Knitting with The Chicks with Sticks of Glenmont, NY

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T13:19:00.000-05:00

The Chicks are taking a day off today but I wanted to send all my readers a wish for love in your lives. It can come from your significant other, a family member, or even your pet but I hope each of you has someone to love and who loves you.

God bless you and I'll see you next week with some finished knitting.

All Hands On Deck

2012-02-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

Three of us have finished one fingerless mitt of the pair we are knitting for cancer survivors of New York Oncology and Hematology.

First up is Karin's. She is using a pattern from Knit Noro: Accessories: 30 Colorful Little Knits

Carole found a pretty pink yarn after stash diving and turned it into this beautiful cabled mitt.

I am using a self-striping sock yarn and size 1 needle for a 3 X 1 ribbing. I'm about halfway through the second mitt.

Maureen is working on the baby sweater and hoping to finish it to get it into this week's donation to The Christ Child Society, Albany Chapter.

Here are the items we will be delivering this week.

Maybe winter will arrive sometime soon so these kids will actually get to wear a sweater or two. We've had a crazy winter and not much snow. It was 42 degrees today!

I finished my Daybreak Shawl using Karin's hand dyed Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors Sock Yarn.

The dark teal is "Past Midnight"

and the light color is "Cloud Dancer".

This pattern was an easy knit but by the time I was almost finished I made the mistake of counting the stitches on my needle. I finally got tired around 500! And there were still more to count. I'm glad I made this with fingering weight yarn but next time I think I'll try it with a heavier weight.

A cozy evening by the fire

2012-01-31T21:37:00.000-05:00

Let me set the mood. Fire crackling, soft smooth jazz playing, cup of warm herbal tea brewing, and friendly conversation.

Carole finished her sailboat blanket. Isn't that a cute pattern?! The yarn is a machine washable and dryable acrylic just waiting for a cute little boy to cuddle.

She also finished this sweet little cardigan using Berroco Vintage yarn.

Also going into the inventory for this month's donation is a cute pink hat for a little girl.

Maureen is just about finished with her yellow baby cardi.

She's down to the last few rows of the button band and then just the finishing touches and buttons.

I worked on a pair of fingerless mitts with a self striping fingering weight yarn. And check out my fuzzy socks! I feel like a muppet!

Maybe next week I'll have enough knitted to show you some progress. I better get back to them now. Have a great week and happy knitting!

Finishing Up

2012-01-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

Barbara finished the Baby Surprise Jacket and proclaimed it the last one she will EVER knit! I don't blame her. There is a lot of stitch counting involved which she finds disturbing. Funny thing is she is an accountant! But I know what she means. It's an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern which advertises it is knitting without tears. I beg to differ. I have to admit that even though I consider myself pretty adept at knitting, this pattern almost brought me to my knees the first time I made it. So now Barb just needs buttons and it will be added to inventory.

Kathleen finished a BSJ also. Those bright green buttons really pull out the colors and make it pop!

Another Kathleen project finished. This sweater is an acrylic yarn which makes it machine washable.

Barbara offered to model a hat Kathleen made for our next project. How nicely it matches her sweater!

We had a full house this evening. From left to right going across the bottom of the screen: me, Maureen, Carole, Beth, Karin. We haven't seen Karin in a long time. It was good to have her back in the fold!

Carole worked on a chemo cap for our upcoming donation project.

Karin finished up a pair of socks for her daughter.

And Beth started a sweater. Check out those pretty stitch markers! They are like jewelry for your knitting!

We were cracking up over that HUGE skein of yarn Maureen was knitting. It looks like an ostrich egg on her lap!

I finished a Daybreak shawl last week which will go into our next donation. I was going to make this shawl for myself using some sock weight yarn from my stash but after starting and frogging it three times I decided to try it in a worsted weight to make it easier to read. I really like the way it turned out and as you will see further down it helped tremendously with the fingering weight yarn.

Last week I mentioned I finished the grey hoodie. Now it's ready to keep some cute little munchkin warm.

I started another baby sweater this week. From this photo you can tell it will be colorful but it's hard to tell it's a sweater. Trust me. It will become a sweater eventually.

Here is the Daybreak shawl I'm knitting for myself. The yarn is Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors. The darker color is "Past Midnight" and the lighter is "Cloud Dancer". I'm really happy with the results so far.

Well, I better get back to those projects. They aren't going to knit themselves!

A few FO's

2012-01-17T22:14:00.002-05:00

I knitted a pair of sockettes for Amanda's birthday gift so she could wear flats without a sock showing.

They fit her perfectly and she loved them.

And still on blocking wires is a blanket knitted in the round. Yes, I know it's square but trust me, it's knitted in the round. I bought the yarn at a yard sale for less than a dollar and got over 400 yards of yarn. I'd say that was a good bargain! This will go into our current project for children in need.

Beth showed us the shawl she's working on at home for herself. It has a pretty lace edge that is knitted first lengthwise and then the shawl stitches are picked up on the long edge and knitted in short rows.

Tonight Carole was working on a 5 hour boy's sweater and Beth was working on a baby hat with a cute lace edging.

I snapped a couple of quick photos this weekend when I visited the grands. Moose is always busy, just like his Mom at that age. It's hard to get a picture of him that isn't blurry!

And even though it doesn't look like he's enjoying himself, Leo really loves to fly.

I had such a good time cuddling with my munchkins this weekend. I'm looking forward to the next time I can hold them and smother them with kisses!

It's Tuesday again!

2012-01-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

My son tried on the socks I knitted for his Christmas gift and they fit perfectly. Wow! He has big feet! You never realize things like that until you have to knit inches and inches of stockinette. I doubt I'll ever make a sweater for him.

I finished another Ishbel shawl as a gift for someone. It's a surprise so I can't say who. I used Online Sock weight yarn, a blend of nylon and acrylic. I was reluctant to use this yarn for a lace shawl but the recipient wanted a pure white shawl and I couldn't find any natural fibers in pure white so I gave it a try. The shawl soaked in very warm water for 30 minutes before I pinned it out and gave it a good steaming to "kill" the acrylic. I'm really happy with the result.

Barbara wore her beautiful sweater today. She bought the pattern from WEBS and used a Valley Yarn bulky weight. I love the way the sleeves come to a point on the top of her hands.

Then she got to work on her Baby Surprise Jacket. The colors look great together.

Carole is down to the last few rows of garter ridge for the border of the baby afghan with the sailboats.

And Maureen started the cute baby sweater she picked out last week.

It's from a pattern book that uses Cascade 220 yarns. It's going to be a cutie.

I'm finishing up a hoodie which will be done by next week and ready for photos. Stay tuned for the finished project.

Starting a new donation project and Christmas with the Masons

2012-01-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

Kathleen has had two weeks to knit up a storm and she didn't disappoint.

Hats, mittens, and a blanket were just the beginning.

Another leaf and lace sweater set was added,

as was a cute little flowered hat

and a lacy cap.

Barbara decided to make a Baby Surprise Jacket so she was just beginning it this afternoon.

Maureen finished her Baby Sophisticate Jacket.

Carole is finishing up an infinity scarf for her daughter who decided it needed to be longer.

And Beth needed only to sew buttons on her little jacket.

Super Moose, I mean, Superman came to visit us at Christmas.

He read all the tags so he could distribute the gifts.

We had a full house. The Collins brought Moose and Leo, John and Andrew came down from upstate, and my parents and sister came over from Connecticut.

And it was a very knitty Christmas. Amanda made dinosaurs for her boys and her brother.

And she hunted all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania to buy this mug for me after the first one accidentally broke.

Moose dyed the yarn and Amanda designed and knitted this lovely shawlette for me.

I love the size of it. I can wear it like a scarf or shawl.

Ron's mittens fit perfectly which was a miracle since I tried not to let him see me making them.

Leo loved his new toy and figured out how to make it pop!

Amanda loved the scarf I made for her and the tiger eye button made a good bead.

It was a good day all around and we all loved the knitty goodness.

