Chickenlips Knitting

Hello, blogland! Still here, a-knitting and a-dyeing. I just finished the cutest dang baby girl sweater ever, and couldn't wait to show it off.


The pattern is Boheme, a free pattern on Ravelry. I used about 1.5 skeins of Stitchjones Dyepot Worsted in Tiffany, and made the 18 months size. Everything about this pattern is a winner - the no-fuss garter stitch raglan yoke, tulip lace stitch and picot bind-off. Hmm, I hear some pink Encore in my stash calling to me...


I recently unearthed my small stash of dishcloth cotton yarn, so I'm now on a warshrag knitting jag - rediscovering the joy of knitting dishcloths! Here are a couple.

Top: "Squidge Cloth" made with Classic Elite Flash marled cotton mercerized, which was a freebie I picked up from the swap table at a spin-in. Super easy, and I just finished another one in red. Bottom: "Windmill" in Sugar & Cream Twists. I especially like this one, for its cool resemblance to the shuriken or "ninja star". Both patterns are free on Ravelry. My goal is to make a bunch and put them away for Michelle.

Proud Parent dept.

Speaking of Ms. Michelle, she has made the President's List again at Portland Community College for winter quarter with a 4.0! Her reward is that tomorrow, she will fly down to her mecca, L.A. for a couple of days. Her dad is there on business until Friday evening, so it's not like she will be completely unchaperoned. And who knows, maybe she will get discovered and become the next Lady Gaga...

Our top story tonight: Stitchjones finishes a Citron shawl in 3 weeks! Here it is just off the needles, unblocked. My messy coffee table and supervising puppy are also in the photo.


I have no earthly idea who would wear such a thing--certainly not me; I don't wear scarves, and the thing is way too small for me to ward off any serious chill. Mainly I bought it because I fell in love with the laceweight merino which was beautifully dyed by Carissa. As soon as I saw the yarn I knew it had to be made into the lovely pattern from Knitty. I did one extra repeat of the ruffle pattern and ended up using about 650-700 yards of the 880-yard skein. What a nice way to use laceweight yarn without getting all looped up in yo's, ssks and k2togs.

I'll wash and block it at leisure, then probably put it away for gift giving.


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Health Update

Not sure but I think last time I posted, I was just coming down with something which I didn't know what it was. Turned out to be the worst bronchitis I've ever had. Last Saturday night I ended up in the ER, which was my own fault for waiting too long to see the doctor or go to urgent care. After 2 hours or so, I was given a nebulizer and a scrip for Zithromax, then sent on my way. Last weekend I had things scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday which I would not dream of canceling! The Portland Yarn Crawl was in full swing and I was doing a trunk show at For Yarn's Sake in Beaverton. The folks there were amazing. They loved my yarns and I sold quite a bit. I could only stay for 2 hours before I started feeling really crappy, but there was no way I would have missed it.

Last Sunday I began teaching a 3-session class at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop (sorry, I'm too lazy to hotlink tonight) for beginning sock knitters. I have 5 students and tomorrow afternoon, I get to show them how to make heels. Woot!

I'm feeling tons better now than I did a week ago. Fever stopped last Saturday morning and the sinus congestion is almost gone. The cough, though, is stubborn and won't go away, which generates the need for continued Robitussin aperitifs. Kind of reminds me of the days when I actually drank Campari...

Let's see, how do I make Dark & Divine again? Oh yeah, eye of newt, it's all coming back...

I have several wholesale orders for sock yarn colorways I made in 2008, when I had no idea what I was doing, just blind, furious ambition to be a rockstar indie dyer! Now in 2010 with my beaded yarn and whatnot, I'm just finessing myself right outa my shorts, but I'm not about to retire my first colorways if people still want to buy them!

So I started today, and do you know what? I had fun! Here then, is a pictorial stroll down memory lane with Victor, Andes Mint and Tank Girl.

I just sold both skeins! More are waiting to be dyed in fabulous colors. The bead stringing's a labor of love; all the seed beads I could get on the skein were about 100 before having an apoplectic fit. So while it isn't the gem encrusted wonder I'd envisioned, the random bead here, bead there effect gives it a subtle sparkle. And of course, the yarn itself is lovely, a 50/50 merino-silk blend that feels like pure silk.

Got some label printing to do, so I'll be off. See you at the shops!