Monthly Archives: August 2009

Brunch at Mary’s house – August 29, 2009

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Road trip for the Castoffs!  We all packed up and carpooled down to Mary’s house overlooking beautiful Wood’s Bay on Flathead Lake.  Mary’s house is lovely and the views cannot be beat!  We all felt so peaceful and lucky to be able to share good food, good company and good knitting.  Thank you Mary.

Room with a view - and what a view!

Room with a view - and what a view!

Of course, the Castoffs always eat well and drink well so we enjoyed a potluck brunch with quiche, lots of summer fruit, cheese and bread and yummy pineapple cake.  Aah, all the senses were sated.

Quiche, Carol? Why, thank you!

Quiche, Carol? Why, thank you!

We sat on the deck and ate and talked.  It was so pleasant that we almost forgot to knit!  But wait – all those projects were waiting for us inside, so we went in the house to see what everyone was up to, knitwise.  Linda had brought two finished projects for us to ooh and aah over.  Linda said that she was so glad to join our group because it gave her motivation to finally finish some projects left undone.  Uh-huh, Linda, we ALL have those unfinished projects lying around.  Thanks for sharing them with us – and for giving us all some great ideas for new projects of our own.

Linda's fabulous felted tote!

Linda's fabulous felted tote!

Linda liked this shawl so much that she is keeping it for herself!

Linda liked this shawl so much that she is keeping it for herself!

Francy showed us a very cute hat that she knitted for a friend’s baby.  I especially love the knitted flower on the i-cord at the top.

Soooo cute!!

Soooo cute!!

Francy also sent me photos of the sweater-coat that she finished for her daughter Betsy.  It is stunning and her daughter loves it!  We all sweated through each stitch with her, so we decided to ALL take a little credit even though Francy did all the work.  Great job, Francy!

Great display table, Francy!

Great display table, Francy!

Hey, it matches the dog!

Hey, it matches the dog!

We all worked on our projects quietly for a while and then Carol introduced the WHINE OF THE WEEK.  She pulled out her glittery seed-stitch scarf and expressed her dissatisfaction with the way it was turning out.  “I made a lot of mistakes.  The edges are wavy and Marsha, what is this?”  She pointed to a section of the scarf and I put on my glasses to get a good look.

“It’s a hole,”  I said.

Well, that sealed the deal, I’m afraid.  Carol REALLY wanted to rip it out then.  We tried to convince her that a first attempt at a new pattern doesn’t always go perfectly, but I think we’ll have to wait and see if she can shrug it off, so to speak, or give in to frustration and start over.  It would be a shame, because we all think it looks pretty good the way it is.

This day, Carol was working on cabled fingerless mitten that are turning out beautifully.  Marylane was working on her tote that is almost ready to be felted and from the photo, Francy was giving great advice.

Happy knitters, peaceful location.

Happy knitters, peaceful location.

Joan was working on mittens also and Michele was knitting the kid’s poncho and waiting for her husband, Joel, to motor over in the knitting boat to pick her up down at the dock.  Before the summer is out, the Castoffs just might have to wrangle the knitting boat to go for a ride.  What do you say, Joel?  In the meantime, we had a great time.  We can’t wait for Julie to get over her cold and for Leslie to bring us photos of the BIG EVENT that happened in her life last week.  Her daughter Sienna got ENGAGED!  Yippee!  We are almost as excited as Leslie.

I’ll leave you now with a couple of candids of our fun meeting at Mary’s.  Happy knitting!

Looks like Michele is making an appeal to the knitting goddess on behalf of Joan's mittens.

Looks like Michele is making an appeal to the knitting goddess on behalf of Joan's mittens.

Great friends, great day.

Great friends, great day.

Joan’s house, August 20, 2009

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We all went out to Joan’s temporary house (for the summer) and there were TEN of us there, which may be a record for Castoffs.  We started outside on the deck:

What a beautiful group!

What a beautiful group!

and talked and ate and looked at our gorgeous ‘thick and thin’ scarves that we all think are wonderful and that were joined by Carol’s scarf which she knit in a faggotting pattern.

Thick and Thin scarves with Carol's blue fagotting scarf on top.

Thick and Thin scarves with Carol's blue fagotting scarf on top.

I was blown away by Francy’s Moebius scarf that she finished.  She assured me that once the pattern was mastered, the scarf didn’t take long.  I really like the way it turned out!

Francy's Moebius scarf.

Francy's Moebius scarf.

Since we seemed to be in a scarf-making mode, here is Carol’s seed stitch scarf that she is making.  You may not be able to see it in the photo, but the yarn has little sparkles.  Very pretty!

