YARNAHOY

Shawl, sweater & a topi!

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Since I've been MIA is such a bad way, I thought I'd do a big a$S post today.

The red lace shawl was knitted by my friend in Portland who knits lace so fast, her fingers make a buzzing sound. I believe she used the Rock Island pattern. She used a silk wool lace blend that I had hand dyed. In case you're wondering, yes, this yarn went to the US & then came back to the UK as a shawl. Some yarns have all the luck.

The brown sweater was knitted by me with left over hand dyed sock yarn held double. I used the Cosy V neck pattern but modified it. This pattern is amazingly simple & fun to make. I knitted the sleeves in the round, however.

The little beret was knitted from a handspun I made by blending a couple of rovings from my Etsy shop. The pattern was a slightly modified yummy-beret pattern.

Lace shawl from Portland.

2011-06-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

After months of waiting to block it & weeks of trying to sneak in time for a shoot - here are pictures of the lace shawl that my Portland knitter friend knitted for me.

Hello new sweater!

2011-06-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sock yarns all wound up to be knit into a sweater.
Possibly the cozy V-neck pullover by Stephanie Japel.

Finished - The Candy Stripes hat.

2011-03-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

I love, love, loved knitting this pattern. The hat turned out fun & versatile & I learnt a ton of new knitting techniques thanks to the beautifully written pattern with links to youtube video help. Thanks Tori!

I spun the yarn out of Arctic Winds for the main body and this roving for the trim.
The yarn was only slightly off in the gauge (18st & 24rows = 4”), so I had to work out the math on an excel sheet.
The mother of pearl buttons are from twpmango on Etsy.

I'll definitely be making this hat again. Possibly in more saturated colors.

A beautiful set by a talented doll maker.

2011-03-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Check out the beautiful & detailed doll set photo that artist Patricia of Papillon Bleu (love the name!) sent to me.
It took me a while to see but the much of the furnishing & carpet are my fabric scraps. Adorable :)
Check her out on Etsy.

Simple triangular shawl

2011-03-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

I recently blended some dark brown wool with a taupe angora rabbit fur I had stashed away for a long time in my parent's place in India.
A little background - I was in India for work recently & while I was gently rubbing the angora in a cloth bag to de-hair it, a friend who had come by offered to help. I took up his offer immediately with a 'do like I did', thinking of all the useful things I could do with the extra time (check email, call the plumber). I came back out after 15 minutes to the horrific sight & sound of the bag being beaten against a wall. "It de-hairs a lot faster this way", he said. "Very good", I said, my mouth already dry & my palms sweaty, "you must have done a great job".

Needless to say, all the angora was now a stubborn clump. Very soft (because it had been de-haired right & proper), but a felted clump. I wanted to slay the dude who'd 'helped' me but I weakly made him some tea instead.

I spent the next two days ripping that clump apart & blending it with the brown wool & then spun it up in a tweedy, nubby yarn of about 3.2oz in heavy fingering/dk weight.

A few weeks ago, I came upon this lovely pattern on ravelry by Laura for a triangular shawl & thought it would work well. Mine is more of a kerchief scarf. So, I knit it up and here are the pictures!

Braided head band

2011-03-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

So I finally finished knitting the braided head band.

I loved this pattern when I saw it! I’m pretty much a beginner but when I read the pattern I knew it was within my grasp.
I used my own hand spun yarn from this roving http://www.etsy.com/listing/58376655/merino-roving-jewels-of-the-nizam-semi

The yarn isn’t as thick as what the pattern called for, so I used a 7mm needle. The scarf turned out slimmer & less bulky than what the original seems to be but it fits well & I love it. I used buttons on this one for the custom fit but might make another without buttons.
If you’re using a thinner yarn, like I did, I recommend adding 2 more stitches to the CO & incorporating them in the cable. So it would be C10B and C10F and P14 instead of the usual. Also, doing a sl 1 (purl-wise) instead of knit-wise, creates a nice, neat edge but takes longer overall (from all the YO you have to do.

Pattern on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/anthropologie-inspired-braided-headwrap

Head bands, scarf and wimple knit for me.

2011-02-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

In the same vein, below are the wimple, scarf & head band that Abida Khan knit for me.
Models: Tas & Jo.

Yarn used: My hand painted silk-wool merino lace yarn (knitted double).

Quantity of yarn: 4 oz total, 1200 yards.

Pattern used: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wavy-feathers-wimple-francaise

Yarn used: My hand painted silk-wool merino sport yarn for the scarf with the edging made by my hand painted alpaca-merino worsted yarn.

