A Budding Photographer Visits The Chicks

Moose is visiting this week and he brought his new camera. He took some photos of the afternoon Chicks knitting and for a four year old they look pretty darn good!

Elaine almost never lets ME take her picture! But for Moose she had a great big smile.

And Kathleen was a willing model for Moose's camera skills. Could we have another Richard Avedon on the horizon?

Our clothing was sent out yesterday to Afghans for Afghans http://www.afghansforafghans.org/youthcampaign2010-11.html
We sent a dozen mittens, 4 baby sweaters and vests, and 4 adult sweaters and vests.

There will be some toasty warm fingers next winter.
Since we just wrapped up our donations to Afghans for Afghans everyone is looking for patterns for our next projects.
And catching up on what's new with Amanda. She has a "baby bump" growing! She is due in early August.

Kathleen took a few minutes to have Moose show her how his camera works.

And then he decided it was time for "Vegie Tales".

Maureen is finally back in the fold after tax season ended. We really missed her! She's looking for her next project and I've just started a baby sweater with a bamboo and alpaca yarn that is so soft I could squish it!

Beth and Karin were discussing the upcoming fiber festivals and current projects.

Beth finished a beautiful shawl to wear to a wedding. She said it was her first try at lace and it was gorgeous.

Amanda is making an entrelac blanket for her new baby.

I think Maureen just needs a rest before she jumps into another project. She finished a pair of bike socks for her husband.

Here he is in full bicycle gear ready for a ride. Paul is an avid biker and was tired of getting numb toes from the cold.

Maureen's socks keep him toasty warm now. And don't they fit great?!

Some of the fun we've been having with Moose this week included a staring contest with Uncle Drew.

Guess who lost.

Today Uncle Drew took us to the movies to see "Rio".
Moose couldn't have been any more excited about seeing a 3-D movie. There's that "baby bump" again.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the movie and the music in it was great. There's nothing like the excitement of a Brazilian Carnival to get the blood pumping!

Finished Objects

I was very busy this week finishing up some gifts and donation projects.

My favorite booties are a free pattern which you can find here: //http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/patterns/cbbooties.shtml

They require only a bit of sock yarn which I find leftover after knitting a pair of adult socks from approximately 420 yards of fingering weight yarn. The pattern calls for ribbon ties but a three stitch I-cord works just as well.

I recently found out that a friend of mine suffered the same experience as my family. Her daughter gave birth to a stillborn girl, so I wanted to make prayer shawls for her and her daughter. I used Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors Sock Yarn ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/franknit) from my friend Karin, who hand dyes all her yarns and she dyed this one in memory of my granddaughter, Eliana. I thought it would be the perfect color to use for these prayer shawls in memory of another precious angel.

Here is Ishbel being blocked on my family room floor. No one is allowed to walk through that corner of the room when there is blocking happening. The color is true to this photo but the next few are a little washed out.

The details of the lace portion are so pretty and not too difficult to knit. All the work is done on the right side, leaving the wrong side for you to sail through nothing but purls.

The finished shawl measures about 20" X 40", just enough for a little shoulder cover.

The second shawl in "Eliana" is a pattern called "The Lazy Day Lace Shawl", another free pattern which can be found here: http://www.marykeenanknits.com/LazyDayLaceShawl2a.pdf

This is a good "TV" project as the pattern is easy enough to memorize and watch TV. And you don't even need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. LOL!

A simple geometric pattern is set off by this teeny tiny cable up the center.

This hat was a free pattern offered on Ravelry, the site for fiber artists of all kinds. If you are a member, you can find the pattern here:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/2x2-ribbed-for-his-pleasure

I used a sock yarn, actually the same yarn that I used for the booties up above. It took me about a week to knit up. I have lots of ideas swimming around in my head for all the yarns waiting to become something warm and cozy so I must get back to my needles. Enjoy the Superbowl tonight.
I'll be knitting.

Ready to Deliver

We Chicks have finished and collected all the scarves, shawls, hats,etc. and will be delivering them on Monday. Today's post will show the last few items that will be going into Monday's collection.

