We met at Carol’s house on a rainy day.  Of course, rain is forecast for the entire Memorial Day weekend.  As usual.  Nevertheless, the Castoffs took it in stride and shared our knitting projects and plans.  Carol’s kitty was desperate for cuddles and tried to climb on everyone’s lap regardless of the yarn.  Needless to say, no one was very receptive until Francy finally took pity on LK – Little Kitty.

Aww, Little Kitty found a home on Francy’s skirt that she’s knitting for Betsy.

The skirt is pretty cool – it’s a pattern that Michele has used a couple of times and it’ll look great on Betsy.  Love the color.  Love the striped socks and toes, too.

Little skirt – it’ll get bigger.

Francy was concerned that she had goofed on the lacy bottom part, but our resident expert, Michele, wasn’t here.  She had a meeting.  Funny how work can interfere with the important things in life – like knitting.

A closer look at the bottom that wants to curl up. Blocking should take care of that, right?

Carol was still working on her baby towel and protested against any more photos. “I’ve only knit about an INCH since last week.  Don’t take another picture!”  Of course, I did.  Can’t resist taking a photo of Carol who is leaving for Ireland in a week!  Woohoo!  She’s planning to finish the towel on the trip.

Faith and begorrah. She’s leaving for the old country.

Mary’s picking up steam on HER towel for Larissa’s baby.  This one is going to have a chicken head instead of a duck head.  Yep.  We’re surrounding the next generation with farm animals.

Here’s another one almost like the other one. Cluck, cluck.

Now here is Leslie’s farm animal, the soft and cuddly lamb.  He is very adorable and is wearing the sweater she knit him.

Happy grammy.

Francy diverged a little with the bear that she bought in Germany.  She knit a sweater for it using a baby pattern that Leslie had used for her granddaughter, Mira.  So cute!  Grace, Francy’s granddaughter, will love to put all her treasures in it.

This sweater is adorable, Francy!

Leslie has a granddaughter named Grace also, and is knitting – wait for it – fruit cozies.  Yeah, I’d never heard of them either, but she has patterns and everything.  Grace will be taking her lunch to school soon and she can stash her apples and such in cute little cozies.  To keep the fruit warm?  Cool?  Private?  I don’t know.

Pattern and beginning of the Apple Cozy.

By the end of our meeting, Leslie had a partial cozy made.  Carol found an artificial apple to model and ‘voila!’ we had a fruit cozy.  Go figure.  I looked up the spelling of cozy online and found out that in Britain it’s spelled ‘cosy’ but in America it’s spelled ‘cozy.’  We are definitely in America, so cozy it is!  It’s amazing what you find out at the Castoffs meetings.

By golly, it’s an apple cozy!

Linda has started her search for a mother-of-the-groom dress for her son’s wedding this summer.  So far, the search has turned up nada – zilch – zero.  But she brought us a brochure from one of the stores that she shopped in and we all got a good laugh out of the photos.  Holy catfish, preacher!  What will you do when you see this coming down the aisle?

Good god, it’s a Mother-of-the-hooker Dress. Yeah, Linda. Go Baby, GO!

Linda will continue her search, I hope.

Julie and Deb were sitting by the fireplace with their toes sticking out.  The calendar says it’s nearly June, but the weather outside feels more like March.  But hey, we’re gonna wear our sandals anyway!  Or go barefoot.

Frostbite, anyone?

Julie was starting a cotton rug for the bathroom in a pretty blue.  That sounds like a great idea.  I should do that.  Oh yeah.  This was supposed to be the month of finishing projects, wasn’t it?

Hey, I need a new rug, Jules!

Instead of finishing a project or two, I started a linen-stitch cowl using merino sock yarn.  It called to me and I couldn’t say no.  And anyway, the month isn’t over yet. I’ve got three days, haven’t I?

My cowl. Mindless knitting and when I’m finished, I don’t have to assemble anything!

I don’t know where Joan and Marylane were, but we sure missed them.  I hope to see them next week at Deb’s house.  Bon Voyage, Carol!  Have fun in Ireland and drink a Guiness for each of us…but not all at the same time.  Until next time, Castoffs, keep those needles blazing and take this opportunity in the rainy season to learn the backstroke.

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