Green. Again

two greens:

1st -- the Organic and Healthy Living Market is on for this Thursday -- April 2nd, at the Masonic Hall, 1 Commerical St, Brighton, next to the Windsor Theatre. 9:30-12:30. Bring your fruit and veg bags. 

2nd: green, as in green wool(s):

Serendipity Deep Green/Blue Handspun Hemp and Wool

Deep Greens -- first run of new 4 ply Australian Coloured Sheepwool

The coloured sheepwool doesn't take on its full charm until after the dye and dry process. It's absolutely soft and lovely -- with a sproingy hand. Hand-painted CWS is $10.00 per 50gm hank in any weight -- 2ply, 4ply, and 5ply in stock. 

Happy knitting, spinning, crocheting, and weaving. A special hi to the women from the spinner's guild who came 'round last weekend -- excellent people spinners and weavers. We discussed the benefits of a handmade face washer -- there are still some hanks of pure cotton chenille in stock for that purpose. Make up some homemade soaps and knit a washer -- pure luxury made with love. 

See you at the market(s) m

Yes, there is new banana

Hand-Painted, Handspun Banana Palm Silk $10.00AU per 100 gms

Blue/Greens

Monkeys in The Jungle

Purple with Blue/Green

The next batch ready for putting up is in different shades of earthy brown orange with purples. 

Thank you to everyone who came by the Port Markets today. It was great, as always, to see you all!

And a special thank you to the customer who brought by her wonderful cardigan knitted from an unbelievable hank of Judi Ditmore's (Interlacements) 4ply cotton -- one of the 1lb hanks from her dyer's choice table at Stitches. Yup, there are some knitters in Adelaide KICKING themselves they didn't get 'em.

Guess what? I don't have any either.  The clever knitter who snarfled up that skein (it is almost too big to call a skein) has the most beautiful cardi/jacket now -- complete with the handmade raku button. I've already promised to bring back more pottery buttons from my next trip.

New Sock Yarn: Some in reds/pinks and 1 hank only of a serendipity blue/greens/purples (100 gm/$25.00AU)

 

The purple/blue/green was done at the end of a long dye session and is completely outrageous. 

Waving hello from Port Adelaide

Hello -- it seems Clipsal scared away most folks from visiting the Port yesterday. Still, it was fun to see everyone who stopped by, including Leona and Trixie, an intrepid duo who are really excellent company -- I'm sure the neighbours heard us laughing.

We played with the basics of making dorset buttons and I can't wait to see what they make. Trixie loves to make things with beads, so look out! There are going to be some very nicely embellished people in the eastern suburbs very soon. And Leona is making an artwear vest in soy (colourway Semaphore). 

I'm continually grateful to all the fibre addicts who come by and talk about what they are doing. It's especially gratifying when I meet the family -- so many women come by with their mums and daughters. It's lovely to meet you all. One mum went away with a new gemstone drop spindle -- it was my latest favourite in an olive-coloured jade. Gorgeous thing it is. There are some new Chuppah Whorl spindles -- one in blue and yellow, the other Cool Britannia (just as it sounds, yup, the Union Jack done all trippy/swirly!).

I know it's a hike to the Port, but I just want to say, thank you for making it! And do come by to bring what you made. I felt terrible while I was in the USA when someone came by and I wasn't there! But fear not, as I am planning the entire winter (except my dates in Bendigo, and you'll be there, right?) here in Adelaide. I don't think of leaving 'til it warms up. I mean, summer here is just. Well, you know.

New Yarn Photos: 

Handspun Wool (70%) and Recycled Sari Silk (30%) $8.00AU per 50gm hank-- hand-dyed by SIOz in Violet semi-solid

Handspun Hemp and Wool (in Think Global)

and Handspun Wool and Sari Silk (Violet semi-solid) $8.00AU per 50gm hank

Handspun Hemp and Wool Hand-Paint in Sherwood Forest $8.00 per 50gm hank

 

Sherwood Forest Sock Wool $25.00AU per 100gm hank

Here's a beaut from Audrey in Victoria -- look what she did with some Nepalese wool singles in McLaren Vale (it was my best lot to date!):

Copyright 2009 mataharimau (Ravelry)

SIOz photos to be posted this week include a new supply of painted silk velvet (older posts have photos of these). The previous lot is gone, except for the stole in Phantom Purple, which is magically moving its way towards my bureau. The photos don't do the colours justice. 

