I've been busy...

Some more bags and totes I've sewn this past week. Danielle from Knitique was right. Immediate gratification. I can finish a bag in 3-4 hours, forgetting to eat (sometimes).


Patchwork bag from the QUILTS AND MORE magazine. My first attempt at a quilted bag. It says a seam allowance of 1/4 inch. I got careless and wanted to finish fast, did not follow that instruction, and sewed on... Needless to say, the strips were uneven. I'm learning, I'm learning. But still, I love the colors and will use the bag myself.


Here's another. I got the idea from
Autum's website. Mine is still not perfect but I'm getting there.

Knitting: I finished my Tiger sock and Emma's Lace scarf (pics to follow).

I will have a table at our church's Show and Tell Boutique this coming Saturday, July 22nd, from 10 am to 1 pm. It's at the First Baptist Church in Elk Grove on E. Stockton Blvd. Come and visit us if you live in the area. There are several home-based arts and crafts businesses participating. No selling or buying involved. Just a show and tell venue.

This is a huge crocheted fabric basket using cut up strips, 4 inches wide, from 2 flat, full-sized bed sheets. There are 2 handles on opposite sides for easy carrying around the house. And there's a lot of carrying involved since little Emily acquired it for her own. Her stuffed animals carry-basket.

4 tote bags I've sewn using scraps...







and a pillow.




Sadly, I haven't knitted a thing.

Can't Sew?

I keep telling myself that I can't sew. One of the crafts I can't master. My mom is a very talented seamstress. My just a tape measure, pencil and piece of paper, and of course, a sewing machine, she used to sew me and my sister beautiful dresses when we were growing up. My interests focused on fiber, hooks and sticks to make my own creations.

Being a totebag lover, I decided to make my own. With the numerous unfinished projects I have lying around the house, I need a lot of tote bags. So, with a free pattern on the internet, I decided to sew one. No fabrics handy, I used bedsheets (ha, ha!). I have a ton of them. I used to go to thrift stores, buy lots, cut them into 2-4 inch strips and crochet them into bags, baskets and rugs.

And this is the result. Purple striped tote bag, and lined too!



I made several, including a crocheted fabric basket. Pictures coming soon.

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.

Way back in College, I had a dear friend, whom I haven't seen since 1982. We went to the University of the Philippines, and for 4 years, we stuck together, through good times and bad, homesickness and silliness, 24/7. Welll, not really 24/7, more like 16/5. She was almost my sister and for sure, best friend.

I have been looking for her, on and off, for these past years. She's always been in the back of my mind. Whatever did happen to my friend, Norie??

Last April 15 (it was the last filing day), I dreamt about her. Whatever did happen to Norie? This May, she found me, through the wonders of the internet, emails, and a former classmate. She's still in the Philippines, married with children, head of the IT department of a prestigious Advertising firm and very successful. I knew she'd make it! She's always been a Math and computer whiz and very, very smart.

We haven't stopped emailing each other since then. The wonders of email.

OKC: I'm back to knitting socks and lace. I've put down, temporarily, the Fair Isle Philosopher wool sweater and some Aran Sweaters I'm working on. Too hot.

I'm on a roll... again. With the warm weather here in Sac, and breezy conditions, I've been handpainting yarns and rovings. The open patio is in use again. I have an old microwave and mini stove, plus all my dyes and mordants, all set up outside. With the coming hot weather, the wool should dry really fast.

Check out the other yarn colorways
HERE. These are being sold at Frog Pond Knits on consignment. In order for me to make a little money, consignment is the only way. Can't mass produce and wholesale these yarns. I mean, handpainting is hard work even though I enjoy playing and working with colors. There are days when I feel like just throwing blobs of color on the yarn. Goodness knows what will turn out, he, he. It has to be an organized thing, making sure the colors go together. Get inspired by nature, the setting sun, a shrub covered with flowers, the stormy sky or your 5 year old daughter's coloring book--lol!

Here's another pic of the Corriedale rovings.

The CGOA/TKGA convention in Oakland, CA was a blast! Going there was even more fun. We took Amtrak. It sounds ordinary but, you see, we have this regular Stitch and Ride thing sponsored by Amtrak. Lindsay (ahh, wonderful lady), who works for Amtrak, helps organize a very enjoyable riding experience whenever we have a convention like Stitches West or the one this last weekend.

We get to ride in the first car with fellow addicts and get a chance to win prizes donated by LYSs in the area. I actually won a prize, a Stitch Diva scarf pattern and yummy yarns. We had a celebrity, Nancie Wiseman, who signed books and also donated a prize. Time passed by really fast and before we knew it, it was time to disembark.

From Amtrak, we transfered to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and got off in Oakland.

The Convention itself was smaller than Stitches West and not as overwhelming. I liked it. I hung out and had lunch with 2 Auburn knitters, Julie and Sue, whom I met in the train. I regret that I didn't get their last names and more info so we can get in touch but I know they'll be taking my beginning crochet class in May at Frog Pond Knits. Looking forward to that.

