G'day from Easton, Maryland

Hello and thanks to everyone who continues to support my work at Stranded In Oz, Port Adelaide Markets and online.

Drop Spindles:

I've been advised by Eric and Richard that the spindle supplies have been sorely depleted. I'm not complaining of course. Just wanted to assure folks that I'm on the case and will be restocking asap.

There are a few Chuppah Whorl spindles left from the 2009 batch. They are here in the States and will be on display at Garden Sheep Breeders (see sidebar). My clay oven is in Adelaide, so will have fire it up upon my return to Oz!

The gemstone spindles will be available online, at the Port Markets, and at the US shows. As soon as the next lot are ready, I will post photos for you. In the meantime, if you'd like to pre-order, please feel free to email melissa AT strandedinoz DOT com and I'll add you to the pre-order list.

Yarns:

The Nepal workshop is finishing my next supply of handspun yarns and this will be shipped shortly. So check back soon for new photos and yarns. I've ordered some new blends that should be fantastic. Can't wait to tear open those cartons! Included will be new sari silks for summer knitting.

Soysilk@ DK -- new stocks of soy are on the way. The last of the hand-painted Tofutsies@ is here in the US of A. I'm advised it will be a while until SWTC gets the next lot -- and YES, I'll be placing a special order. Thank you to all the Sock Summiteers who made the HP Tofutsies one of my bestsellers.

Pure Merino 4ply: This is a lower-micron Australian merino -- it is grown, spun, and hand-painted in Australia. I'm so grateful to all the people who came by at the Sock Summit and bought this yarn, as it is very near and dear to my heart as a designer and knitter.

The fact that new customers would take the chance and by from an unknown overseas dyer, when the OCC was overflowing with every type of sock yarn imaginable, really made the trip worthwhile. I had an excellent Sock Summit and hope my customers and new friends did too. It's been several weeks since and only now do I feel awake. I think doing Bendigo and SS within a few weeks from each other really tested this hand-dyer's body.

Port Markets:

Continued thanks to Eric Corbin, wool artist and all-around fibre fiend, and to Richard, my husband, for their hard work and for manning the fort. Hello and thanks to Audrey, who has been spreading her enthusiasm for spinning and fibre -- can't wait to see what you're spinning.

Thanks again to Near and Far, Cygnet TAS for their continued support and enthusiasm for SIOz yarns. If you are in Tasmania nearby, do stop in and check out their amazing wares.

And a huge thanks to Luci at Think Global, whom I miss very much. She's an ace market neighbour and someone who truly understands what her business name means. Check out her fab stuff at her shop in Hove, and at the Port Markets and Brighton and Grange Organic Markets, all in the Adelaide area.

I will be travelling again soon and have better access to the 'net, which means I will be able to upgrade and update photos more readily in the next few weeks.

Happy Spinning and Knitting, Melissa, from the US of A

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