going to extremes

this chickadee has declared the knitting year of 2011 to be the year of the extremities. time to tackle those toes, handle the hands and bring flair to all sorts of phalanges. that means that mittens and socks are on the menu. and to spice things up a bit, why not throw in a new technique or two?

so here are two chickadee firsts in two chickadee projects...first pair of mittens and first stranded colorwork. followed quickly by the second pair of mittens and second attempt at stranded colorwork.

many more attempts/failures/successes/otherwise to follow!

fraternal mittwins


pattern: herringbone mittens with poms (elliphantom knits)
yarn: cascade 220




canary in a coal mine



pattern: birdcage mittens (also from elliphantom knits)
yarn: fiberphile hand-dyed super squish worsted (love!)

all you need is warmth

this chickadee stumbled upon a heartfelt happening yesterday in dc, just off dupont circle. a small group with a grateful conscious gathered at the gandhi statue on 21st and massachussets ave to remember the life and celebrate the legacy of the peaceful leader....and to warm him up a bit!

they placed pom-pon garland at the base of the monument and laid crochet chains around his feet. he got a scarf for his neck and a hat to keep his head cozy. there was a sweet serenade by a few flautists and soft greetings and giggles from those who gathered.

there was also a spot to make a donation of hand knitted items to help those who are left out in the cold this winter. here's hoping that they made their way to cover cold hands and heads and keep out at least some of the chill.

for more information or to stay in the loop for next year, visit the gandhiwarmer page.

and to read a nice write-up on the event, click over to the 42.

uke can squeeze this

this little number was cast on while waiting in the wings for victoria vox to strum some tunes on her magical ukulele. not only does she play the world's cutest stringed instrument, she also hails from wisconsin and currently resides in baltimore...two places near and dear to this chickadee's tiny heart. if those three things aren't enough to make her awesome already, add in her ability to play a mad mouth trumpet and pen sweet songs.

you can get yourself yuletide cheer ukulele style in the form of her holiday card ep, available on her website along with her other releases (that's also where you'll find screenprinted unders with "uke can squeeze this" on the bum). check her out when she comes to your town! tell her the chickadee sent you.

by the chimney with care

the chickadee contribution to the holiday edition of the fiercegrrl fund is on the auction block! don't miss your chance to bid on a 100% handknit stocking to hang on your mantle. the sweet striped super-sock comes unstuffed so that you can fill it full of cookies or coal.

empty as it may be of goodies and gumdrops, it does come to you full of love and gratitude for your support of nicole in this difficult time.

go! bid! win!

lightening the load

the possibility that there was someone or some organization out there that could make good use of some good yarn got this chickadee motivated. no corner, cubbyhole or crate went without investigation. and when the dust bunnies settled, these three boxes were packed full of skeins of yarn, supplies and the hopes that they'd find loving homes where they could inspire, soothe and entertain women in need...the way that only knitting can.

anyone out there with a craft or hobby probably also has an abundance of materials. there's that yarn that you save for years waiting for just the right project to come along. or the fabric scraps that you just can't bear to send to the circular file. a quick search online reveals that for every reason you can think of to hold on, there are equally as many organizations out there hoping that you'll let a little bit go.

it is pretty easy to take a look around and see that there is enough to share. but sometimes the hard part is finding the right place for it to go. here are two sites that were super helpful for me.

• interweave knits: a nice list of knitting charities including organizations that are requesting supplies and/or finished products. short descriptions of the organizations and web/contact information available.
  
