We all met at my house this week and I think everyone except Michele was here. The Chair is really starting to look good. We put the bits and pieces together to plan for the next step and it was pretty stunning, if I do say so. I’ll share some photos of the Chair first:

Leslie, Carol and Mary envisioning the finished result.

Hmmm, what next?

The seat is looking more like a poppy thanks to Leslie’s embellishments.

Here comes the sun! With diamonds.

We handed out assignments for parts of the Chair. I am beginning to believe that it will be ready for the Loud in the Library event in March.

I served cheese and crackers, sliced apples with caramel dip, a Bogle Cabernet and a Chateau Ste. Michelle Reisling. All gone by the end of the meeting. Yum.

Treats!

We were so busy talking about the Chair, dressing the Chair, looking at the Chair that we didn’t spend much time on our individual projects. Francy has finished Grace’s sweater – except for the buttons – and it’s adorable.

Cute little sweater – I love the yoke.

Now Francy is planning a BIG felted bag for her daughter Betsy. By the way, congratulations to Betsy who’s expecting her second baby! Grace will have a little sib to boss around and Francy will have someone else to knit for. Yay!

Bags to felt.

The patterns for the bags include a small, medium and large bag. The large one looks big enough to hide a German Shepherd. I think Francy’s knitting the medium.

Marylane was back from her traveling – then her bout with the flu – and we were so happy to see her. She was busily ripping out part of the vest that she’s working on, using odds and ends from her stash to make stripes. All of us looked at it and said “LOTS of ends to weave in!” That’s okay, though, Marylane is very patient. Right, Marylane?

It’s going to be stunning, ML!

I didn’t take as many photos as I shoulda, but I was busy catching up with everyone, playing the hostess and drinking. Oh, and laughing. I laughed a lot this week. I love my Castoffs.

Next week we meet at Marylane’s house. In the meantime, keep warm and dry and keep those needles blazing, Castoffs. While I was watching Tiger Woods play golf today, the weather here was, in turn, sunny, snowing, blowing, sunny and snowing and just weird. Winter in Montana!

The Castoffs met at Julie’s house on a sunnyish day, snow on the ground and more in the forecast, but we’ve had an exceptionally mild and dry winter so far. Julie fed us snackies and wine and we were happy knitters.

We’ve been lugging THE CHAIR around for months now – well, not really but it seems like it – and we’re finally beginning to share the same vision. I brought the sun swatch that I knitted this past week and Leslie brought her fabulous ideas to attach it. We talked a lot about plans for the Chair and I feel, for the first time, that THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN! We still have until the first of March to finalize all our bits and pieces. Here is our in-progress work:

The sun, the seat and ideas to attach it all.

Rungs in front with detail we don’t want to cover up.

I can’t wait to see what’s next. Leslie is working on strips of sky to go behind the sun. Francy and I are working on strips of green for the side rungs on the bottom. Mary is working on pieces for the arms. Stay tuned…

Leslie showed us the chunky, knitted cowl that she had started last week. It’s very dramatic, and it takes a lot of, uh, neck. That’s one big cowl!

Yes, I thought it was Leslie playing peekaboo.

Leslie also brought her work-in-progress, a knitted tie for her granddaughter Grace’s American Girl doll. All this daughter and granddaughter stuff is new for me, but fun to see. It’s like a glimpse of a foreign world, but it gives me ideas for my brother’s granddaughters.

“I’m an American Girl. Whoohooo.” Oops, wrong song.

Speaking of granddaughters, Francy is knitting HER granddaughter Grace a sweater. Grace wanted a blue sweater, so a blue sweater is what she’s getting. It’s really cute, with details at the cuffs and around the (future) yoke.

Cute little sweater for Grace.

Last week I told you about the sweater vest that Julie is knitting for her mother…well, my bad. The vest is for Julie. Sorry, Jules. I need to start taking notes. My head is full of other stuff and information leaks out sometimes. I wrote something incorrect about Mary’s hat, too, but I’ve already forgotten what it was. Duh. Sorry, Mary. Maybe everyone should give me a little written blurb about their projects. Nah, I’d just get those mixed up. Maybe it’s more entertaining this way.

JULIE’S sweater vest.

Mary brought her Duffer slipper that she’s knitting for…someone…and loves the way that it’s all finished when the pattern ends. No sewing together, no adding a second sole. Ready to be felted! I’ve gotta try this.

Ready to be felted!

Michele dropped by after her yoga class and showed us her sweater that she’s returned to, after the Christmas rush finished. The yarn is from Knitpicks.com and feels incredibly soft – and it’s less expensive than in some of our local yarn shops. We miss you, Michele, but we realize that yoga is good for you. Come join us whenever you can.

It WILL get larger, I promise.

Next week we meet at Marsha’s house. Sure hope she gets the place cleaned up. The Chair is already sitting in front of the stove waiting to be dressed. In the meantime, Castoffs, keep those needles blazing and enjoy the sunshine!

