Vote Today in SA

It's an election day here in SA and the dog is going a little nutty every time someone walks by to go to the poll, which is at the end of the street. 

The weather forecast says a little cloudy, maybe some rain tomorrow -- I'll be at the usual spot at the Port Markets of course.  It's still too humid to be coffee first thing at the market weather, but we're getting closer!

New Dyelots this week of:

Hand-Painted Banana Palm Silk -- this is a rather fetching blend of golds, ochres, and greens in time for autumn. The blend in this one is killer. 3-4 hanks makes a quick-knitting sleeveless vest. 

Restock of the Evil Stepmother Red in the Premium Merino 3,  great for scarves, lace, and fine socks, as well as a new stock of an Autumn Orange in Premium Merino 3. $24.00 per 100gm/400m hanks.

For Spinners: restocks of the Regular Merino Fibre -- lots of purples and a range of blues -- better wholesale pricing means a price reduction for my customers. All of the Aussie Wool Fibre (reg) is now $12.00 for 100gm (hand-painted). The Organic Merino Top -- ditto -- and is now $17.00 per 100gm. 

Happy Knitting, Spinning, and all things fibre. M

Hellos and thanks

G'day -- gearing up for the new fibre season. Re-programming webpage is progressing slowly, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks for checking in here in the meantime. The shop has been restocked for Uruguayan singles (the very popular squishy lace yarn) and some more colours of spinning wool. 

Special hellos to Near and Far in Cygnet, TAS, SIOz stockists -- they've got some special lots of sari silks, hemp and wool, as well as soy ribbon in stock. 

And a hello to the people who came by last holiday weekend. Turned around and realised, the stocks of SIOz Merino 4 and Merino 8 are sadly depleted, so I've been making an effort to speed up the dyelots. Wheeeeeeeeee!

This week -- some special yarns:

1 lot of my autumn blend, done in a very special ltd edition of Green Mountain Spinnery dk wt 50% wool/50% lyocel ("a natural derivative of wood pulp from cultivated Southern oak and gum trees grown on land unsuitable for grazing"). This colourway has been called various names, depending on how you look at it. One customer decided it looked like a Monet painting (the Haystack series). I think it looks like the veggie patch in autumn, when everything is dead and changing colour. 56gm/164m per hank (US 2oz/180yds) $17.00AU per hank (enough for a pair of gloves or a plain beanie). 

Merino 4 and Merino 10: 2 weights of superwash, premium supersoft merino wool in colourway Forbidden City -- $24.00 per 100gms in either weight. Think a bright jade blend, not as blue as the Dark Mermaid. 

And by customer request, the return of Sherwood Forest. I'm gearing up for some Robin Hood colours. Thank you for asking.

This week, Sherwood Forest (new version with a killer green and new deeep blue) is in a new thin sock wool -- a merino/silk blend with a touch of nylon. This is very fine, and takes dye beautifully, for rich, deep colours. And... 

There are a few test hanks in my new, ltd edition 100% cashmere light dk. I have a feeling this won't last, so get in quick. 

Sneak Peek: TEASER! Super Secret new stuff to knit with and fondle:

10ply/Aran wt/US Worsted wt yarn: here's my first piccie of the new supersoft, unbelievable yarn:

Test colourway is far too yummy -- it looks like one of those strawberry ice cream Chuppa Chups. I've test knitted a hat to see how it feels. Thank you to Jonelle at SWTC for getting this sent to me. I'll be processing it as quickly as can be. When the lots are ready... all will be revealed. *smile*

Spinning:

There are restocks of wool for spinning (restocking the shop with diff. colours of organic merino top as well as reg aussie wool. 

The stocks of spindles has been depleted -- there are few beauts still there, but more will be on the way. If you have a request for a particular type of stone, please feel free to email melissa AT strandedinoz DOT com and I will source it for you for your very own special gemmie.  Samples of the yarns I've spun with my gemstone spindles can be seen on Sundays at the Port Markets and in previous blog entries.

