everything that glitters

on a mission to actually use some yarn that's been around for a while, the chickadee suitcases were packed with several skeins from the stash. dream in color starry was singled out for the prized position of carry-on yarn. armed with size 6 bamboo needles that the tsa dare not take away and a sweet shawl pattern, we were cleared for take off and cast-on before we hit cruising altitude.

by the end of the trip, the shaelyn shawl (ravelry link) was completely knit. it was a great pattern for vacation, with a mix of stockinette and an easy to memorize lace pattern. rows were clear enough to count and keep track of. starry has quite a bit more yardage than called for, so one additional repeat was added. final verdict, a well written pattern that was a pleasure to knit.

starry was a bit tough to photograph, the actual color is more saturated and the silver strand throughout is more visible. as with the other dream in color yarns that i've worked with in the past, this softens considerably in the bath. it is a fun yarn to work with...something a little different while still maintaining the subtle color changes that makes hand dyed yarns so lovely.

for more on this project, see the ravelry page.

summer lovin'

this chickadee took a little break from the day to day and disappeared for a wee bit. but don't despair! i'm back with plenty to share.

first, let's catch up with with the freshest fibre space project bags:

and coming up later this week, find out how much yarn one little chickadee can cram into a suitcase!

hot to trot

the traveling woman by liz abinante has graced this here blog a few times in the past. it is a testament to the greatness of the pattern that it keeps getting made to be gifted. this lady really is a special shawl, somewhere in between a scarf and a wrap. giving them away has been joyful, but also a bit sad as they always sit so nicely on the shoulders or cozy up to the neck and seem to want to stay right here.

in a knitting slump and struggling to manage an unruly stash, i decided to travel by staying close to home and pulled out the pattern yet again. paired with some mystery yarn that had been left here by a friend on her way out of town chasing down new adventures, and the circle was unbroken. the yarn is probably alchemy silk purse...but that is a best guess. it was unlabeled and already wound when it got here, as if it had started down one road and then decided to to turn back. it is bright as the day!


the three little balls did their best to manage the pattern with an additional repeat of the first chart, but they ran out of steam just stitches away from the end of a row. luckily no yarn is ever squandered in these parts, and there were still remnants remaining from the first ever chickadee traveling woman. the leftover malabrigo silky merino lent itself lovingly to the edge of another far wandering femme.

shame, boatloads of shame

it is shameful and sad that the couch located just steps from this here chickadee computer portal was in desperate need of pillows for such a long time. the old ones were tattered and torn and truly unwelcoming. a rare free friday afternoon came along and it was time to take action!

dear couch, languish no more! you finally have new friends:

(this project has been in the making for quite a while and the fabric for it was purchased so long ago that i can't even recall the name of the collection. will research if anyone is interested. shame!)

look ma, matched corners!

a clean slate

here's to good old fashioned summer knitting! simplicity that allows the mind to unwind but still yields delightful results. with the heat bearing down on you and your needles, it is sometimes sublime to relax with stockinette stitch. those complex cables can come back in the fall.

the boneyard shawl from westknits was just the thing to weather the latest heat wave. it is a small, portable project that won't take up too much room in your tote. and its straightforward construction was easy to follow without getting lost. sections of stockinette are offset with a tidy purl ridge that keep things interesting without having to maintain strict attention.

another great part of the pattern is that almost any yarn will do. this one is made from the super squishy, soft and luxurious neighborhood fiber co. capitol luxury sock (merino/cashmere/nylon). you can easily customize the size of the shawl to fit your yarn or your pretty little neck. the chickadee version has nine purl ridges and is finished off with an inch and a half of garter stitch. that used up almost all 375 yards and made a cute little kerchief. it is the grooviest slate grey and goes well with most everything.

chickadee: 1 cute kerchief / heat wave: 101º

birthday bags!

fibre space turns one today!

pattern and pic from crazy dazy knits

congratulations to danielle and the gang

and high hopes for continued stitching success!

to celebrate, this chickadee is dropping off some more shop bags. (see pic below). and be sure to stop by space and take advantage of their super sale that lasts through the weekend.

attention dc area artists and crafters!

here's a copy and paste lifted (with permission, of course) from oh meaghan about a new local art/craft happening. arts on n will be held the first two weekends of august in dc's shaw neighborhood. it is hosted by area awesome beth baldwin of tigerflight.

contact beth at the email listed above for more info!

after midnight

some more fancy florals for fibre space

a summertime flourish

greetings friends and patient friendly readers! thanks for sticking around while this chickadee enjoys summertime a little bit too much. hope that you are all doing the same. with no shows on the horizon for the season, there isn't too much production in the sewing department. but there always seems to be something going on in the division of pointy sticks and yarn.

meet the newest addition to the incredibly huge chickadee collection of triangular shawls. she's a beauty! the pattern is flourish by rose beck (available on ravelry). it was a delightful knit and a well written pattern. those of you new to lace knitting and looking for a challenge, look no further!

the suggested yarn is worsted weight, which makes it easy (easier) to read your stitches and follow the pattern. this version made good use of some madelinetosh dk that had been lying sadly in the stash for a while. the colorway, vermilion, is even prettier in person.

as with most hand-dyed yarns, it is a good idea to alternate skeins while you are working because colors can vary quite a bit.

now off to knit more polygons...

on the blue ridge mountains / that's where i'll make my stand

in my mind i'm gone (back) to carolina