way over the rainbow carded wool

I've posted some notes (on my personal blog) on spinning the wool shown above for those intrepid SIOz customers who have stashed the showbag pressie wool from BSWS 2009. I've been plying the results and will post piccies soon as well.

In between design duties, I've been planning the new season yarns. One the dyelist:

• new banana palm silks
• new aloo and hemp (rich red has been requested)
• new designs for soy and cotton/bamboo

The Port Market space has been restocked -- including some killer new hanks of Nepalese Laceweight Singles, as well as new lots of sock wool.

CU at the Port and online! Melissa

Fibre Gone Wild?

The shipment of fibre and yarns has arrived from overseas. All sorts of goodies to temp you this holiday season. The website continues to lag behind my design and painting schedule. Up to date? Port Market will be restocked this Sunday.

What's on offer?

Gurdy Run fibre: a gorgeous blend of alpaca, wool, and silk in MIDNIGHT, the blackest blue/purple I've ever seen. It is magnificent carded fibre, ready to spin. $25.00AU per 100gm. This fibre is PA-grown and processed from Lydia's fleeces which are dyed, then carded to produce the most amazing blend of spinning fibre. Pricey? You betchya. Totally worth it! Very ltd quantities available. If you like this, I will order more!

Kraemer Roving: couldn't resist a mill visit to Kraemer in Nazareth, PA. Brought back a small amount of their outstanding wool roving in a fabulous ombrey orange/brown. Very natural, very easy to spin. $18.00AU per 100gms. Had a lovely chat with the mill owner during the visit -- we had a good laugh about me bringing wool back to Australia! Kraemer dyes their wool before spinning to create a beautiful, glistening blend of colour.

Kraemer Roving -- photos of colourway don't do it justice!

Roclans fibre: This is the lot of RUBY SLIPPERS and it's the last of the year's run. Kate has outdone herself this time. And yes, fibre is like Dorothy's slippers! Just a hint of red angelina fibre in here. Wool from Kate's award-winning flock of ramboullets. Ltd quantities in stock. $24.00AU per 100gms. Kate does her dye magic on her fleeces, then her friend Lydia works her carding wonders. This one is a killer and won't last long.

Yarns for the Port shop: new stock of soy ribbon $19.00AU per 100gm hank; new stock of PURE ($12.00AU per hank) soy yarn (in stock: aqua, navy blue, marigold, and a v. nice latte colour) for my new design in YARN magazine, the RIDE THE WAVE skirt. Buy the SIOz kit for this project and get the pattern/mag for $5.00AU!

NEW STOCK of Pure Merino 4ply is here! These are my special runs from the US festival season and there's almost nothing left; so, get in quick this Sunday if you want the best selection before they go online. $24.00AU per 100gm/360m hank, enough for a pair of adult women's socks or the SIOz baby bunting design from Sept 2009 issue of YARN.

Back to sorting, pricing, and designing... CU at the PORT! Melissa

Back Home in Oz

G'day from Port Adelaide, SA. After a few weeks offline (Fall Fiber Frolic, PA, then a fun weekend at the Easton Waterfowl Festival with Yarns and Co -- thanks Gail and Ann), I'm back home with Richard and Lyta.
It was an awesome trip. I'd like to report a holiday, but nup. It's already summer here in Oz and that means cellulose season. So onward with banana silk, soy, bamboo, and a pile of cotton to be painted.
The fibre and yarn from overseas will arrive in the next few weeks, so do check back here and the webpage for updates stock. There are spindles that will be loaded to the online shop. And lots more.
Tomorrow, Sunday, is my first day back at the Port Adelaide Fishermen's Wharf Markets. Last week? Closed early to the horrendous heat. That was one Sunday I am relieved I was not present. Going from lovely cool autumn to 43 degrees in 1 day was a shock!
Sincerely thanks to my Australian stockists -- willing to put up with delivery delays from overseas. Thanks especially to Near and Far, Cygnet TAS, for their love of SIOz hemp and wool, a yarn near and dear to my knitter's heart.

Bunting and Kollage Needles and Hooks in Stock

Baby Bunting:

Thanks so much for the positive feedback for the new SIOz design in YARN -- A Lamb in Possum Clothing. I've sold out in the US of my copies, but they're available from the YARN website directly. And there are copies in stock at my Port Adelaide retail (upstairs, at the Birkenhead Bridge end of the market)

Kollage Needles and Hooks: Due my travel schedule, I've got a manual ordering system for Kollage Needles and Hooks at present. They are moving in and out of stock too quickly to post them online at present. Thank you for your enthusiastic use!

In Stock:

Hooks - US F/3.75mm -- 2 in stock; US J/6.00mm -- 1 in stock
Circular Needles: 40"/100cm: US 0/2.00mm -- 3 in stock; US 2/2.75mm -- 1 in stock; US 7/4.5mm -- 1 in stock; US 10/6.00mm -- 1 in stock

DPN's: US 0/2.00mm -- 7" -- 3 in stock
DPN's: US 0/2.00mm -- 5" -- 3 in stock

On Order: UK8/US6/4.00mm new straight metal needles (nickel-free process on these)
And a restock of popular sizes in the circulars. Special Orders cheerfully accepted.
Email requests to melissa@strandedinoz.com

I'll be at the Fall Fiber Frolic (see sidebar link) this weekend. Then, back to Easton, MD for the trunk show at Yarns and CO.

