Author Archives: chavadarling

I have just returned from a month hiatus in Sedona, Arizona where my husband and I did a great deal of hiking, reading (mostly him) and knitting (mostly me). In fact, I made this from my yarns (sorry its poorly blocked): This pattern, Mattie Cardigan by Kristin Drysdale is on Ravelry. I made my bodyContinue reading “Lessons Learned and Life Gives Perspective”

I will be heading to my first fiber festival this weekend! I have been on yarn tours, popped into many yarn shops around the world, and even dreamed about Rhinebeck, but I have never landed at an actual fest. So, I will start small with this weekend’s Wild and Wooly Fiber Expo at the CuyahogaContinue reading “Wild and Wooly”

Alas, I see why I love Isabell Kraemer’s pattern, she is thorough, thorough, thorough. So one of my customers pointed out that the instructions on the Darling Hat were not as clear as they should have been. When I instruct to repeat the pattern 6 times, this is around the hat. You will only workContinue reading “My Clarity Was Less Than Perfect”

Hi to all those who are new to my blog. I try to keep it infrequent and only blog when I am doing something new. I am. So as the weather gets crisp and cool, I am on the lookout for new ways to stay warm and cuddly. I found a Tencel/recycled wool blend yarnContinue reading “A little experiment time!”

So I finished the Pure Local rectangular shawl with the pattern designed by Knitterella and available on Ravelry. I created four sets of plant dyed yarn, 6 colors (very similar but not exact) to the ones in the shawl pictured. As it goes with plant dyes you cannot recreate exacts. But I think the newContinue reading “Ta Da”

I spent much of the summer not dyeing or knitting as I was engaged in helping my mom (a.k.a. Momma Darling) find an Independent Living apartment, moving out of her home of 50 years and selling that home. It was not an entirely enjoyable experience but one that was necessary and a part of allContinue reading “Truly Amazing Summer”

We all have to try new things. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. We are always better off for the effort even if it is something we can file as tried that, probably won’t again. I sort of feel that way about monochromatic Eco printing. I took a class online from Irit Dulman, an IsraeliContinue reading “A little Eco print hiatus”

I have finally been able to zero in on a kit for an adorable hat that I designed to be knit in The Darling Yarn 50/50 mulberry silk/fine merino fingering yarn. The colors I chose for the kits are all locally sourced and “foraged” with the result being beautiful hues of smoky walnut, heather andContinue reading “The Littlest Darling”

By now you are familiar with the photo below- drying yarn on my otherwise unused warp board. This time it may look a bit drab. So apparently when one dries daffodils you get a very muted yellow- more straw than daffodil. This isn’t unwelcome- a great many of us do not choose to walk aroundContinue reading “Dried Daffodils and Rhubarb Leaves”

I am at it again, thinking that is… It is tough to look around the world and see so much to do to “fix” things. I believe that the laws of the living are more about trajectories and the journey than solutions and the destination. In that vein, I want my “living with nature notContinue reading “Tidying Up My Corner of the World”