Now that the new year is here I have ideas for knitting all kinds of pretty things. I wish I had enough hours in the day to make them! Maybe I can make a resolution to learn how to knit in my sleep!

May the warmth of the season last all year through.

2011-12-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

My prayers for you to have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa

and a blessed New Year!

Down to the wire!

2011-12-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

Bear with me this week while I navigate the new layout process on this blog. I don't know why the "powers that be" are always changing things when they worked perfectly fine the way it was before! So here goes "nuthin' "!

I finished the last four gifts that I was knitting for Christmas but I can't show all of them because "some people" might be reading this and will see their own gifts. I designed this shawl using Araucania hand dyed lace merino. I was pleased with the shape even though it happened quite accidentally. I was actually trying to make three spines of increases but I kind of like it with just two.

These fingerless mitts are a free pattern called "Treads" from Ravelry. They were made using KFI, Gaelic Aran, a superwashed wool. I'm not sure how old this yarn is, as it was on an archeological dig through my stash that I found it.

Maureen doesn't have much time left to finish these slipper socks.

Beth brought in a sweater that she is making for herself and we ooohed and ahhhed at her beautiful work. She couldn't work on it tonight because we just get too rowdy for anything requiring that much concentration!

She did however, show us all the Christmas gifts she finished for neices and nephews. This cute little hat has a handmade button top.

This lucky niece will not only receive Beth's beautiful handmade sweater for herself but one for her dolly as well.

And Beth found cute leggings to go with the other two sweaters she knitted for the younger nieces.

Kathleen finished another Baby Sophisticate sweater.

And even though this scarf is still on needles, Barb finished it and it's ready to be wrapped.

I won't be posting next week as the Chicks will be taking a day off so I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a blessed Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or whatever holiday you celebrate. And a happy and healthy 2012 to all!

In Memory Of Eliana Marie

2011-12-14T20:03:00.004-05:00

A quick post here to send you a link to my daughter's blog. Some of you may remember she gave birth to a little girl in July 2010 but Eliana Marie was stillborn. It was a tragic time in our lives but with the help of God, prayer and the love of friends and family we are all healing in our own time. What Amanda has done makes me so proud. She is a remarkable woman and a wonderful mother. Please read what she has posted and feel free to pass it along. Maybe it will help another mother who has suffered such a devastating loss to find a way to cope with the pain.

Preparing for a new baby

2011-12-11T19:07:00.007-05:00

Beth and I took our gifts up to the shelter for female veterans and what was supposed to be a surprise baby shower for Dell but sometimes things don't go the way we imagined. Someone had to spill the beans so she wouldn't make other plans. But it all turned out to be a grand time after all. Dell prepared a wonderful meal for us and then we retired to the warm and cozy family room to open gifts.

She loved the baby blanket that Kathleen made and marveled at how quickly she made it. She obviously doesn't know Kathleen like WE know Kathleen!

She became teary eyed when she saw the card we signed with the photos of all the Chicks.

Then she sniffled a bit more when she saw the gift card.

But it was the bath kit with the rubber ducky that pushed her over the edge into a full blown cry.

The hat and booties that Carole made were a big hit too.

She kept turning and admiring them and the skills it took to make them.

The peace sign teething ring was a keeper.

And remember this hoodie I showed you last week. I finished it in time to block and wrap it.

So now Dell can save it for her little girl, Emma.

We Chicks are looking forward to meeting Emma upon her arrival.

Good luck and God bless you Dell and Emma.

Can we finish in time?

2011-12-06T21:37:00.005-05:00

I'm heading toward the finish line with this little hoodie. The pattern is from "60 Quick Baby Knits". The yarn is Cascade 220 Superwash, a fine washable merino wool.

Kathleen finished another cute cardigan. This yarn has a touch of angora which makes it very soft.

She is almost finished with a baby blanket as well. The pattern repeat is 18 rows long and requires a little bit of concentration but is otherwise fairly easy.

Carole finished a sweet little cap and booties while ....

Beth worked on a Christmas stocking for her new grand-nephew. The marine theme is darling.
Maureen continued to work on the slipper socks. Hope they'll be done by Christmas!
We got into a heated discussion tonight regarding the strange experiences we've shared during this holiday shopping season, both pleasant and "un". We all agreed that there are some people out there who need a chill pill! LOL!
I asked Moose to set up my Nativity set this weekend. Can you tell it was arranged by a creative four year old?
Moose visited Santa this weekend to tell him he's been a good boy. Don't let that innocent smile fool you though. He's an active kid and keeps me on my toes!

Did someone say Santa was coming soon?!
I better knit faster.

Recovering from Thanksgiving dinner

2011-11-29T21:21:00.006-05:00

The grands and their parents joined us for Thanksgiving dinner last week. We had a traditional dinner with a few twists. Since none of us really likes a real turkey, I roasted a boneless breast with a dry rub and it was delicious, if I may say so myself. Amanda sent along some photos she took of the boys. This is one of my favorites. It makes me smile just looking at those cuties.

My apologies to Elaine this week because I forgot to post a photo of the two beautiful shawls she knitted and placed into our inventory two weeks ago. She used a cotton yarn that is soft and squishy. I can see these will be well worn.

Kathleen finished this cardigan using a blended yarn of acrylic, viscose, nylon, and angora. By next Tuesday you will probably see a matching hat and another sweater.

Barbara decided to go stash diving and came up with two full skeins of Lamb's Pride wool and enough scraps to make a nice warm cap.

We had a full house tonight.

Maureen worked on a pair of slipper socks for a Christmas gift.

Carole added some length to a pair of fingerless mitts. Later on she switched to her sailboats baby blanket.

And Beth worked on a cardigan sweater for a special little girl.

I finished a couple of more Christmas gifts which you will get to see after the holidays since they are all wrapped already. I felt ambitious yesterday and knocked off a whole lot of wrapping. A few more knitting projects and some actual shopping and I think I'll be ready for Christmas.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T10:42:00.004-05:00

I prepared the Spinach-Parmesan Balls on Saturday and put them in the freezer so all I have to do is bake them at the last minute. Last night I made my grandmother's recipe for Escarole Soup. I made the cranberry and orange relish too so all I have to do today is prepare the turkey and stuffing and pop those in the oven, add the potato wedges partway through the roasting and to top it all off my son made his delicious Apple Orchard Cheesecake. No, we're not having pumpkin pie. Believe me, this cheesecake beats it by a mile!

Here's a wish to everyone for a happy, healthy, prosperous Thanksgiving! May God bless your family with a peaceful holiday.

Busy Little Knitters

2011-11-16T18:59:00.004-05:00

I've been busy making Christmas gifts for my family. While I can't really say who these are for, there is no reason I can't show them to you.

The Shawl Collared Cowl was made using Caron Spa yarn, a blend of bamboo and acrylic. Very soft!

This cowl was made from Cascade Venezia, a merino and silk blend. Also very soft.

100% Baby Alpaca mittens are REALLY soft.

And remind me not to knit socks for BIG feet anymore! LOL! I started these on Oct. 2 and didn't finish until the 29th. Ok, I did work on other projects in between, but still.....

Kathleen dipped into her magic bag yesterday and pulled out all sorts of goodies.

She admitted that she forgot to work in the first buttonhole of this sweater (it was really the fault of the poorly written instructions) so she decided to go with velcro and adorn the neckline with these sweet rosebud buttons instead.

This is Kathleen's favorite hoodie to knit.

Another favorite pattern of Kathleen's is the Baby Sophisticate jacket.

And this sweet set is made with a cotton and tencel yarn that drapes beautifully.
Elaine came to visit this week. We sure have missed her for the past few months. But life had other plans for her. It was good to get to sit and knit with her.
She modeled this lovely cowl that she knitted.
Carole worked on a baby blanket that has sailboats in the embossed design.
Maureen finished her Baby Sophisticate and checked out a pattern for her next project.
I've got seven more items I need to knit before Christmas so I better get moving!