 

Hand-Painted Autumn Colours Silk Velvet Scarf $40.00AU

Dark Semaphore Hand-Painted Velvet Silk Scarf $40.00

The banana palm silk and aloo are undyed at the moment and will get the SIOz treatment this week. The colourways will match the silk velvet, so you can knit something to coordinate. I'm planning some new mixes in darker colours for autumn and winter. If you haven't tried my banana silk, do order a hank with your next yarn order. You won't be sorry, as this yarn will inspire you to embellish something as soon as you open the package.

As always, I will try to upload photos as they are ready. 

Kewl Market

Just returned from the Organics and Healthy Living Market in Brighton and it was so nice. Got my fruit and veg, some yummy organic bread, and some organic tortilla chips for hubby snacks. Make a note in your diary that the next Brighton market is the FIRST Thursday of April.

And make sure check out Think Global -- you can buy online from their website or check out the lovely shop in Hove, SA. Luci stocks SIOz recycled fibres -- so if you can't wait til Sundays she is a stockist.

Hello and thank you to the customers who ventured down to Brighton to buy SIOz fibres and yarns. Lovely to meet you all. Saw some familiar faces, which was really great.

The new dyelots of Hemp and Wool (30/70) are ready for this Sunday's market:There's a blue/purple semi-solid, Sherwood Forest and Think Global (in honour of Luci Keats' shop, Think Global) will be for sale $8.00 per 50gms. Think Global is the colourway I used in my Ravelry photo of the Hemp and Wool Dueling Beanie. As always, there are free hand cosy and beanie patterns available.

The Robin Hood Sock Series is ON-- hanks of Friar Tuck and Sherwood Forest in premium Italian sock wool ($25.00AU for 100gms) are ready for sale - LIMITED QUANTITIES OF THESE LOTS.

This is a luxury sock wool (75/25) and is gorgeously soft and thin. I prefer to paint 80/20 (wool/nylon ratio), but am picky about the quality. This yarn is superior to some of the 80/20 samples I've recently obtained. Depending on customer feedback, I will make this a regularly stocked yarn. Hey, isn't the few extra dollars worth the better sock yarn? I think so and most of you have said the same. I've made handknitted socks that have lasted 20 yrs -- no lie -- but made from the bestest wool.  

Other yarns from the dyetable this week:

Way Over the Rainbow 2ply laceweight wool -- the soft and squishiest I've got in stock. I can't bring myself to rewind this hank of 220gms yet. $15.75AU per 50gm or $55.45  for the entire hank. 

Way Over the Rainbow Close-Up

Serendipity Blue in laceweight premium Italian superwash wool 

$7.50 per 25gm/140m hank this yarn is so soft, it should be illegal

I don't usually dye superwash, unless it's sock yarn, but sometimes I get asked to paint some, so here you go. 

CU at the PORT

Thursday Market -- March 19th in Brighton

SIOz AT Organic and Healthy Living Market: 9:30am to 12:30 am at the Masonic Hall, 1 Commercial Street, Brighton. Entry is FREE.

SIOz yarns and fibres will be there -- so if you are finding it difficult the get to the Port Markets on a Sunday, come on by. And if there is something you are wanting in particular, ring me on 83410213 or email to make sure I have what you want on the Thursday. I won't have my full display as this is a once-a-month market at the moment. But there will be lots of GOOD FIBRE for sale.

Here's a peek: some nice and squishy premium dk merino in a purple/red colourway -- serendipity skeins. $10.00AU per 50gm hank.

