Pre-Show Fun at SIOz

Hi there -- I'm in finish everything NOW mode. This season has been a bit crazy, as design deadlines have coincided with painting deadlines. Madness all around.

Check out the shopblog this week for a SNAP special discount. This is your chance to grab a further discount on the Namaste gear in stock before it goes to shows. I won't be restocking some designs, as the newer models come in stock. Still a nice selection here.

Some colour for your day:

Glinda, the Good Wool - 75% wool/25% nylon with a touch o' bling

Stranded Silk Sock

  

The above colour has been painted in both Glinda and the divine Stranded Silk Sock. Very distracting as I have other work to do. There are also hanks of Glinda and Stranded Silk Sock in a beautiful pale blues mix that I've nicknamed Heaven. It is truly heavenly. If you want to get your hands on this yarn... come by the booth at BSWS or the Melbourne Fair (see info below).

The Port Shop is still amply stocked with new yarn and colours -- most of the new yarns are going on the road, but don't worry if you are a local SIOz enthusiast -- I have special yarn at the Port, including more At the Quilt Shop and some new Fairies in the Garden hanks. 

bye for now -- Mel

Summer socks and all manner of knitting goodness

Summer Cotton Wrap

After working on the Summer Cotton Hand-Paint wrap for far too long, I'm still not done playing with this design. I've been trying to construct garments that are simple, down to the basics, but looking at knitting construction and shapes in new ways. When I say new ways, I mean, new to me. I have no doubt cleverer knitters on this rather large planet have thought of these things previously. I'm a firm believer than the knitting process is highly personal. What is new to you may be old to someone else, but who cares? Make it if you like it and want to wear it.

This wrap came about because I love modular knitting for summer. Do a bit here, do a bit there. But I am not always fond of the fabric of modular knitting. When a pattern calls for 1400gms of 4ply, I say to myself, damn, that looks fantastic. And sure, the yarn seller in me goes, hey, that's a lot of yarn to make that garment. But I just can't go there. I mean, I would never wear that much wool on my body at once. Maybe if I lived in Nova Scotia I'd think about it.

So, I set about trying to change the math to make something modular and a fabric I could wear most of the year. Eh voila, the Summer Cotton Wrap was born. It will work in other 4ply/fingering wt yarns, so I'm not done playing with this one, that's certain.

Further to the make it and wear it thread... One of my most successful designs continues to be The Coloured Sheep Shawl. The less complicated I made it, the more I had to rethink the whole thing. I really haven't seen another design like it and I guess that's ok.

Stranded Silk Sock in Lone Heart Red 100gm hanks

I've been swatching and playing with this yarn for the past week. It has the most amazing stitch definition and feel to it. Most of the knitters who've purchased this yarn continue to advise that once they get it home, they think it's too nice for socks. Yeah, I know what you mean, but why not pamper your feet? Then again, the drape on this yarn says, please knit me into a cowl or something like that. Thank you to Sr. Joan Mary who has decided just that. I can't wait to see what she knits with it.

For product info, check the SIOz shop -- more yarns have been loaded this week, including sock yarns.

'wild betty' Stranded Silk Sock 100gm hanks
merino/mulberry silk/nylon sock yarn $25.00

Well, out of the depths of my mysterious camera's memory, I managed to retrieve a nice photo the Ltd Edition Stranded Silk Sock -- this yarn is now available online and at the Port Market this weekend. There are a few hanks of 'Wild Betty' (shown above) as well as some very fetching hanks of 'lone heart red'
. One hank makes an average sized women's sock. I have very limited quantities of this yarn available, so get it while it's here. You will love this sock yarn.



mmmmm. Bunny butt! Couldn't resist sharing this photo of my beloved pooch. Here, she's playing with her new bunnybunny I brought back from Ameriican. It has a very loud honker in it and is life-sized for added kelpieweiler enjoyment. Hrs of fun.

MMMM special sock yarn from Kollage - Sock-a-licious!

For all you Ravelers, check out kzooerica's shot of the special hand-painted sock yarn I've been painting, the new Kollage Sock-a-licious: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kzooerica/simple-things

I have to say, this was the test hank of the first run, a blend of purples, blues, and greens. I regret not stashing a hank and yes, it's long gone. There are hanks of this yarn left from the last show and I will endeavour to load them onto the shop next week -- it's a one-time-only availability of Kollage Sock-a-licious painted by yours truly.

I've been sternly warned by Mark at Kollage that it's not going be available, un-dyed, again (sniffle), so I really agonised over the colourways as you can imagine. Sock-a-licious is a luxury blend of merino, mulberry (yes, mulberry) silk, and a bit of nylon for you sock knitters.

Frankly, it's so luxurious, I think Erica is right to make a shawl out of it.

zooerica's small things in ltd edition Stranded Silk Sock