On Veterans Day We Chicks Say Thank You

2011-11-11T15:37:00.002-05:00

Beth and I took our delivery to the women's veterans shelter today and met four lovely women who are the very first residents of the facility. Dell greeted us warmly at the door and invited us in to join them with a snack and something to drink.

Kathy gave us the grand tour and showed us around their new home. This four season room was built entirely by women. The new furniture was just delivered this morning so it hasn't been arranged yet but when it's finished they will have a cozy spot to watch TV by the fire. That's Kathy pointing out the pot belly stove in the corner.

The residents have all their meals together as a family in this beautifully decorated dining room or.....

in their warm country kitchen. That's Dell on the right and Kathy on the left. Kathy found some things in her favorite color, purple and Dell seemed drawn to the brightly colored hat and scarf.

Mary, in the middle, and Maggie on the far right are the other two residents. So for now they have just these four ladies but they are expecting more soon. The house can accomodate 12 and it seems like a warm and loving place for these women to get back on track.

On behalf of all of us Chicks I would like to thank these women for their dedication and sacrifices they have made in their lives to protect the rest of us and our freedoms.

God bless you!

Catching Up and Halloween Dinosaurs

2011-11-02T14:46:00.002-04:00

Maureen got that last skein of yarn she needed last week so she could finish the first sleeve on the Baby Sophisticate sweater.

Beth was nice enough to accept the challenge to finish knitting a sweater that someone else started but didn't live long enough to finish. It has her mumbling under her breath so I would say it's not going as smoothly as she had hoped.

The dinosaurs, I mean grandsons visited this past weekend so they could attend a local Halloween party that is Moose's favorite. Their mom made their costumes (it's great to be the kid of a fashion designer!) and Moose won "Most Creative Costume" at the party. He makes a fierce T-Rex!

Isn't this the cutest stegosaurus you ever saw?!

Because of the surprise snowstorm over the weekend, we had very few trick-or-treaters. Now I have a bowl full of Snickers and M&M's calling my name. I think I'll go for a walk so I can ignore them.

Wrapping up a project and a visit with the Grands

2011-10-26T09:32:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was labeling day. Kathleen helped me attach labels to all the items which will be delivered to the Saratoga County Rural Preservation Company. It's always fun to revisit our projects again before they go to a new home. Sometimes we sit back and marvel at our accomplishments and then sometimes we make a pact to never knit a certain pattern EVER AGAIN! LOL!

In this donation we have four pairs of slipper socks,

18 scarves and two sets of matching hat and scarf,

four neck-warmer cowls, a pair of socks, and a felted purse,

three shawls, two sweater vests,

two sets of matching hat and mittens, a pair of mittens, and 11 hats. Every stitch was knitted with love and gratitude for these women who have given so much of themselves to protect our freedoms.

Maureen was working on her Baby Sophisticate sweater when she discovered she left the last skein of yarn at home and couldn't finish the sleeve. But she's almost finished.

Carole worked on a two tone hat with pretty purple yarns.

This past weekend DH and I traveled to see the grandsons so we could attend Leo's Baby Dedication. After services, Moose sang "Here Comes the Sun" and entertained everyone. It's too bad he's so shy! ROFL!

The day was beautiful for more reasons than one. We all felt Eliana's presence as we promised to raise Leo with love and guidance.

My latest project was to hurry and knit this sweater and hat for Leo before he outgrew it. The sleeves are cuffed so hopefully it will fit through the winter.

Sleepy head!

Ooops!

Now I can't wait for Halloween! Wait until you see the costumes Mommy has made for the boys

Let's shake things up a bit!

2011-10-19T13:38:00.005-04:00

The afternoon Chicks are usually featured first in the blog each week so this week I'm changing it up a bit.

Our evening session started with Beth showing us her finished "Flirtatious" shawl (the pattern can be purchased on Ravelry.com) that she knitted using "Wink" yarn from Karin's etsy shop. The color is a beautiful lilac or lavender, not sure what it's really called. Nice job, Beth.

Then we have a new member of the Chicks, Carole. She's a friend of mine from another group which meets at our local Panera to knit once a month. She is working on a pair of mittens. Welcome Carole! I'm so glad you could join us!

Maureen is showing progress on her Baby Sophisticate sweater.

And Karin is making a shawl called "198 Yards of Heaven" a free pattern on Ravelry.com.

Now for the afternoon ladies. Barbara made this colorful hat using Noro yarn. Her pattern came from this book.

She is currently making a pair of fingerless mitts to go with it. Liz is making another pair of socks after the success of her first pair.

Kathleen made a lovely stole for her granddaughter-in-law using a cozy, warm brown yarn.

The edging is crocheted on after the stole has been knitted.

It's a pretty simple pattern stitch which makes a lovely design.

Kathleen made another one to go into our inventory for the homeless female veterans.

I've been working on a bunch of projects all at once, trying to get Christmas gifts knitted in between donation projects. I can't really show you any yet because I don't want to spoil the surprise. But I will when the gifts are opened during the holidays.

Are you doing any holiday knitting?

It's that time of year again!

2011-10-15T20:14:00.005-04:00

Amanda and her boys came up for a visit this weekend so we could make our annual trek to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York. Normally, we would not have dragged two babies on such an excursion, but there were no babysitters available this time, so we had to bribe Moose with hot dogs and carousel rides. He was a little whiny but we all survived.

It all started out with the usual pretty knits and yarns.

But this year there was some very cute artwork as well.

And look who we met!!!! It's Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of The Yarn Harlot fame! She signed our books for us while we told her how much we love her writing.

And then she asked to see what the boys were wearing.

Handmade by their mommy Amanda. And their hats had googly eyes too.

Moose was excited to see all the artisans at work. This lady was needle felting animal figurines.

And this lady was spinning yarn. Notice how Moose was concentrating.

He also enjoyed watching this man make woven pictures.

We stopped to look at the fish in the pond but Leo was looking at something else.

As busy as the festival was Moose found time to stop and smell the roses... or ageratum actually.

Moose enjoyed petting the sheep.

And checked out the angora bunnies.

I think the sign on the pen said this sheep was a Cormo. I love the bangs!

The alpaca were out for a walk but Moose didn't want to get too close. The last time he tried to pet a llama it tried to eat his hair!

We got caught in a sudden downpour of rain and ducked under the carousel for a bit of a ride to stay dry.

We got back home just in time for a quick visit with Uncle Drew before he had to run. I think he's giving Leo the rules about not spitting up on his clothes. LOL!

I am glad we had this visit even though it was a short one.

And I think the boys are glad to be going home tomorrow. I have been showering them with kisses until they can't stand it anymore!

Squeezing in one more day knitting outside and Oktoberfest!

2011-10-12T10:44:00.006-04:00

We had a little visitor this week. Elaine's granddaughter delighted us with her invitations to color with her and then showed off her climbing skills with a chair my uncle made for my daughter when she was a baby.

It was good to see Elaine since she's been on "sabbatical" since the spring. We all go through a dry spell where we need to take a break from knitting. Barbara is back from vacation and ready to jump right into her projects again.

Liz worked on her baby blanket and....

brought us two more scarves for inventory.

I finally blocked and finished the button band on the sweater I started almost two years ago and put into hibernation. It fits my daughter perfectly so she'll be the lucky recipient.

I haven't found the perfect button yet but I had a critter brooch that worked for the time being.

DH and I took a ride to Hunter Mountain on Sunday to enjoy the beautiful weather and partake in their annual Oktoberfest festivities. The trees are just starting to change color in this part of New York.

There was quite a crowd when we arrived shortly after noon but we didn't have to wait long for our food.

We enjoyed Greek gyro sandwiches (yes, I said Greek gyros...I'm not a fan of bratwurst, LOL!) and a great Spaten beer accompanied by the cheerful music of the Oompah band.

Afterward we noticed a significant increase in the crowd. It's a good thing we didn't wait to get lunch.

We took the ski lift ride to the summit and the views on the way were spectacular!

At the summit the sun shone brightly.

We made our way over to the zip line station and watched two young fellas race their way into the forest below. It took my breath away when they shoved off and disappeared into the trees. Wow! They were really moving!!!

