my little mermaid

in the spirit of spring and transformations, here is some makeover madness chickadee style:

before:



after:

the magical transformation was made when the treads of tilli tomas voile de la mer met up with the curve of this chickadee's crochet hook. the february installment from stitch dc's stash club, voile de la mer is composed of 70% silk and 30% seacell, a natural kelp fiber. the blue-green version of the variegated sea silk is called mermaid. a fitting nautical name with a nod to its kelp component. the pattern design, provided by the people at stitch dc, allows the fiber to float along in wonderful little waves. smooth sailing .

look ma, no fingers!

around here, spring is springing but the morning chill is lingering. while many of the woolliest woolens can be packed away, this chickadee is still keeping some hand knits at her fingertips...including these new fingerless arm warmers. how nice to knit (and type) with cozy carpals and fancy forearms! a single twist on top provides the flair to an otherwise straightforward rib pattern that bundles up the bones from just below the elbow to just above the palm of the hand. a handsome arrangement for the fingers, leaving them free to float about in the manner that phalanges favor. this project was knit with the january installment of yarn from the stitch dc stash club, adorn sock yarn from three irish girls. a fitting finish for st. patty's day.

the fingerless arm warmers were still on the needles when the latest stash club skein showed up on this chickadee's doorstep. marvel at the mermaid, a beautifully dyed ocean of blues and greens that gets its gloss from 70% silk and 30% seacell = natural sea kelp fiber. voila! voile de la mer from tilli tomas.

how nice that the colors complement those in the previous package. stay tuned to find out what sort of creation arises from the depths of this deep sea.

coming attractions

things are humming here at chickadee central! there are so many projects on the horizon in both the fabric and yarn arenas. here are two works, not yet in progess, from the department of hooks and needles. you'll get to follow them from seed to flower, or from skein to scarf or sock or hat or ???

the first is january's stitch dc stash club selection:

the yarn star for january comes from three irish girls. this is their adorn sock yarn in connemara valley. and it sure looks like ireland...the emerald green, the bright blue, the earthy brown and the faintest hint of rose. these three little lassies have created their own pot of gold. each skein is hand dyed to perfection. you can see all of their amazing "colorways" on their website and sign up for their yarn-of-the-month club. dying to dye your own? they'll even get you started. st. pattie's day is a month away and i'm already feeling lucky. several pattern suggestions accompanied the yarn including a modern irish beret, leg warmers, and the connemarra crochet cowl. i'm not sure what is at the end of my rainbow quite yet, but rest assured that i'll keep you posted on how this turns out. perhaps a guinness would provide the proper inspiration?

next up, a surprise skein of luxury:

this cream colored bundle of joy was a prezzie from my über thoughtful mother-in-law, whose own knit and crochet creations are superfantastisches. it is some of the finest yarn that i've had the chance to meet, 100% alpaca from the fleece of wild and wooly pennsylvania-raised camelids (don't call 'em llamas). who knew that pennsylvania produced anything other than great quarterbacks and a variety of affordable beers best served "ice cold" (iron city, yuengling, rolling rock...) this special skein will almost certainly be transformed into a scarf...but the decision is not yet final. stay tuned to find out what happens when a couple of hapless pennsylvania alpacas meet sheers and a spinning wheel...and dr. chickadee's needles.

beaded beanie

although the fingerless glove pattern was tempting, this chickadee decided to branch out. combing through all of my various patterns and books for inspiration, i happened upon a tiny treat...a coats and clark's learn to knit book published in 1968. my gramma passed along this treasure to me. with the knowledge that i gleaned in its pages (and a few liberties taken), i came up with this toasty topper:

p.s.  no more posts until monday...enjoy a relaxing weekend.  xo.

12 months of yarn madness!

a belated thank you to santa for enrolling this chickadee in stitch dc's first ever stash club! each month, my needles and i will anxiously await the delivery of a delicious skein of yarn and the pattern that accompanies it. the yarns are lovingly selected by stitch dc's owner, marie, who knits globally and locally with a whole lot of heart. december's selection has been patiently waiting for its debut, and it is a head turner...

this lovely yarn is from tilli tomas. one skein of aspen, 100% australian merino and one skein of mogul, the same merino with hand strung glass beads. here's a snapshot from the website that gives a little information about the company.

pay a visit to see their other beaded and bedazzled yarns. while there, check out the patterns section which showcases the work of various designers including justine moody. her la dolce vita fingerless glove was is featured project for december.