Monday was hot and sunny–perfect for an afternoon in the park. We sat near the lake and the rose garden and both were beautiful.
Ah, the rose garden!
You can just see the lake over Marylane’s shoulder.
Speaking of the sisters, Joan is knitting like mad on her scarf and it’s getting longer. To only think about knitting only one stitch over and over sounds rather nice in the summer. No stress knitting.
Gonna touch the ground soon, Joan.
The rest of us, alas, pile on the stress and the intricate patterns in a sort of masochistic way, but we seem to create beautiful things. And if we don’t, they disappear quickly into the depths of our closets never to be seen again.
Carol brought her gorgeous sweater. She had just blocked it and we love it. Not only does it fit, but it’s very flattering. And the texturing on the back! Oh! Sublime.
“I feel like a knitter!” You are, Carol. You are!
The pattern on the back is subtle, but stunning.
Carol’s knitting tutus for her granddaughters. Here’s the first one:
Very cute. There seems to be an explosion of tutus in our group lately.
Carol was knitting little jeweled crowns to be worn with the tutus. This started a discussion about how to bead your knitted garments. Carol slips all the beads on her yarn before she begins and then pulls up a bead when she needs it.
The point of a tiny crown.
Michele is knitting a beaded cowl. Her method is to attach a bead using a crochet hook in mid-stitch. I’ve never done either, so I can’t give an opinion on which is the best or easiest method. Both knitters like their own ways, however, so it’s nice to know that there are options.
Michele’s beaded cowl–or the beginning of it.
Linda is knitting strips of blocks for a blanket for her grandson (who’ll be born later this year). She wanted a pattern in which she could join the blocks as she knit. Sewing together little pieces didn’t appeal to her (nobody likes to work any harder than they have to after the knitting is done). This method saves the sewing together and it helps keep the same tension and size for each block.
Strip of blanket.
Deb joined us and is knitting ‘the skirt’. So many of our knitters have made this little skirt with a lace edging, that we should name it the Castoffs Skirt. Deb is knitting this one for herself. Yay, Deb!
Should be ready by the time school starts.
And now, a sad story that concerns Marylane. She’s knitting a chunky sleeveless vest with a shawl collar and somehow–when she tried it on–she had gone the opposite way on the edging and…well, here’s a visual:
That wide part on her right hip should be at her shoulder. Argh!
She started ripping it out once she realized that her shawl collar was down at the bottom of the vest. Oh, Marylane, I’m sorry! This happens to us more often than we care to admit. I’ve ripped out many goofs.
I am at the decrease row of my vest. Now it will begin to gently curve up to my shoulders — I hope. The hot weather isn’t very motivating for knitting wool garments. I’ll have to sit under our little room air conditioner an hour a day.
Vest is growing larger.
Our friend Lisa and her granddaughter Greta stopped by. They had been at the pool on the other side of the park, swimming, and were on their way home. Greta has grown so much! She’s adorable. Good to see you both, Lisa!
Greta was shy with us.
We love knitting in the park. Peaceful, pretty and shady. We’ll meet there until the cold weather drives us inside. Until it does, Castoffs, stay cool and keep those needles blazing.
Nothing could be finer.
