We met at Leslie’s house and for once in a long while, all of the regular Castoffs were there as well as our crochet friend Kerrie.  And for the first time, a guest with a Y chromosone voluntarily came to learn how to knit!  Normally, any man who wanders in is a husband just looking for snacks or wine, and when he realizes where he is, he runs away as fast as he can.   We were delighted to see Cy who wants to learn to knit so that he can share this activity with his mother who will soon visit him in Kalispell.

Welcome, Cy!

We all thought that this was very sweet and Michele taught him to knit the ‘Continental’ way with all the work in his left hand.  Now, why she did this, I don’t know, but that’s only because I haven’t ever tried it.  Michele says that it is an easier way to knit – less stressful on the muscles of your hand.  Perhaps she should give us all a lesson…Anyway, Michele was impressed with the talent that Cy showed.  We can’t wait to have a progress report next week.  Thanks for giving us a try, Cy.

Kerrie brought her scarf that she started last week and it is beautiful.  She is using a large crochet hook and what looks like a bulky chenille yarn.  Very pretty.

Bulky crochet scarf

Carol had some exciting news – BOTH of her daughters-in-law are having babies!  Now Carol will have to knit two of everything.  The grandbabies are due a month apart, so I foresee a whole lot of baby stuff being made in the group in the next seven or so months.  Congratulations Carol!  But you are waaay too young to be a grandmother.

Grandma times two!

Julie, Julie, Julie.  To be saddled with a family who doesn’t appreciate your talent.  Dorks.  Julie brought a great hat with earflaps and ties that was magical.  When Julie put it on, she instantly became the beloved literary figure, Pippi Longstocking!

Pippi!

When the hat was passed to me, I instantly became the beloved long-ago comic character, Baby Huey!

Does anyone except me remember Baby Huey?

When the magical earflap hat was passed to Leslie, she became the beloved Dalai Lama from the novel “Lost Horizons.”

Namaste, Leslama

I certainly hope that Julie marched herself home and told those family members what they were missing.  To turn your back on literature is a shame.  I nominate them for WHINE OF THE WEEK.

Speaking of Leslie, she has finished half of the beautiful and intricate scarf that, a year ago, would have been driving her crazy.  But now, our Leslie yearns for a challenge.  She has it in this scarf.

Climbing vines scarf

As a matter of fact, Leslie wants a challenge so much that she is encouraging me to challenge myself.  I started (foolishly) a sweater knowing that I didn’t have enough yarn to complete it all.  Leslie, the great brain, suggested that I use the matching yarn that I bought and create from my fertile (ha) imagination a charted ‘wave’ of color on the body of the sweater.  Hmmm.  That will involve making a chart and tearing out my hair, but I hear and obey, Great Leslama.  I will report, bald and trembling, next week.

Marsha's sweater, uncharted

Deb and Mary are still working on their scarf and mittens, respectively.  Knit, knit, knit!

Deb's daughter will love this scarf

Thumbs up, Mary! Almost ready for the hot water

Francy  made a pidge, and when I say made, I mean made up.  Our Francy loves to wing it when she knits, and this pidge is no exception.   She knit it loosely enough that she could skip making buttonholes and use a smaller, thinner button to place wherever she wanted to fasten it.  She knitted a basketweave pattern at the ends and I like the texture it brings to a solid color scarf.

Freeform pidge

Here are a couple of candids of Castoffs in their natural habitat:

Marylane and Julie. Hey, can't you two get a little closer?

From the ridiculous to the sublime

And I’ll close with a photo of the beginning of Michele’s sweater.  We saw her choose the pattern last week (with subtle hints from the group, ahem) and now we’ll see it come together.  This is gorgeous yarn!

Michele's sweater...well some of it, anyway

Next week we meet at Michele’s house.  I can’t wait to see the progress on everyone’s projects.   Will Mary felt her mittens?  Will Michele be up to her armpits?  Will Leslie have the scarf finished?  Will Marsha have any hair or just a chart?  Will Julie have a family?  Will Carol have another baby on the way?  Will Deb have her scarf finished?  Will Francy bring her puppy to show us?  Will Marylane STILL be working on that darn sweater?  Will Cy and Kerrie join us again?  Stay tuned, knitters.  The drama is unbearable.

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