Finished Objects

This week's episode starts off with FO's from my Chicks. Janna finished the Dexter vest I showed you last week and added a hat to match. There was more of this yarn so she is planning on making another set.

 Debbie finished the mate to the socks and added a little buddy, both with acrylic, machine washable yarns.

Maureen finished her colorful hat which goes with.... 

 this sweet newborn size Baby Eyelet cardigan. The eyelets serve two purposes, one for decoration and the other for buttonholes.

 Carole showed us her Gryer Shawl for which she used Periwinkle Sheep DK Merino yarns. It is beautiful!

 The yarn is so soft and squishy and she doesn't even have to block it. This was a project just for her. Every now and then we need to treat ourselves to something special and this shawl certainly fits the bill.

Debbie cast on stitches for a purple hat. 

 And Barbara K. is halfway down the two sleeves at once, magic loop style on her Buttons cardigan.

 I'm almost ready to insert the contrasting yarn for the afterthought heel on my toddler socks, also knit two at a time on magic loop.

 Maureen actually finished this Ombre baby hat after I took photos for the evening so it's already in the inventory.

 Carole is about 2/3 of the way through on her baby blanket. She was planning on making it about 20 inches square but when she picked it up it had stretched to about 30 inches! It's going to be lovely.

 Barbara B. worked on squares for a blanket. I can't wait to see it finished.

 And Dorah's baby hat with Plymouth Encore yarn is coming along nicely.

 I am having my family room painted so we had to gather in the living room today. It's a more intimate setting but the lighting is better in the larger room. 

Hopefully, we'll be back in the family room in a couple of weeks. But it was nice to have a change of scenery.

Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

Spring is here but still too cold to knit outside

I opened all the windows today to make it seem as though we were knitting on the deck today but then it got so chilly I had to close them again. I keep hearing that spring is coming but aside from all the rain last week, I don't see evidence of it. I just know we're going to jump into hot summer weather with two feet!

Debbie brought us her finished cardigan and matching hat and one sock. She had the second one on needles this afternoon so it will be done soon. The yarn is Martha Stewart acrylic blend and is very soft and machine washable. We talked about doing a group KAL (that's knit-a-long for those who don't know) to learn how to knit two socks at once on magic loop from the toe up using Judy's magic cast on and an afterthought heel (all the videos I could find have you knit the waste yarn across the heel stitches and then slip all those stitches back to the left needle. Instead, I just purl back across those waste yarn stitches and then use my working yarn to continue the sock. It makes it much easier to see the two rows of stitches to pick up later to make the heel). It's the only way I make socks since I learned the technique and I don't need a pattern either. I'm going to line up the Youtube tutorials for the Chicks so they can acquaint themselves with the techniques before we go live.

 Liz checked out her pattern for the baby sweater she was working on because the yarn is running out quickly and she feared there wouldn't be enough left to finish the bodice of the sweater. This is where gauge is so important. She thought the sweater looked bigger than it was supposed to be and since we don't have anymore of that yarn Plan B must go into effect...changing the cardigan into a shrug.

 Here is her progress so far. The sleeves are done and the skirt of the sweater has been started.

 Janna's Dexter vest looks like it's done but the last few inches to be knitted are hiding in the back. I'm sure it will be finished by next week.

 I ran out of portable small projects to take along so I started a pair of baby socks. Magic loop, two at a time, toe up as I said before. A plain vanilla recipe with fancy self patterning yarn does the trick!

 During the week I finished my Baby Sophisticate sweater and added a matching hat.

 And just by luck I had only 4 buttons left to complete the project!

I had a meeting tonight so the evening Chicks had a night off but they will be back to work next week. Now I'm off to knit and Netflix. I'm sure I can find a good British murder mystery show I haven't watched yet!

Rain, rain, go away

If you live in the Northeast you know what dreary weather we have had lately. If it doesn't stop raining soon I fear I might have to build an ark! I'm afraid it's all my fault too because last week I decided to put away all the winter clothes and reacquaint myself with the spring and summer wardrobe. It happens every year no matter when I switch the clothes! Oh well, soon it will be 90 degrees and we'll all be complaining about the heat and humidity.

The Chicks have a few more FO's to add to inventory this week. Carole used a soft acrylic to make a celery green baby hat. 

 And tonight Maureen bound off the last stitches on her colorful hat. Once the ends are woven it will be added to inventory too.

 I made a little ballerina bear over the weekend. I love her pigeon toes!

 And the last bits of sock yarn were just enough to finish this top knot hat.

 Janna's Dexter vest is coming along nicely. It starts at the bottom front and then splits at the V-neck where you knit each shoulder separately, then put all the stitches back on the needle to knit down the back. The only sewing to be done are the two side seams.

 Elaine's blanket looks pretty in the soft celadon green

 Liz worked on her All-in-one Baby Top.

 We're looking at the neckline upside down here where it started.

 Barbara has almost completed the body of her Buttons cardigan and will be picking up stitches for the sleeves soon.

 I started a Baby Sophisticate last week and finished the body this afternoon. Tonight I tried to knit the shawl collar but it required short rows and lots of counting which doesn't mix well with conversation.

I worked on a boring scarf instead. One must always have a simple project on needles for just such an occasion. Maybe next week I can show you the sleeves in progress.

Have a great week and hopefully the weather will clear soon otherwise I might be growing webbed fingers and toes soon! Yikes! 

She's baaaaaack!

There was a full house this afternoon for the Chicks who were very busy catching up with...

our snowbird Liz! She's back for the summer. Now if only summer would arrive!

Liz was very busy knitting over the winter break and brought back some lovely ensembles for our inventory.

All those darling little hats to keep sweet baby heads warm had us all squealing with delight.

She even made a cotton bib that slips over the head.

Debbie picked up a long time UFO and put the finishing touches on it so she could add it to the inventory too.

She did a great job on this sweet, cream colored set.

Janna was bitten by the critter knitting bug. She made 3 more teddy bears and added their facial features to complete their personalities.

Barbara K. finished the pretty turquoise hat and....

a Noro yarn hat.

She also found a UFO of the Cabin Fever Buttons sweater. It needs sleeves but she can't remember what size she was knitting. That's the problem with putting a project in time out. Unless you put a note with it, it can be a nuisance trying to get the needle size or pattern size correct.

Cinzia finished her 100% mercerized cotton stroller/carseat blanket and now has to decide how to block it so it doesn't lose it's stitch definition.

I made a pair of thumb-less baby mittens with a sleeve cord so they don't get lost if they slip off.

And there was so much yarn left that I had enough to make a hat. There are just a few more inches and it will be completed.

Barbara B. started a baby bootie tonight. I'll bet they'll be done by next week.

Carole is still plugging away on her diagonal blanket. The colors are adorable!

Maureen's hat is nearing the decreasing portion.

And Margaret opted to frog last week's white acrylic sweater in favor of Plymouth Encore denim colored blend for the trapeze style cardigan.

We'll be offline for the next two Tuesdays but hope to have plenty to show you on the 28th.

In the meantime, keep those needles clicking.