fair trade

last night was the pints and purls party at knit happens in alexandria (click knit 2, purl 2, sip 1 for the previous post). there were delicious cupcakes, tempting libations and the lady of the hour, karida collins, was there to sign books and model some of the projects. here she is with olga buraya-kefelian (a designer featured the book) showing off the lovely stockinette cowl from page 131.

and wait, what's that that she's wearing around her waist. why that looks like a chickadee original craft apron. by golly it is! karida has been so kind to me, gifting some of her yummy yarns and even a copy of her book. the craft apron was a fun way to give back.

congratulations to karida and her co-author libby bruce! and to all of the designers featured in the book. grab this book and your favorite potable...then purl away.

sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

this cotton collar is cute, cozy and comfortable. it drapes just below the shoulders and the edges ripple slightly to provide a flouncy finish. it will go beautifully with that breezy spring dress that i've been dreaming about (but haven't found yet). the collar is knit with three skeins of shine worsted from knit picks. the pattern comes courtesy of scarf style and it is the first project that i've made out of the book. the designs range broadly from simple to sophisticated so there is a bit of something for everyone. this particular pattern employed the short row technique that seems to be popping up everywhere...from dishcloths to bold as love blankets... to make it my own i added some extra crochet around the outside and a bright white button closure (instead of the ties that the pattern calls for).

you make me feel like dancin'

back when this chickadee was but a baby bird, a tiny tot, i spent several years stuffed like a sausage in pink tights and a black leotard, the uniform of every hopeful ballerina-in-training. dipping my twinkle toes into rosin and prancing across the well worn wooden floor of the ballet slipper (my hometown training ground) , i dared to dream of stage lights and curtain calls. alas, as the shortest one in the class i realized my limitations early on and my parents mercifully yielded to my demands to play softball instead. i may have left the barre far behind, but my love of the leg warmer stayed with me forever. so practical. so chic. so much fun to make.

as leg warmers go, these are tasteful and refined. the pattern for these again came from one skein. thanks to that book there is no excuse to sit around and twiddle thumbs or walk around with bare gams. instead of using the prescribed yarn, these were knit with debbie bliss baby cashmerino. because of the difference in yardage, two skeins were required to complete the project.

here is a look at the ends of the leg sleeves. one is finished off with a subtle knit three, purl one rib. the opposite was done up fancy with yarn overs that produced a frilly little eyelet. you choose which you'd like as the top and bottom. or get crazy and mix them up. or get super crazy and thread a ribbon through the eyelet and tie them up in a bow.

nothing beats a great pair of leg warmers.

sock it to 'em

the one skein bandit strikes again! this time, la bandida has rustled up some stockings to keep toes toasty as winter takes its final stand. remember the fabulous pennsylvania alpaca? turns out, it was perfect for this project. soft and warm, with no hint of itch in sight, it was begging to become a knee-high or a tube or even a crew...happily, the transition from alpaca to anklet was made with the greatest of ease.

this chickadee has always been daunted by the thought of making socks but this pattern cured what ailed me. socks are super! fired up with first time stocking success, i set out to fill a long neglected request for a pair of something warm and woolen. i'd been given the green light to make them mismatched and to raid the leftover pile for raw materials. be careful what you wish for. we take all requests seriously...

frills and chills

here is another delightful project from the book, one skein. this lovely, lacy little scarf was crocheted with just one generous skein of vanna's choice yarn, made by lion brand. anti-acrylic artistes won't be big fans, but it is surprisingly soft and supple. a great value for the penny-pincher and a great yarn to get started with. vanna, you scamp. all of those years turning letters in glitzy gowns and super stilettos...who would have guessed that you were back in your dressing room crocheting doilies and granny squares?

one skein wonderful

this is a fantastic book that hasn't been spending much time on the shelf. there are many reasons for its recent popularity. inside are thirty projects (mostly knit but some crochet) and i want to make just about all of them. the projects range from socks to scarves, bibs to bowls and totes to tank tops. there are even two rug recipes. the ones that i've tried so far have indeed been quick, as advertised on the cover, and they've also been fun to work on. a great way to utilize lonely skeins of yarn...a great excuse to buy one skein of something perhaps too pricey for purchase in multiples.

my first foray into the book yielded great results. in fact, i liked the asymmetrical cable hat pattern so much that i made it twice. for the initial attempt i used blue sky cotton from blue sky alpacas yarn in a minty green...the second, andean silk from knit picks in cranberry. both worked great and encouraged with the success, i tried another pattern. the single cable scarf is one of four patterns for twisty neck warmers. knit with the same blue sky cotton, it turned out to be a great complement to the cap.