Playing with colors

Here are some of the colors I've been playing with. I tried to copy a Kiwi (on the left) but the color is not working for me. Tried to apply some seeds but they didn't take. It must have something to do with the non superwash yarn I used.

The one on the right is supposed to be a self striping fair isle. I see the stripes but not the fair isle. It must be the smaller sized sock with a cast on of only 52. I do believe the color will work if I had cast on 60 or 64.



Some watermelon mishaps. Well, not really. The one on the left has NO seeds. The one on the right, the seeds did not really take as I wanted it to. Both skeins are 100% wool, non superwash, sportweight, 288 yards each, and self striping watermelons.
I'm selling each for $12.50 plus $1.75 shipping. Please send me an email at vdsuan at juno dot com if you're interested.

I have finished handpainting more skeins of the watermelon yarn. Andrea, if you are reading this, please send me an email at vdsuan at juno dot com. My Juno email crashed and I've lost all messages and addresses. I've saved a skein for you.

As anticipated, the wool/nylon blend ran out and new stock won't be arriving until mid to late July. The manufacturer has substituted a new sock yarn. It's 100% superwash Merino, 3 ply, tightly spun for socks, a bit thicker and meatier than the fingering wool/nylon blend. It's almost sportweight, uses US size 2 needles to knit 7 sts per inch. I've packed the yarn into 5 oz skeins at 400 plus yards, enough for a pair of socks.

I also have some watermelon mishaps, priced at a discount. More info will follow.

I have 4 skeins of watermelon yarn available, two are already taken (by MJ). Just visit my WEBSITE to get the ordering information and send me an email at vdsuan at juno dot com.

I finished the KIWI colorway experiment and it's just not working for me. I'm knitting a sock out of the yarn and will post a picture soon.

Cantaloupe is also finished and wound into a ball for knitting, soon. We'll see how that one turns out.

To answer questions on whether the watermelon yarn will be made available, the answer is yes. I plan on handpainting more within the next few days and I will announce availability on this blog. However, the yarn is on back order with the manufacturer, coming from the UK, and will be re-stocked in July. Why does that always happen??

Semi good news: I have a few pounds of this same yarn left. Another good news: they have a new yarn 100% superwash Merino, tightly spun specifically for socks, very similar to Koigu but a tad thicker, that they have in stock and on it's way to me as we speak. bwahahahahaha.

The yarn I'm currently using is superwash wool/nylon blend (75/25), fingering weight, 495 yards approx, per 4 oz skein. I also have other yarns in stock that I can handpaint. The possibilities are limitless!!

Now, I need suggestions on other favorite colorways from you all. So far, I have cantaloupe (green, with dark peach/pink), kiwi (brown, 2 shades of green with flecks of black for seeds)and Victoria( burgundy, purple, gold), my favorite. To add to the watermelon colorway. Send me a comment.

Here's another picture of the watermelon socks. I can't put it down. The sock has a short row garter stitch heel, a la Lucy Neatby. I'm using US size 1 dpns and getting 9 stitches per inch. I can't put it down!!

I joined another group in Yahoo called Socks For Soldiers where we knit BBS (that's Big Black Socks) to be sent to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and any where abroad. So, far, I've dyed 2 skeins of deep black yarn, which I will knit only in the daytime, with plenty of lighting. I can't believe I don't have any BLACK sock yarns in my stash!

There was quite a discussion on Watermelon yarns for socks and other items, handpainted by Freshisle Fibers. Quite intriguing. I ordered the book Yarns to Dye For by Kathleen Taylor. Very interesting and with detailed instructions on handpainting self striping, Fair Isle, and graduated color yarns. The patterns are very basic (you don't buy the book for its patterns), to support the yarns.

So, I experimented and here's what I got:




And here's the knitted sock out of this yarn.



I won't go into details as to how I handpainted the yarn. I respect her copyright but it is very involved and time consuming. I like it.

My dad is an avid garage sale shopper (you do know where I'm heading...). Born and raised in the Philippines, came to the US when he was 50, he couldn't believe how wasteful these Americans are--lol! Some of the stuff he finds are mostly new and never used, literally being sold for a dollar or less. He's found some really good buys.

He called me one early Saturday morning and told me that he bought this spinning wheel (read on...). He knows absolutely nothing about wheels except for the fact that I have two. He made sure that the parts are all there and that it works (I really don't know how he can tell, he, he).

He brought it to the house after buying it for $35. Oh my gosh! This is a Country Craftsman, no longer being made, spins beautifully, and hardly used. The owner, apparently bought it for display. I can't tell if it's been used. Even the treadle looks pristine. It came with its own stool. One website had it advertised for $579 altogether. She has 1 left.

I love you, Dad.

What are these?

A jumble of coolties!

I have been an inactive member of the Ships Support group headed by Ellen Harpin. When the call came for coolties for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, I reported for duty. With temperatures ranging from 110 to 130 degrees, I've got to help.

These ties are filled with polymer crystals that swell up into cool gels when soaked in cold water. Keeps you cool when worn around the neck. I don't sew, can barely sew a straight line, but I'm loving this sewing machine thing. My husband showed me how to operate this thing, how to thread the needle, how to make it go (fast, I say, fast!)etc., etc. I'm loving it. I might even take classes! woo hoo!

I've since sewn 90 coolties and immediately mailed them to Ellen.

Enough of my adventures. To learn more about the ships support project, click on the Ships Project website.

The inexpensive polymer crystals are available at theWatersorb website.

The free patterns for the coolties or neckbands are found here.

Right now, I'm still sewing up more ties from donated cotton fabrics. If you can help, check out the website. Ellen is always in need of postage. If you have men colored 100% cotton fabrics you can donate, please do so. And visit the website. Please.