Below is the first run of a new 2ply and 4ply Australian Coloured Sheepwool -- it's not treated with any chemicals, except for the acid dye process. The next colour runs will be in McLaren Vale (vineyard colours) and Semaphore (water colours): hank below is a 2ply (50gms, $15.00.

Semaphore Dark 2ply CSW

Thank you to everyone who came by the market on Sunday. Hello to the travelers from Sydney -- it was lovely to meet you. Hey to Kaz and her daughter, who are going to be spinning everything in sight soon! Wheeeeeeeee! Look out -- Kaz does amazing bobbin lace and plans to spin her own fibres for it. Wow.

A note about yarns and fibres from SIOz -- sometimes a customer will inquire for a yarn that I don't dye -- like plain solid colours. I love to dye semi-solids from time to time but for a fine quality solid-coloured wool, I recommend a trip to Barb's Sew and Knits in Byron Street, Glenelg. Barb has the new season's colours -- a wall of shelves full of new Zara and Zarina-- superb Italian wool. So if you are looking for a good 8ply wool that is worth your time and effort knitting, go to Barb's. And no, she doesn't pay me to advertise, she just has lovely wool and you know you NEED some!

I am particularly fond of dyeing hanks to coordinate with commercial wools (it's a dyer's challenge), so don't be shy -- bring your yarn and pick out a hand-painted hank to complete the project. I have designs specifically for this purpose. And if I don't have the right colourway in stock, I'm happy to dye to suit. If you like, I am able to hand-dye the same yarn, provided the undyed version is available. Prices depend on the cost of the yarn to be dyed.

The carded recycled sari silk fibre, $10.00AU per 100gm, continues to be popular. Spin it as is, or use it like cayenne pepper and add it here and there for effect. For felters and embroiderers, you have got to try it!

Artwear Kits: there are more available now -- all those pictured in previous posting have GOODIES in them. I mean, yarn surprises and other cool stuff. You'll seriously kick yourself if you pass one up -- customers have come back the following week to buy them after the first viewing. I DID warn 'em.

Colours available: hot red (pictured), floral (pictured), autumn (pictured), cool greens/blues (including some v. groovy alt. fibres you can't find in the shops here and hand-painted SIOz wool), and muted neutral kit with a touch of light purple and sedate green (it's a wowser). Prices range from $70.00 to $90.00AU depending on the size needed for garment and yarns included.

CU at the markets. m

More Felter's/Spinners Fibre and Deeeeep Purple

I look forward to a lovely day at the Port tomorrow. The new batch of fibre is drying outside.

There's: 

A) SA coloured sheep wool in: deep primaries, and 2 wheels of blues. I've spun a sample hank for the market to see how that looks. 

B) Some Nepalese carded wool in: oranges/browns (bright), mermaidy blues/greens, and very experimental floral -- pinks, yellows, light purple, and a russetty brown. Hmmm. I picture that plied with some handspun sari silk!

C) some of the organic merino in citrine/peridot/celeryish -- top in v. heavy large braids hanging in the market.

AND:

There's a batch of deep burgundy/purples/reds of dk wool that should be ready for the Brighton Organic Market on Thursday AM -- Jetty Rd, Brighton -- in the Hall next to the cinema! Bring your reusable veggie bags and come down!

CU at the markets.

Melissa

Artwear Vest Kits -- 3 listings

Here are kits for people wanting to make their own version of the artwear vest -- see the previous posting and pics. Thank you so much for asking. Email orders to: strandedinoz@gmail.com -- PayPal, Aussie Bank Deposits, and Aussie cheques accepted. Invoices provided. These kits are all unique and can be used for any garment where you'd like to blend fibres and hand-painted yarns with solids.

Please read the descriptions carefully. Each was put together to get a blended effect -- they are all non-repeatable. And there are some real treasures in each kit, including a groovy sturdy calico backpack/bag to hold your knitting project. 