• lion brand charity connection: search by supply/project and location and find someone in your area who is looking for just what you have. descriptions/contact information also listed.
  

next on the list, unused finished objects and fabric!


if you know a group in need or if you are a group with needs, feel free to leave a footnote in the comments below.

think HOT pink

fiercegrrl auctions are back up and running. on the block this week is a beautiful brooch from baltimore's own broken plate pendant company. go bid!

holidays already?

yep. and this year they are going to be fierce!

as you may remember, this chickadee participated in the fiercegrrl fund online auction to raise funds for a fellow crafter who is fighting ovarian cancer. nicole's courage is inspirational. she's endured multiple surgeries and experimental treatments that take their toll both emotionally and financially.

oh ginger is again sounding the call to those of us in the crafty community and asking for donations. see the flyer below for more details and please donate if you can. if you can't, please stay tuned to this space for information on when you can purchase an ornament and help fuel the fire of nicole's fight.



for more information, see the fiercegrrl fund website.

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!

happy father's day (and a belated happy mother's day too)

this chickadee loves y'uns

going...going...

almost gone! today is the last day to bid on a handknit chickadee creation to benefit the fiercegrrl fund. this hot hot pink number could be all yours...and all proceeds go directly to nicole.

can you feel the love

meaghan over at queering domesticity has put together the sweetest post on little old me. it is part of a series of write-ups on crafters participating in her jolly holiday giveaway (the results are now posted). i can't thank her enough for her support and her kind words about this chickadee. in fact, i'm speechless. so you'll have to click on the image below to read all of the lovely things that she has written.

washington dc, it's paradise to me...

it is the people doing something real...like friends morgan hungerford, nilay lawson and their merry band of panda head pranksters. they're at it again with issue number five of their fabulous online magazine highlighting what's hot in dc fashion, photography, music and art. please join this chickadee in congratulating the gang as they celebrate their first birthday, one whole year of greatness. our little panda's all growns up...

photo: joshua cogan
from issue five of panda head mag

coal miner's granddaughter

my mom was born a coal miner's daughter. in a company house, on a hill in yatesboro, pa. her father, my grandpa, was more than a miner. he was an excellent carpenter, shoemaker, storyteller, fly fisherman and a gardener among many other things. he played the guitar and sang with my gramma on the side porch swing of the house that he built. hard-working, honest, fair and wise beyond the few years of classroom education that he had...my memories of him have taken on mythical qualities. i'll never forget his strength. when he hugged you he could squeeze the air right out of your lungs. after a series of heart attacks, that strength began to wain but the twinkle in his eye never faded.

i was thinking of him as i worked on this project, the onerva by särmä, a finnish designer (ravelry link here). it was a tricky pattern to learn, the fact that it was written in finnish being but one difficulty. for some reason, it never seemed to sink in. and there was much ripping and restarting and a point where it came very close to being put down and put away. but then i thought about my grandfather, and how he would never give up. he'd tinker and toy with things until he found a way to make them work. and that's just what happened. finally it came together and made sense and started to grow into something beautiful. no coincidence that as it grew, the color became more palpable. the slate gray resembling shale, like the walls of my grandpa's underground office. the color that he found himself surrounded by on a daily basis, for hours upon hours.


this is my favorite of them all. because it gave me hours to sit and think about a man who was such an important part of my life and who continues to be an inspiration. he passed away several years ago, so no more bone crushing hugs...just the soft drape of a carbon colored scarf around the neck to remind me.

flashback

happy father's day

this chickadee loves you

handmade nation in the nation's capitol

even if you can't make it to the summit of awesome may 1-3 (really? you can't?), you can still benefit from the fun that is descending on dc that weekend. faythe levine's film handmade nation has been buzzing about in the craft hive for quite a while now. it is finally making a small tour of its country of inspiration and one stop on that trip is washington dc!

the premiere showing will take place on friday and viewing for the debut is limited to summit of awesome attendees. but if you aren't feeling awesome, you can still catch cinema d'craft before it moves on to the next town. the second screening is at 8:30pm in theater j at the washington dc jewish community center. $10 gets you a soft, cushy seat and perhaps even some popcorn to munch as you watch crafters from all over the country doing what they do best.

save your seat now! click it for tickets.

