winner winner tofu dinner!

you might remember this post about oh ginger's week-long give-a-way in february. this little chickadee followed her own instructions and left a comment every day with crossed fingers. and it paid off! take a look at the loot that landed here at chickadee central the other day:

thank you random number generator for choosing me! and thank you meaghan for sending this victor so many spoils! the collection of cubicle art is totally cute and oh so lovingly crafted. and the little pin from crafty folk is precious!

if you weren't lucky enough to win something in february, you can find more from meaghan in her online store. and if you need to add some adorable to your life, check out crafty folk's etsy shop.

i scream, we scream

ice cream cake!!!

happy month of etsy posts to me!

as you might recall, way back on may 1st this chickadee started the item-a-day-for-the-month-of-may challenge. it didn't seem likely at the time, but i managed to stay the course and update the little shop of chickadee every single day (all 31 of them). so to the victor of this self-imposed challenge goes the spoils. yummy spoils. here's to more fun and more good times on etsy!

nuts for hazel

friends recently added a beautiful baby girl to their family. here's the chickadee contribution to the welcome wagon:

the blankie is a blue sky alpacas pattern designed by kristen rengren. it is a series of slip stitches and color changes that knits up to a pretty, speckled, and soft fabric. the softness was thanks in part to knit picks comfy, a cozy cotton blend with just a touch of acrylic. to speed things up a bit, i went with the bulky version of the yarn, larger needles then called for, and an abbreviated stitch count.

but with a new embroidery enchantment, it didn't stop there. this little onesie was stitched up using some new skills (thanks jenny hart!), fabric stabilizer and an old aunt martha transfer pattern.

desperately seeking model

this chickadee recently filled another special request for that sweet paisley pincushion scalloped apron. (see previous posts here and here ) i am pretty fond of the fabrics used this time. too bad no one was around to model it before it was sent on its merry way. but you can get the picture (haha):

and while writing this it came to my attention that there was another apron who never got a blog mention. this one was made as a christmas prezzie for a friend:

in the bag

here's the second part of the thurgood marshall academy triumvirate. it's a new slant on an old style of tote with plenty of pockets to boot. there's an inset zip on the front and a triple slip pocket inside with a place for everything from a pencil to a cell phone. the bag and the straps are reinforced with interfacing which gives shape and stability.

bright, happy and ready to be taken home by someone at the shining star gala and auction to benefit the students of thurgood marshall academy. tomorrow you'll meet the third part of this beautiful trio that's ready to be bid on.

the heat is on

it's going to be a busy week here at chickadee central. the summit of awesome gets started just a few short days from now and there's plenty of prep needed for the presentation sessions. to get your own self ready, view the updated schedule and learn more about each session by reading the descriptions.

and the finishing touches are being put on a special project for a special cause. some chickadee creations are going up on the auction block again. this time they are part of a fundraising effort for the thurgood marshall academy, a dc charter school. From their website:

Thurgood Marshall Academy was founded upon the belief—articulated by US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall—that all children have the right to a first-class education and the opportunity to reach their full potential.

As the District's first law-themed public charter high school, Thurgood Marshall Academy combines a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum with education about law, democracy, and human rights.

Thurgood Marshall Academy's goal is to help students develop their own voices by teaching them the skills lawyers have—the ability to solve complex problems, think critically, and advocate persuasively for themselves and their communities. We currently serve 365 students in grades nine through twelve.

they host an annual shining star gala and auction to raise funds to further their educational cause, and this chickadee is contributing a combination apron, tote and pot holders. today, meet the helpers that go between your hands and the hot stuff.


this tough twosome makes sure that your tender paws stay protected. they are double stuffed with special batting to absorb heat. and, as you'll see later, are stitched to match the others in the ensemble.

triangles are a girl's best friend

how to make this chickadee happy (in four easy steps):

1. find some gorgeous yarn that also happens to be super soft (malabrigo dos)
   
2. knit an amazing triangle lace scarf (ishbel by ysolda teague)
   