Autumn Brights Artwear Vest Kit $70.00AU

The Autumn Brights kit features -- a real GEM of a collection -- including a big fat load of skeins from one of the best hand-painters in the US of A -- that's Louet Gems yarn -- in the mix. Shhhh. You have to guess where the yarn is from... Included in the kit -- some SIOz hand-dyed soy, some SWTC Karaoke, SIOz hand-dyed banana palm silk, and a few other goodies in the mix. The main colour supply of Gems is worth the kit alone. Kit includes pattern [please advise on your back measurement when ordering], bag,  and all the yarn you need to make your vest. 

The Devil's Playground Artwear Vest Kit $80.00AU

Kit includes pattern [indicate back measurement when ordering], bag, and all the yarn you'll need. Pictured above: premium sari silk in coordinating colours to the hand-painted and hand-dyed soy from SIOz, some seriously black OASIS from SWTC, a hot ball of Karaoke from SWTC, and some fab hand-dyed banana palm silk from SIOz. 

Close up of some of the Devil's Playground yarns

So Floral Artwear Vest Kit $70.00AU

Kit includes pattern [indicate back measurement size when ordering], bag, and all the yarn to make your vest. Yarns: hand-dyed cottons, a special hank of luxury viscoses (for textural interest), some OASIS soy from SWTC, and... a nice fat skein of superduper luxury wool from a mystery hand-dyer from the US of A. That's the big lovely pink and green floral at the back. It's a biggie hank, it's beautiful and it was among the crazy purchases from my buying trip in the US -- yeah, after I worked, I went and stocked up on yarn. It's nuts I know. Anyway, this skein spoke to me. I realised afterwards that it appealed because it's a floral! And I love painting florals, so there you go. So knit your own flower garden with this kit!

Above: 2 close-ups of some yarns featured in the So Floral Kit

Thank you all the knitters and spinners

Hi all -- back from a full-on 2 days at the Port Markets. Special thanks to the intrepid soy yarn fans who came by and decided they needed 1) spinning supplies, and 2) soy vest(s). The kits have been claimed, amd I'll be posting photos as the new kits go up for sale.  This can also be made in hand-painted wool or cotton, but the soy gives it a lovely drapey fit.

Make your own freeform soy (+other fibres) vest. Kit includes enough yarn to make a vest (hand-painted soy yarn, as well as some real beauties like Kollage Cornucopia, or their unreal merino/bamboo, and some other gorgeous yarns for texture and interest. Kits are $70.00 for the basic and more, depending on how outrageous you want to get. Needles, and a project bag are included.

I've reserved some wild ribbons and fun fibres from overseas (not available in stores here) for just this purpose. This simple design started as a piece I enjoy knitting and so many of you want to make your own, it's morphed into a kit. Each is unique -- often containing a serendipity mix of colours on the soy. You won't see anyone else with your vest.

The Potter Vest [sold]

(Cheryl Potter's CTH Hand-Painted Cotton [left panel],

soy dk, organic cotton, silk/cotton, and mis. viscose luxury yarns)

Basic SWTC Oasis Soy Vest with Sari Silk Accent - apologies for old feral photo!

And thank you to the lace knitter who purchased one of my favourite colour runs of the merino wool lace -- so soft and squishy -- in a rose floral. I think there are at least 3 different reds blended in there, with some pinks and oranges, and just a dash of stemmy brown to catch the garden feel. Can't wait to see what she knits with it!

And a hello to the nice person with the gorgeous green felted cap -- I didn't get a chance to chat with you! If it was too crowded in the market stall (we were having a bit of loud fun at that stage), my apologies -- I hope you come back for an extra long grope of fibre some time soon. 

The entire lot (except for a scrap of dark periwinklish blue) of the new Nepalese felters/spinners wool that was dyed up for the weekend is GORN. Thank you so much for the positive response to it. I am kicking myself for not taking a photo when it was out drying. A rainbow of snakes hanging in my garden. 

Spinning Fibre: There's still: 1 lot of pale greens in the organic merino top that's ready to go. V. experimental colour -- in a kind of citrine/celery. Spins up like a dream. Soooooo soft.

And 1 lot of McLaren Vale sliver -- approx 200gms.

