Two Sock Pattern Test Knits

It’s been a while since I posted about some of  my sock knits, particularly a couple of test knits. The first is Leaves are Changing Socks by Penny Schumers from Knit-by-Bit Designs. This sock pattern was designed because of Penny’s love of the changing of the leaves when Fall comes. This stitch pattern reflects a row of leaves. The striping of the socks allows them to be changing.

This pattern may look difficult but it was quite easy to memorise once I got started.

I cannot rave enough about this sock yarn which is Bendigo Woollen Mills Multicoloured Sock. It is so reasonably priced and incredibly soft and delicious to knit with. This shade is called Pastel Multi.

Such beautiful socks even if I say so myself!

The second test knit is Frozen Roses Socks also by Penny Schumer. The stitch pattern has a rosebud floral feel, framed with rows reminiscent of stems with thorns.

Another beautiful pattern which was a pleasure to test.

The yarn I used was Dyed By Hand Yarns Tough Stocking. I love the colours in this yarn which is called Verticordia.

What I love about testing for Penny is that she always seems to write the cuff down and toe up instructions for her socks which makes her patterns available for each type of sock knitter. I am a cuff down girl!

If you’re a confident sock knitter I would highly recommend you opt into one of the test knits as you get an opportunity to knit a new pair of socks and you get the pattern before anyone else! Just check out the Ravelry Free Patterns Testers page. You don’t necessarily have to test knit socks; there are tests for all types of garments.

Until next time…

Melanie

Bark Socks – Pair # 40!!

I felt the need to knit a pair of socks not long ago and luckily I had the pair in mind I wanted to attempt. A lovely blog I follow written by a New Zealand knitter and pattern writer is called KiwiYarns Knits and she (Wei S. Leong) recently released this gorgeous free sock knitting pattern on Ravelry called Bark. I only tend to knit cuff-down socks on 5 dpns so this was a pattern made for me.

The pattern is very easy to memorise and is a great one for talking and knitting at the same time 🙂 Don’t we all love to do that!

My favourite heel flap too.

I picked up 18 sts along each side of the heel flap as I always pick up an extra one to avoid that notorious little hole that can sometimes appear.

The yarn I used is Dyed By Hand Yarns Tough Stocking which is a 75% merino / 25% nylon sock yarn in the colourway ‘Tyger Tyger’.

I love all the orange and golden hues in this yarn. It’s just glorious. I have 37g left so that will go towards another Leftie as I sold mine at our recent Open Day.

Another pair of socks off the needles. I really do love this pattern.

I cast on a rather ambitious project a couple of nights ago. Ambitious because it will involve interfacing and sewing a lining (uuggghhh!!). It’s a project bag with a sheep on it and it’s from the pattern # 28 Lamb Diaper Bag. I’ve nearly finished the back which is just all stockinette stitch. I might have to ask my sewing friends for some help when it comes to the sewing. I guess that means I’m going to have to get my new sewing machine, which I’ve had for a few months, out of the box 🙂

Until next time…

Melanie

Aussie Artisan Hand-Dyed Yarns

I live in an area where there are no LYS (local yarn shops) except for Lincraft and Spotlight. While both these shops carry a large range of yarn, they don’t carry much in the way of 4ply, 2ply or hand-dyed yarns. Over the last couple of years I’ve discovered quite a few fantastic Aussie artisan hand-dyers who produce the most gorgeous and delicious yarns plus the occasional ‘bricks and mortar’ shops in Brisbane.

Shorn Fibers is an online shop operating from Minden in SE Queensland, Australia.

Angela is an amazing artisan hand-dyer and for those of you who were at the Redlands Spinners & Weavers camp in September last year, you should remember Angela and the gorgeous array of yarns she displayed in her shop. Her prices are incredibly competitive as well. I have bought tons and tons of yarn from Angela. She knows my weakness for autumn shades and tends to dye exactly what I like. I can never resist purchasing a little bit more each time. I went crazy at camp last year!!

Here’s an array of just some of the yarn I’ve purchased from Shorn Fibers.

Dyed By Hand Yarns is an online shop located in Melbourne, Australia.