A kind stranger swapped cameras with me so we could take turns photographing each other.

Why did they have to spoil the scenery with a "frankenpine"? That's what we call those cellphone towers that are "disguised" to look like a tree. Come on! Who do you think your kidding? They always stand hundreds of feet above the natural trees.

I shudder to think people actually travel down these slopes on their feet in the winter! What an angle! YIKES!

It was a beautiful day on the slopes and Mother Nature cooperated with warm temperatures and sunshine.

I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts but I know this mountain will be just as beautiful when the soft white snows arrive.

Busy Chicks

2011-10-04T21:31:00.004-04:00

Kathleen's fingers have been very busy the last two weeks. She finished three scarves for donation to the homeless female veterans.

This scarf was knitted with a fiber that looks like a band of lace which you thread onto the knitting needles and gather as you knit. This one looks like a graceful seaweed.

This copper colored scarf has sequins already threaded onto the fibers, so it's a little dressier. So pretty.

Then there was a basic "mistake stitch" scarf for good, old fashioned warmth.

Kathleen is working on a stole for her granddaughter using a pretty brown tweed (the beauty of the color doesn't show up at all in this photo). It's a nice yarnover lace pattern.

Liz finished another "mistake stitch" scarf as well.

And a cute little pixie hat for a preemie that will go into inventory for our next project.

She is also working on a simple diagonal baby blanket for our next project.

The ladies wanted me to model my latest finished project, the Landscape Shawl from Fiber Trends. I'll tell you about the sweater on the floor later in the post.

Beth and Maureen joined me tonight.

Beth finished a beautiful pair of mitts which will become a Christmas gift. For those of you who are members of Ravelry the pattern is available for purchase and called "Green Thumb".

I bought the Elizabeth Zimmermann book "Knitting Almanac" for my knitting library and the three of us were having a good laugh at the descriptions of the pattern directions. To knit a Zimmermann pattern you have to suspend all your understanding of knitting and just follow her directions and somehow you get a beautiful finished garment.

Here is the sweater that you saw earlier on my floor. It's blocking and waiting for the button bands down the front. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this one. We'll see....

But right now I'm going to concentrate on some Christmas gift knitting. Have you started knitting gifts yet?

Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

2011-09-28T10:42:00.015-04:00

Kathleen finished another vest for the women veterans and I'm sure she'll be here next week with another finished garment or two!

Barbara worked on her sweater for herself and Liz knitted a scarf for donation.

Maureen worked her second pair of Kimono slippers. We Chicks decided to finish up donation knitting so we could concentrate on Christmas gifts until the holidays. In January we'll take up the donation knitting again.

This weekend was the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Amanda and Phil brought the boys up for a visit. Moose took Poppop and Daddy apple picking and bowling while Amanda, Leo and I enjoyed the festival.

The weatherman predicted 40% chance of rain on and off all day but it was sunny and warm all day. A perfect day to visit a festival.

The first booth inside had beautiful yarns and patterns but I had my pennies saved to visit a special booth!

This gentleman was hand turning drop spindles and knitting needles, among other hand tools for crafts.

He did amazing work.

I was almost tempted to buy a drop spindle just because they are so pretty. But I like to get straight to the knitting without wasting time spinning first. That's just me.

There were some wonderfully scented soaps.

And beautiful handwoven baskets.

But our favorites were the yarns. You just have to cuddle every one of them. The colors and textures are so luscious!

Amanda was admiring some yarns when a lady thought she was very clever to carry her purchases in her shoulder sack....uh....

No, that was Leo. He was such a good shopping companion. He slept most of the day and never cried once.

He even slept through the visit with our fibery friends. These baby angora bunnies were just too cute for words.

The guys were just hanging around.

And these angora rabbits were content to sit on top of their cages and watch the world go by.

This little friend seemed to say your welcome when we thanked him for his contributions to our knitting addiction.

Mr. Llama was just sheared so he wasn't looking too sociable.

We stopped and watched the spinners for a bit.

And then admired the ready mades.

Isn't this shawl glorious?!

We had to stop long enough to watch the felting demonstration. It's amazing what the people at this booth make.

This girl was needle felting a sheep.

The items at the booth ranged from this scary looking mask to....

this gorgeous hat!

Then we finally saw our favorite booth! Here we come Periwinkle Sheep!

Karin, (right) and her friend Amy (left) were working hard helping customers, but they had a minute to pose for me.

Amanda found what she wanted right away.

I, on the other hand, couldn't decide between the sock weight or the lace weight.

Leo came out of his cuddle spot long enough for Karin to get some good hugs.

I think there were as many people stopping to look at Leo as there were those looking at the yarns.

But by midafternoon we were all feeling a little tired. So I knew it was time to get going...

Right next door to The Ice Cream Man!

You can't go all the way to Schuylerville and not stop in for some of the best ice cream in upstate New York.

When Amanda and I got home we checked out our purchases and I wound the skeins for her.

I bought this silk cocoon fiber which is hand dyed.

You pull thin layers off and spin it or knit it right from the "cap".

Here is the sock weight yarn I bought from Karin. Notice the lovely cloud/sky color.

Then I realized I bought an alpaca laceweight yarn at another booth. Check out the color.

Now look at the shawl I made using yarn from another festival I attended this spring.

What color are my socks? Shirt? Knitting? Do you think I might have a problem? LOL!

I finished the shawl last night and couldn't wait to show you. It needs a good blocking still but isn't it beautiful?! I can't wait to wear it!

I had to throw in a couple of photos of my sweet babies. I don't know what he's dreaming, but Leo looks content.

And Moose is always a happy guy! He just loves the Dr. Seuss shirt we brought back from our trip to Universal Studios last spring.

Now I have to save some money for our next trip to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck come October. But first, I need to knit some of the yarn in my stash before I can even think about adding to it!

HAPPY 6TH ANNIVERSARY CHICKS!

2011-09-18T16:10:00.005-04:00

Today I thanked my Chicks for six years of their hard work and dedication to our organization. We had a pot luck brunch but before we could start I made them do their "chorus line" for a photo. Starting from left to right: Karen Ayres, Liz Hotaling, Barbara Kavanagh, Beth Mashmann, Maureen Cagino, Kathleen Corrigan, and Elaine Rivard. Karin Maag-Tanchak couldn't make it today but she's another important member of the group.

Everyone brought delicious food! We had ham and cheese biscuits, blueberry muffins, a strawberry and greens salad, banana bread, asparagus and ham rolls, various cheeses, and an egg breakfast strata with sausage, potatoes, vegies and cheese.

Everything was so good some of us went back for seconds.

After brunch we retired to the living room to talk about vacations and knitting and to eat a little dessert.

The brownies and lemon bars hit the spot.

DH hung around long enough to take a group picture and then he snuck off to watch football.

I wore my "February Lady" sweater for the first time since finishing it and it was a big hit. It's only the second time I've made myself a sweater that I actually liked and will wear forever.

When I went looking for buttons I couldn't decide which ones I liked best so I bought all three!

I have a nice red baby alpaca yarn sitting in my stash which I think will have to be used for this sweater also, with a few minor variations.

Thanks to all my Chicks for helping to make my dreams of running my own business come true. If it weren't for all of you wonderful ladies there wouldn't be a Chicks with Sticks. Thank you and God bless you all! Here's to at least another six years!

A Quiet Day on the Deck

2011-09-13T21:17:00.004-04:00

It was a quiet afternoon with just Barbara and me. She is working on a short sleeve cardigan in a pretty sparkly yarn in a copper color that looks beautiful with her hair.

And tonight it was just Maureen and me. Maureen is making another pair of Kimono slippers and I finished my Jaywalker socks for the female veterans.

These felt like the socks that would never end! I started on July 5 and finished on September 13. Ok, so I worked on lots of projects in between these socks too, but still they felt like they took forever! These are truly fraternal twins.

I got news from a cousin in Switzerland that he's a new grandpa so I whipped up a pair of socks for the new baby. The free pattern is Infant Socks by Judy Ellis.

