Catching up

It's been a few weeks since the afternoon Chicks have knitted together so we have a bunch of warm woolies from Kathleen. That's the Baby Sophisticate Sweater top and center, a free pattern on Ravelry. 

 Kathleen used a Noro yarn for this Crocodile Stitch crocheted cowl. The Noro yarns have long, slow color changes which make it a perfect yarn for this type of stitch. There is no need to change yarn colors since the yarn does it for you.

 This seed stitch cowl was made with Baby Alpaca Grande yarn. It feels like a cloud.

 This yarn is a variegated pastel, so pretty.

And my favorite lace stitch, fern lace. It's only four rows to the pattern and easy to memorize.

 Barbara whipped up a warm hat using a 2X2 ribbing. Having that nice wide, folded brim makes it especially warm over the ears.

 Another Fern Lace project is this 100% cashmere cowl I made for a friend. It was knitted flat on a provisional cast on with I-cord edges and then kitchener stitched together to make it an infinity ring.

 Carol's Turban(d) headband is almost finished. This photo was taken early in the evening. By the time we were calling it a day she was almost finished and ready to kitchener the ends to make a seamless headband. I like this so much I just might make one too. It's a great stash buster project since it doesn't require much yarn.

 Dorah just had to weave in the loose ends on her Honeycomb Cowl. This quick knit is deceptively easy, using slipped stitches to achieve the honeycomb technique.

 Dorah's next project is a ribbed watchcap...

 in a nice heathered rose color.

 Carole showed us her next project too. Look at those great cables!

 She is making this one for her daughter in a nice navy blue.

 I found this "Socks That Rock" yarn in our stash and thought a linen stitch would help break up color pooling. 

This is going to be a long infinity scarf, started on a provisional cast on, with I-cord edging, and kitchener stitch finish to make it seamless. 

I love these colors! And since we are in the middle of yet another major snowstorm, it's a day brightener to work with such cheerful colors. 

What are you knitting to cheer up your winter blues?

Warmer heads coming your way

Carole brought two FO's tonight. Julia's Cabled Headband is a free pattern offered on Ravelry. She used Cascade 220, a 100% wool, in a worsted weight. It shows off Carole's impeccable cabling skills.

 Another FO of Carole's is her Petite Honeycomb Cowl, also a Cascade 220 wool yarn in worsted weight. I love those colors together!

 Her next project is this Turban(d) Headband, another free Ravelry pattern.

 The pattern calls for knitting the headband flat and then sewing the two ends together. But Carole has decided to use a provisional cast on so there won't be an unsightly or bulging seam.

 Dorah put the finishing touches to her Lamb's Pride wool hat. The yarn is a bit heavier than worsted weight so it will be nice and warm in these cold winter months.

The last time we met I mentioned I would show you my finished Ripples Scarf. The original pattern called for a single row of bead work separating the ruffled section from the shawl section but I misinterpreted the directions and decided to do my own thing. I am very happy with the results.

 My current project is a linen stitch cowl using a fingering weight yarn with short color changes. Since the stitch is a slip stitch variation it will help spread out the color and avoid pooling. The orange yarn at the end is a provisional cast on so I can make this an infinity cowl. Hopefully I will be able to make it long enough to wrap a couple of times around the neck.

We've had several days of single digit temperatures out there lately so it's been nice to just sit by the fire and crank out some knitting every day. I hope you're enjoying some knit time too.

There were only three of us knitting last night. Carole used a Cascade worsted weight yarn to make a headband/earwarmer. We all had a chuckle when she made the observation that post it notes only work when you remember to move them to the next row of your pattern. LOL!

 Maureen used Lamb's Pride wool for a creamy white headband. The yarn was left from a previous project and she thought there would be enough to finish the headband. Unfortunately, she was only a few yards from the end of the ball of yarn and no where near the end of the headband. But I remembered having seen another small ball of the same yarn in our stash somewhere. I found it in the second bag of yarn! I'm so glad I didn't have to go through ALL the bags of yarn!!!

 I used a Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors yarn which I think has since been discontinued. It's called Saffron and the pattern is from Ravelry.com called "Ripples". This will be a shallow shawlette that can be worn as a scarf too.

I liked it so much I decided to make one for myself. This is Periwinkle Sheep Wink, a lovely fingering weight yarn with a small sparkle thread here and there. This color is called "Quinceanera". I decided to put beads on all the yarnover spaces between the ruffles.