Julie Boydell has been open for business since June 2012 and has a fantastic array of gorgeous yarns in all plies and colours. There is also a yearly Sock Yarn Club which you can join. The theme for 2015 is Wild About Wildflowers – colours inspired by native wildflowers of Australia. This is a six month sock yarn only club. You will receive two skeins of sock yarn posted out in the last week in March, May and July. Yarns included will be one skein each of Tough Stocking, Mother’s Love, Big Blue Stocking, Silk Stocking, Blue Chip Stocking and introducing White Gum Wool 4ply.

Each skein of yarn will be dyed in a colour inspired by an Australian native wildflower. These colours will be exclusive to yarn club members for 12 months. Custom dyeing of these colours may be ordered by yarn club members for the duration of the club. The cost is $165 plus postage.

I have subscribed to the sock yarn club over the last two years and have picked up some stunning colourways.

Aren’t they spectacular!! One of my other favourites from Dyed By Hand Yarns is this stunning Limelight colourway in Tough Stocking which I used to make these socks.

Augustbird is an online shop located in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Rebecca Robinson produces some of the most exquisite colourways. If you follow Augustbird on Facebook, Rebecca will usually post a message regarding the current month’s colourways. You have the opportunity to order the colours you prefer and they are hand-dyed on request. I recently completed a test sock knit for Rebecca and received a yarn voucher. I purchased two skeins in a stunning colourway called Songbird which I have yet to knit up. I’m waiting for just the right pattern.

Skein is a small, independent hand-dyed yarn company based in Australia. All Skein yarns and fibres are kettle dyed using professional acid-based dyes. These dyes are permanently set by the use of a vinegar mordant and heat. Once the dyes have been fully absorbed and the kettle water is clear, the yarns and fibre are removed, rinsed and washed with a light, phosphate-free wool wash, and then gently spun and hung out to dry under the Australian sun.

I have purchased quite a bit of yarn from Skein too and found it to be of exceptional quality. The colourways that are offered are quite mind-blowing too.

Now to a couple of fantastic online suppliers of wool rovings. Firstly, Kathy’s Fibres. Kathy has a wonderful range of hand-painted rovings at only $11 for 100g. The colour selection is stunning. I have bought a few and have made a gorgeous scarf in the Forest colourway.

Jumbuck Julie also dyes some incredibly appealing colourways and her selection is mind-blowing. There is just so much to pick from! I just looked at her Etsy shop and there were 273 colourways available!!! They’re $11.50 each.

These are some of the rovings I’ve purchased from Jumbuck Julie. I’m currently knitting a scarf in the Anemone colourway (top left and bottom right below).

Now to some local Brisbane (and interstate) ‘bricks and mortar’ and online yarn shops.

Yarn Glorious Yarn is situated at Suite 11/180 Moggill Road, Taringa (0438 374 364). You can also purchase online. Shop hours are Wednesday – Friday 10am – 3pm and Saturday 10am – 4pm.

Sue Wheeler is the sole Aussie supplier of Zen Yarn Garden (ZYG) yarns which are made in Canada. ZYG has been producing an ART Walk Series of yarn, the colours of which are based on famous paintings. They are simply exquisite and I have purchased two skeins in each series. They’re currently up to Number 13 and can be found at Yarn Glorious Yarn. Cost per skein is generally between $32-$36 but well worth the value particularly when some of the yarn has a cashmere content. Sue does not charge for postage if you purchase over $50 worth of yarn, which is always the case with me! Sue also stocks many other brands of yarn. ZYG has just started another series called ‘Inspiration‘. Oh my goodness, the colours are gorgeous!

Purlwise is an online store as well as a bricks and mortar shop located at 4 Comboyne Street, Kendall, NSW. Opening hours are 10am – 4pm Thursday – Sunday. Purlwise is run by Mark who has been knitting for over 20 years. (02) 6559 0202. All purchases over $50 do NOT incur any postage. You will also receive discounts for purchases over $100, $150, etc. There is a huge range of yarn to select and some very bright and cheerful colourways too.