I used size 1 double pointed needles and they are so tiny that I started them yesterday afternoon and finished them this morning. They will go out in the mail tomorrow to welcome new little Mattia to the family.

In Remembrance of Those Lost 10 Years Ago

2011-09-11T10:03:00.003-04:00

Upon awakening this morning, I was struck with how beautiful a day it was. Just like the morning exactly ten years ago as I drove to my job and noticed the expression of horror on the face of a driver passing me. I was not listening to my radio that morning or I would have known why he looked so devastated. As soon as I arrived at my workplace there would be the explanation, so horribly clear, so vividly tragic. Now I sit in my easy chair, knitting furiously away at my current donation project, trying to make this world better, one knitted garment at a time. Tears stream down my face, fogging up my pattern and stitches so I have to stop and wipe them away as I pray for the families who gave so much and lost so much that day. I say prayers for them and prayers of thanks, because I am so lucky to have all the blessings that I have.

A Visitor Today

2011-09-06T21:51:00.005-04:00

Another of Kathleen's daughter's visited us today. That's her sitting beside her mom. Kathy is visiting from Massachusetts and we hope she visits again soon. And Kathleen brought in her shawl she made using a stitch she made up. It's reversible and has a thermal quality that will keep its wearer nice and warm.

Deeva finished two scarves for our women vets.

And Liz finished her first sock! It's beautiful. I think she said she used a Berroco sock yarn.

She found some perfect buttons for her cowl too.

Barbara showed us the sweater she is making for herself. I'm glad she is finding the time to treat herself to some fine knitting. The sleeves of this lovely sweater come to a point on the top of the hand. So pretty.

As is the detail of the stitching down the front and down the sleeves.

Kathleen is making woven squares using the Weavette Loom which she then sewed together to make the beginning of a coverlet. It's a great way to use up stash leftovers. And as she is saying here, it's so easy!

Tonight found the Chicks working on the same pair of Kimono slippers.

Beth is making both slippers on one needle at the same time.

And Maureen is on her second pair already.

I made these purple ones in one day, making both at once on one needle. I used both ends of a ball of yarn at the same time. I felt like it saved me some time.

I also finished a scarf and hat last week. The scarf is made using the Mistake Stitch. The hat is a basic four needle hat with 2x2 ribbed edge.

Well, I have to get back to my knitting.

Babies and knitting, my two favorite hobbies

2011-08-30T21:31:00.008-04:00

My grandsons came up for a visit this weekend and I can't believe how much Leo has changed already. He's not quite two weeks old yet and he is already looking chubbier to me. Moose just loves his baby brother and takes every opportunity to cuddle.

I lost a couple of hours to a time consuming chore yesterday, unwinding tape yarn that doesn't want to stay rolled. It started out like this.....

Started looking like this.....

And finished up looking like this. But as soon as I pulled it off the ball winder it began to "scrumble" into a mess again. Yes, I made up that word, crumble, scrap, whatever. It's a mess!

Liz joined Amanda and me this afternoon and showed us her finished cowl which just needs some buttons. The yarn is very soft and will feel nice against the neck.

Amanda is working on a hoodie for Baby Leo which will match the pants she already knitted for him in solid brown.

Moose needed a bath after dinner so why not make it fun too. It was a warm evening and perfect for a little splashing about.

The evening session started with a few gifts for Leo and Moose.

Moose can't wait to hunt for bugs for his bug house.

Karin's daughter, Annemarie, practiced her knits and purls.

And Beth showed us her "Weekend" shawl.

The lace looks so pretty.

Maureen finished a pair of "Kimono" slippers. They look like the letter "T" before they are sewn together and they knitted up quickly.

Beth made this sailboat sweater to go with the sailboat afghan she showed last week. We all laughed about a white baby sweater when she said she didn't have to worry about white, she's not washing it! LOL!

Leo came by for a little visit with everyone tonight. Seems he and Beth were deep in conversation here.

Karen had a turn to cuddle...

as did Annemarie.

Karin showed us a finished sock.

And all too soon Leo was finished with his visit and wanted to eat and go to sleep.

The boys go home tomorrow. What will I do with my time? Who will I cuddle? I'm going to miss my babies. I guess I'll just have to go visit them.

Moose and Thomas

2011-08-28T10:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, before Hurricane Irene arrived in upstate New York, Poppop and Daddy Phil took Moose on a field trip to North Creek, New York near the Gore Mountain Ski Resort. While it wasn't skiing weather it was the perfect day for bouncy houses and ....

miniature golf. Moose thought that was all the fun he was going to have when who should show up but....

Thomas the Train! A REAL THOMAS THE TRAIN!!! So the three guys went for a ride along the Hudson River.

Mr. Conductor made sure Moose had a good seat by the window...

so he could look for bears and other wildlife.

Moose had an exciting day which ended with meeting Sir Tophamhat, owner of the Sodor Railway and Thomas and his friends.

Check out the Thomas website to see where the next "Day Out with Thomas" will be and maybe you can have a ride with Thomas too.

We're baaaacckkk!

2011-08-24T10:17:00.005-04:00

It's been a long time since I've seen my Chicks! If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I've been in Pennsylvania helping my daughter and son-in-law with my grandson, Moose, while we all awaited the birth of baby brother Leo. Well, it's been almost four weeks since I knitted with my friends so it felt good to be back in the fold with them again. And the weather was perfect for an afternoon on the deck, in spite of the earthquake, which we all definitely felt! At first I thought I had vertigo. But when the floor wouldn't stop rolling after what seemed like a whole minute and the wind chimes started banging (there wasn't even a stiff breeze) we decided to turn on the news and sure enough! There had been an earthquake. I'm sure by now everyone has heard about it and my friends in California are calling us all pansies as they roll their eyes. But hey! It was the news of the day. And it made us all sit up and take notice!

Liz started a pair of socks using a really pretty Berroco sock yarn. If I'm not mistaken, she said it's her first pair. They are turning out beautifully.

Kathleen brought in a bunch of finished hats and a pair of mittens. This is like a couple she has made before.

But this one, which Barbara is modeling for us, is a new pattern Kathleen decided to try. Isn't it pretty?!

Kathleen decided to try her hand at lace too and she started this stole with a pretty mohair we had in the inventory. The colors compliment the wavy lace pattern so nicely.

Our evening session started with two finished scarves for the homeless women vets. Maureen is so happy to finally be finished with her reversible stripes scarf. Between you and me, I think she's done with that pattern! LOL! Beth finished her ruffled scarf too.

And she brought along a show and tell, a baby afghan that she made for a gift. It turns out that by chance she chose the sailboats pattern and it just so happens the nursery will have a nautical theme. It's really cute.

While I miss my grandchildren, it does feel good to be back home and into my usual routine. I wasn't getting much knitting done in Pennsylvania anyway. I was having too much fun with Moose!

A New Addition!

2011-08-13T10:18:00.003-04:00

Moose's baby brother Leo has finally arrived! Amanda awakened me yesterday morning around 4AM to ask if she thought she should call the midwife about the somewhat mild contractions she had been having all night. When she could barely speak through a sudden contraction we made the mutual decision to wake everyone and head for the hospital. One hour and fifteen minutes after we arrived out popped Leo! Amanda was a trooper working hard and consistently with each contraction and all natural, NO DRUGS OR EPIDURAL. She said later that she felt like she skipped transition altogether, even though she knows that's not possible.

Our little butterball weighed in at TEN POUNDS SEVEN OUNCES!!! 21 inches long.

The family looks content and how not fair is it for Amanda to look so good after all that work?!

Moose is thrilled to finally hug his baby brother. He was even more excited when he patted Leo on the back and was rewarded with a healthy belch.

I feel like Eliana Marie was watching over us all from heaven above to make sure Leo had a safe arrival. Thank you God for Leo's healthy entrance into our family and please continue to bless this family with good health and happiness.

