Chickenlips Knitting

If you're looking for clever knitting, I'm sorry to disappoint, but you won't find it here! I put together some bits from stash and became completely mesmerized by the color combination. Without another thought, I cast on and began knitting.




I held together a fingering weight and laceweight, used size 11 needles, and didn't look up (almost) until I had a light, floaty garter stitch scarf about 60".




So taken was I with the brighter-than-a-thousand-suns red that I forgot to slip the first stitch of each row for neatness. It felt rather like coloring with yarn, so I went at it like a preschooler and didn't worry about staying inside the lines.


The yarn backstory: almost a full skein of Curious Creek Fibers Wasonga sock yarn, and gorgeous handspun laceweight by Kathleen of Busy Digits. Kathleen spun some Wensleydale I had dyed, and plied it with a shiny nylon thread. I really love the pairing of these two yarns.


Jason and I are heading down to Southern Oregon tomorrow for a couple of days, combining a business trip with a bit of fun. I plan to hang out in Ashland, visit the yarn shop of course, and knit. This time I'll remember to bring my camera!

Scuse me, I haz sniffles. Fortunately the vile microbes lodged in my sinuses aren't communicable via the internet, so I can still communicate!

I'm thankful for being able to fight off this bug long enough to go down to Newport for the annual spin-in. It was my third time attending, and this one was the best yet! This year's event was held at the Intermediate School, so there was plenty of room for spinners and vendors without that crowded feeling. I had a lovely time, but by 3:00 I started to feel like I had just enough energy to pack up and make the 3-hour drive home, which I did before collapsing.

Here's a wonderful bit of serendipity! A rummage through the front hall closet unearthed some small dog sweaters I had made several years ago. I kept the silliest one for Toki (click on link to view), and brought the other two with me. As soon as I started moving my stuff in yesterday morning, I saw Chris from Fog Wash Soap Co. and she was "wearing" Tina!


I was so happy that no sooner I'd found those sweaters, than I found someone with a little doggy needing warm! The other one is purple trimmed in matching boa yarn. I think it was Crystal Palace's brand. Looking back, now I'm glad I didn't go too crazy with novelty yarn stashing. That fad sure came and went fast! Isn't Miss Tina a princess? She even granted me a free bar of soap, my choice of fragrance! I chose Kumquat - it's very subtle.


I even finished something on my needles.

This is how it looked pre-blocking, although it didn't need much since it's a loose gauge and not actual lace. Even though it's a small shawl, it's made at the right gauge to be light, warm enough, and it stays on my obnoxiously round shoulders. It's the Citron shawlette, of course - chances are you've made at least one if you're reading this - in Noro Sekku, 4A. (I hatez numerical colorways! Half the fun of being a dyer is naming your own.) Very pretty, but never no more shall I buy another skein of Noro that is finer than Silk Garden. It's overspun and it tangles and knots like crazy. I had way too many broken ends to weave in.

I have lots of other knitting that I'm excited about, but I'm kind of fired up about dyeing, too! To some extent, I'll be free styling and choosing my own colors and fibers. The Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival is just a couple of months away, and I intend to have as big and varied an inventory as I possibly can!

Plus, I haz to blow my doze...