Wrapping up our donations

Our mission today was to label and categorize all the items which will be donated. Luckily, we received a request from the sister of a friend who is helping incoming immigrants. Timing is everything!

It's funny but every time we sort through our FO's, we all "Oooooo!" and "Ahhhh!" over the items we knitted but had forgotten about. Because of the pandemic, we REALLY forgot about some of these! I've had them stored safely since late 2019. The comments go something like, 

"Who made this!?" 

"I forgot I made this!" or

"We should make these again!"

Every item is labeled with the Chicks' label and laundering instructions, should the recipient be uneasy about how to care for it.

We discuss what it must be like to come to a foreign country where you don't speak the language or know the customs and culture. 

And we hope that our donation will in some way ease the stress of starting a new life 

in a strange new home.

So today we collected 148 various items of clothing... sets of hats and scarves, fingerless mitts, socks, slippers, hats, cowls, scarves, and shawls. There was even a sweet little dress that Barbara B. made that had a matching headband.

 My friend, Jan Abrams, will be delivering these goodies to her sister, Edith Silver, in Rochester, New York for all the new residents who find themselves facing a cold, upstate New York winter.

Now it's time to take a deep breath, clear our minds, and get back to work.

Keep those needles clicking!

A gorgeous day for deck knitting

Maureen, Barbara B., and Liz joined me on this breezy, beautiful afternoon. It was the perfect day to be crafting outdoors.

Barbara is knitting the Dawson Baby Blanket. Her husband remarked that her knitting looks better than he remembers. She thinks it’s the pattern but I think it’s all the practice. Her stitching is lovely.

I warped my rigid heddle loom for some scarf weaving. I’m using two fingering weight yarns for a simple plain weave. I’m thinking I will twist the fringe on this one.

Maureen is knitting the sleeves for her Sunnyside baby sweater. When she’s done it will go into a bath for blocking.

Liz bought a beautiful tonal yarn from Whole knit n Caboodle to make a Simple Scarf.

I think I’ll put on my walking shoes and take advantage of the beautiful day. Keep those needles clicking!

 

HAPPY 16 YEARS!!!

Little did I know, way back in August 2005, that I would be celebrating 16 years of knitting, laughing, learning, and loving with these wonderful ladies! Some have gone and new ones have joined but I'm so very grateful to call them my friends.

And these ladies are not just great knitters. They are some crazy good cooks! Dorah made her delicious Moosewood Gazpacho and Margaret made a refreshing tossed salad with gifts from her garden.

Maureen made a delightfully refreshing fruit salad, Janna made delicious little meatballs, Barbara B. made a yummy homemade tapenade. And every year we request Liz's famous deviled eggs.

Carole outdid herself with a moist and delicious carrot cake that had coconut and a creamy icing on top. My contribution was an old standard, King Arthur's Flour One pan cake made with yogurt and fresh peaches. Our refreshing beverages were provided by Barbara K.

We had a delightful afternoon and didn't even knit!

Sometimes it's nice to just sit and catch up on life.

This is the first time in 16 years that we celebrated outdoors too. Every other year it either rained or was so hot and humid we lost our appetites.

I love that we have lasted this long and even a pandemic couldn't keep us down!

Thank you Barbara, Barbara, Dorah, Maureen, Margaret, Janna, Liz, Cinzia, Jan, Carole, and Debbie for another wonderful year!

 Here's to my Chicks and keep those needles clicking!

Great weather is finally here!

Carole, Maureen, Barbara K. and B. Liz, and Dorah joined me on the deck for a lovely afternoon of knit and chat. September has ushered in cooler nights so the days of no humidity are lovely.

Last week you saw my Raven DK hat was almost finished. Well, here she is all ready to be put into inventory. It was an easy to memorize pattern and I messed around with the cuff by making it double thickness. It started with a provisional cast on, knit 1X1 ribbing for 3 inches, then fold the fabric with the provisional cast on to the inside and knit the live stitch on the needle together with the corresponding stitch from the provisional cast on.

Since I had enough yarn left to make another project, I decided to make a matching cowl but with a regular cable cast on edge.

Carole finished those adorable baby socks and they match perfectly. That's one of the perks of knitting two at a time on magic loop and starting the self striping yarns at the same exact color change. Now she's making a matching hat.

We were all talking and knitting away when it suddenly occurred to Carole that she better stop and measure the hat before it gets too long. Whew! Just the right size!

Dorah casted on (or cast on, not sure which is grammatically correct) for a cozy hat. It will have a ribbed cuff and stockinette crown.

Liz finished the other hat and started another. 

Barbara B.'s sweater is still in time out but she's making a beautiful sock with 

a defined slip stitch design.

Maureen's baby sweater has the sleeve stitches waiting while she knits the body. 

Barbara K. finished the small circumference of the Squishie hat with her double pointed needles.

 Next week we celebrate our 16th anniversary with a luncheon on the deck. Hope the weather is as beautiful as it was today. Until then, keep those needles clicking!