Quantity of yarn: 4 oz total.

Pattern used: http://www.jennlikesyarn.com/2009/03/whitney-headband.html

Yarn used: Hand spun bulky worsted 2 ply spun with one strand of http://www.etsy.com/listing/56811629/merino-roving-pink-dust-semi-solid and one strand of http://www.etsy.com/listing/53575228/merino-silk-roving-pearls-for-the

The flower was made from 1 oz of bulky worsted spun from http://www.etsy.com/listing/43834655/merino-roving-creme-de-la-creme-buttery (1 oz)

Quantity of yarn: 2 oz.

Pattern used: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/american-beauty-rose-headband

Sweaters knit for me.

2011-02-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

So I'm back from my assignment & learnt to knit while I was in India.
Below are pictures of sweaters that a talented friend knitted for me from the hand spun yarn I took to her.
Details of yarn/fiber and patterns used are listed below each series of images.
Models: Tas & Jo.

Yarn used: My hand dyed sock yarn knit in 2 strands.

Quantity of yarn: Four 3 oz skeins of 275 yards each.

Pattern: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62762375/pdf-pattern-funnel-neck-top

Yarn used: Yarn I spun in bulky worsted weight from http://www.etsy.com/listing/55738348/merino-roving-dance-of-monsoon-textured

Quantity of yarn: 15 oz.

Patten used: http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/raglan.html

Quantity of yarn: 13 oz.

Pattern used: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62656753/pattern-oatmeal-pullover

Yarn used: 2 ply worsted bulky that I spun from http://www.etsy.com/listing/34285609/merino-silk-roving-amethyst-smoke-semi

Quantity of yarn: 8 oz.

Pattern used: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62476618/pattern-bazan

Amy's nuno felted scarves.

2010-10-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Check out the stunners that Amy made from my rovings!
More of her amazing work can be seen at amysfunkyfibers Etsy shop.
My rovings can be found at Yarnahoy.

Free fiber give-away at Yarnahoy.

2010-10-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Howdy all!
Here are the rules for fiber/roving give-away:

1. Blog, Facebook or Tweet about Yarnahoy fibers (or do it all) with this link in the post http://www.etsy.com/shop/yarnahoy?section_id=6543011
2. Email me the link to your Blog post, Facebook status or Tweet about my fiber page so that I can enter your name in the draw. (My email- mayacrafts@gmail.com)
3. Deadline for doing all of the above is 30th October 2010.

That's it. 3 rules. I will pick the winner out of a hat & let them choose 8oz of fiber (any combination) from my Yarnahoy shop. Shipping will be paid by me.

What do you say in your post? Anything you like :)

Questions? Just ask.
Enjoy the wonderful colors of fall!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct 31st 2010.
And the winner is.....
So I walked over to my husband who's currently obsessed with Asimov's 'Foundation' series & got him to stick his hand in the jar to pull out a winner. He didn't stop reading all the time. I think he would have let me paint his finger nails just to get me off his back.
The winner is Amy! Can't wait to see what you make from the fibers :)

It's funny that only 6 people participated. Hmm... maybe I need to socialize this better next time.

More Yarnahoy projects found on Ravelry :)

2010-08-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've begun to bring some yarn back into my shop a little at a time. It's very gratifying to see people still making stuff from what they had purchased earlier.

All images below are property of the people who took them (the knitters themselves). All these folks are on Ravelry.

Below: candle flame border by jiva

Below: Fuego Dos socks by RosiG

Below: Multnomah Shawl by Achillycat

Below: Nisi's Juno by aliiceinahearse

Below: Beaded Scarf by KnitterDeb

New fabric scraps in!

2010-08-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

New fabrics in at Yarnahoy!

Ready to become sweaters!

2010-05-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

I've been spinning on and off for the past few months & have amassed a ton of yarn in the process. Recently, I got a sweater made from the "Jewels of the Nizam" colorway. It turned out gorgeous! It's a simple raglan with 3/4 sleeves. I love me some tweed in the deep wine/port color!! The yarn was a heavy 2 ply (dk/ bulky) & did not pool. The crop sweater was knitted by a talented knitter called Nihan Altuntas. Check out her awesome Etsy shop.

Sandi's incredible 'inner animal quilt'.