3. decide you don't like the color on you
4. give it to your eternally grateful and extremely excited friend
   

and can you believe it? that's just what my ultra-talented, generous friend christy did! thank you, thank you, a million thank you's! this multifaceted gem of a kerchief has barely been anywhere else but around my neck since the gifting. it has already garnered numerous complements and deserves some time in the spotlight here as well. to see her other beautifully crafted handknits, check out her blog knitting pretty in dc.

alice the camel

it is slow going with the sewing at the moment...a combination of too much hot chocolate and too much time spent watching snow fall. the white winter blanket outside reminded me of the warm indoor blanket just bound-off and bound to be a prezzie. the lacy chunky throw by wenlan chia of twinkle knits had me at "hello i look so very soft and warm and luxurious." knit with size 19 needles and yarn that looks like dreadlocks, the toughest part of the pattern was tackling the bigness of it. once you get used to the super sized silver needles and the creepy feeling of knitting with nappy dreads, the rest is a breeze. the lace pattern is quite forgiving and friendly for those of us who sometimes forget to yarn over.

and best of all, the pattern is free! classic elite manufactures the suggested yarn for the throw, twinkle soft chunky. and they are offering a free download of that pattern from their website. this chickadee wasn't able to track down the twinkle soft chunky around this town, so i settled for cascade magnum. four skeins and just about four nights later, voila! the lap of luxury.

finally finished

no new sewing to show you just yet, instead take a look at a knit project that seemed never-ending. the knit centerpiece treasure throw from lion brand was indeed a treasure to behold on their website. and early knitting was a breeze thanks to the small circumference. but as the stripes broadened the project became tedious, taking hours to complete one round! (also, the pattern wasn't too precise and there wasn't enough yarn to go around at least twice.) patience and perseverance won out in the end and now this throw is ready to be the belated wedding present it has always wanted to be.

topo gigio

if you are a fiberholic you've probably clicked over to knitty plenty of times. it is an online candy store for knitters where your pennies aren't even necessary. patterns, articles and advice are all available for free! published seasonally, it is a great place to thumb through pages of inspiration and ideas. in fact, this chickadee has mined it mercilessly and struck gold on more than one occasion. most recently, the topographie hat made it to my needles and then to the head of one lucky little elf.

the pattern is deceptively simple. pick a pretty dk weight variegated yarn then pick out your favorite hue. highlight that pick by purling it instead of knitting when it shows up on your needles. that's it! the results are like a map with raised ridges interspersed throughout...hence the name. here's a detail of this chickadee's version. knit with one skein of colinette cadenza in copperbeach with the navy portions purposely purled.

take it easy

hope you are ready for another week full of knitting. the holidays were just the perfect time to pick up the neglected needles and make up for lost swatch time. plenty of projects were completed in a short time thanks to some super bulky yarns like this one from rowan. big wool lives up to its name...it is full and thick and knits up quick. you can find the pattern for this hat in rowan's big easy booklet. it has a host of scarves, hats and sweaters that can be made in a snap with big wool and some matching big needles.

this topper is topped off with a fancy little felted pin made by the littlest bean, a baltimore crafter who whip stitches beautiful brooches and an assortment of accessories.

cabled creatures

who would have thought that one curved cable needle could create something so cute. it took only a few twists in the front with a couple of leans to the back and out popped this lovely little owl. this chickadee is always keeping an eye out for adorable aviary friends and knew right away where these would find a fitting home. it was a pleasure to put this pair together as a prezzie for pang of pretty little fings (you can check out her super cute sewn owls on etsy).

if you'd like to knit your own little nests, the lovely folks at kelbourne woolens want to help you along. you can print out the pattern for the give a hoot mittens from their website. conquer your fear of cables with the easy to follow and extra thorough instructions. these were so much fun to work on that they're probably be a flock of them soon to follow.

