GO TEAM SOCK CLUB OPEN FOR MEMBERSHIP

Our Go Team Sock Club is now open for membership. We have had so many requests for custom orders for team colors in our sock yarns, that we decide a sock club dedicated to Pro Football Team colors was needed! So, here it is...............join for a 3 month/3 skein mailing in variegated colorways. You may choose your own teams, too. If you want 3 skeins in the same team colors, you may have it. However, if your friends and family are all fans of different teams, we will send you the 3 different teams of your choice.

Our first special order was for Green Bay in both variegated and self-striping yarns and Chicago Bears variegated. See photos to the right showing these colors. And our customer was thrilled with her order.

If you are interested in colors that might not be Professional Team Colors, let us know, we may be able to do a special order for you!

Have fun choosing your teams!

Sports Fans Sock Club

We are starting a sock club for sports fans! Nancy and I have tons of ideas of how to set this up, but are thinking that initially we will invite you to join by your City choice. For instance, we will offer 5 or 6 cities/locales to start, and you can choose your city and 3 sports team colors for you yarn choices. If it's a city with more than 3 teams, you will have a great choice of teams. Yarns will available in both self-striping yarn and variegated yarns. The striping yarns will be at a higher price point due to the fact that they are more complicated to dye. Yarns will be mailed either monthly or every other month. We are in the process of working this out.

Our next club will probably be dedicated to one sport - ie; football, baseball, basketball, etc. Everyone wants socks (or even scarfs and hats) made in the colors of their favorite team(s). Let us know if you have any ideas or questions. Our announcement will be made soon and they will be available for sale on our Etsy website. Stay tuned for more..................
http://chestnutbayfibers.etsy.com

Sports

Knitting Project This Week

What's on your needle this week? One of my many current projects is a pair of socks that I am knitting from some of the softest sock yarn around. It is a South American Sock Yarn I bought from another Etsy seller (Dani at Sunshine Yarns - who is a friend of my sister and a successful yarn dyer - check out her new website at sunshineyarns.com). My sister and I use a similar (if not the same) yarn for our yarn dyeing. It is like Malabrigo, but I personally think it's even nicer. This is a single ply yarn that makes a pair of socks that you will never want to remove take off of your feet.
I found this pattern in one of my many net surfing expeditions on a blog (monika-freepatterns.blogspot.com). It is called "Ashes" by Monika Steinbauer and I adapted it to the "magic loop" method. Knitting socks from all of those double-pointed needles drives me crazy. I just love using circular needles, especially the Addi Turbo needles.
Anyway, this pattern is so easy to knit. It gives the illusion of cables, but is much simpler to knit and goes very quickly.
Now I have to struggle with myself. Do I keep these for myself? I end up giving away everything that make these days. Maybe for once, I should be a little selfish and keep one for me.

Pattern: "Ashes" By Monika Stenbauer
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns - "Sun and Sea" - So. American Single Ply Merino Wool Sock Yarn
Needles: Addi Turbo 32" Circular - Size 4
Started: February, 2008 - in progress

Yarn Stash

What is it about knitters that makes us continually add to our yarn stash? Do we all fear that suddenly one day there will be no more yarn spun and the world will be out of yarn? And, if we think that, then does that mean that we have to hoard as much yarn as possible so that we will have something to knit?

As I looked through my yarn stash the other night, I realized that I have yarns for sweaters and scarves and afghans that I purchased years ago. I cannot even remember what pattern(s) for which these yarns were intended. And then, even if I can find them, they are either hopelessly dated, or I spilled coffee on them or some other horrid substance and the pages of that magazine are for now and ever stuck together. And each time I step into a yarn shop, or feel my fingers getting loose and start shopping on the internet for more yarns, I vow that I will finish my many half-knit projects, or I will use up that stash of yarn (some beautiful and some not-so-beautiful) that is taking up space in my spare room.

And then we have the leftover yarns from all of the projects that I have completed over the past 10 years. What on earth do I do with these? Should I knit or crochet one of those crazy afghans or scarves using all of these yarns, and hope that whoever the recipient is won't surmise that I have lost my mind, or worse, turned into one of those old ladies who refuses to waste one scrap of yarn, and must use every inch regardless of the end result. That being, an afghan that hurts one's eyes even with the quickest glance at it.

So, I will search the internet and all of the knitting/crocheting books and magazines for yet one more "adorable" pattern to use up the stash, both new and old. Wish me luck!



Happy Knitting!

Spring Has Sprung

The first day of Spring has arrived in Southern California with sunny warm weather. To celebrate, we are having a sale at our Etsy site. We have also listed new yarns and new colorways. Nancy has been busy in her studio in Boston dyeing up a storm (to coincide with the lousy weather they have had - sorry, Nancy!). She is leaving tomorrow for warmer climes for Easter week with her family and some friends - lucky girl!

I find myself going from project to project these days - at least 4 going at once. There is the afghan for Mom in North Carolina, the sweater for me, the socks for.............hmmmmmm - haven't decided who that pair will suit yet. And then we have all of the projects that need to be sewn together - not my favorite part of knitting. I love to sew - but with a sewing machine. Hand-sewing has never been my favorite. Anyone have any ideas how to make it easier??

Photos of the projects will follow soon.........

Happy Easter to all!

Barbara

February 20, 2008

Goodday Fellow Knitters!

It's actually cold and rainy in Southern California - a fresh 52 degrees at 6pm tonight with the wind howling and rain clouds looming overhead. Everyone at the Equestrian Center was bundled up and the horses were jumping around as they were on hot coals - the wind does that to them!

I have been knitting my fingers to the bone this winter. Every single Christmas gift I delivered was handknit by me this past holiday season, much to the complete delight of all of my friends and family! When I embarked on these projects, it was out of lack of funds. I finally found a way to make a dent in my tremendous stash of yarn. Of course, there is no way I can have all of that extra room for yarn in my stash storage - so, I will have to find to way to replenish it soon.

The final count (and still knitting - yes, I am late with a few gifts) is: 9 afghans, 13 scarves, 3 hats, 1 pair of mittens, 2 pairs of socks and 2 shawls. Did I start this monumental undertaking back in March of '07? Heck no! I started the first item Thanksgiving week and managed to finish all but 3 items in time for Christmas week delivery and mailing. Using VERY large needles with multiple strands of yarn for the afghans and some of the scarves did make the projects seem less daunting and definitely much less time-consuming.

Two of the projects are shown - one is a pair of socks (shown on the right above) I knit with US size 3 / 32-inch circular needles using our own hand-dyed single-ply merino wool (S. American in origin) sock yarn from Chestnut Bay Fibers (we sell it on Etsy under the same name) in a colorway we call "Desert Cactus". I used "The Magic Loop" method (the book can be purchased on many yarn shop websites). The pattern was from the Yankee Knitter Sock pattern, which I adapted to the Magic Loop method. The other pair of socks shown above left is knit in a hand-dyed Peruvian yarn purchased from my local yarn shop. These were knit using the pattern from the "The Magic Loop" instruction book on the same size needles as the first pair mentioned - love that pattern!

The recipient of the latter pair of sock is my dear friend, Corey, who took great care of me after my knee surgery. She is begging me for more socks and her daughters are putting in their orders for a pair of socks each - oh and so is her husband. Looks like I will be knitting socks for months to come................