2010-04-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Love both the quilt & the story that goes with it!
Some Yarnahoy fabric scraps were used to make this.
Thank you for sharing Sandi, it's beautiful. :)
Sandi's lovely shop at Etsy is CheshireSheOak

The image below is property of quiltingarts.com

Gorgeous applique blouse by La Toya

2010-03-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

Another example of beautiful apparel made by a talented artist using Yarnahoy scraps!
LOVE the colors here!!
Check out La Toya's other wonderful creations in her Etsy shop missprettyperfect.
Images are property of La Toya.

Amy's gorgeous nuno felted scarves.

2010-01-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Amy's a talented artist with a great eye for color and texture. When she earlier purchased rovings from me, I had no idea she'd felt up these incredible, luscious scarves!
Check out her wonderful Etsy shop amysfunkyfibers
Please note that the images below belong to Amy.

New semi solid rovings and discounts in shop

2010-01-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

New semi solid rovings at Yarnahoy, all designed by me.
Also, check out the 10%, 20% and 30% discounts available.
Please note that the yarns shown are examples only & not for sale.

Knitted from Yarnahoy's yarns

2009-12-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

I stopped dyeing yarns in early 2008 so I could set off for India & follow a dream. Almost 2 years hence, on a whim, I ran a search for "Yarn ahoy" on Ravelry. Below are pictures of what I found. I'm so delighted at the beautiful projects knitters completed with my hand dyed yarns!
Please note that the images below belong to the people who shot them.
Hope you all have a wonderful New Year :)

LynneM's Flower Basket Shawl, II Colorway: Tales of a Desert

Guinifer's Pomatomus. Colorway: Chocolate cherry.

cathou's Garden Party Shawl. Colorway: Chocolate Razberri

teopea's Pomatomidae. Colorway: Koyla

ChicaFeliz's Secret Shawl KAL. Colorway: Desert Song.

agentscarlet's Baracchus Socks. Colorway: Silver oaks.

KnittingNutter's Cable Beanie. Colorway: Eye of the Iguana.

thedailypurl's Spider's web shawl. Colorway: Chocolate Cinnamon

New fabrics scraps at Yarnahoy & discounts!

2009-12-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hello all!
I've added gorgeous new fabric scrap bundles to my Yarnahoy shop. Please note that there is a 20% discount for joining the Yarnahoy mailing list & also for doing the short Yarnahoy fabrics survey.
I've also added a 50% discount item in the shop. Please note that this is a surprise scraps package, full of gorgeous scraps. There are no pictures or sizes available for this item as it save me time to photograph, describe & upload (& hence saves you valuable $$).

All that said, hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Beautiful fabric journals by a supremely talented French artist!

2009-11-20T03:10:00.000-08:00

TheNebulousKingdom is a magical shop on Etsy where brilliant artist Anne-Julie dreams up her ethereal & evocative art work.

Below are pictures of one-of-a-kind, beautiful journals she made using fabric scraps from Yarnahoy.
All the pictures in this post are property of Anne-Julie. Please contact her at thenebulouskingdom(at)gmail.com if you would like to pre-order her journals. More of her journals are available to be viewed at her flickr gallery.
Visit her blog at http://www.annejulie-art.com/blog/

Taking suggestions for roving colors

2009-11-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

I'll be offering spinning fibers in the form of rovings and tops at Yarnahoy, my Etsy store.
Feel free to send me links to pictures of spinning fibers you would like to have! Or send me colors and textures you love so that I can elaborate.

The silk/merino roving below has stunning jewel tones that were inspired by the mist over Nilgiri mountains in the winter & the jewels of South India.

Discounts available: There is a 20% discount for the purchase of 2 lbs or more of roving and 10% discount for the purchase of over 1 lb. This works well for folks who need enough for sweaters or large shawls/throws.

New roving for handspinning

2009-11-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous new Merino roving for hand spinning at Yarnahoy!
Yep, I'm bring back spinning fibers. Would be a shame not to (given the abundance of wool in the UK).
Feels so good to be back with fiber ! :)

Fabric buttons from my scraps.

2009-09-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Below are images of beautiful fabric buttons made by the talented Etsy artist creamrose.
Check out her shop!
The images belong to creamrose.

From my scraps!

2009-09-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled each time a buyer sends in pictures of things they crafted from Yarnahoy scraps.
Below are images of work from one such talented artist.

Christine Alvarado is a supremely talented art doll maker. Her work is evocative & poetic. The Tallulah doll's dress was made from one of the fabric scraps she purchased from me. Check out her blog & her Etsy shop. The doll images below are property of Christine Alvarado.

New sari & brocade scraps in shop!

