk blend held together with a lace weight baby mohair. It will need blocking to bring out the cables but I'm loving the project. The fuzzy mohair is slowing me down because it catches on everything but it will be worth it in the end.

Dorah is knitting the One Row Handspun Scarf for a friend. 

The jewel toned variegated colors are so pretty!

Maureen's Diagonal Baby Blanket is slowly growing. She was so busy taking care of the grands that she didn't have any time to knit.

Margaret is knitting the Blue Wave hat for her sister who loves the ocean. No messages will be included in this one.

Barbara B has started the Dart and Dash Beanie from Benjamin Matthews. I think she is at the portion of the hat where the dashes stop and the ribbing resumes.

She finished her Easy Vivi Wrap and is weaving in the ends to finish it off. She did a very light blocking to keep the shape but not *smush the dimensional effects of the basket weave stitch. (*smush is a technical term meaning to flatten😉😆)

Tina's Glennis Cowl looks stunning with those changing colors against the black background!

She finished a pair of socks too and told me the pattern name...I should have written it down right away!

Barbara K completed her Helix Hat and is saving it to donate this winter.

I would like to finish a couple of more projects before I attend this year's New England Fiber Festival in Massachusetts at the Big E on November 7. I promised myself I would use up some stash before being tempted to buy new stash. Yeah! We'll see how that goes😏 In the meantime, have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

Fall Temps are here...for now

It's 58 degrees and sunny today and Mother Nature is showing her colors nicely. Wouldn't this make a great colorway for yarn?!

That means it's also football season and my husband and I took a drive to Collegeville, PA to watch our grandson play center for Ursinus College. The Bears beat Muhlenberg 17-7, a team that has beat them 23 times out of the last 27 games so there was excitement throughout the game.

I captured some cute fungi on my recent walks around the hood...

there is something about mushrooms that I find curious.

I don't know what it is. Maybe my imagination leads me to tell stories 

about little elves that live under them. 😄

On to the knitting portion of today's entry. My photographer was golfing so I had to rig a way to use the self timer. Everyone managed to squeeze into the photo. We talked about how much fun we had last week at our private showing and dyeing with Terri at Whole Knit n' Caboodle.

The ladies who dyed yarn brought them in today. Tina is tossing ideas in the air for which pattern to use. One of the ideas was the Leftie by Martina Behm but she's open to suggestions. She strategically added a little dribble of brown dye to the green base for a pretty heathered result.

Margaret likes a good burnt orange/rust color and Terri mixed it just right for her.

Carole wanted a blue with dots of deep red. The denim blue color will look great with jeans.

And Barbara B already knitted up her deep blue yarn into the Blue Wave Hat with secret Morse code messages knitted around.

She adapted the pattern to make it a little longer to cover her ears.

Carole finished her Trellis Hat but is not wanting to rush the cold weather too soon.

On our way to Pennsylvania last Friday we passed a cute little house that my husband asked me if I wanted to stop to check out the yarn store inside. He looks out for me! I saw a sample knit of the Cityscape Cowl that called for a fingering weight yarn held together with a mohair. It just so happens that last week when I was hunting for something else in the stash, I came across these two yarns and knew they would be perfect for this cowl!

I started it Sunday night but it's not a good social knitting pattern so it is reserved for when I'm alone.

This afternoon I added a pattern repeat to Benjamin Matthews' Twistful Beanie. I can't say it's a pattern for the faint of heart because on round 4 two stitches are slipped off the needle and left in thin air while two others are knitted and the two floating stitches are then knitted back on to the needle. It's a great pattern once you bite the bullet and see that it's not as difficult as it sounds.

Carole wanted to start a couple of good car ride knitting projects so this One Row Handspun Scarf pattern from Stephanie Pearl McPhee is perfect for long drives.

Barbara B has about three more weeks to finish her Easy Vivi Wrap so she can wear it to a wedding. She's fast approaching the finish line.

