power to the people

would you trust this chickadee with power tools?

this is a scene from one of the classes that i'm in this week -- build and play a mountain dulcimer. it is awesome! actually, there's quite a bit of similarity between sewing and woodworking...the materials and machines are a bit different, but the measuring and construction are pretty much the same.

pickin' and grinin'

this chickadee is crafting something quite different this week. for the next few days it is goodbye scissors and sewing, hello strings and strumming. call it a bluegrass band camp if you will. and as a full time student of the old time arts, there probably won't be too much time for posting. but stay tuned, there should be some mighty fine makings to show you by saturday.

cloudy

pattern: ulmus by kristen kapur
yarn: ninnukka merino sock
theme song: simon and garfunkel

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

depending on your neighborhood....

dc area knitters are losing one of their finest fiber artists this week as karida collins of neighborhood fiber co. packs up her armada of kettles, dyes and yarn and sails west to columbus, ohio. it is an awesome opportunity for karida and a boon for fiberphiles in the buckeye state. for those not in the knit-know, neighborhood fiber co. has been serving up a series of super saturated yarns and rovings all inspired by the naturally occurring beauty in the district...not to mention providing patterns, kits and a monthly sock club.

before her own personal nina, pinta, and santa maria hoist their anchors and head out of town, this chickadee had a last minute opportunity to plunder an awesome stash of sheepy goodness. sometimes there is a silver lining...in this case, the lining is a mix of silk, merino, yak and alpaca.


thanks karida! have a safe trip, a smooth transition to a new town and lots of fun in your new neighborhood.

(dc locals, don't despair! her yarns will still be accessible through her etsy store, local shops and craft shows. and if you find yourself in the columbus area, check out her new home at wonderknit)

it's a bird! it's a plane! no, it's...

coming soon!

blue

here's another dispatch from the land of night knitting...

a big blue beauty! this is the hemlock ring blanket made famous by jared flood of brooklyn tweed. basically, it is an old doily pattern revisited. instead of topping a table, it is made to be thrown over the couch or on top of the bed. the chickadee version, worked in magnificent malabrigo merino, is a cuddly cerulean circle.

no limit

lyric from bob dylan's "love minus zero/no limit"

here's another clue for you all

lyric from the beatle's "glass onion"

off the wall

here's something new that made a debut at charm city craft mafia's pile of craft.

what in the world is it, do you ask? why it is a little bit of decoration for your wall. the platform is an 8" x 10" canvas that is covered with several lofty layers of quilt batting. then a patchwork piece is wrapped around and secured to the frame with a few shots from the staple gun. voila! the wall pillow is born.


this is an idea that has been cooking for quite a long time on the chickadee back burner. it was fun to finally turn thought to reality. tomorrow you'll meet the other two members of the first ever chickadee wall pillow collection. be on the lookout for more in the future!

pile on!

la table d'chickadee at pile of craft

it seems like ages since the traveling craft caravan pulled in to beautiful baltimore for the charm city craft mafia's pile of craft. it was a lovely location with equally lovely vendors and shoppers alike. a fun way to spend a day, surrounded by a bunch of talented local crafters. the pride of baltimore indeed.