CU at the Port Markets. M

Long Weekend at the Port Markets

Hiya Hiya Hiya (can you tell we watch the Muppet Show in our house?)

Since this is a long weekend and a Monday holiday at that, I will be trading at the Markets on both Sunday and Monday, 9-5.

Parking Hint: free parking is almost always available in the lots across Commercial Road (near the Foodland). It's just a block behind Commercial, and only a few minutes walk to Port Markets. There's parking usually along Commercial Road as well.

Right -- the wool is drying slowly this week. Could that actually be HUMIDITY in the air? Are we really getting rain? Wow. Swapped around my dye schedule this week to run new lots of hemp and aloo.

Aloo: available in a dark brownish ochre, Puna (light purple) and Midnight Puna (dark purple)
Hemp: a rich, warm red. This one is brighter than the last lot as the hemp order came in lighter than the last shipment.

If you want either aloo or hemp, be sure to get to the Market this weekend or email me tout suite. It tends to sell out sooner than other yarns. I haven't met that many dyers who work with these fibres. Both are $10.00 for 100gms. Why so pricey? Well, it must be scoured (I use a non-toxic textile wash) and that process takes time, but I think it is worth it. Customers advise it can't be beat for making all manner of crocheted and knitted bags. I love it knitted with another yarn to provide strength and texture.

Spinners: the new shipment included the popular un-spun sari silk fibre. This lot is really nice, plenty of wildly-coloured chunks to work with. So much fun to see how the colours work in with whatever you're spinning.

Blog Migration -- slowly but surely

In the midst of the ole deadlines and dyelots, I've been working towards incorporating my blog into my webpage to make communication flow better and to cut down on the number of places info gets to. Bear with me whilst this takes place. I'll post info here regarding.

Here's a shot of some low-micron organic merino top that I have been playing with:

On Mars -- Organic Merino Top $20.00/100gm

I heart this fibre! It's 100% Aussie wool of course.

A big hello and thanks to Colleen, the intrepid lace knitter. She came by to share with me her gorgeous garter stitch shawl she's making out of the Wild Garden mix I did in the CTH Sockitome.

Lots happening here at SIOz central. There will be new designs and yarns for the autumn and winter (some you just won't be able to resist). It's all I can do to not get distracted by the shipments.

I'm working as quickly as possible to clear the great Nepalese woolpile of 2010 -- it was a woolalanche! Some smart knitters already came by to pick through the new crop of sari silks (some killers in there -- the PURE silk sari is BACK as well as BLING -- sari, banana, and gold thread plied. Oooooooooooh. I am in the process of loading a pile onto the online store.

Thanks as always to my fantastic, talented customers. You make it all worthwhile.
Mel, in sunny Adelaide

Waiting for Rain!

SIOz Merino 4 Superwash in Red/Purple Mix $24.00/100gm

SIOz Merino 4 Superwash in Orange Mix 1 - $24.00/100gm

Will it ever rain in Adelaide? Forecast revised last week. No rain in sight, after teasing us with promises. *sigh* 

In the midst of my dye schedule, the shipment from Nepal arrived (the timing is always a guess) so I'm a few days behind, as I've had to un-bury myself from the mountain of new fibre and yarns. Apologies to you patient knitters!

Why am I excited? There's a new lot of pure linen -- machine-spun in Nepal, but still a rustic, natural thin yarn that I'm really happy with. It's just so cool. Cool to wear, cool to knit with. Linen for weaving, crochet, and knitting. 

New spangle-y plied banana silk with gold thread -- in a pale purple and green blend. Very bling. Great for a bag (see below) or for the edging of a garment.

   

Most thrilled with: a new natural cotton in a two-ply -- close to the equivalent of a 4ply/fingering weight.  It's so beautiful -- not fake looking at all or bleached -- with flecks of colour from the imperfections of the cotton.

There's more, including a re-supply of aloo, hemp, and hemp and wool (new type), all being prepped for the dyelots next week. 