Jan bought this pretty purple yarn at Whole Knit n' Caboodle last week and dove right into her 

Vacation Shawl, a free pattern on Ravelry that uses DK weight yarn.

Tina saw this bandana cowl and had the perfect yarns in mind for it!

Knit Picks has a line called Chroma that has the prettiest gradient colors! This is going to be fabulous!

Maureen finished her toy vehicles blanket and is waiting to block it. In the meantime,

she has started a diagonal baby blanket.

Margaret has a pretty hand dyed variegated yarn to make the 1898 Hat. 

Nancy's Windripple Shawl is much deeper that it was last week. It's going to be beautiful!

Fozzie was begging while we tried to knit so I had to distract him with his puzzle toy. It's great that some paper towel tubes and a little hot glue can keep him distracted and out of everybody's knitting bag. He thinks he's the official inspector when he sees a bag on the floor. LOL!

I'm off to cook dinner. We're having my Italian grandmother's roasted sweet Italian sausage and potatoes. She used to cook it in a gigantic cast iron pan on the charcoal grill when we had cookouts so I had to adapt the recipe for the oven but it tastes like I remember.

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

Field Trip!!!

Today was a field trip day for The Chicks! Terri, of Whole Knit n' Caboodle has an annual sale but this year instead of holding it in her yard as in the past, she did it a little differently. She invited individuals and groups to make an appointment to come to her home to shop in her studio and try their hand at dyeing yarn.

We had our own private viewing and shopping spree of ALL of her inventory!

Nancy found something that caught her eye but then was distracted by so many more beautiful colors and fibers.

There were many samples knitted up to give us inspiration. Barbara K checked out some shawls and cowls.

Jan found a shawl called Pressed Flowers that peaked her interest. 

But the mini bundles drew her away with the hopes of making a striped beanie. (Margaret, kneeling)

It was fun to shop with so many opinions because if you couldn't make a decision, someone was there to help out. (l to r: Margaret, Jan's back, Carole)

Dorah doing her best Vanna White impression!

Tina and Dorah searched through the discount bins for good bargains and found a few!

Jan and Barbara K having a consultation on color combos.

Barbara B took the opportunity, while others were shopping, to dye some yarn for a hat she wants to knit.

She is planning on making the Blue Wave Beanie and wanted a specific blue so she dyed it herself!

Tina dyed some yarn to knit a hat for her daughter.

She chose a soft green with dollops of brown.

The yarn soaks in hot water until it absorbs all the dye.

Terri mixed the color recipes for Margaret's preference.

Carole dyed a skein like a pro. The Mad Scientist at work! 😉

After all the color is spent from the dye bath, the skein is hung to drip dry. It will take two days for it to be fully dry and ready to knit.

After all the shopping and dyeing, Terri joined us as an honorary Chick while we knitted and chatted. Terri is between Margaret and Barbara B at the point of the table.

Margaret is knitting the Sheepish Little Sweater for one of her grandsons. The sheep are stranded colorwork which turned out perfectly!

I'm knitting a chemo cap for a neighbor using 100% baby alpaca and the 2023 Soldiers Hat pattern.

Carole is about 1/3 of the way through her Raven Beanie. It has a thick stitch for cozy warmth.

Tina continues to knit her Simple Sideways Triangle Scarf using a nice denim colored yarn.

She brought in a FO that she knitted called Campfire Stories Hat with 

beautiful cables, bobbles, and lace.

Terri is halfway there on a pair of baby mittens with the holding cord that feeds through the coat sleeves so they won't get lost.

Dorah loves knitting socks and is making a pair for a friend.

The cables on Jan's Skinny Scarf are beautiful. Her stitch definition is to be envied!

Barbara B is practically finished with her Easy Vivi Wrap which she plans to wear with a burgundy dress to a wedding.

Nancy's Windripple Shawl with the short rows is looking beautiful!

These were the two colors I chose to buy to knit the Mmm Kerchief Cowl unless 

I change my mind...again!

So instead of sitting around writing, I need to get my gears going so I can use up these beautiful colors!

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!