Ooh, sparkly!

Ooh, sparkly!

Francy and I were talking about the pattern for the Moebius scarf and how a vital instruction was missing, when, all of a sudden, with a whirl, everyone else picked up the food and wine and scarves and whisked away inside!  What happened?  What’s going on?  I was clueless until Joan said, “Bees!”  Oh, we were being swarmed and I didn’t even notice.  Duh.  Francy and I picked up our bags and headed in behind all the other, more insect-sensitive knitters.  One or two of the little fellers sneaked in with us and before he was smashed to smithereens on the window screen, I was able to immortalize him/her/probably him.

Take that, you varmint!!!

Take that, you varmint!!!

After the excitement was over and our glasses were refilled, I noticed that Carol was exceptionaly quiet today.  She was bent over four double-pointed needles, staring intently at her instructions for fingerless mittens.  Suddenly, she spoke.

“I have a question.  Where do I start?”  For some reason we all found this to be hilarious and Linda started illuminating her about beginning at the beginning.

Where do I start????

Where do I start????

We all went back to our own projects: Marylane to her felted purse, Joan to some actual knit AND purl mittens, Leslie to her teeny, tiny scarf that she can only do three rows of each week because the pattern is IMPOSSIBLE, Marsha to her top-down sweater.  Again we heard from Carol:

“Oh for the love of God, it didn’t work!  I’ve got an EXTRA ONE!”

A loop on the needle, that is.  Well, Amen Sista, at one time or another, we’ve all had an extra one, haven’t we?  Just drop it, knit two together or ignore it.  Welcome to mitten-world!  This qualified as WHINE OF THE WEEK!!  Thank you, Carol.

Leslie particularly enjoyed the WHINE OF THE DAY! Give that knitter another glass of wine.

Leslie particularly enjoyed the WHINE OF THE WEEK! Give that knitter another glass of wine.

Michele is continuing to work on the cotton/tenzel poncho for her little cousin and this has to be the softest yarn I’ve felt in a long time.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.   Hopefully, I’ll get a photo of it next week or the next, whenever she finishes it.

We had so much fun at Joan’s that we hated to go home.  Here are a couple of candids to wrap up the meeting.

Ave, Julie!

Ave, Julie!

Sisters. They really look more alike than at the beginning of the summer! Must be the knitting bond.

Sisters. They really look more alike than at the beginning of the summer! Must be the knitting bond.

Next week, alas, school begins and we had to reschedule to a Saturday to get a visit to Mary’s house on the lake.  So we’ll meet down in Wood’s Bay for an end-of-summer get-together.  I can’t wait to start more projects; Moebius scarf, fingerless mittens, tiny mitten decorations.  So much knitting, so little time!  Until next week, don’t stick the pointy ends in your ear!

Thursday, August 13 at Leslie’s house

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The Castoffs met at Leslie’s house and the noise was terrific.  At one time I heard bits and pieces of several different conversations: Mary talking about her recent trip to Italy; Julie sharing her easy pattern for mittens; Marylane trying to set up her brother with Carol; Leslie telling about her visit with her grandchildren.  Well, it was a wonderful time with good friends.  We were visited by Shannon, Carol’s daughter, and by Linda who had a bag full of great projects.  We love having new people come by to talk knittin’.  Or anything else, for that matter.

We have SO MUCH FUN!!

We have SO MUCH FUN!!

Marylane’s sister Joan (from Arizona, but living here for the summer) brought her mysterious hats and they are stunning!  And they have matching scarves.  She can no longer tell us that she isn’t a knitter.  Joan, you are a KNITTER.  She is quick to point out, however, that she is a ‘knitter’ not a ‘purler’ so maybe we’ll convince her to learn to purl while she’s here.

Marylane and Joan wearing Joan's hats and scarves. Not sure when she'll wear them in Arizona...

Marylane and Joan wearing Joan's hats and scarves. Not sure when she'll wear them in Arizona...

We were happy to hear about Mary’s trip to Italy where she visited her daughter, hiked the Cinque Terre and other delights, and made a trip to Budapest.   I, for one, was jealous.  Mary is anxious to finish her felted purse and we are looking forward to seeing it.

Ciao, Mary. Welcome home!

Ciao, Mary. Welcome home!

Marylane and Joan brought some polymer beads that a friend makes.  They added them to some felted bracelets and we all were very impressed.  They add the beads and then felt them in the washing machine.  I loved the combinations.  Perhaps someday I’ll try felting.  For some reason, it makes me nervous, but I’ll try to overcome the fear of shrinking (too much, maybe?) down a garment or accessory that I’ve spent hours and hours knitting.  Gulp.  These bracelets just might be the place to start.

