Our last meeting before Christmas and a field trip

The Chicks started the meeting by browsing through some pattern books that Cinzia brought for inspiration. They were all amigurumi animals and objects.

Cinzia chose for her first project a sweet little turtle.

When he is completed he will look something like this.

But Cinzia will embroider the facial features so there are no button hazards for little ones to swallow.

Margaret started a Fair Isle hat called Orchid Mantis, using two colors of DK weight yarn. You can find it on Ravelry as a paid pattern.

We were lucky and found it on the first day of issue when it was being offered for free.

Carole's Morton Cowl looks beautiful with the color changing yarn. 

Just a few inches more and she'll be finished.

Janna is using yarn which was recycled from a previously knitted garment so it's still a bit kinky. Once it takes a nice soak the fibers will relax and the tension will even out. 

The pattern is the Mistake Stitch Scarf.

I happened to come across a YouTube video which explained how to mimic an Italian tubular cast on without using a provisional cast on. It was very easy to execute and makes a stretchy, very nice edge, if I may say so myself.😄

I used it for the ribbed cuff of a Helix Hat to use up some small scraps of yarn. 

Cinzia finished her green hat for which she also used the above mentioned cast on technique.

And Janna's Fair Isle hat looks great! Such a nice color combo too.

Here is the sweater Margaret was able to finish when she found one lone skein of yarn in the same dye lot she needed to complete the sleeves and ribbing. It's the Flax sweater which is offered in multiple sizes on Ravelry.

Cinzia finished her Bella Scarf last week but had to bring it home for blocking.

 Now it's ready for the inventory.

Barbara B., Cinzia, Carole, and I went on a little excursion last Friday to the Hyde Collection  in Glens Falls, NY last Friday. The artwork that the Hydes collected is breathtaking in its variety and value.

We were especially interested in the temporary exhibit of antiques quilts.

Some were dated back to the 1860's! 

We were mesmerized by the intricacies of the stitch work, all done by hand!

The precision of the spacing of their stitches and patterns in days without computers and stencils and erasable pens was mind boggling! We kept marveling at the fact that the stitch length matched throughout the quilt even though it was probably quilted by many hands during a quilting bee.

And there were such different designs in the collection.

These quilts made by African-Americans which pre-dated the Civil War were lively and colorful in their fabric choices and layout compared to...

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the somber beauty of this Amish quilt which is gorgeous in it's simplicity. It was a lovely exhibit which lasts through January 2, 2023. I would check with the museum to be sure of the dates.

 We Chicks send you best wishes of the holiday season and will return in the new year. 

Until then, keep those needles clicking!

Finishing up the dolls

We are winding down our projects, trying to finish up the toys and dolls. Debbie finished her little girl doll with her cute Mary Jane shoes and Peter Pan collar. My little boy doll needs a few touches.

 By the end of the evening he had his turtleneck sweater and matching cap. The bear was knitted by one of Carole's friends who wanted to learn how to make one and she graciously donated him to us.

 Jan added two finished toys to the inventory and has to add a face to the fuzzy bear and has a way to go with her mermaid. That's going to be one adorable doll!

 Cinzia was back today after a long hiatus. She brought us four hats, one of which was crocheted, the rest knitted.

 Margaret added her kitty to the litter and then started...

a hat using bulky yarn. Our favorite quote from Margaret tonight was, "I could fall in love with bulky yarn!" She likes how quickly it knits up a project. This hat is a copy of the hat that Julia Roberts wears in the movie "Stepmom".

Cinzia got distracted watching a movie while knitting a hat so Plan B was to make it into a romper. Looks good to me!

Carole was knitting along nicely on her Olivia cowl when she discovered she suddenly had too many stitches. It happens to the best of us knitters. She'll be back on track in no time.

Dorah was planning on making a shawl with this beautiful cashmerino yarn from Debbie Bliss but the pattern was so poorly written that it was too difficult to decipher. So her Plan B was to make mittens instead. These are going to be beautiful. The color is so luscious and the fiber is cloud soft.

I haven't worked on my loom in over a week as other things have taken my attention. But I plan to get back to it soon. I have some ideas floating around in my head. I just wonder if they will work. If not, I can always knit something! Have a great week and keep those needles clicking!

More stuffies for the Police

For those readers who might have missed it, we Chicks are making stuffed toys, also known as Amigurumi, to give to the Albany Police Department for officers to distribute to children who might be involved in a traumatic situation. Janna and Barbara K. are holding just a few of the over 40, so far, that we have knitted or crocheted.

 Some are animals and some are people, as is the case with Debbie's doll.

 Her Little Red Riding Hood turned out to be an adorable doll, complete with basket, surrounded by hedgehogs, teddy bear, owl, and cat.

 Another dolly with two more hedgehog friends joined the collection.

 As did two more cheerful teddies, another owl and an elephant.

 Maureen was busy making hats. This 1898 hat will be real cozy.

 And her spiral hat came with a matching cowl.

 Maureen was inspired by Dorah to make a Helix hat with pretty pinks and gray.

 And Dorah's hat went into inventory too.

 Santa (my hubby really) heard my wishes and brought me a new toy for Christmas! I am now the proud owner of an Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom. I had been watching Youtube video tutorials for quite a while now so my first lesson went quite smoothly.

 I cranked out a scarf in two days as opposed to knitting one in two weeks OR MORE! This was my first try and while the edges are a bit wonky (hey! it's only my first try), I am proud to say it is a wearable work of art. I have yet to decide how to finish off the fringe.

 My fourth try at weaving shows much improvement. This cowl needs a couple of buttons to adorn the edges but it's officially finished, again, except for the fringe.

I think I'm going to like weaving as much as I like knitting and it certainly will be a lot quicker. Now I have to dig through my stash to find yarn which will hold up under the stress of warping. Not all knitting yarns will withstand the stretch on the loom...ask me how I know! As I always say, mistakes are lessons learned. Some harder than others!