TODAY! Don't Miss This!!!

Renegade Craft Fair
Wicker Park
1425 N. Damen
Chicago
11am - 5pm

MAP

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The Renegade started out as a showcase for NEEDLECRAFTERS(!) and has expanded to include some of the freshest talent out there from Chicago and beyond!

Meet some of my crafting heroes!:

Lucky Penny Handmade

Sublime Stitching

Luster Soapsworks

Loose Tooth

It''s Sweater Weather!!!

We all need a few like this!

Too old for a binkie? Try this instead!

This version of the beloved hooded sweatshirt is a very easy, worsted weight classic!

Pattern includes instructions
for
Finished Measurements of:
38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 Inches

Gauge: 18sts / 24rows using #8/5mm needles

Buy this Pattern for $4.95 using PayPal!

Secure and easy PDF Download!!!

Monday Morning Mirth

For your pleasure:
Introducing Mr. & Mrs. R. P. Von Munkgke!

Things have been a little blue here at ChicKnits lately, so what better way to cheer things up than throw a WEDDING! With Dolls! Yup, it's in my DNA, just ask my sister and Mom...

Saturday at the Renegade Craft Fair, there were suitcases full of pals from SOK MUNGKE and the guy on the right just jumped out at me. Like a fool, I carried him around the rest of the day while I was wandering about shopping and visiting folks.

Everyone wanted to know what his name was and when I ran into Mary from our KIP, we christened him "Rennie" after the Renegade...

Of course, as soon as he saw my other sock monkey, Pattie, he had to marry her! WHO could resist?

Sorry, but you missed the bomb reception!!!

Comments (8)

Who's Life is it Anyway?

Bullet Hole #1 - Buddha's Car is Still Smiling

Different day, different face. That face is drawn and tired. Dark circles rim my eyes and my hands are a little shaky.

I was up most of the night Sunday after the shooting outside of my house. No matter how many times I've seen things on my job, I'm hardly ever there when it happens. It's always the aftermath. Sunday night, I was there. Front and Center. The bullet hole in my front door is off to the right.

My neighborhood is not a *Bad* neighborhood. It's made up of multi-family apartment houses - most are 3 - 4 flat units. We all live on top of the other and ebb and flow with each other's life cycles in some kind of rythmic symbiosis. We have a block club and yard parties. Nobody beefs about anything unless it's to throw it on the grill...

A new family has moved into an apartment in the building next to mine. They have no father, but a son about 18yo who is most likely a gang banger. As far as I know, there are no other GBs on the street - just families, babies, students, children, old folks, singles, young marrieds of all ethnic type and pocketbook.

I'm very friendly and have been chatting up the new folks. The Mom is very old fashioned looking with a ponytail so long I doubt she ever cuts her hair. She wears colorful housedresses and smiles and nods at me because she doesn't understand what I'm saying when I chat with her. I smile and nod as well.

Her husky son sits on the stoop all the time, like a Buddha. I talk to him every chance I get. He kind of grunts unintelligable answers at me but I keep on talking because I want him to know I am not a nameless, faceless, anonymous person. I am his neighbor.

My gut instict tells me he is trouble. With, of course, a capital *T*. He spent most of late Sunday night, after somebody tried to kill him, right back on the stoop, taking a break a couple of times to feel up his girlfriend in the bushes by my house. Hmmm - he's a young man - but he does not live in a vacuum. He's moved into our neighborhood and guess what? It's MY turf; I've been here a lot longer than him...

One day, I came home from work and there was his little brother, sitting on a folding chair on the porch, all dressed up in brand new red and white team clothes. He sat there for hours. I wish I would've seen the team logo - the cops tell me those are the colors of a group called Satan's Disciples. I miss my old neighbors, Felix and Eddie. They were only dressed up once in a while in their Softball Team Uniforms. The *Our Place* team sponsored by the Loop Tavern on Chicago Ave. came in second city wide last year. They rule! I loved their games and victory parties.

But they've moved away. Their uncle, Tio Rosario, helps me with my garden, but he's very old and Eddie says he's worried the neighbors upstairs will do something to him if he mixes it up too deep.

I was so upset about this, when I got up this morning, I walked the two blocks to District 13 and spoke to some TAC officers from the CPD. They came by later to chat with an officer who was outside taking pictures of the shot up cars. They made their presence known for about an hour, talking to everybody going by, leaning on Buddha's fence, gazing at his window.

The last time I looked outside, there was one detective's empty coffee cup, spiked on top of the fence as a calling card, just to say hello.

Comments (28)

Shrinky Dink Circus

just block it...

Shrinking a sweater on purpose is surely a Gobsmack Antidote! Here I was all whiny and pouty and NOW?

I've GOT NEW CLOTHES!

I love that.

My Great Experiment in Cotton Shrinkage is a resounding success! I washed the sweater pieces in hot water with my towels, twice. I checked every 10 minutes or so to see the shrinking process and compare to my pre-shrunk swatch.

JUST LIKE FELTING!

THEN!

I dried them in the dryer until they were slightly damp and smoothed them out to the correct measurments on my blocking rug. To guarentee a perfect *BLOCK* which sets the size and stitches, I sprayed it down with water to be very damp, covered with a tablecloth and let dry.

VOILA! Now I have a fab sweater for work that can be washed and dried by machine. Six seams and seven buttons stand between me and my dream...

Comments (10)

Ze Renegade Craft Fair

Howdy Tent

I'm with Stupid Tees

Lucky Penny Handmade Dog Sweaters

Annette/(Ten by Ten Magazine) & friend

Annette's Hats

Pet Purse

OMG!

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Vendor Links

Cool Reader Article

Comments (9)

New Threads Friday!

Auntie J's Socks are D-Done! I can't believe that they match so well in the stripe department. One looks a little bigger in the picture, but they're right on!

It's been 3 weeks since she was in surgery and she's doing great! Everyday, she's doing better, getting stronger and more active.

She starts her treatments next week - 4 days in the hospital on chemo, then 2.5 wks off. Mom is staying with her on a as-needed basis and I'm Plan B, as needed.

From my family to yours, a heartfelt thanks for all of the well wishes, prayers, and positive vibes you've all been sending us! If you've ever heard the song "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" that kind of describes how I feel when I know I'm being held up by so many helping, kind hands. Thank you...

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ze Sock Pattern

Comments (5)