Yay! for Yarn is an online store operated from Brendale, north of Brisbane. Kiri carries a huge range of yarn and always has yarn and patterns on her Clearance Items page which is worth a visit. Kiri was previously a high school art teacher but in mid 2008 she decided to take her yarn hobby to the next level which is when Yay! for Yarn was started.

That should be enough to whet your appetite don’t you think? There are still more great yarn suppliers in Australia which I’ll cover in a future story.

If I can give you one tip it is to make sure you subscribe to any online newsletters that are offered by these stores to ensure you’re always informed of sales and new yarns. It’s what I do and that’s probably why my stash is enormous! I would also recommend you ‘like’ their Facebook pages and join their Ravelry groups.

Until next time…

Melanie

My 2014 Sock Yarn Club Goodies

Yesterday I received my final instalment in the Dyed By Hand Yarns‘ Sock Yarn Club. The theme for 2014 was Australia II – colours inspired by the ocean, sea, sails and coastlines.

Two skeins of sock yarn were posted out in the last week in March, May and July and the yarns included were 2 x Tough Stocking, 1 x Mother’s Love, 1 x Big Blue Stocking, 1 x Silk Stocking and 1 x Blue Chip Stocking.

Each skein of yarn was dyed in a colour inspired by something Australian. These colours are exclusive to yarn club members for 12 months. Custom dyeing of these colours on any yarn base may be ordered by yarn club members for the duration of the club.

# 1 is called Surf Life Saving and is dyed on Tough Stocking which is a 75% merino / 25% nylon yarn. This colourway is incredibly eye-catching and really depicts the Aussie surf life saving colours of the red and yellow flag against the blue ocean and sky. Very vivid indeed.

# 2 is called Blue Ringed Octopus and is also dyed on Tough Stocking. The blue-ringed octopuses are three (or perhaps four) octopus species that live in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia (mainly around southern New South Wales and South Australia, and northern Western Australia). Despite their small size and relatively docile nature, they can prove a danger to humans. They can be recognised by their characteristic blue and black rings and yellowish skin. When the octopus is agitated, the brown patches darken dramatically, and iridescent blue rings or clumps of rings appear and pulsate within the maculae. It’s hard to believe that something so beautiful can be so dangerous.

# 3 is called Monkey Mia and is dyed on Mother’s Love which is an 80% merino / 10% cashmere / 10% nylon yarn. Monkey Mia is a popular tourist destination located about 900 km north of Perth, Western Australia. The reserve is 25 km northeast of the town of Denham in the Shark Bay Marine Park and World Heritage Site.

The main attraction is the bottlenose dolphins that have been coming close to shore for more than fifty years. The beautiful blue colours of the ocean are captured so well in this yarn.

# 4 is called Purple Sea Urchin and is dyed on Blue Chip Stocking which is a 70% merino / 20% silk  / 10% cashmere yarn. Purple Sea Urchins are found in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. They live on intertidal rocky shores and in coastal waters to a depth of 35 metres. In order to gain protection from predators and the elements, they cluster together and use their sharp spines to burrow into the rock. They normally grow to a diameter of about 4 inches and may live as long as 70 years.

Wow! The colours in the yarn are definitely a true indication of the colours in the Purple Sea Urchin.

# 5 is called Gorgons Head Coral and is dyed on Silk Stocking which is 50% merino / 50% silk yarn.

A four-week expedition to explore the deep ocean south-west of Tasmania in 2008 revealed new species of animals and more evidence of impacts of increasing carbon dioxide on deep-sea corals. A bright red, undescribed species of shell-less coral, called an anthomastid or gorgons-head coral was discovered at 1700 metres deep at the Cascade Plateau, off south-east Tasmania.

This also happens to be one of my favourite colours. Plus the 50% silk in this yarn makes it feel lovely and soft.

And lastly, # 6 is called Bass Strait and is dyed on Big Blue Stocking which is 100% wool. Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.

What a wonderful rich blue colour typical of the deep blue sea.

Now my next challenge is to assign patterns to each of these gorgeous yarns. What would you make with each one?