CU at the Port! M 

Getting another day at the Port

Thank you to everyone who came by today at the Port. We're open again tomorrow from 9-5!

There's been a run on the banana palm silk -- good thing the weather should be nice and warm for some wild colours midweek. I'll post those as soon as possible.

The sock yarn has been depleted -- yay, so the new lots will have to go up this week as well. Thank you to all you fabulous sock knitters! There's still plenty of Tofutsies in a rainbow of colours -- it's the hand-paints that are gone -- There's one 100gm lot of Friar Tuck in Tofutsies left, as well as a couple semi-solids - red, aqua, and a dark green.

And the cut silk velvet shawls and scarves are all but gone -- there's one big silk velvet shawl in Phantom left (which I secretly covet) -- there's a photo in an old posting. I'll be painting more velvet as the weather gets cooler. If you'd like to knit something to go with a silk scarf, feel free to contact me with your colour order. I'm happy to coordinate fibres with the scarves and shawls.

Thanks especially to Heather -- lovely to meet you -- and to the intrepid Melbournian who went away with my favourite premium merino 8ply in Queen Anne's Garden. I'm having trouble sourcing that yarn and am looking for a suitable replacement. There's a kilo left which I plan to dye in the next week -- so keep a look out for those. 50gms is enough to make a fab little beanie or a pair of hand cosies.

See you at the Port - m

New Sari Silks

Here's the first  installment of the new recycled sari silk yarns ($10.50 per 100gms) -- fresh from the spinners themselves. There's also a nice pile of RECYCLED SARI SILK FIBRE ($10.00 per 100gms) for people who love to felt and/or spin. It's going fast, so email, ring or come by on Sunday to get some!

Red and Purple Sari Silk --  this one is the most recycled of recyled and contains pure sari silk as well as misc. other fibres that get shoved into the mix, such as viscose and recycled bits of other fabrics. It is lovely and purpley red

Mixed Colours -- I call it Exploded Lorikeets -- it's a killer

And at the front of the above photo is a newer purple with green recycled fibre yarn -- like the red and purple, this one is a bit of everything.

At the right back is a hank of my new hand-painted banana palm silk -- I'm calling it... Smooshed Fairyland. If my friends V and Kate can call a yarn Minced Unicorn, I can call this one Smooshed Fairyland. Yup, you can buy multi-coloured banana palm silk from others, but you won't get these colours cuz I mix and paint them right here in Port Adelaide.

The black sari silk doesn't photograph well. It's so black, it is hard to describe. A goth chick would think it's too black. My photos came out grayish charcoal, which just doesn't do the stuff justice. But if you want BLACK -- it's here.

Thank you to everyone who ordered this week! Keep those colour requests coming.

There's  a Monday holiday this weekend, so I'll be at the Port for 2 whole days. Come on by, grab some donuts, a coffee from the nice Man U supporter outside, and come in to check out all the new fibres and yarns.

Spindle Shots -- quick photos

Trippy Chuppah Whorl

Large Gemstone Spindle

Jasper Drop Spindle

Pale Gold Quartz Spindle

Cammo Chuppah Whorl Spindle

Here are some spindles I have for sale at the moment. The photos aren't flash, but the spindles are. I'm using a jasperstone spindle at the moment for spinning laceweight and it's coming up beautiful. There are several awaiting construction, including a fave -- black and white Darth Vadery whorl. If you'd like to know the weight of a particular spindle, please email for details.

Thank you to the customer who came by this am to talk spinning, dyeing, and all manners fibrey. The supply of organic merino top just got very small! It's hard to pass up Australian organic merino. And the NEW SARI FIBRE is going faaaaaaaaaast. It's so cool. I promise to post photos asap this week.

As soon as the inventory is completed, I will be posting photos of the new fibres and yarns from Nepal that have just arrived.

The sock knitters are still going strong -- and hello to everyone who has started their first peasant heel sock! They're looking great. The new supply of traditional sock yarn is getting through the process -- first up is Friar Tuck - $24.00 per 100 gms.

See you at the Port, Melissa