Some Knitting and More Moose

2011-08-11T17:29:00.003-04:00

I am getting some knitting done in between helping with Moose and Amanda. I've got half of two pairs of Jaywalkers done and started the second on both. The one on the left, blues and greens, is for donation. The one on the right, purples and pinks, is for me, that's why it's a little shorter. I don't like my socks to go clear up to my calf.

For my birthday my daughter gave me this pattern because she knows I love knitting shawls.

When I went to the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival in June I found this yarn. And so the first two motifs are started and I'm showing some progress. It's a pretty large shawl so it may take me some time to finish it. And let's face it, how much knitting can get done around an active four year old?

Speaking of Moose, he wore his cowboy hat all day everywhere the other day, even when he watched a little TV. He sensed I was capturing the moment for posterity.

And being the shy kid that he is (HA!HA!), he immediately went into performance mode.

He gave me the full on Paul McCartney version of "Oh Darlin'".

I wish you could have been there. He's a hoot!

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

2011-08-02T21:59:00.003-04:00

He will not want to go to bed!

We're trying to keep busy while we wait for Moose's baby brother to be born so Moose made banana muffins tonight for our breakfast treat tomorrow.

Mommy decided the batter was a little too dry so it needed some more yogurt. Chef Moose had a different opinion though.

He very carefully lined the muffin tins and then anxiously awaited to finished product.

They finally came out of the oven! And they were the best looking muffins!

And the best tasting too!

Even the paper liners were tasty. Right down to the last crumb.

I hope there will be some left for breakfast tomorrow!

Kidcentric Day at the Landsdowne Farmer's Market

2011-07-30T13:01:00.007-04:00

Moose took his parents and me to the Landsdowne Farmer's Market today for a special visit. There were all kinds of attractions there today that were special just for kids.

The Delco Bird Club brought their feathered friends for us to hold and pet. This Green Wing Macaw was a therapy bird so he was very friendly to us. His size was a little intimidating so Moose decided he would be more than happy to let me hold him.

Pammie the Cockatoo waved hello...

and flirted with us so we would come over and say hi.

Moose was making sure that Daddy Phil kept Pammie at arm's length, just to be safe.

Mommy Amanda had a little conversation with her too.

Moose found the hoola hoops quite entertaining.

But the best fun on such a hot morning was the "Wet Tent". Even Mommy got in on the cold water fun!

It isn't called the "Wet Tent" for nothing.

Winged Wonders was a net tent filled with Monarch butterflies. Moose had a ball. It was one of those rare moments when he is so fascinated by his surroundings that we could have stayed all day.

Notice the guide's "living earring".

Moose made sure he got a close look. His comment was "These are sooooo cool!"

The Q-tips and cotton balls were dipped in Gatorade so the kids could feed the butterflies.

Moose really enjoyed inspecting them too.

They really were pretty even if I'm terrified of them, thanks to a nightmare when I was five years old! LOL!

Ridley Creek was the name of the guest musicians this week and they graciously allowed Moose a short solo.

Moose enjoyed saying thank you with his tip.

It was a great day which was topped off by a visit with McGruff the Crime Dog.

It was over all too soon but we brought home lots of good fresh food. Oh yes! We'll be sure to enjoy John's homemade mushroom soup tonight!

Scarves and Hats and Mittens, OH MY!

2011-07-26T21:16:00.005-04:00

Our current project is warm clothing for returning female war veterans who are homeless. There is a shelter that just opened near here that will house 11 or so clients and we're excited to be able to help contribute as a way of saying thanks.

Barbara knitted this hat a few weeks ago and was inspired to make a pair of mittens to match. She worked out the pattern in her head and POOF! she made them! I love her imagination and daring attitude to think something can be done and then she does it! And she made them left and right! I'm proud of you Barb!

Kathleen the Amazing Knitter is at it again too. She brought in a boatload of finished items this week. She started with this cabled vest...

a lapful of scarves....

a smart looking hat....

and two more hats with this lovely lattice pattern. The other hat is a pretty forest green.

Liz is making a hat to match the scarf she was working on last week. This hat will have a jaunty little flower accent on the brim when it's completed.

Liz also contributed three more scarves.

The two darker ones have a ladder novelty yarn worked into the pattern. Very striking!

But the ladies had to leave early as the dark clouds rolled in. Just as they pulled away from the house the sky opened up and we had a doozy of a thunderstorm!

We stayed indoors tonight. It was actually too cold to sit on the deck. Quite a change from last week's 90 degree temps.

Beth worked on her purple scarf....

and Maureen on her reversible stripes scarf.

I'm still working on the sock from last time but finally made it to the decrease for the toe section.

I'll be taking the next few weeks off to help out with Moose and my daughter and son-in-law while they await the birth of Moose's baby brother. If I find a few minutes of free time I'll stop by to say hello. In the meantime, keep those needles clicking!

A Few Simple Rules

2011-07-23T10:27:00.004-04:00

Someone once asked me how could I invest all the time and energy into knitting a garment and then just give it away, never knowing who will get it, how they will wear it, and the most worrisome in her mind, how will they take care of it!? Well, I came across this website that talks about yoga and knitting and how to apply some applications to both. It offered the following guidelines for a healthy lifestyle which could also pertain to knitting.

Peacefulness toward self and others. Be gentle with your own hands and body, not knitting so frenectically as to injure yourself. Encourage others to do the same. Another aspect is not to get too competitive, with others obviously, but also with yourself. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a project that's not a challenge once in a while. Try not to get pulled into flame wars on your favorite net forum, no matter how strongly you feel about the topic or personalities involved, and certainly don't start them.

Truthfulness. Give credit where it's due, don't pretend you invented things you picked up in your readings, even if the sources are unknown to your audience. Be honest in any reviews that you share, don't let personality issues with the source overwhelm the things that you should be talking about, whether positively or negatively. Teach things fully and completely, putting in every detail to help others' success.

Honesty, or more exactly non-covetousness. Respect the spirit of copyrights: don't distribute others' designs as if they were your own. Take time and at least put in a significant amount of effort if you're going to re-do someone else's idea, acknowledge them in the write-up. (I did up there) Stores that sell designs they copied for free from the net fall squarely into the category that should be working on this concept. On the other hand, many struggling small stores have theft rates that rival Wal-Mart!

Moderation. Listen to your body and work within reasonable limits. Especially don't push too hard to finish a project, make softer deadlines for yourself if you must have any. If there is a deadline, make sure you realistically evaluate how much work the project will take, allowing extra time for unplanned events, and downshift to an easier one if necessary. Try not to let yourself get guilt-tripped into making presents for everyone, especially near-strangers like your co-worker's neighbor's new baby!

Detachment. Cultivate modesty about your skill and/or productivity. Teach others your tricks fully and completely when they ask, especially if you expect the same in return. Truly let go of finished presents, not using them as leverage for pulling strings, not criticizing how they're used or not or how they're washed. Remember the process is itself enjoyable, no matter how much you love the finished product.

And I would like to add my own personal rule: if it's not fun, don't do it! Just be careful not to say that in front of your teenagers. It's come back to bite me in the butt a couple of times! LOL!

In Progress

2011-07-19T21:24:00.003-04:00

Liz made good progress on her scarf and the subtle colors look very pretty. It should be finished soon.

Maureen started a Baby Sophisticate jacket. She is using a washable bulky weight yarn so it is going to be nice and warm. She is also still working on her reversible stripes scarf but didn't want to bore you with another picture of it. LOL!

I made some progress on the sock I showed you two posts ago. It would have been farther along if...

I wasn't also knitting another pair of socks and a sweater at the same time. What can I say? I get bored easily!

Another Flirtatious

2011-07-15T12:12:00.002-04:00

Last night some knitting friends got together at Karin's house to have an outdoor knit night.

The weather was perfect...no humidity, a gentle breeze, and shade. We had some tasty treats to complete the perfection. And then we saw Iryth's "Flirtatious" shawl. If you are a member of Ravelry.com, you can purchase the pattern through Paypal. If not, the pattern is available at Trumpet Hill in Albany, New York. I believe Iryth was the first one to finish knitting my original design and it's beautiful!

