We all trekked over to Michele’s house.  It has been so gloomy and cloudy and cold, but it was great for the Castoffs to be together and happy at Michele’s.  Thanks for being such a good hostess, Michele.  Because it was nearly Marylane’s birthday, Michele baked a spice cake with caramel icing that was delicious.  Marylane got a candle on her piece – Happy Birthday, Marylane!  We sang.  And when we found out that Marylane and Dick were going to see a local production of South Pacific, Leslie and I burst into song and darned near sang the entire score.  I still can’t get one of the songs out of my head…Wish I could wash it out of my hair!

Michele was wearing a very pretty boucle sweater that she knit BC – Before Castoffs.  Francy was trying to figure out how to knit it as a longer coat.  Hmmm.  Francy loves those long coats.

Michele in her BC boucle sweater

The Birthday girl working on her sweater

Carol brought a darling little leg warmer for her niece.  We all screamed and assumed for a moment that it was for one of the grandchildren-to-be, but no, she hasn’t begun THOSE projects yet.  This legwarmer was trimmed with metallic yarn on the edge and had little hearts.  Adorable.

Cute legwarmer from the 'dancing Aunt'

I brought my purple top-down sweater that I don’t have enough yarn to finish.  Leslie has talked me into using the matching variegated yarn to chart a swoosh or wave into the bottom of the torso.  I finished the sleeve and neck edges and am ready to work the dubious miracle of charting.

The Wave awaits

Michele asked a question that I hadn’t thought of – does the neck fit?  Well, duh, I don’t know, I can’t put it on with the needles still in the bottom.  “Put it on upside down just at the neck,” she said.  Oh.  So I did, but it was a tight squeeze.  Here I am praying that the rest of the sweater fits – whenever it get finished.

Sister Marsha praying for a miracle...or at least the end of this damn sweater!

As of this posting, I did make a chart (which I’m not following) and I am determined to finish this sweater soon.  Soon.

Speaking of finishing soon…Mary got a little help from Michele on her mittens to be felted.  Mary got a little…ah, confused…at the thumbs and had a giant lumpy thingy on the end of one thumb.  “Oh, it will disappear when it’s felted.”  Well, those who have actually felted something loudly disagreed, so Michele and Mary ripped out the offending thumbs and reknit them without lumps.

"What do you mean, the lump won't disappear in the hot water?" It's not cornstarch, Mary.

Now there won't be anything in the thumbs but...uh, thumbs.

Carol and Deb were having a serious discussion about something or other but it didn’t interfere with their knitting, of course.

Ya don't say.

Speaking of Deb, we will meet at her house next week and we are all excited to see her house and view.  I hear it’s wonderful, so I hope the weather cooperates!

Leslie and Michele were working on their scarf and sweater, respectively, and Francy had to leave early, but we got to see her cute puppy Ellie.  Aww, and I didn’t get a picture for the blog!  Boo.  Maybe another time, Ellie.

Keep knitting, Castoffs and I’ll keep writing about it.  Whatever IT is!  Have a great week.

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