Until next time…

Melanie

 

Autumn Scarf and Some Gorgeous Yarn

 

Another garment off the needles! This is my Autumn Scarf made using Shorn Fibers Single DK which is a 40% Baby Alpaca 40% Merino 20% Silk yarn blend. The colourway way is called Autumn Leaves and it’s gorgeous to knit with. I used exactly 125g for this scarf; the other 75g was used to knit my 3AM Cable Hat which I blogged about here.

Here’s the hat…

And here’s the newly finished scarf…

The pattern I used is called Palindrome and what I like about it is it’s a reversible cable which makes your scarf look great from both sides!

This yarn is as soft as silk against my neck and will make a nice partner for the hat.

I’m so glad I left the scarf relatively narrow as it’s enabled me to utilise all the yarn to make the scarf slightly longer than normal.

Before I go I’m going to show you a couple of gorgeous yarns I’ve just received in the mail. The first is the number one instalment in Dyed By Hand Yarns’ 2014 Simply Sock Club and it’s called Surf Life Saving.

Isn’t it stunning? I showed it to a friend of mine and she immediately grabbed it out of my hands as she was so smitten with it!

The second sock yarn is called Blue Ringed Octopus…

Both these yarns are called Tough Stocking and are a 75% superwash merino / 25% nylon yarn. Each weighs 100gm and contains 423 metres (463 yards).

The second lot of yarn that arrived this week is the eighth offering in Zen Yarn Garden’s new ART WALK Series that features a painting by Claude Monet entitled “Irises” which inspired this colourway.

Hand painted on Serenity Silk Single Mr Zen has captured the subtle colours of the painting. From one medium to the next artists express their use of colour.

Serenity Silk Single is a single ply fingering yarn comprising of 75% superwash merino, 15% cashmere and 10% silk. There are 430yds in each 100gm skein, enough to make a small shawl.

This is the painting that inspired the yarn colours…

And this is a photo from Zen Yarn Garden’s website…

I am simply amazed by the beautiful colours that can be used to make gorgeous hand dyed yarn.

That’s it for me today. Until next time…

Melanie

 

 

Two Handspun Woolly Neck Knits

Another handspun garment has flown off the needles! I am particularly happy with this ‘Forest’ Handspun Scarf. The spinning is getting to be quite consistent and the colours are simply wonderful.

From this…

To this…

To this luscious skein…

To this beautiful scarf…

Isn’t the striping effect gorgeous?

The pattern is called One Row Handspun Scarf from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka The Yarn Harlot and it can be found on Ravelry. It is soooo easy to knit and is reversible which is what I like in a scarf.

I added a lovely fringe to make it look like the scarves I used to wear when I was a little girl and my family lived in the UK for a year.

I bought the two x 100g rovings from Kathy’s Fibres. They are lovely to spin from and Kathy’s colours are amazing.

The scarf is 100% merino wool.

The second handspun garment is a 50/50 kid mohair/merino cowl. It was challenging trying to spin this yarn and it became a very thick and thin textured labour of love.

The original fibre was very soft and fluffy…

As you can see it is very thick and thin…

The colourway is called ‘Autumn’ and it has lovely bits of blue and orange throughout it…

The two skeins have a real ‘chunky’ look about them…

But as I learn every day, there are no mistakes in spinning. The thick and thin look is actually what some spinners aim to achieve and here I am doing it without even trying!!

I only had enough yarn to make this very warm and incredibly soft cowl…

Not bad for a spinning ‘disaster’ is it?

This is also the same One Row Handspun Scarf except I joined the ends to make a cowl.

I love all those muted colours.

Only a small cowl but very big on warmth and character I must say!

You could say I am very happy with my handspun achievements to date. Plus I am going to have the warmest neck in the whole world next winter 🙂

Before I go I must let you know that I have subscribed to Dyed By Hand Yarns’ 2014 Simply Sock Club and the first instalment is released next week! I can’t wait!

The theme for 2014 is Australia II – colours inspired by the ocean, sea, sails and coastlines. This is a six month sock yarn only club and you receive:

Two skeins of sock yarn posted out in the last week in March, May and July. Yarns included are 2 x Tough Stocking, 1 x Mother’s Love, 1 x Big Blue Stocking, 1 x Silk Stocking and 1 x Blue Chip Stocking.