We met on a gloomy winter day but inside, Deb’s fireplace kept us warm and cozy. I finished the mock-up for the Chair’s back and got the go-ahead to knit it in our chosen yellow/shiny/mohair mixture.

Sunshiny yarn plus mock-up pattern equals…

I just finished it and voila!

Of course, it’s going to look different on the chair.

It wasn’t the easiest yarn to work with, but I have some more if there are small things that need improvement or change. Can’t wait to hear what you all think of it.

Mary and her daughter Larissa came and brought darling little Aurora, who is growing by leaps and bounds. She’s sitting up now and sat looking at all of us and at Izzy, Deb’s Yorkie. She’s six months old now – a great age for her first Christmas.

Aurora is modeling the leg-warmers that her grandmother Mary knitted for her.

Larissa and Aurora.

What a cutie!

We were all working on various projects. It’s always interesting to see what we choose to knit after the bustle of Christmas is over. Leslie brought another pair of ‘duffers’ slippers and showed us the embellishments that she added. Looks great, Leslie!

I love this slipper pattern. Looks easier than anything else I’ve done.

Mary is knitting a pair of duffers, too, and was asking Leslie to show her the ‘magic loop’ method of casting on. Here is the yarn for her slippers.

Yarn for Mary’s duffers.

Julie is knitting a vest for her mother. The pattern is by a company that specializes in top-down sweaters. When I asked if the vest was top-down, she said, “No, it’s hip-up.” Whichever way it goes – up or down – it’s a cool pattern and her mom will love it.

A vest for Julie’s mom.

Julie also brought photos of the skirt that she knitted for her daughter, Terra. It’s a pattern that looks like others that Castoffs have used, but without the lacy hem. Instead, Julie made it a two-color skirt. Looks great on Terra.

This skirt is so Terra!

Deb is knitting a hat pattern. She’s using Mountain Colors yarn which is a beautiful hand-dyed (I think) yarn made in Montana. Please correct me if I’m mistaken, Castoffs.

Pretty yarn, Deb.

Thanks, Deb, for hosting us and serving yummy cheese and crackers and even yummier wine! We loved it. Next time we meet at Julie’s house. In the meantime, Castoffs, keep those needles blazing and stay warm. Cold weather is here. Brrrrr!

Wow! That’s the first time I’ve written 2013, and the most surprising thing is that I remembered the new year. We met at Michele’s house and admired her Christmas tree that she hasn’t had time to dismantle. I’m right there with you, Michele. Still have our tree up, too. I’m not sure why Mary is raising her hand in this photo. Just wants to be recognized, I guess. Well, she is in a room full of educators.

“Me! Me! I know the answer! It’s 63!”

Michele served us yummy snacks; crunchies, crackers and cheese, sliced apples and coffee. Coffee tasted so good on such a wintery day. Thanks, Michele!

Yummy!

The day was cloudy and threatening to snow, but the deer loved it. They came down Michele’s driveway, meandering over to the pasture next door. It was fun to see them, although Michele doesn’t appreciate them very much in the summer when they munch her flowers and vegetables.

“Sure glad they put a nice clear driveway here.”

The view from Michele’s living room is pretty wild.

Leslie was all about slippers today. She’s knitting a pair of felted slippers for her son-in-law to replace a pair that he’s worn out. Right now – pre-felting – they look pretty funny, but we all know that they’ll felt up to be just right.

Clown shoes.

Leslie found a great pattern on Ravelry for some felted slippers that look like Danskos when they’re finished. They’re called Duffers and we all fell in love with them. The best part is that you can cast on using, a ‘magic loop’ method, and continue knitting, finishing the slipper in one piece. Felt and wear! The less sewing, the better, according to most of us.

Duffers!

Michele showed us a buttoned cowl that she finished. It has an interesting waffle pattern and I love the buttons!

Waffle weave pattern.

Mary knitted a hat. I’m sorry, Mary, but I can’t remember any of the details – like who it’s for or what it’s made of. I guess I’m astonished that you got any knitting done with both of your grandbabies at your house for Christmas. Her grandson just left and Mary was sad, but her granddaughter Aurora will be here for another couple of weeks.Yay! Mary’s happy!

“La, la, la the mystery hat.”

We did some planning on the Chair for the library fundraiser. Time’s a-wastin’! Linda brought three colors for her band of triangles that will face outward on a middle rung of the chair. Here are the choices:

Bright blue…

Darker blue…

Lime green…

We decided that a trip to Camas Creek Yarn was in order to choose colors for the big blank space on the top of the chair. We know that we want a sun theme, but the pattern and color had yet to be decided.

Next time, we meet at Deb’s house. Have a wonderful week, Castoffs, and I’ll see you soon. Remember, keep those needles blazing!

UPDATE: Several of us went to the yarn shop. We decided on a pattern and bought some yarn. I went home and practiced with dummy yarn and the pattern to get the size right. This is what the pattern will look like – although the color will be a mustard color mixed with a sparkly, multi-color novelty yarn that makes the mustard color come to glowing life. You’ll see it at Deb’s and I hope you love it as much as we did.

The pattern, but not the final color, for the Chair.