hand-picked!

handmade mart is this sunday, may 22nd! same sunny silver spring location and some familiar faces. pretty little fings will be there with all sorts of new treats fresh from her making shed. she's been spending lots of time at the local farmers market and from the looks of things, all of that fresh produce has gone to her head...and her hands.

here's a sneak peek:

check out her new stuff at the show sunday! and stop by to see all of the other great vendors there too. looks like it is going to be a great gathering of some crafty and creative folks.

silk stalkings

neighborhood fiber co's scrumptious new penthouse silk fingering has hit the virtual shelves! you can get yourself a skein (or two...or three...or more...) of this gorgeous stuff from her webstore. 500 yards of 100% silk in a fingering weight, just think of the stunning shawls that can be made from just one skein!

along with the new yarn launch, there are some new colors to consider.

gwynn oak

mount vernon

easterwood

ain't she sweet

fire on the mountain

until the eternal question of "how many handknit shawls is too many?" is answered, this chickadee will continue to cast them on. they are perfect projects...challenging lace sections, lazy stockinette, comfortable yardage requirements...what's not to love?

recently, this chickadee's wandering needles happened upon a particularly striking skein of yarn. this single ply manos del uruguay maxima REALLY stood out on the shelves of purl soho. the colorway, speeding ticket, is probably a bit too much to wear in a sweater. but in a shawl it could be stunning.

the pattern needed to be plain enough to let the color do the talking, but interesting enough to maintain the interest of the knitter. kouyou by angela tong (ravelry link only) is just the right combination. there is a swatch of stockinette that lets the color really shine and the prettiest of lace edgings that is a total treat to knit.

this might be the official rainy day shawl. there isn't a black cloud above that it couldn't brighten up.

new kid on the block

karida has added a new yarn to the neighborhood fiber co. line-up! penthouse silk fingering is, you guessed it, 100% silk in fingering/sock weight. with plenty of yardage (500 to be exact) this is a great choice for all of the lovely lace shawlette patterns out there.

to celebrate, fibre space is hosting a block party this thursday, may 12th from 7-9pm! details are below...