The color in this photo is a little dark but if you could see it in person it is breathtaking! This particular shade of turquoise is Iryth's favorite so naturally she had to make something for herself with it. Beautiful work Iryth!

Donation Day

2011-07-12T21:15:00.004-04:00

Last week I showed you the following items which were going to be donated.

Today was the day Kathleen, Liz, Deeva, Beth and I took everything to USCRI .

There were 51 items and sets donated to the new residents of our country, some of whom leave their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Afterwards we went to The Riverboat Bar and Grill for a celebratory lunch. We had a beautiful afternoon with comforting breezes on the Hudson River, in spite of the 89 degrees in the sun.

Soon after we were seated we had visitors. They appreciated the crumbs that were tossed their way.

But couldn't quite make out what kind of food blew overboard when a big gust of wind took one of the dollar bills from our tip to the waitstaff.

Tonight Beth showed us the sweater she completed for her daughter's birthday. It took our breaths away! What a beauty!

She said it took her three months to complete and that was while she was knitting other things too. Look at the perfection in those stitches! The braided ribbing runs right up into the pattern on the body. Just gorgeous!

Maureen is still plugging away on her reversible stripes scarf.

I'm making slow progress on the first of a pair of Jaywalker socks for the returning homeless female veterans of our current project.

By next week it should be past the heel. But for now I'm going to look for a cool place to veg out. It's really hot here.

Sunsets

2011-07-08T09:06:00.003-04:00

Looking westward towards the Helderberg Mountains (if you can call an altitude of 1,010 feet a mountain!) which separate the Town of Bethlehem from the Hilltowns and Schohaire in New York State, was a lovely sunset on Wednesday evening.

Even prettier was the view looking eastward when the sun reflected on the clouds.

I'm sure glad I had a camera with me to capture Mother Nature's beauty.

Wrapping Up

2011-07-05T21:25:00.005-04:00

We started out catching up on the news about all the grandchildren's activities. Liz and Kathleen share grandchildren and there was a big game this weekend that dominated the conversation. It must have been a doozy.

Then Kathleen started pulling out all the items she knitted this week. This is the scarf she was working on last Tuesday. Done!

Two cabled hats like the one Barbara made. Done!

Buttons on the shawl collared cowl. Done!

And nice buttons at that. I'm going to have to start a button box for myself. Kathleen always comes up with the best buttons from hers.

Deeva is down to the last few rows of her scarf and Liz is almost halfway through hers.

Beth finished a hat to go with the mittens from last time.

And then we attached our labels to the goods to be given next week.

Four large bags were filled with such nice things. There were two pairs of mittens, 15 baby hats, and 3 adult hats.

In the sweater department there were 14 baby sweaters and 5 more with matching hats. Liz made two baby sacs with matching caps. We counted two blankets, booties, baby mittens, a vest, a capelet, 1 shawl, a child's pullover and a cardigan.

These are the items which will go to USCRI or the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Check out next week's blog for the report on the delivery and our luncheon afterwards.

The Chicks Get-Together at Panera

2011-06-28T22:04:00.007-04:00

We Chicks met on Sunday at Panera for a treat and a chance for the afternoon ladies to meet with the evening ladies. We had a lovely visit with each other and some tasty treats too.

The ladies talked me into sitting with Beth for a picture since I seldom get in a photo. Someone has to be the photograher!

Today we started with a little conversation and show and tell.

Liz tried on her Mistake Rib Scarf to see if it was long enough. She's going to make a matching hat.

Barbara finished the cable ribbed hat and has started matching mittens.

Deeva is almost finished with her burgundy scarf.

And Kathleen started a cotton and wool blend scarf that feels cozy warm.

She finished a Shawl Collared Cowl using Lion Brand Homespun. All it needs is buttons.

She also finished the white baby blanket from last week.

Such a sweet simple pattern.

Beth finished her mittens and started a matching hat tonight.

And Maureen is back to the reversible stripes scarf.

I finished a scarf for a friend who is battling cancer. It's going out in the mail tomorrow.

(What's with the underline? I can't make it go away!)

We have a profusion of freshly opened orchids around here today. I love the soft pink with the contrasting center of this one. She's such a feminine little pixie, only about two inches wide.

The tall one in the back is my son's plant. It's a Brassia Hybrid which an orchid expert told him he would never be able to get to bloom. Surprise!

It's called a spider something or other.
And it has a softly sweet perfume that reminds me of a florist shop.
I have a few more orchids in bud so in the next few weeks we'll be seeing more blossoms.

A Day on the Deck

2011-06-21T21:40:00.004-04:00

Barbara finished the cardigan and had to switch to DP's for the end of the sleeves. Remember a couple of weeks ago she was knitting both sleeves at the same time using a magic loop technique. But as the sleeves grew in length, the yarn tangled furiously so she had to move to DP's to preserve sanity.

The sweater turned out great and will be appropriate for either a boy or a girl.

Now she's working on a cable hat. Kathleen admired the texture of the fabric.

Every four rows there are cables all around the hat. It's really cute.

Liz finished off her sweater with I-cord ties.

A perfect alternative for buttons.

Deeva is working on a lady's hat.

Karin is almost finished with a cardigan for a boy. Tonight she was taking a vote on what neckline to make. There was an overwhelming vote for the crew neck.

Maureen's joint project with her daughter Cate is almost finished. Sailboats and rope, so cute.

Beth is in the home stretch of her Daybreak Shawl and almost out of yarn. I think she will just squeak by to the end.

She finished this cute striped hat and already made a mitten tonight.

The twins are a result of my friend Dorah's and my knitting.

But can you tell me why buttons come only 2 to a card when you need 3 and 4 to a card when you need 5?

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T17:18:00.002-04:00

Blessings on all the fathers who have been a positive and loving influence on their children.

My Daddy knows I love him and that he is special.

I am lucky to be able to still tell him.

There's a new Chick in town!

2011-06-14T19:35:00.004-04:00

Today was a special day. We welcomed Deeva Rosenzweig into the flock. Her daughter, Dorah, was the knitter featured with the Flirtatious shawl last week and the week before. We are very happy to have another knitter to help with our inventory building.

Barbara finished the red and grey cardigan but it needs buttons so maybe we'll see it next week. She will be working on a pretty cabled hat for the next project but first check out the pattern for supplies.

Kathleen is about three quarters through the white baby blanket and will probably have it finished by next week.

Beth dropped off a cute pair of booties last week to add to the inventory for the USCRI, the organization which helps refugees and imigrants settle into their new home.

Also going into inventory are three sweaters I finished a little while ago but they finally got their buttons. This first sweater used two skeins, about 400 yards of sock yarn and there was plenty left for the hat.

The red buttons matched the yarn perfectly.

This sweater was made with an alpaca and bamboo blend yarn that practically floats on its own. It's so soft!

Don't you just love these buttons? Robena has the best buttons!

This little jacket was made in modular sections which are sewn together. It is also made using sock yarn.

Robena's buttons again.

And this last project will never see the light of day. I decided to make myself a top down summer sweater using a bamboo and acrylic blend yarn. I love top down sweaters because you can try them on as you go along and know that the finished product is going to fit. And this was perfect....the first time. The second time I thought it seemed as though I might have lost weight. Am I seeing things? Every other piece of clothing I own fit the same. Well, much to my dismay, the sweater was stretching like Silly Putty every time I put it on! Needless to say, it got frogged and the yarn is in exile until I'm darn good and ready to forgive it. It might become a scarf or something.

That will teach me to buy cheap yarn!

Would you like to take a knitting class?

2011-06-11T09:43:00.004-04:00

Robena of Trumpet Hill has asked me to teach a class.

It will be the "Flirtatious" shawl.

So if you plan on being in the Albany, New York area on Saturday, June 25....

make sure you call right away to sign up for the 10:30 to 12:30 class and buy your supplies from Robena. She carries Karin's yarns which were used in the samples.
Maybe I'll see you there!

