Before the thunder

The Chicks and I were blessed with another beautiful day on the river.

 And it was quite busy today too. Early in the afternoon we watched this ship getting pushed northward...

 and just before we left at 2:30, this one was being pushed southward. I love to hear the wake splash against the seawall after they go by because it sounds like waves crashing on the seashore.

 Barbara B. modeled the shortie anklet socks she made for herself using self striping yarn.

 She bought the yarn from Michael's Craft Store and has enough left over to make a pair of baby socks.

 And this is the pattern she bought on Ravelry to make her socks.

 Debbie wound some yarn so she could make a hat.

 And then she showed us the socks she is making using the shadow wrap short row heel technique. I love that color combo!

 Janna has made lots of progress on her Emiliana Shawl. Soon she will be adding that lovely lighter colored yarn for the mosaic portion of the knitting.

 Annika was so happy to show us how close she is to the end of her shawl. When the last stitch is bound off, she will add a crocheted edge to all sides.

The peace and quiet of the river's edge was suddenly broken by the sound of distant thunder so we decided it would be wise to pack up early and get home before the storm arrived. On my way home the sky suddenly opened up and sent huge drops of rain down on my car but it lasted less than 60 seconds. Now the sun is out again so I just might get out on the porch for a bit more knitting.

Have a good week and keep those needles clicking!

The afternoon Chicks were busy

Last week I told you about the precious little socks Barbara B. was knitting. Today I get the chance to show you just how cute they are! They can't be more than 4 inches long in the foot. Just right for a newborn.

 Debbie finished her colorful socks too. She did a good job of the Shadow Wrap heels and is casting on for another pair right away so she won't forget the technique.

 Barbara B. finished her Palindrome scarf too. Both sides of this scarf show right side cables.

 Janna started ribbing the cuffs of her socks so they should be done soon, as long as her new puppy gives her the time to knit, that is.

 Debbie loves the yarn for the ribbed watchman's cap she's making. It's a superwashed wool that is heavenly soft.

 And Liz is almost done with her watchman's cap. She picked some pretty rose colored worsted weight yarn for her next project. 

Beige gets boring after a while!

My evening Chicks had conflicts of schedule so I'll be knitting alone tonight. But I do that most nights anyway. Keep those needles clicking!

The Chicks have a new hatchling!

We have a new Chick! Barbara Bradford has been a Capital District resident for two years and we're so glad she has joined forces with us. Here she is casting on for a baby hat. We look forward to seeing her put her skills to good use with us. She is an afternoon knitter but might be visiting the evening group on occasion. Welcome to the flock Barbara! 

 Liz is working with a lovely spring green to make a basket weave patterned scarf. It even matches her shirt.

 Debbie hit a snag last week but between the two of us, she got back on track with her festive colored socks. I always say it's ok to make mistakes. That's how you learn and besides, there are no knitting police!

 Cinzia's baby sweatshirt is almost finished. Just a few more rows and ribbing and it will be ready for the inventory.

 Margaret picked up the stitches for her afterthought heel and is well on her way to finishing her first pair of TAAT magic loop socks. I'm so proud of my Chicks to be willing to learn new techniques.

 Carole's lime green socks are sized for a narrow youth foot. The heel stitches are on hold on the other side. She should be picking up stitches for the heels soon.

 This comes under the category of "It's ok to make mistakes". I apparently didn't make myself clear when I described to Dorah how to do the heels on her afterthought heel socks. She began knitting a beautiful heel flap. Unfortunately, this technique does not require one. But it took about 5 minutes to frog back to the contrasting colored yarn and knit in the round again. The funny thing is that we all sat around the table watching her without realizing what was happening. No big deal! It was an easy fix.

 Maureen's socks look nice with the pink yarn holding the heel stitches. Too bad it has to go. I love the colors in this yarn!

 I'm working on the heels of my men's socks. I have a few more stitches to decrease and then it will be time to kitchener the heels closed.

 Every night before I go to sleep I check out Youtube to see if there's anything interesting to watch. Last week I came across a video tutorial for what is called a Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel. I think it makes an even nicer heel than the afterthought heel. There are NO GAPS where the angle of the heel turns like on a traditionally knitted heel flap heel. The sock on the right shows the cuff unfolded and the heel flattened. The cuff folds down so the baby can't kick his socks off. And notice how the heel and the toe, when flat, look the same.

 My munchkins are visiting this week. They had arts and crafts night on the deck while we Chicks knitted inside. 

Oh! And my 12 year old grandson is now officially taller than me! He's so proud! Although since I'm only 5'3" ish, it isn't all that hard to beat me at this young age, but don't tell him. ;) Our family joke is if you're taller than your grandmother by the time you're 12, then you're officially Italian. LOL! And yes, my grandmother said I could eat spaghetti off the top of her head when I was 12 so it's only fair for the next generation. Get my bowl ready to balance on my head.

I'm going to go enjoy my daughter and grands while I can. Knitting can wait until next week.

In the meantime, you keep your needles clicking!