As far as purchases, I bought 2 spindles, a Little Si from Cascade spindles and a beautiful handcarved one from Carolina Homespun. I bought some spinning fibers and yummy yarn from Angora Cottage. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

My handpainted rovings are now available. These are Merino/Silk blend, each one weighs 4 oz. Check out my introductory pricing. Anyone interested in purchasing them, click on this link.
My rovings page

It has been sunny the past few days here in Sacramento. Last week, I was able to dye a whole lot of Corriedale rovings. Here's a sampling.

The whole bunch went to Babetta's Yarn store in Carmichael. If you're in the area, drop by and take a look at all that glorious color. When I went for a visit, Babetta has added more shelves. That means more yarns for me, he, he.

The TKGA/CGOA Knit and Crochet convention is this coming weekend, starting this Thursday to Sunday. It's being held in Oakland, CA. Of course I'm going. Wouldn't miss it, like I tell my husband. It's a once a year thing. But then, there's Stitches West also. So I lied. It's a twice a year thing (not counting the numerous fiber fairs and craft fairs like Lambtown, etc, etc).

This Saturday, I'm taking Amtrak along with the other knitter and crocheter ladies and gents. It's a 2 hour commute to Oakland but we get to sit and chat and knit (or crochet) without having to drive or worry about parking. And sometimes, you get freebies from some of the local yarn stores. No worries, no hassle. Way too much fun, if you ask me.

Another upcoming event is the Open House at West Valley Alpacas on May 7th.

Cool.

Every knitters' dream....

...is to own a yarn store. Admit it. We spend all this money buying yarns and patterns. My dream is to live in one. Anyway, I've heard this comment thousands of times," Ah, I wish I owned a yarn store. I'd have all these lovely yarns at my fingertips. All mine! Whenever, whatever I want to knit, just grab any yarn from the shelves."

But you have to sell them to make money to buy more yarns. And you have to man the store, deal with the customers, be open 7 days a week. You can't knit anymore. You can't go to conventions, Stitches, meetings. You can't take vacations. Unless you have trusted and knowledgeable employees, you can't leave the store. Forget about Sundays, Saturdays, holidays. You stay open.

Okay, I'm getting to my point. My post about the one store NOT participating in the Sacramento Yarn Crawl. I found out why. Family owned and operated store, and I mean, family operated. No hired help and still manage to provide excellent service. Well, it just so happened that the Yarn crawl falls on 2 of the days they close the store to have their annual FAMILY picnic. A well-deserved break.

And I for one, will stop harping as to why they can't participate. Geez Louise, one store of out 13. "What's the big deal?", as my teenager would say. I'll go visit the store when they're open.

And speaking of vacations, I hope you enjoy your cruise, Danielle (Knitique)! Don't worry, your store will still be here when you get back.

Party!!!!

As part of the charitable projects we're doing at the Sac Knitting guild, we knit 7- inch squares that we put together into lapghans for the Veterans' hospital. I've knitted/designed 2 of the squares and I'm making them available in pdf format to anyone who might be interested. One is an Hourglass Square (no picture avail right now) and the other, the Bell Rib Square (pictured on the left). Use them for your charity work or as gifts. The patterns are copyrighted and may not be re-sold. These are free. Click on the links on the left sidebar.

Colors! I have been busy handpainting my rovings again. An entire batch was snagged by Frog Pond Knits. Let me tell you, I can't keep up!--lol! It seems that there's a sudden increased interest in handspinning, both with a drop spindle and wheel.

In the coming month of May, we will do a yarn crawl which covers the Sacramento area and the vicinity, up to 30 or so miles away. There will be about 12 yarn stores participating including the 5 or so we have in Sacramento. I do believe even the Stockton and Lodi stores, Davis, all the way to Auburn and Rocklin, Grass Valley and Placerville, are all included.

It saddens me though, that one of our local stores will not be participating. I do love the store and the people that work there but the decision to not join the "Crawl" is a turn off to some of the knitters I've talked to lately. I surely hope that this doesn't cause the store to lose business. Our knitting community here is getting bigger and news spreads fast. We need to help keep these LYS's open, ALL of them.

Here's a new roving from Ashland Bay, called Hollyberry. It's a multi-colored Merino, very soft and easy to spin. In the past, their multi-colored rovings were so well-blended that the colors become muddy after spinning. I like the newer version.





Here's another knitted hat using Yolo Wool Mill's wool yarn. I've adapted the design from the Knitted hats book, the one that's shaped like a hat. This book came out several years ago with the Knitted Mittens book. Note to Vera: I don't have a specific pattern for these hats. I have several books that I usually use but I make many changes to suit the style I want. The website Knitting-and.com (Sarah Bradberry's) has several free hat patterns, as well as Fair Isle charts. Sorry for my delayed response.