Beautiful felted and beaded bracelets.

Beautiful felted and beaded bracelets.

Speaking of felted accessories, Linda joined us and showed off her beautiful tote bag that she will felt soon.  It is big and bold and I want to see it when she’s finished.  She was also working on a pair of socks.  Another project that I haven’t tried yet!!  Marylane knitted a pair of socks that very nearly did her in, so I’m apprehensive of bringing them around where she can see them.  Am I beginning to sound like a wimpy knitter?  Uh…Yeah!  But there are so many projects, so little time.

Linda and her amazing technicolor tote!

Linda and her amazing technicolor tote! Leslie likes it!

Several of us are knitting ‘thick and thin’ scarves and we decided to bring them all to the next meeting (or the next) and have a real showing of the different looks that the same basic pattern makes when you use vastly different yarns.  This will be a lot of fun because we are all so different in our approaches to knitting.  It’s always so much fun to see what the minds of the Castoffs come up with…bwah-ha-ha!  Oh.  Here are some candid shots of our knitters in action.

Shannon and Joan listening to a discourse on the World According to Marylane.

Shannon and Joan listening to a discourse on the World According to Marylane.

Carol, Leslie and Linda just knittin' away.

Carol, Leslie and Linda just knittin' away.

Next week we will meet at Joan’s home away from home and catch the view from the base of Lone Pine mountain.  I can hardly wait.  Until then, careful of the pointy ends!

Apologies to Julie who didn’t get in on the photos.  I guess I was knitting.  But here is a picture of a pair of her mittens that she swears is the easiest pattern ever!  She gave me a copy so I’ll just try it.

Winter's a'coming sooner than we want.

Winter's a'coming sooner than we want.

Michele’s house – August 5, 2009

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We met at Michele’s house and she served us the most delicious lemon pie – and not a calorie in it!  Well, that part is a lie, but I’d like to believe it.  The last time we were at Michele’s, she baked a wonderful chocolate grenache cake that tasted heavenly.  But school will be starting soon, so there goes our baked goodies (it’s hard to bake when you’re teaching all day).  I hope that doesn’t mean that the retired members have to take up the slack!

Michelle has finished her curtain and hung it in her bathroom and it is beautiful!

The great Hemp harvest!

The great Hemp harvest!

The yarn was hemp mostly.  Leslie kicked in the bottom multi-colored thread from one of her old projects (a shopping bag).  Michele used a fagotting stitch – the same one that Carol is using for a great scarf that she is making.

Just happy to be knittin'!

Just happy to be knittin'!

This yarn is sooo cool, fuzzy and elegant at the same time.  Carol is also knitting a skinny scarf in seed stitch with a smaller, glittery yarn for a Christmas gift.  Ya gotta start early!  I know that I’ll have to start my little mittens for great-nieces and nephews soon.

We were glad to see Joan again (Marylane’s sister) who is knitting a mysterious ‘hat’ that exists only in her mind.  So far we’ve seen two long strips and we’re dying to see the finished product.  Joan has become quite a knitter, considering that she is visiting from Arizona for the summer and Marylane dragged her to our meeting, thrust needles into her hand and said, “KNIT!”  So she did.  Good sister.

"Alright, already. I'll knit, I'll knit!" Ah, but she does look like she is having fun.

"Alright, already. I'll knit, I'll knit!" Ah, but she does look like she is having fun.

Have to show you a couple of projects, ongoing and finished, that Michele has done.  The scarf is the one that Leslie found for us in MASON-DIXON KNITTING.  It is made with both thick and thin yarns and looks so amazing that everybody wants to knit one.

Crochet thread and novelty yarn scarf

Crochet thread and novelty yarn scarf

The other project is a top-down boucle 3/4 length sleeve sweater that is really adorable.  Marylane is knitting this using a solid color wool yarn.

Pretty boucle sweater by Michele

Pretty boucle sweater by Michele

Marsha is knitting a purple (the photo lies) top-down sweater in worsted weight yarn on size 13 needles.  I like the looseness of the gauge and it gives me the illusion that I’m knitting very fast!  Even when I’m not.

Hey, I can do this with my eyes closed

Hey, I can do this with my eyes closed

Right after this photo, the batteries in my camera died, so I didn’t get a photo of Marylane knitting her top-down sweater.  Maybe next time at Leslie’s house!  We really missed Leslie(family in town), Julie (who spaced out the meeting, duh), Francy(who is out of town) and Mary(who is in Italy, poor thing) but hope to see them all next week at LESLIE’S house at the regular time (JULIE!).  In the meantime, don’t forget to use the pointy ends carefully!