knit 2, purl 2, sip 1

knitting lends itself well to both the solitary and the social. you can certainly relax at home with nothing but cables for company or take the show on the road and share stitches with a few friends. being such a versatile craft, knitting attracts all kinds of people with all sorts of interests. that's why you'll see knitting groups popping up just about everywhere. for the literati, there are knit-lit nights where you can loop-the-loop and discuss the latest bestseller. the sports minded bind-off in the bleachers of baseball games at area stitch and pitch events. ravelry is overrun with groups of knitters whose common thread ranges from favorite fiber to tonight's television watching.


but it isn't always about the theme, sometimes it is just the "togetherness." and there is nothing that brings people together like a little tipple. mix together a love of knitting and a double-hop i.p.a. or a crisp california white wine and you get this new book: pints and purls: portable projects for the social knitter. co-authored by karida collins and libby bruce, it is full to the brim with cute, creative projects that are perfect for a knit night out. this chickadee got a little taste of what is inside at the homespun yarn party, where karida had an advanced copy on display at her neighborhood fiber co. booth. many of her yummy yarns were used in the book and if you haven't yet checked them out, you owe yourself the pleasure.

want to find out what's on tap? here's what the editors had to say:

Recipes for tasty cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres are not the only things that you’ll find in Pints and Purls. For the social knitter who likes to have one drink (or a few!), there are a variety of portable projects such as drink cozies and soft scarves that feature simple-to-follow patterns, plus tips and tricks for fixing mistakes should you have a bit too much while knitting. The pocket size and quick-to-knit projects are perfect for the knitter on the go.

if the "happy hour cappy" or the "barfly pullover" sound like your sort of projects, you can meet up with other like-minded knitters at a tangled skein in hyattsville, md on april 4th for a 5pm book launch/signing/sampling. click here for more details about the event.

if you miss out on this one, be on the look out for another potable purling party at knit happens in alexandria, va.

misty water colored memories

nothing new to show you today, as this chickadee is a bit behind in preparation for the homespun yarn party. instead, here's a little bit more about last week's trip. an interested reader wrote in and asked about the names of the stores that i saw when out in santa monica.

the first stop was a mano yarn center in venice. a nice little bike ride along the strand from santa monica and a short jaunt along venice boulevard brought me to this shop. (it took a while for me to figure out that the name, a mano, means by hand. maybe the sun made the brain work slow) a mano is a small store but stocked to the gills with all sorts of yarns. you'll see some of that yarn soon, after it is put to good use...

(oops, forgot to take pictures inside. see their website)

the next day brought new adventures, including a hike to wildfiber, located several blocks into downtown santa monica. it was worth the walk! a roomy store stocked from floor to ceiling with all sorts of lovely fibers. they boast a comprehensive selection of koigu, plus lots of cottons for spring knitting. there's no chance of walking out of this place empty handed.

last, but certainly not least, was the urban craft center on main street in santa monica. for more on this shop, click over to hello craft for the feature.

snap shots

it is all systems go here at chickadee central as we amp up production for this sunday's homespun yarn party. hopefully, by the end of the week, we'll have stocked up on several new products to suit the needs of knitters. while we continue to work on our mad dash to the finish, have a look at some photos from the trip:

the last leg of the trip was spent by the sea in santa monica. not only are there awesome ocean vistas, there are several local yarn, fabric and craft stores to check out. hopefully there will be a chance to talk more about those places later, as they all had a wonderful selection and sweet, helpful salespeople. it is a wonder that i was able to limit myself to one little bag of goodies.

the panda in winter

hooray for the new issue of panda head magazine! today is the debut of issue three, late winter. as always, it is full of fancy photographs and fashion fun. this time there's even a literary element.

panda head is spearheaded by friend and inspiration morgan hungerford. she and erik loften put out the first two issues of the magazine on their own. now they are joined by another friend o' the chickadee and a creative force in her own right, nilay lawson. viva la panda!

(look closely and you'll see a chickadee creation cameo)

panda head magazine comes out on a seasonal basis. but you can keep up with morgan et al. at panda head, the blog.