A smaller version of the Castoffs met at Leslie’s house on a beautiful, sunny and warm late summer day.  We feasted on baguettes and homemade salsa and drank lovely wine.  Thank you, Leslie.  Julie, Mary, Michele, Leslie, Marsha and a returning friend, Deb came up and knitted and talked about a variety of subjects including stitch increases, hot flashes, children and grandchildren and more.

Michele brought her nearly-finished poncho that is so soft and pretty that any little girl would love it.  She is still working on the hood, but I sneaked in a picture.

Soft and pretty hoodie poncho.

Speaking of little girls, Leslie is knitting her granddaughter Grace a pair of legwarmers with little ruffles at the tops (or bottoms, I don’t know top from bottom since I’ve never had a pair of legwarmers – not even in the 80’s!).

I can just imagine a fat little leg dancing around in this.

She makes the ruffle by increasing each stitch for several rows.  Cute.

Julie brought her top-down hoodie that she knit for her son’s girlfriend, Kayla.  I have the pattern and can’t wait to knit it for myself.  It turned out great, Julie!

You noodlehood, you.

I brought the back of my Zen coat that I’m totally in love with – and it’s not even half finished.  It has a box pleat that I’ll sew into the top of the back following the slip stitches and purl stitch lines that I knitted in.  I’ve been working on it all weekend and now I’m working on the right front and sleeve that are all one big piece.

I love it so much, I can't see straight -- or at all.

Weekends full of sports games contribute to my knitting addiction.  Two things I love most – football (or golf) and knitting.

Mary came in and I caught her with Julie talking about this and that.

With affection: Noodlehead and Knitwit.

These two have turned into fearless knitters.  Julie is the queen of sweaters and mittens and Mary has gone from, uh, holey scarves to fabulous felted purses and mittens.  I am so proud of you both!  Please don’t  hit me when you see the captions.

Mary is knitting a pair of mittens that she is going to felt.  She had a question about increasing stitches that turned into a huge discussion.  Julie advised her to knit below a stitch and then into the same stitch to increase.  “You’re a genius!” Mary said.  Michelle and Marsha advised her to knit into the front AND the back of the same stitch to avoid holes.  This seemed to work better.  “Dagnabit, I’m not a genius!”  Julie said.  Well, we think you’re pretty special, Jules.

Sometimes there's a thin line between being a genius and being a noodlehead.

I loved what Mary said about her dilemma with increasing stitches: “I have an issue and I don’t have a tissue.”  Well, we don’t have any tissues so you’re on your own with the issues.  Not really.  Your knitter friends will always be there to help you with the issues.  In fact, we’ll give you so many options that you may NEED a tissue.

Increase this way! No, increase that way! Dagnabit, where are the tissues?

Mary also brought the purse that she felted last week.  She told us that she went to the fabric store to pick out a button for her purse and fell in love with some beautiful and groovy wooden buttons that she thought would pick up the green in the purse.  Wellll, she didn’t take the purse with her.  Do you know what’s coming?  Do you?

Uh, Mary. I don't believe that there's any green IN your purse. Nice buttons though!

Deb and Michele are trying to find the green in Mary's purse. Huh? No green?

We will be meeting at Leslie’s again next week due to scheduling conflicts in Marsha’s life.  Thanks Leslie!  I know that we’ll have just as much fun next week because we are so fabulous!!  And such great knitters!!  Okay, I’ll stop now.

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