In between donation cycles

Last Wednesday Nancy, Jan, and I delivered our warm woolies to Things of My Very Own. This is a non-profit organization which protects and supports families who find themselves in crisis situations. We were so warmly greeted by such grateful staff. It makes us feel like we are making a difference.

This week we start a new cycle. We spent some time brainstorming possibilities for our next recipient. Cinzia will be doing some searching for a strong candidate in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we are knitting whatever strikes our fancy. I cast on for a 2X2 ribbed hat using a DK weight yarn. I'm trying to be more mindful about making items that a man would like to wear. It's so easy for me to find feminine knits I enjoy making that I have to be conscientious about knitting more                                                                masculine items.                                                                

Nancy started a cute little baby hat using a cheerful variegated yarn.

It is the Swirl Hat, a paid pattern on Ravelry and a good project for social knitting.

Cinzia found a colorful bulky weight yarn in the stash and cast on for a 3X1 hat which she almost finished in the two hours spent at my house. Size 13 needles and fat yarn make a quick knit.

Margaret found a pattern for fingerless gloves from a designer who has wonderful tutorial videos on YouTube.

These fingerless mitts use bulky weight yarn so they will be a quick knit too. You can also purchase the pattern on Ravelry if you don't want to follow the video.

Maureen chose a great color combo for her Helix Hat!

Barbara is making a Mistake Stitch Hat. I like how the ridges grow on the bias across the hat.

Dorah bought a collection of mini skeins to make a Reverb Shawl for her collection.

The last two skeins will finish off the triangular shawl perfectly.

Barbara B stayed home today because she was feeling under the weather this week and didn't want to share germs with us. Luckily, I baked a banana bread yesterday so the Chicks didn't have to go through snack deprivation. Feel better soon Barbara and not just because we miss your treats! LOL!

It's a dreary, damp day so I'm headed off to make a warm, comforting soup for dinner. Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 Janna and Barbara K. joined me today to start the new year off knitting.  My project is the Ribbed Watchman Cap, a favorite easy pattern of mine, which calls for worsted weight yarn. I was feeling lazy and didn't feel like winding a hank of worsted weight so I grabbed a ball of sock weight yarn and held it doubled to make the same pattern. I think I might have cast on a few extra stitches to make sure the circumference of the hat would fit an adult. I am almost at the 9.5 inch mark when I can begin decreasing for the crown.

Barbara's project is the Mistake Stitch Hat.

She is a quick knitter because...

by 3PM she had finished it and added it to the inventory.

Janna made a hat and scarf ensemble using the same Mistake Stitch pattern. The yarn is superwash wool so it will be machine washable and dryable.

The thick fabric created with this pattern makes a warm, thermal layer to keep the wearer 

warm and cozy.

She had so much of this pink yarn that she is now making some stuffies, also known as amigurumi or stuffed toys, for our other knitting group. These two tubes will become teddy bears for children.

It's a cold, raw, rainy day here so I see a cup of hot tea in my future. 

Stay warm and keep those needles clicking!

It's a hot one today!

It was a day to put up the drapes to keep the sun off us while we knitted.

And we had a full house today too!

Bless Carole for being a good sport and model the hat she made for our inventory. It's the Mistake Stitch Hat which makes a warm, thermal fabric for keeping warm.

She made The Shift Cowl for herself. 

The hardest part is choosing compatible yarns and she was very successful with her choices. Beautiful!

Dorah and Carole contributed to the inventory with hats and cowls. Lovely work ladies!

Liz added a baby hat and a Mistake Stitch Scarf as well.

She's made good progress on her cowl and made the executive decision to continue to knit until she runs out of yarn. Then this can be pulled over the head for a hat too!

Barbara K. started the eyelash yarn portion of her golf club cover.

She'll be the talk of the golf course with her unique, cute covers!

Jan A. looked for a missing stitch and found it but then found an extra one as well. She decided to wait until she gets home to do a recount.