Each skein of yarn is dyed in a colour inspired by something Australian. These colours are exclusive to yarn club members for 12 months. Plus custom dyeing of these colours on any yarn base may be ordered by yarn club members for the duration of the club.

Now as I have mentioned, I have no financial or other affiliation with Dyed By Hand Yarns. I simply love to promote fantastic Aussie artisan hand-dyed yarns and fibres as they are spectacular. Here’s my story about the 2013 Simply Sock Club with pictures of all the yarns. And remember, you don’t necessarily have to knit socks with the yarns….you can also knit some beautiful scarves and shawls.

One more pic of my scrumptious Forest Handspun Scarf…

That’s all for now. Until next time…

Melanie

My Spotted Gum Mobius

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a safe and yarn-filled new year’s eve 🙂 As we roll into another year I thought I’d start by showing you another UFO that I completed late last year!!! That’s my 4th one! This Mobius really frustrated me to start with. I cast on with excitement as I usually do with a new project and after about two or three pattern repeats I was finding it hard to concentrate on the pattern so I put it aside.

Once I published my story about all my UFOs one of my readers really gave me some incentive to complete my projects rather than just buy yarn and never finish knitting a project. Thanks Colin! So I picked up this project again and ironically I found the pattern to be a lot easier….perhaps I was in the right frame of mind.

It can be worn long or wrapped around your neck.

It’s hard to tell the right and wrong side of this pattern as they both look good!

The pattern I used is the Autumn Fern Mobius. It actually came in a kit form from Yay for Yarn and I purchased it last year. Unfortunately the pattern arrived safely via email however the original yarn was lost in the mail so I had to select a substitute yarn which I didn’t actually use for this Mobius.

The yarn I used is Dyed By Hand Yarn’s Tough Stocking which is a 4ply / fingering 75% merino / 15% nylon yarn. The colourway is Spotted Gum and this yarn was part of the 2013 Sock Yarn Club. Each skein of yarn was dyed in a colour inspired by something Australian. The colours were exclusive to yarn club members for 12 months and custom dyeing of these colours on any yarn base could be ordered by yarn club members for the duration of the club. Here’s the link to my story that shows all the colourways for the 2013 yarns.

The colours have now been released to everyone and the 2014 Sock Yarn Club is now open. I think I’ll have to subscribe again. Here’s the link if you’re interested. BTW I have no financial or other affiliation with Dyed By Hand Yarns; I simply believe in promoting great Aussie artisan yarn dyers wherever I can as I believe they produce stunning yarns in stunning colours.

As you can see, the yarn colours surely do depict the colours of the Spotted Gum don’t they?

Very pleased with the result…

I used a provisional cast on and then twisted one end of the cowl before using Kitchener stitch to graft both ends together to form the Mobius effect.

I’ve been busily crocheting market bags as I’ve found a pattern than I can understand. Have just finished my 9th one!!!

Until next time…

Melanie

Samothrace Wings Scarves

This would have to be one of the easiest scarf patterns I’ve come across. The pattern is so repetitive and it’s all done in garter stitch. I know it off by heart now and don’t need to keep reading the pattern…I just need to keep track of which row in the pattern I’m up to which I do with my trusty knitting notebook. The only challenging part of the pattern is to ensure you leave enough yarn at the end to finish the decreasing rows.

This pattern is called Samothrace Wings scarf and can be found on Ravelry. I really love the simplicity of the pattern which looks so incredibly stylish when completed.

Can you remember a while ago I told you about the Sock Yarn Club I joined through Dyed By Hand Yarns website? The yarns for 2013 were all dyed based on an Australiana theme and the yarn I used for my scarf is Tough Stocking in the colourway ‘Vegemite’. It’s a 4ply fingering yarn and I used 3.75mm needles.

When I first received this yarn in the mail, I initially thought it was just black with a dash of red. Well how wrong was I!! Once I actually started knitting the scarf I was blown away at the number of different hues in the yarn. There was actually no black…it’s mainly subdued hues of olive green, caramel with a splash of muted red.