Dorah's Flirtatious

2011-06-10T09:36:00.003-04:00

Last night was knit night at the local Panera restaurant. A bunch of my knitting friends meet monthly to grab the only long table in the place and delightfully knit away for a couple of hours. It's fun to watch the other patrons steal glances our way as all our needles fly through the air, catching yarn on the way to make beautiful fabrics and garments. Sometimes a brave soul will venture over to ask about the group and admire our handiwork. Last night the manager wanted to know if we could knit him a set of golf club covers! LOL! I think after years of hanging out there once a month he is getting to know us. Maybe we should knit him something. Hmmm...

Anyway, another one of my original design shawls made her debut. This one was knitted by my friend Dorah. She used Karin's Periwinkle Sheep hand dyed yarn in a pretty soft blue that would look great with jeans.

It's such fun to see her in different yarns. I hear another is finished and will make her debut next month, maybe.

Dorah donated this pattern to the Chicks' library....

And the finished cowl! It just needs some buttons and it will be ready to go into inventory. I'm so excited to add this to our inventory because our next recipient will be the Guardian House in Ballston Spa, New York. It is a newly established home for returning female veterans who find themselves homeless. It will have a maximum of eleven residents at one time and we get to knit for them!

Thank you Dorah for getting the ball rolling with our first donation to the brave heroines who protect us all!

"Lotsa" Sweaters!

2011-06-08T09:28:00.003-04:00

Barbara's magic sleeves are growing as we speak and might be finished by next week's session. As I mentioned last time, she is knitting two sleeves, in the round on one needle, at the same time. Don't ask! My head hurts just thinking about that one! But it's working!

Remember that cute little Baby Sophisticate sweater Kathleen finished last week?

She found the best buttons for it! They are so cute.

Now Kathleen is working on a baby blanket with a fine weight yarn.

A simple pattern with pretty results.

Liz put the finishing touches on the cardigan she was knitting last week.

Necessity being the mother of invention gave birth to the contrasting skirt of this sweater. It's amazing how my Chicks can be so creative when they run out of yarn. LOL!

This little cap reminds me of "Waldo" in different colors.

My latest finished projects are this Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan which is a free pattern to Ravelry members. It's blocking now and then I have to go on the hunt for some buttons.

This little number is from the book "Sock Yarn, One Skein Wonders" . Instead of buttons and buttonholes it has a tie front, which I will tend to after the blocking process is finished. I adjusted the length of the sleeves because they were so short in the original pattern, but I think if I make it again I will make the sleeves even longer.

It's supposed to be very hot and humid here today so I just might stay in the AC to work on my projects.

Deckside and Memorial Day Parade

2011-05-31T21:36:00.008-04:00

This was the first time this season we got to knit outside. With the fans running it was a tolerable 85 degrees or so until the sun came around the corner. By then it was time to call it quits anyway. But it felt good to get outside and listen to nature as we knitted. Amanda and Moose are still visiting so she was able to join us and even finished a hat which will go into our inventory.

Kathleen finished another Baby Sophisticate cardigan and showed Liz the

Elizabeth Zimmerman sewn bindoff technique.

Liz finished three baby caps and is working on an eyelet baby cardigan.

Amanda finished the spiral eyelets hat she designed and wrangled Moose long enough to see how it looks. He thought it was pretty silly.

Our evening group showed Maureen and her daughter Cate working tandem on a baby blanket for one of Cate's friends who is expecting.

Beth finished a pair of cute little socks and .....

brought along the Daybreak scarf/shawl to show us the progress she is making.

Yesterday Amanda and I took Moose to the Memorial Day Parade in Delmar, New York. He was too young to remember last year's parade but this year he had a great time. He was so excited as he heard the bands approaching.

We saw the band from Mommy's high school....

And their mascot the Eagle rode along on a truck.

There were hot cars, and

old cars, and

small cars and

friends. There goes our friend, Pastor Sandy from the Journey United Church of Christ .

The people in the parade were throwing lots of candy to the spectators and Moose didn't want to miss any of it.

He brought home a bigger haul than at Halloween!

And he waved enthusiastically when the fire trucks drove by.

He also had a great time flirting with the teenage girls that were sitting beside us.

They enjoyed his company so much that they gave Moose even more candy.

It was a great day to thank the heroes who protected and are still protecting our freedom.

Moose and Squirrel? No, Moose and Sheep!

2011-05-29T20:47:00.013-04:00

Moose and his mommy, my daughter, are visiting this week and we thought Moose might like to see some animals at the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival. Well, yes, that was just a ploy to get him to join us on our trek for yet more fiber. We drove to Cummington, Massachusetts for this lovely little fiber festival on a glorious sun-shiny day.

Our first bribe, I mean stop, was to see the angora bunnies where Moose got to choose the one he wanted to hold.

He named this one "Toodles" after his pastor's bunny. The soft little guy sat with Moose just a few seconds before he decided it was time to scramble away.

The festival had drop-in spinning and knitting and we watched a customer taking a quick spinning lesson. I loved how intently the young man on the left was watching the proceedings. Another spinner in the future, perhaps?

We stopped at another booth to see the beautiful wheels and fiber and Moose struck up a conversation with this wonderful lady. I think they were discussing something pretty funny here, don't you?

We saw Miss Karin at the festival while she was taking a break from her vendor booth. She walked with us for a while and stopped to buy Moose some finger puppets which he loved!

Moose had to make sure he got all the way to the bottom of the basket to get the best selection. You'll see later what he chose.

I needed a large shawl pin for my heavier shawls and Leslie Wind was making some beauties on the spot. You'll see that later on too.

There was a little play area for the youngsters so they wouldn't get bored and Moose made good use of the facilities.

There's nothing like a good pile of hay to climb!

And what's a festival without a good hot dog? Moose was flirting with the waitress in between bites.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye to the sheep and head for home.

But we were able to buy some goodies to remind us of the good time we had.

Miss Karin was selling her hand dyed yarns and I made sure I got a skein of "Tree Frog" to make myself a pair of socks.

Amanda wanted to give me my birthday gift early since she won't be making another trip up to my house until after her baby is born. Since she knows I love shawls this was a perfect gift for me.

And while at the festival I found the perfect yarn to make this shawl. And here is the shawl pin that Leslie made for me to wear on the new shawl. I have a few projects on needles at the moment which need to be finished before I can undertake a new one though.

Amanda found some bargains which she will use to make baby hats to sell.

And here is Moose with his finger puppets that Miss Karin bought for him. He now has Kung Fu Panda, Elmo, and we're not sure who the last one is but Moose is calling him "Monkey".

We finished off the day with a quick ride around the block to work off the delicious dinner that Poppop had waiting for us when we returned home.

As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing!"

The Chicks are back!

2011-05-25T09:43:00.005-04:00

We had a week off while I was off to the theme parks of Orlando but now it's time to get back into the swing of things.

Barbara finished a warm cabled hat with a flirty button detail.

There is no reason a person can't look stylish while staying warm.

Kathleen made good work of her time off by knitting up a whole heap of stuff. Two pairs of mittens was just the beginning.

Another Leaf Lace sweater set was added to the inventory as well as....

a cute little bonnet to match the cardigan she made a couple of weeks ago.

The Garter Yoke Baby Cardi is a free pattern if you are a member of Ravelry. Here is Kathleen's finished cardi, a quick and easy knit.

Kathleen has a magic button box which ALWAYS has the perfect buttons for her finished knits.

She'll have this vest finished for next week's entry, I'm sure.

Cate is back from dental school for a little while. We all were really glad to see her and hear all about how she's doing.

Beth was soooooo happy to finally be finished with her cabled pullover. This is the sweater she made using vintage yarn from her stash. She held her breath the whole way through, praying she would have enough yarn to finish.

Well, she made it! With only this much to spare!

Maureen put down her reversible stripes scarf to show us a pair of socks she is making for herself. After the success she had with the bike socks she made for her husband, she decided she needed a pair also. Great colors!

From the book, "Sock Yarn, One Skein Wonders ", I'm working on the Little Hanten jacket using a self striping sock yarn. The back is almost finished and then on to the sleeves and assembly.

It's good to be back with my Chicks.