Natural yarns will be at the Port this weekend for you to have a feel and decide on colours.

SIL Melanie's photo of her ball of WOR club yarn -- nice pic Smelly!

Thanks for the photo -- now I'm distracted and need to make a pair of socks in this yarn. 

Here's a photo of the Club First Project:

This bag is designed in a teardrop shape, with some fancy pants shaping and groovy no-sew bag bottom tricks to boot. I love designs that are simple, but have a few fun knitter's techniques to keep the knitter thinking. 

This week: I will be running lots of animal fibres in florals starting Monday, so do email or ring with your request. First up are the 10ply lots of premium merino superwash.

CU at the Port, M

SIOz update

G'day from sunny Adelaide. Well, it's bloody hot mate and to add to the fun of the season, the fridge has died a horrible death. So after an entire day running around haggling with salesmen, I am the proud owner of a soontobedelivered new fridge. Wahooo. Ever not have a fridge in summer? Lived out of an esky? It's amazing how much you NEED ice cubes when you can't just open the freezer and get some. I shall fill the new one with piles of ice this week.

Right -- it's that in-between season. Still feeling the summer heat. Can't think about projects for the colder seasons. I'm sticking with socks. Not much of a commitment, can put it down easily. Ah, the humble sock. We knitters are lucky we can make 'em.

A big thanks to everyone who braved the humidity and heat and came by for a chat and a squeeze of yarn hanks yesterday. Glad to have met you.

And thanks to everyone for picking up your club kits. Enjoy watching your rainbow knitting grow!

CU at the Port or online, M

Feb 2010 Club Yarn and Fibres - Way Over the Rainbow Club Mixes

Way Over the Rainbow Knitting Club Mix Feb 2010

For those of you who've already joined the SIOz knitting club, your packs will be sent out this week. Thank you to those who've already joined the fun. I couldn't help but post a photo of the first yarn for the year. I don't often mix Way Over the Rainbow, as it is one of my specials, but it is appropriate that we start off the knitting year with a splash, non? Your pack includes 100gms of this yarn (3ply merino, superwash), assorted goodies (natch) and a pattern for the project bag. 

Way Over the Rainbow organic merino

Fiber Club Mix Feb 2010

NOTE: the mix for the spinners is not the same rainbow as for the knitters. Some people are in both clubs and well, I thought I'd mix it up a bit. :-) Yeah, I've got a few rainbows up my sleeve.

For the fibre club, your packs are ready to go -- most of you guys are picking yours up, so they'll be ready for you this Sunday at the Port Markets. If your plans change, let me know so I can arrange delivery. Thank you to everyone who advised colour preferences for the gemspindle. It was fun making these to suit the spinner.  All the spindles have oak shafts, have been hand-sanded, coated, sanded, coated and finished with a nice little hook for spinnability. 

Regular Drop Spindle with glass whorl (Fibre Club Feb 2010)

I've mentioned previously that I'm not limiting membership to my clubs this year. Yup, after some great feedback from customers and a lot of reading online, not to mention my own experiences, I came to the conclusion that if you want to knit or spin with SIOz yarns or fibres, you should be able to get what you want. 

Recently: I was placed in a lottery for a sock club and was told I 'didn't get in.' My initial reaction was, what? My $$ not good enough? And why am I feeling left out? This struck me as ridiculous. I mean, the last thing I neeeed is more sock yarn (I have only knit with 2 other brands for my own personal knitting in like, the last 3 years, so why would I care?) My reaction had been so hard-wired into me by Madison Avenue that I had to really think about it.  I'm still irrationally irritated that I didn't get into that club -- 2 weeks later. For no real reason. 

I don't want my customers or potential customers to have that feeling. 

So you are all welcome. If you are a member and want more than 1 hank of yarn or instalment of fibre, do let me know in advance, as I need to account for the numbers in each lot. 

Happy Knitting and Spinning -- M