merino singles – deep blue sea

Ten Reasons to Join Us in 2013, in no particular order:

1) A 15% club discount for all members on regularly-priced SIOz products– up from 10% from previous years? Why? Because it’s my way of saying thank you
2) Packs will have at least 100 gms of Stranded In Oz’s unique hand-painted yarn or fibre, a project pattern, and a goody
3) This year’s offerings, like 2011 and 2012, will have at least one Namaste, Inc. goody. Why? Cuz they’re cool, useful, and you like ‘em
4) Packs will include tools like stitch markers and needles, depending on the packs. I get asked a lot for the stitch markers and for the most part, they’re only available to clubbies
5) New gear (you didn’t think I’d rest on my laurels did you?)
6) Old faves – yarns and fibres (because you are so awesome and are kind enough to send feedback)
7) Additions to your club pack orders do not incur additional postage (bargain!)
8) A new contest format! Stay tuned, it’s goooooooooood
9) The service you expect from a knitters/fibre spinners club. Whenever something does go wrong, on those rare occasions, we do our best to make it right.
10) And of course, MERRIMENT! Yeah, Robin Hood-related fun

Be sure to ‘like’ strandedinozyarns on Facebook if you are on there. I’m generally logged on when I’m in Oz, especially, so it’s the fastest way to get a hold of me. That, and email to melissa AT strandedinoz DOT com

If you have any questions regarding subscriptions, please contact me.

Semaphore Merino Top

The first lots to be finished are the spinning fibres, as they take a while to dry. Above is a peek at a new lot of low micron, Australian Merino Top.  It is gloriously soft — and in a new lot of Semaphore, one of the more popular SIOz colours.

Merino dk premium new greens and blues

Running blues and greens last week — this week, some more Robin Hood colours as well as the McLaren Vale group. There were some outrageous red lots last week in a new 4ply yarn…

New 4ply: it’s a super squishy soft, low micron merino — all Australian. Forget the commerical-superfine Italian stuff. This is the real thing. I’ve priced it at $24.00 per 100gms. The hanks were put up in various weights, so it will be available at price per hank weight. As soon as this one is dry, I will put up some photos of the blends — there’s a wicked Evil Stepmother Red mix as well as the blues/greens.

Fairy Fleece: SWTC’s OMG (wool/sugar cane viscose) given the SIOz treatment: there will be more lots of this yarn available at Bendigo and beyond. The latest is a pleasant mid-green mix.

Oh Snap! lrg and xlrg

Namaste Update: bags and Cali binders have been updated, along with a few accessories, including the fab Oh Snap! pouches. Even if you haven’t gotten your Namaste yet, you’ll want a set of these pouches to organise any tote bag anyway.

oh snap! reg

CU at the markets… m

Robin Hood Cashmere DK

Thank you very much to all the knitters and spinners and general, all-around fibre fans for your continued interest in Stranded In Oz yarns, fibres, and designs.

Bendigo-Bound? Please email melissa@strandedinoz.com if you have a particular product you’d like to order in advance of the show, to avoid disappointment; this includes Namaste Bags and Accessories.

For this week, the knitting focus still seems to be on the heavier yarns, so there’s a nice selection of 10ply/Aran Weight yarns in stock. I’ve loaded most online and will have them for perusal at…

Brighton Organic and Healthy Living Market — this Thursday, Commercial Rd, Brighton, next to the Windsor Theatre.

Why do I trade at this market? Because I firmly and wholeheartedly believe in local trading. The more I trade online, the more I notice a conflict in my nature. I appreciate and seek business online and appreciate the support I have for that part of my business. But really, there isn’t a good online substitute for yarn trading locally. Not for me anyway. And not for my fantastic customers. The Brighton market is small, friendly, and fun. Every neighborhood should have a market like it.

And of course, I wanted a chance to trade away from Port Adelaide and during the working week. Many of my customers would prefer I were somewhere other than Port Adelaide. I completely understand, as it isn’t as convenient as the inner areas, but then again, the trading venues in other parts of the city are scarce. This topic — where do artists and people who sell what they make go besides Ebay?

As I get ready to go to Bendigo Sheep and Wool and points beyond, I will do my best to update the blogs and shop. I apologise in advance for gaps in postings and info due to travel.

Colours and yarns this week: still going strong with club sub projects in winter blues and Monet blue, as well as a number of sock yarns that continue to entice. As always, if you don’t see the colour you want, feel free to contact me.

Angora Mohair Acrylic Blend Smooshed Fairies

Bargain Balls: as I did last year, I’ve restocked the wild and crazy oddballs for scarf and hat knitting. These are so much fun and such a great bargain! Why pay discount store prices for acrylic and polyester, when you can get fabulous mohair, angora, and wool blends from SIOz at half the price? Seriously, it is worth a perusal at the Port Markets SIOz shop for these fun, funky yarns. Some of the new shipment include yarns that get re-labelled and sold as Made in Italy — at triple the price. How do I know this? Because customers have brought in the same yarns with different labels on them. The blue and purple bargain yarns have been restocked, as they were sorely depleted.

CU at the markets, melissa

CU at the Port Markets. M

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

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

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

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 

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 

This week’s yarns and fibres:

Spinning Fibres:

1 lot of McLaren Vale hand-painted sliver $12.50 per 100 grams
1 lot of Serendipity blues hand-painted sliver — in shades of blues and a touch of grey $15.00 per 100gms

1 experimental lot of suri alpaca roving in Betty’s Yarn – blues, greys, light purple, and a light olivey green – Exact weight pending finishing of process, approx. 100gms $22.00

Suri Alpaca Roving in Betty’s Yarn

Yarns:

Serendipity 50gm skeins of 10ply-equiv. mohair blend in blues/greys $15.00
1 X 50gm lot left of Luxor in alpaca/silk lace — blues/greys/light purple with “a touch of asp” as my friend V says.

The rest of the McLaren Vale yarn has been snatched already. For the dye tables this week:

McLaren Vale – vineyard colours: got a fibre fixation? Plenty of different fibres to choose from to make your dream project. In-stock fibre list in sidebar.
Semaphore – greens, blues, and seaweed
and a request for Friar Tuck (shades of browns, oranges, and a hint of greens)

Keep those colour requests coming.

As soon as the lots are batched, photos are added.

Alpaca/Silk Lace in McLaren Vale

As always, thank you for your support and enthusiasm. Melissa, still SIOz