I took my knitting to scrabble one night and my scrabble mates fell in love with the yarn. Like me, they were amazed at all the different colours in it. So I can definitely say ‘Vegemite’ is a winner!

Tough Stocking is a 4ply (fingering) 75% superwash merino / 25% nylon yarn, weighs 100g and contains 423m (463yd).

This pattern will definitely be a repeat one for me….in fact I’ve just finished my second Samothrace Scarf and here it is!

Aren’t they the most gorgeous shades of luscious green?

I love the versatility of this scarf….you can wear it with one end flicked over your shoulder, both ends hanging down in the front or wrapped around your neck.

The yarn I used is Abstract Fiber’s ‘Alto’ in the colourway Alfalfa. I purchased this yarn in March this year from A Chronic Yarnoholic’s Ebay shop which stocks some beautiful artisan yarns. This yarn weighs a healthy 125g and is a 5ply / sport weight superwash 100% Blue Faced Leicester. It’s quite beautiful to work with and I was deceived as it felt more like an 8ply / DK weight.

A couple of close up shots of those beautiful shades of green…

I hope seeing these two scarves will inspire you to try this very easy pattern.

Now for the boring mathematical calculations.

As one of my Knit and Knatter friends advised me: it’s an idea to weigh your knitting once you’ve completed one full repeat of the pattern to get an idea of how much yarn you can use for the body of the scarf before you start the decreasing section so I did this for the second scarf. The first pattern repeat weighed roughly 4g so I divided those grams into the total gram weight of my skein which was 125g and arrived at 31 repeats. I reserved 6 repeats for the decreasing section which left me with a total of 25 repeats supposedly for the body of the scarf. What I forgot to calculate into the equation is that when completing the 6 decreasing repeats towards the end you are actually using less yarn for each repeat so your 4g repeat weighs less and less.

To cut a long story short I ended up with 27 full pattern repeats (104g) in the body of the scarf and only used 10g of yarn for the 6 decreasing repeats which left a total 11g of yarn. I could have in fact knitted another two full pattern repeats and had only 3g of yarn left but maybe that would have been cutting it a bit fine! I’ll definitely keep these notes for the next time I knit this scarf to make sure I use every little bit of yarn possible!

Who’d have thought knitting could turn you into a mathematician but then it’s all about the number of stitches and rows and repeats and weighing your project as you go.

Until next time…

Melanie

Ever Thought About Joining a Sock Yarn Club?

Earlier this year I joined my first ever sock yarn club when I stumbled across the details on Dyed By Hand Yarns website. This is how the sock club works: Two skeins of sock yarn are posted out in the last week in March, May and July. Yarns included are 2 x Tough Stocking, 2 x Mother’s Love, 1 x Silk Stocking and 1x Blue Chip Stocking.

What I loved about it was that each skein of yarn was dyed in a colour inspired by something Australian. These colours are exclusive to yarn club members for 12 months and custom dyeing of these colours on any yarn base may be ordered by yarn club members for the duration of the club.

I have just received my final instalment in the 2013 sock yarn club so I thought I’d recap on all six skeins I received this year.

The first yarn in March’s instalment was called Spotted Gum and I loved how the colours exactly mirror those of the spotted gum tree. I haven’t knitted anything yet with this skein but am open to suggestions. I feel it is much too nice to be on my feet so am thinking maybe a scarf or a shawl.

The second yarn in March’s instalment was called ‘Vegemite’. Who’d have thought to dye a yarn to resemble the colour of Vegemite but of course it is quintessentially Australian isn’t it?There are reddish flecks throughout the yarn which adds some interest. Maybe a pair of socks that has a great stitch pattern definition.

The first yarn in May’s instalment was called ‘Flame Tree’ and I love its rich and vibrant colours. Definitely a scarf I think as these colours must be shown off and seen. Any suggestions for a pattern?

The second yarn in May’s instalment was called ‘Happy Wanderer’ and again Julie has captured the colours so well. Maybe a hat and some fingerless gloves would fit the bill.