third time's a charmer

remember the quant? a fab, first-time-friendly entrelac project with a funny name. (click to see the purple or the pink version). it is back and better than ever, this time knit with a new yarn and a bit of a twist. the yarn is noro kureyon, 100% wool from the land of japan. it comes in the most amazing array of bold and bright colors. it seemed a bit scratchy at first, but softened up once it was out of the skein and on the needles. instead of following the full pattern, this time i skipped a set of triangles and whiddled down the width.

baby it's cold inside

this cuddly cowl was made for a friend whose house tends to be a tad chilly in the winter months. stylish, not too snug, and super soft thanks to the berroco ultra alpaca yarn it is a quick, comforting knit. just one skein was all it took to whip up a toasty turtleneck. the pattern came courtesy of a free download found on ravlery (if you knit and/or crochet, this site is an incredible resource and a treasure trove of tempting patterns...many of them available for free). named "meine kalte liebe" (my cold love) by its creator rilana riley-munson, it was inspired by her love of the twilight series.

the pattern is offered as a free download from ravelry, but if you aren't a member yet don't despair. looks like you can also get a copy from her website, pdx princess. scroll down in the right hand column to find a list of the patterns available. the chickadee version deviates from the printed page only slightly...and not at all on purpose. it was just fun and absorbing and before you could say "scheißevogel" i'd worked an extra repeat.

knit 1, purl 2, make many

the end of the 2008 craft show season also brought a temporary end to the sewing around here at chickadee central. the new machine that joined the family has been sitting idle, a victim of overbooked obligations and happy holidaying. that doesn't mean that all modes of creation have ceased. in fact, the urge to make some last-minute prezzies started a knit storm that's still raining needles and purls.

here's a current project that's yet to reach completion. started way back on november 28 (see the first post here), the centerpiece treasure throw has been quite a project. this circular coverlet is worked from the center out, which means that each round includes an increased number of stitches. in the beginning it was a treat, now it is quite a timely undertaking. rounds that once were worked in twenty minutes now take nearly an hour to complete. and, from reading what other knitters had to say about this pattern on ravelry, it seems that the folks at lion brand might have given a low estimate of the yarn usage. i ran out of yarn two times and cut it pretty close twice more.

this one was put on the back burner for the sake of smaller, cuter projects that you'll soon meet. but hopefully soon the cast-off will begin and the never ending circular knitting will come off the needles and show itself off. hopes for this one are still high.

rudolph the red nosed bacon

my friend pang participated in her first ever craft show at the black cat in dc last night. she sure started off on the right foot, selling out of many of her items and coming home almost empty handed. congratulations to pang and her pretty little fings!




this chickadee was the biggest winner on the night, snatching up all sorts of stuffed goodies both to give out as prezzies and to keep! the prezzies will be keeping a low profile for now, but here are a few pictures of one particular pretty fing that can't be parted with.




each piece is perfectly stitched with precision and great attention to detail (check out the belly button on the bat. too cute!) soon you'll be able to purchase your very own pretty little fing by pang, but right now there's a big SOLD OUT sign in her etsy store. check back in the coming days as she restocks her shop and gets ready for fun 2009 full of craft success!

yes, virginia, there is still time

still hoping to handcraft some holiday gifts? wondering what you can do with just one weekend remaining before the great reindeer ride? well, this chickadee's been thinking of you and your plight. enter the latest article penned for hello craft! it is stuffed like a stocking full of suggestions for last-minute makings. check out the intro down below and then click on it to read the full post.

the forecast calls for flurries

actually a flurry of activity, as this chickadee scrambles to finish up and ship out some orders. so while there's a someone here running around like a chickadee with her head cut off, you just sit back and take a load off. take a break from writing cards and wrapping prezzies, warm yourself up with a hot toddy, and take a look at some new craft aprons that were put together for a secret santa.

stocking stuffers

as previously mentioned, there's still quite a lot of activity here at the chickadee outpost of santa's workshop. this chickadee's little helper, bernie the bernette 65, is stitching up some last minute special orders especially for some special people. we're staying mum about the who's, but it seems safe to show a few of the what's:

something tells me i'm into something good

blanket beginnings...


when one blanket door closes, another opens