Carole found a pretty green yarn in her stash to make the Close to You shawl. A few of us have made this pattern and it's unanimously voted a favorite.

Janna started That Easy Guernsey Hat with a pretty purple yarn.

And Margaret chuckled because she seems no further along on her scarf. But she has a valid excuse...there's a wedding for her to plan and another upcoming one to attend so she has her hands full.

Dorah chose three pretty yarns to start a Helix Hat. She finished the green one which I showed earlier in this post.

Maureen had started the Easy Scarf with another yarn that wasn't to her liking so she went stash diving and found a perfect one for this pattern. Look at those vivid colors! 

Cinzia worked on her Basket Weave cowl using a variegated sock weight yarn which shows off the woven effect nicely.

And I'm making the same cowl with a bulky weight yarn and a more ombre colorway.

It's 90 degrees right now so I'm going to sit in front of the AC vent and try to remain cool. Until next week, keep those needles clicking.

 

Killer humidity today

We Chicks opted to knit indoors today because of the high humidity on the deck. We are between rain storms and I don't know about the others, but I'm beginning to go moldy! LOL!

Liz brought a sack filled with the items she knitted over the winter while she was away. There is a cute baby sweater and matching hat, two more baby hats, two Mistake Stitch scarves, a neck gaiter, and two cowls, one of which she added a pin in case the recipient would like to cinch it tighter.

Here is the Mistake Stitch hat she started last week which looks like it could be paired 

with the neck gaiter.

Barbara B. is as addicted to the Beloved bonnet as I am. She finished a toddler sized one and....

has already made progress on another. It's as I said last week, they are like Lay's Potato Chips, you can't make just one.

I'm hooked too! I think this is my fifth or sixth one so far. Once you figure out the pattern, which isn't at all difficult, you can make them any size you like. This one will fit a large child or small adult.

Carol continued to work on her Honey Cowl. Love that deep red color!

And Debbie moved on to the second color in her hat.

Maureen is getting tired of the Sightseer Cowl which must mean it's long enough and time to add the ribbing to finish it off. When I make scarves or cowls I know I'm almost done when I'm bored 

making it.

Margaret still has a bit to go before she can bind off her Sightseer Cowl. It's looking good!

Take a good look at Dorah's ZickZack scarf because she already frogged it due to an error she couldn't fix easily and will make a second go at it. This was one I started and just couldn't stand the torture of continuing it. But Dorah loved knitting this pattern and offered to take it off my hands. 

I hope she doesn't regret that decision!

 That's everything we have to show you this week. Until next Tuesday, keep those needles clicking!

PIE!

The Peach Truck came through town last week and Barbara B. picked up a 25 pound box! We Chicks were the lucky recipients of a Hummingbird Pie she made using the some of peaches, bananas, and pineapple with a crumble topping. Yummy doesn't begin to describe how good it was.

She found the recipe on Pinterest...https://www.pinterest.com/pin/121315783704360584/

I hope this link works. Thank you Barbara!

Dorah finished her ZickZack scarf and it is stunning! She would have cast on right away for another but she didn't have the size needles required for the weight yarn she wanted to use.

Barbara K. cast on for another scarf using a pretty rosy pink. She is wearing an adorable shrug she made with a worsted weight cotton yarn...perfect for summer days in the AC.

Maureen continues to work on her Sightseer Cowl.

This Mistake Stitch Hat is next up on Liz's needles.

She cast on stitches and got right to work.

Barbara B. is knitting beads into her cowl, her first try at bead work.

This is the pattern she's using and it looks beautiful already.

You know how you can't eat just one Lay's Potato Chip? Well, you can't knit just one Beloved Bonnet from TinCanKnits either! I am hooked! The last one to the right is still on the needles and I thought I was going to run out of yarn. But the knitting angels looked down and said, "You can do it!" and it looks like I'll have just enough to finish the I-cord tie!

 We're having a thunderstorm right now so I'll say goodbye before the lightning strikes. Keep those needles clicking and I'll see you next week!