The first yarn in July’s instalment was called ‘White Opal’ and its beautiful subtle hues really captivated me. I instantly thought of knitting a baby shawl which could be a family heirloom. I may need to purchase another skein if I want to make a decent sized shawl. Wouldn’t it look fantastic? And the colours would suit a baby boy or girl. Any suggestions for a pattern that would really show off these colours? Oh and by the way, this yarn is a 70% superwash Blue Faced Leicster / 20% silk / 10% cashmere so would be perfect against a baby’s delicate skin.

And finally, the second yarn in July’s instalment was ‘True Blue’. Now I don’t have much in the way of blue yarn and on a few occasions I’ve thought about knitting something in blue. Now I have the yarn! I’d probably use this yarn for a shawl or a scarf as it is so lovely and soft…a 50% superwash merino / 50% silk.

Now, as you can imagine, buying yarn is quite a personal experience as you’re generally selecting colours and yarn that you’re drawn to and what is your personal preference. To leave this up to someone else is a bit of a gamble as you have no idea what you’ll be getting do you?

When I saw that the 2013 sock yarn club would be themed ‘Australian’ I found that interesting and thought the colours could be different from what I’d usually buy and I was right in most cases. You can’t really go wrong when it comes to the colours of the Australian landscape.

I am definitely glad I joined this sock yarn club and congratulate Julie from Dyed By Hand Yarns for producing such a wonderful array of colours for me to knit with.

I really need to find the right pattern for each yarn and then get stuck into knitting some garments.

Looks like I’ll be signing up for the 2014 sock yarn club.

Thanks Julie! Until next time…

Melanie

A Weekend Yarn Catch Up

You’re probably thinking you’ve not read a post from me for a while about any recent yarn purchases which would logically mean I haven’t bought any yarn. Well the answer is – you’re wrong! How could I not have purchased any yarn I ask you? You should know by now this is one of my weaknesses 🙂

So I’m going to regale you with my stash additions over the last month or so.

We’ll start off with the Canadian Zen Yarn Garden ART WALK Series – The Dream which is the second offering in the new ART WALK Series and features a painting by Pablo Picasso entitled “The Dream” which inspired this colourway. Painted on Serenity 20, Mr. Zen has captured the vividness and subtlety of the colours of the painting. From one medium to the next, artists express their use of colour!

Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) was an artistic virtuoso who co-founded Cubism, and produced an astounding 20,000 paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures during his brilliant 70-year career. Picasso’s unparalleled body of work was so vast, and its phases so unique, that art historians have divided it into specific periods. A child prodigy, Picasso took advanced classes at the Royal Academy of Art in Barcelona when he was only 15. His revolutionary Cubist works, with their distorted shapes and fragmented forms, established art as a genre that does not need to literally represent reality. Zealously embracing every medium from primitive art to sketches to Surrealism, Picasso had an unrivaled influence upon 20th century art.

Serenity 20 is a 70% superwash merino / 20% cashmere / 10% nylon blend, weighs 100g and contains 400 yards. I purchsased two skeins of this gorgeous yarn and still haven’t decided what to make so of course I always welcome any suggestions from you. Yarn Glorius Yarn is the Australian distributor of Zen Yarn Garden and lucky for me they’re situated in Indooroopilly in the western suburbs of Brisbane.

This is the ‘official’ picture of the yarn.

Dyed by Hand Yarns Tough Stocking is a 75% superwash merino / 25% nylon blend, weighs 100g and contains 423 metres (463 yards). It’s a fingering/sock weight with a 4ply construction. Strong without the scratchy feeling, you don’t notice the nylon in this yarn. Merino wool is well known for its warmth and elasticity, whilst the nylon provides strength. The tight twist means great stitch definition. I can personally guarantee how soft this yarn is. I knitted my In the Limelight socks with Tough Stocking and they are so, so soft.

The following two skeins of yarn are the first offering in this year’s 2013 Simply Sock Club which I discovered while looking through Dyed By Hand Yarn’s website recently. This is how the sock club works: Two skeins of sock yarn are posted out in the last week in March, May and July. Yarns included are 2 x Tough Stocking, 2 x Mother’s Love, 1 x Silk Stocking and 1x Blue Chip Stocking.