Below is a photo of the scarf I knitted from a heavenly soft blend of pure silk and merino wool. It's a lace weight yarn from New Zealand and the finished size measured 66" X 7".

I tried linking the pattern for you but it seems the site from where I printed it no longer has it available. I'm sure if you own a knitting pattern book you will be able to find a similar pattern to try for yourself. This scarf started by casting on 41 stitches and knitting a 3 row garter stitch band at the beginning and ending edges. It is very soft and drapes so nicely.
Sheila is working on learning her casting on and knitting stitches. We are all seeing an improvement in the tension of her stitches. And the edges are straight. No more sailboat sails! LOL!(inside joke)

Elaine started a pair of slippers for a Christmas gift and Barbara started a baby cap with the softest peach yarn. Really pretty.

Maureen found the perfect buttons to finish off her Country Rows shawl for Monday's delivery and connected them to the shawl with a twisted cord. This way the wearer has the option of buttons or no buttons.

I tried one more time to get the lace scarf pattern and success! Here goes: http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/pdf/SALLaceScarf.pdf

Have fun knitting!

A Quick Shawlette

I was going through my stash of donated yarn and came across a skein of Red Heart Super Saver 100% Acrylic in Country Rose. Ideas started swimming through my brain and this little shawl just fell off my needles! I started it on Thursday and finished it Friday night around 11:30PM.

It measures 23" X 48", just the right size to throw over your shoulders if you feel a chill.

I felt like it needed a closure of some kind so the wearer doesn't have to fiddle around trying to keep it in place. So I bought some buttons and linked them together with chain and it stays on very securely.
This will go into our inventory of shawls and scarves to be donated. Now it's back to my sister's Christmas gift. What's on your needles?

Serenity

The Serenity afghan was a bridal shower gift I knitted in May for my friend's daughter. Her shower was two weeks ago and I just now remembered to show you.

I used five and a half skeins of Plymouth Encore which is a wool and acrylic blend yarn which makes it machine washable and dryable.
It took me three weeks to make and I like it so much I might make one to keep for myself.

If you are a member of Ravelry, the pattern is available for free.

Feel the Fiber, Smell the Fiber, BE the Fiber...

It was a glorious day at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York. The air was crisp and cold, the sunshine was warm. Elaine, her friend Jill, and I arrived at 8:45AM before the all traffic jams.

We pushed on, head first, into the wonderful world of colors and textures.
Elaine and Jill were absolutely giddy with delight at the prospect of all the selections.
My first purchase was a cute little angular scarf pattern. I was trying to start out with some restraint. HA! That didn't last long!
We saw cuddly soft baby alpacas...
regal llamas....
the sweetest little sheep...
cutest little lambs....
and the most beautiful colors of all were from Mother Nature herself.
We stopped in to say hi to Karin as she worked the Sliver Moon booth. She's on the left advising a customer on some yarn selections.
The rovings were dyed with breathtaking colors. If I were a spinner I could easily be tempted.
Some of the ready made garments were spectacular too.
I was sidetracked watching the spinners working their delicate craft.
And saw a mother/daughter team trying out some modern looking wheels. Start them young!
The live entertainment by a Peruvian Pipe band was a perfect compliment to the excitement in the air.
We stopped for lunch of delicious pot pies and lamb sandwiches. But this wasn't it! LOL! Someone was dyeing wool with all natural ingredients.
The talent overflowed everywhere as can be seen here in these hand felted blossoms.
Handmade baskets were everywhere too. I had a hard time walking away from this booth.
We stopped for a moment to admire the babbling brook, which even at the end of the growing season still looked beautiful and inviting.
And I have no words appropriate to give justice to the beauty of this gossamer lace shawl.
By 12:30PM we had seen all there was to see, touched all the fiber our hands could handle, and admired some of the most beautiful handmade sweaters, shawls and scarves that fellow knitters wore to the celebration. It was time to go home, although the pull was strong to stay a little while longer. There is something special about the art of creating. It brings the best out in people. And the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck is the best!