Cheers, and thanks, Melissa

Shenandoah Fest (wahoo!) and Fall Frolic...

Well, no sooner am I back in Easton, MD I'm getting ready for another show -- this is really, really going to be the last one of the season for me. Seriously.

Fall Fiber Frolic:

Bitsyknits and I are headed north-like to get in one last burst of autumn fun and fibre. We got into this thing because the two awesome women from Two Wool Crazy Ladies mentioned it and well, we're game for anything fibrey and festivaly.

So off we head next weekend. This weekend, I am on Trick or Treat duty here in Easton while the parentals are off at their halloween party. Like, a gazillion little treaters invade the neighbourhood. This year, dad decided to be serious and bought real lollies. Last year, it was some sort of evil crackers and I told him, don't be daft, you'll be the laughingstock of the street without proper lollies.

So this year, it's Tootsie Rolls and Pops at the parental abode. Yay. I have tested them and they are a-ok.

A big -- enormous -- gigantic -- humungous (sp?) thanks to the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival crew who did an amazing job at this year's fest. Next year is a few weeks earlier (bummer, as I love the fall Shenandoah folliage). But we'll be there.

The vendors and fibre addicts of all descriptions were there and it was so much fun. I splurged on a Debra's Garden needle gauge pendant for lace/sock knitters in, yes, olive green.

Why do I love the Shenandoah spinners and knitters? Cuz they love green. All the green yarns and fibres I've been painting magically disappeared over the weekend. It made my heart glad. Now, I have an excuse to paint more green! Yes, that's right V. More green.

Special thanks to Mary Beth -- the Yarn Mag fan -- can't wait to see Mary Beth knits up from this year's batch.

Of course, B and I couldn't resist stopping at our fave mid-atlantic mill and indulging in some dyer's stash. Look out! I see a pile of alpaca/wool (really lovely twist on this one) that is ready for the dyetable.

After the Fall Fiber Frolic, SIOz heads back to Easton for the Annual Waterfowl Fest, where I will be doing a weekend trunk show at Yarns and Co, Easton, MD. Come on by and chat about hand-painted yarns and fibres, tips for using hand-dyed yarns of all types, and general good fun with yarn to get you ready for the winter. Thank you to Gail and Ann for inviting me to share my hand-paint madness here on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake.

To all SIOz customers re mag orders: the rest of the backorders have been shipped, except for issue 4, which will be temporarily delayed from me. If you are itching to get your hands on Yarn directly, please check out their website at http://www.yarnmagazine.com.au/

If anyone is still wanting a copy of A Coloured Sheep Shawl pattern, the new prints are available for US customers -- $5.00 including US postage until Nov 15th.

Knit in good health.

On the Road Again. Again!

G'day from MD -- heading to Berryville, VA for the Shenandoah Fiber Arts Festival this weekend. Just in time for the rain that's been forecast! Not to fear -- B and I are in the indoor venue again. Nice and dry.

For this festival, I've dyed some lovely laceweight and also hemp and wool (5ply/sport equiv.) for the event. There's a new stock of patterns and yarns, so if you are in the area and your fingers are itchin' to spin, knit, felt, crochet........ head on out for a fantastic festival. I love this fest and this year, it'll be the die-hards, as it is the same weekend as Stitches East.

Specials for the festival? You bet.

For SIOz customers in Oz, get ready, because a mountain of fibre and yarn (some very special hanks reserved for you!) in time for the holiday season. When the dust settles on the fests, I'll be heading home to Richards, Lyta (the kelpieweiler princess) and the fab fibre addicts of Adelaide.

On the road again.... Melissa

Pit Stop before Shenandoah Fiber Arts Festival

G'day from Easton.

Well, the travel finally caught up with me -- I'm a bit under the weather, but not to worry. I'll be in Easton to recuperate and to work on designs and new colours before heading to VA and the Shenandoah Fiber Arts Festival, third weekend in October.

It was a fantastic show last year -- if you live in the DC area, it's incredibly close, just a drive not far beyond Dulles Airport, or so it seemed to me last year.

New SIOz yarns have arrived in Australia -- you can check them out at Stitch Culture, VIC as well as Near and Far, TAS.

As I promised, I've collected some incredible yarns and fibres during my travels all of which will head back to Oz very soon. Included in the shipment -- some amazing merino/tencel spinning fibre and some hard-to-find, independently-produced yarns. I'll be posting availability of these lots when they are ready for sale.

Thank you to everyone who purchased SIOz yarns and fibres at the VT Sheep and Wool Festival, Tunbridge VA. When I'm not coughing up a lung, I'll be writing more about what an incredible experience it was.

Happy Spring to my Aussie customers. Happy Autumn to my American customers (and Canadians, who were so nice to meet at VT). I'm gearing up for my annual Halloweenfest!

Keep knitting -- spinning -- crocheting... Mel, in Easton, MD