It seems to be taking forever to knit this one but it will be worth the extra effort to bead the ruffles. Maybe it will be done for next week's post. I'll be keeping those needles clicking. How about you?

This was the first time since well before Christmas that the Chicks met to knit together. I really missed my friends. Barbara started a denim colored hat with a ribbed pattern using a nice warm Lopi yarn.

And I finished a cowl from a free pattern I found online. It's called the Structured Alpaca Cowl. I used Cascade Eco Alpaca and it is as soft as a cloud.

Carole finished a beautiful shawl called Stellaria. She used Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II Sock Yarn in the colorway Audrey Hepburn. It is magnificent!

She said it took over 250 T-pins to block out the points on the edging. But it was well worth the work to get such beautiful results. This was a gift to herself for any holiday parties she was planning on attending.

Then she put the finishing touches on her Honeycomb Cowl for donation.

The other Chicks were all working on hats this week. Notice the different stages of completion.

Christmas this year was very sad since it was the first year my parents could not be with us. My father is in a hospice in Branford, Connecticut and my mother was in a hospice in Danbury, Connecticut. But I had my boys to cheer me up.

Santa brought them each a toy when we took them to lunch.

Leo thought his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy was a cell phone camera.

Then on January 2 I received a phone call from the nurse where my mother was staying to tell me she had passed away. I already knew because in the early morning hours of January 1 she had visited me in a dream. The last four months of her life were a nightmare of fear and anxiety for her as she drifted deeper and deeper into a state of dementia. But in my dream she came to me looking young and happy and her only words were, "I am peaceful." I was so blessed to have received her message before she began her transition to another life.

My mother, Bruna Grandison, was a creative lady, having studied fashion design in college. She took great delight in making all our clothes when my sister and I were growing up.

Mom's specialty was designing wedding gowns and when she no longer worked outside the home, she designed for friends and family. Here is her own gown which was exquisite.

My sister and I looked forward to Halloween every year because Mom would go all out making our costumes. We never knew one year to the next what we would be but it was always spectacular! I didn't know Cleopatra and Martha Washington were sisters! LOL!

Long before Joan Rivers coined the phrase "Fashion Police" my mother was on duty helping ladies put their wardrobes together and accessorizing them. And she herself was always impeccably dressed, with every hair in place. So now that she is at peace and in heaven I know she is keeping the angels gloriously robed.

I love you Mom! I am so happy you finally found the peace you so desperately sought in life.

Catching up

Two weeks have elapsed since I last updated you on our progress. The last time we met Kathleen started a mistake stitch scarf. I'm sure she has finished it by now.

 I used some stash busting yarn to make this reversible cowl of my own design. The chevron stitch edge was a bit of a challenge because I had to twist yarns to achieve this technique. By the time I got to the end of the round it looked like a cat had his way with my yarn. But the next round reversed the twists and so it all worked its way out.

 Carol used the softest alpaca yarn to make this lovely lace hat.

 Beth showed us her mystery shawl in progress. The clues to the stitches are given in stages so you don't get the whole pattern at once and you don't even know what's it going to look like until it's finished. Can't wait to see it blocked and beautiful.

 And after many weeks of knitting her scarf is done!

 I used Cascade Eco Alpaca and Alpacas of Grafton Mountain yarns for this Foolproof infinity scarf. 

 I like it doubled up cozy around the neck. It was a very captivating pattern that was easy enough to knit by the TV but interesting enough not to bore me.

 Barbara chose this pretty coral/pink Baby Alpaca Grande yarn to make....

 This cowl but didn't like the way it was turning out. On to Plan B.

 She designed her own cowl pattern and it is beautiful! And sooooo soft!

 To the inventory Barbara added two pairs of dorm boots. She used silicone on the soles to make them slip-proof. It really works.

 And finally she finished the cabled headband in a pretty purple tonal fingering weight yarn.

 Tonight's collection started with Carole's baby alpaca Koolhaas hat. The pattern can be purchased from Ravelry.

 Maureen finished her two tone cowl. Her stitching is so even and the colors look great.

 On to her next project, a headband earwarmer.

 Just like the one Dorah made a few weeks ago.

 Carole started a Honeycomb Cowl tonight. I love her colors!

I'll be taking a few weeks off to care for family matters. Take care and keep family close. 

Enjoy your holidays.