What I love about it is that each skein of yarn is dyed in a colour inspired by something Australian. These colours are exclusive to yarn club members for 12 months and custom dyeing of these colours on any yarn base may be ordered by yarn club members for the duration of the club. The following colourway is Spotted Gum and I’m in love with the beautiful blends that are contained in this skein.

They certainly contain those Australian Spotted Gum hues don’t they?

The following colourway is called Vegemite. Julie certainly has a wonderful imagination. Who’d have thought to produce such a colourway. I’m thinking of making a nice shawl with this yarn.

I bet you thought this yarn was initially just black. Well look closely at all those lovely colours throughout the yarn. Gorgeous aren’t they?

I purchased the following yarn during Yay for Yarn’s recent Easter Sale. The first yarn is Pico Accuardi and the limited edition colourway ‘Sneaker Wave’ was produced especially for Yarns on Stage. It’s a 100% superwash merino, weighs 100g, is 347.5 metres (380 yards) in length and is a 4ply yarn. It’s quite different from the usual autumn shades that I usually buy however I was quite taken with these blends of colours.

This yarn is Three Irish Girls Carys BFL – Padraig. It’s a smooth yarn that’s easy to knit with and the long staple length of BFL helps Carys wear well and maintain its shape better than other soft wools. This yarn is made in the UK using wool which is humanely raised in an environmentally consicious manner. A DK/light worsted weight, this yarn may be suitable for projects requiring 8-10ply weight yarns. It’s a 100% Blue Faced Leicester wool that weighs 100g and contains 210 metres (230 yards).

I’m thinking maybe a hat and cowl for winter.

Alchemy Yarns Migration (Meadowlark) is a luxurious blend of wool and silk. Migration is top dyed and spun into a soft single ply DK/8ply weight yarn that moves through subtle gradations of colour. The colourways are inspired by and named after migrating birds and will produce softly blended bands of harmonious shades without a regular repeat. It’s a 30% silk / 70% wool blend, weighs 50g and contains 155 metres (170 yards). I bought two skeins of this yarn. The colours are beautiful!

This Shorn Fibres yarn is a 40% Baby Alpaca / 40% Merino Wool / 20% Silk blend and is Singles DK and weighs 100g. Each skein contains 252 yards.

I only discovered Shorn Fibres last week while I was delving in one of Ravelry’s Groups and just couldn’t resist purchasing some of Angela’s yarn. Angela is an Indie Dyer based in semi rural Queensland (near the Lockyer Valley), Australia. She dyes yarn in small batches using professional grade dyes. I love this Autumn Leaves colourway.

Here’s a different aspect of the colourway…..the wound ball of yarn. That reddish colour is actually more orange…must be a combination of the camera and photographer! The photo above reflects the true colours of the yarn.

I plan to knit a hat and scarf with this yarn in a fairly plain pattern so show off the lovely autumn shades.

Cascade 220 Superwash is a 10 ply worsted weight, machine washable, 100% pure wool yarn. It comes in 100 gram balls of 220 yards/201 metres. One ball is enough to make a hat. 1-2 for a childrens cardigan or sweater. Two for a scarf. 4-5 for a baby blanket.

This yarn is also great for making blankets and afghans which is what I am aiming to make…..a crocheted chevron blanket. I have used a bit of this yarn to knit two baby hats which I blogged about here and here. One is the mock cable baby hat and the other is the ribbed pumpkin hat.

I picked up these balls of yarn for $9 each as they’re the end of the dyelot. Another great buy from Yarn Glorious Yarn. I must have been logged onto my computer when the email first arrived advising of the sale as I managed to get all the colours I liked….they certainly didn’t last long!

And now for something completely different to finish off….here’s a mosaic of all the socks I’ve knitted to date. You haven’t seen the last pair (bottom right hand corner) but I will be posting a blog about them very, very soon. There’ll be a photo in that blog that I guarantee will make your mouth water. That will keep you wondering now won’t it?

That’s all for now. I’m off to get some dinner ready…..marinated salmon in sweet chilli and lime and some salad and then finish off another pair of socks I have on the go.

Have a great weekend. Until next time…

Melanie