2009-07-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

New Sari & brocade scraps & jacquards have been loaded in my Etsy shop!
These lots also contains embroidered, sequined & embellished fabrics. Perfect for the small crafter, button maker, applique artist & art doll maker.

All of these lots are one-of-a-kind!

All of these have descriptions & sizes in the listings. Please let me know if you have any questions at mayacrafts@gmail.com

Appreciation discount at Yarnahoy!

2009-05-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your fabulous response at my Yarnahoy shop :)
Lots of the fabrics I'd loaded have already sold!
And check out the assorted sari fabrics remnants I have now listed!

I shall be un-listing many of the Fabric yards in a week's time for a private show.

Please know that for a week I'm offering a discount of 10% on the purchase of 3 to 5 sari fabric yards and of 20% for the purchase of 6 or more.
Scraps, combos and trims do not qualify for the sale. Since the shop is not set up to process discounts, you can check out & I can refund you via paypal.

Please email me if you have any questions. mayacrafts(at!)gmail.com

SHOPS UP! Gorgeous new brocades and weaves in...

2009-04-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

All of these stunning fabrics are available in my Yarnahoy! Etsy shop. Most of them are available in 1 yard lengths. There is also a section for scrap combos, also a section for trims and borders which is being filled on an ongoing basis.
All of the silk blend fabrics have fabulous sheen and drape.
Please let me know of any wholesale requests or questions you may have.

Teaser pictures of the fabric stash that I’ve collected over the past 1 year in India.

2009-01-27T01:18:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous brocades, weaves, trims, silks, embroidered & embellished fabrics. Woohoo! I roamed far & wide to collect these.

I’m still in India on assignement. Will return to Cambridge (UK) in mid March 2009. Till then, I shall be taking more pictures of stuff & noting prices alongside.
Some of the rectangular fabrics can be pre-ordered (if my supplier has any left) in case you want more that the 1 or 2 yards I have of each kind. Likely to be sold for between $7.50 and $14.50 for 1 meter (1.1 yard) depending on the weave.

The ‘scraps’, however are irregular shaped remnants which are all that I have & hence absolute one-of-a-kind. These cannot be found or purchased anywhere else! These are stunning pieces of embellished heaven & guaranteed to delight the crafter, scrap booker & quilter. Almost none of my scraps are plain fabric. They’re either embroidered or bejeweled.
Likely to be sold for $6.50 for 10 scraps.

Please let me know of any special/wholesale requests BEFORE the 27th of February 2009. All the items will be going online for sale after the 20th of March 2009 (once I get home). All items will be shipped from the UK. Shipping from India is fairly expensive unless you're buying several yards at once.
Let your quilter friends know :)
I can be emailed at mayacrafts@gmail.com

Above: irregular sized scraps (woven, brocade, embroidered, embellished). Each scrap is one-of-a-kind. These are great for using as trim in several small projects or a single large project such as a quilt.
Above: irregular sized scraps (woven, brocade, embroidered, embellished). Each scrap is one-of-a-kind. These are great for using as trim in several small projects or a single large project such as a quilt.
Above: irregular sized scraps (woven, brocade, embroidered, embellished). Each scrap is one-of-a-kind. These are great for using as trim in several small projects or a single large project such as a quilt.
Above: irregular sized scraps (woven, brocade, embroidered, embellished). Each scrap is one-of-a-kind. These are great for using as trim in several small projects or a single large project such as a quilt.
Above: Rectangular, large fabric. This lot belongs to a weave called "Khaann" which originated in the western part of India. Earlier worn by village folk, it has now risen in popularity thanks largely to Indian art films. These are 'shot weaves'. Each one shows subtle variations of colors.

Above: Rectangular, large fabric. This lot belongs to a weave called "Khaann" which originated in the western part of India. Earlier worn by village folk, it has now risen in popularity thanks largely to Indian art films. These are 'shot weaves'. Each one shows subtle variations of colors.
Above: Rectangular, large fabric. This lot belongs to a weave called "Khaann" which originated in the western part of India. Earlier worn by village folk, it has now risen in popularity thanks largely to Indian art films. These are 'shot weaves'. Each one shows subtle variations of colors.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide. They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.

Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide. They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide. They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide (36"). They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide (36"). They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide (36"). They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide (36"). They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Handloom. Rectangular, large fabric. Woven on hand looms, these fabrics are 'shot weaves'. Gorgeous variation in color of the body & intricate borders. 1 meter long & 36" wide.
Above: Handloom. Rectangular, large fabric. Woven on hand looms, these fabrics are 'shot weaves'. Gorgeous variation in color of the body & intricate borders. 1 meter long & 36" wide.
Above: Brocade. Rectangular, large fabric. These gorgeous pieces of brocade are 1 meter long and pretty wide (36"). They have intricate motifs and stunning borders. The richness of brocade makes it a prime candidate for using in several projects.
Above: Sequinned chiffon. 1 meter long and pretty wide (36"). The motifs have been embroidered on.
Above: Chikaan embroidered. Rectangular, large fabric. Rich with embroidered motifs.
Above: Chikaan embroidered. Rectangular, large fabric. Rich with embroidered motifs.

From yarn to textiles.

2009-01-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Away on vacation. Loom for sale.

2008-03-21T13:43:00.001-07:00

While I'm away travelling, Yarnahoy yarns can be purchased from Woolgirl.com here

Yarn4socks.com also stocks my yarns here.

I have an antique 4 harness loom and warping mill for sale in my Etsy shop. These are for pick up in the Alexandria, VA area only. Let me know if you're interested. My husband will be able to hand over the items if they are purchased.

Enjoy spring & see you all soon!
:)

20 - 30% WEEKEND SALE ON YARNAHOY!

2008-03-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a 20-30% sale in the Yarnahoy shop on all yarns and spinning fibers only. The used books & other items in the shop are already heavily discounted.

Here's how it goes:
20% off on the purchase of 1 to 3 items in the shop.
30% off on the purchase of 4 or more.

Don't miss the new section on "Knit, Weave, Dye Supplies". Great stuff here for weavers, knitters & dyers (cones galore).
I'm looking for a new owner to give shelter to my lovely, antique 4 shaft weaving loom & warping mill in the Alexandria, VA area. If you know of someone who'd be interested, please let them know. These items are for pick up only.

Please wait for a discounted invoice after making the purchase. If you've already paid, I shall be happy to refund you via PayPal. No checks or Money Orders please. I may not be here to accept them.

Questions? Email me at mayacrafts@gmail.com

Diane's gorgeous Zafraan Gloves.

2008-02-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Diane had purchased some skeins of "Zafraan" superwash yarn from my Etsy shop sometime ago & look what she made out of them!
2 gorgeous gloves!! From the remaining she says she may knit knee high socks.

Diane says "Gloves are (in a way) the "acid test" of a non-pooling yarn since the fingers are such tiny tubes, compared to the hand, and then you have the thumb gusset as well. "

"Zafraan" is a colorway from my 'non-pooling' collection.

New Yarns at Yarns4socks!

2008-02-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

New Yarnahoy yarns at Yarn4socks.com !!
Check them out here.

New yarn at Woolgirl.com!

2008-01-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

Jen at Woolgirl.com recently ordered Lace yarn, Sport sock & Fingering sock from Yarnahoy. Check them out!

New Yarnahoy Silk/Wool Lace yarns in gorgeous tonals.

2008-01-03T17:26:00.001-08:00

New Yarnahoy Silk/Wool Lace yarns in gorgeous tonals.

Check them out!

New Yarnahoy sock yarns at Yarn4socks!

2007-10-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

New colorways of Yarnahoy sock yarns can be found at Donna & Valerie's online store Yarn4socks!!

Check them out here .

Knitting Class & the "Rockingness of Knitting".

2007-10-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a knitting class at Knit Happens - a lovely knitting store in Old Town Alexandria.
We have a cool teacher who jumps up & down & says "I made knitters! I made knitters!" and also uses terms such as "crocodile thing" in reference to casting on. Totally the kind of attitude that makes learning fun :)

Of course I don't remember her name & it didn't help that her name tag said "The awesome Rockingness of Knitting".

And it's bliss to be surrounded by all that yarn as well.
Below are pictures of the venerated teacher & colorful shop.

For those of you who live in Alexandria & haven't been to Knit Happens - do! It's a lively, cheerful place, the owners are very helpful & fun & they have a cozy little corner where you can snuggle up to knit over the weekend. Their shop is also close to lots of interesting places to eat & food features a lot in the conversations there, i'm told.

I can't wait for the next class!

AND THE WINNERS ARE....!

2007-10-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

The winners of the Yarn Ahoy competition are:
TASHA - First place. Tasha would like to share her prize with Rosi since she liked her entry very much. Here's a sport!
Sonia P - Runner up.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Art on the Avenue 2007

2007-10-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

For those of you who live in the Alexandria/ Del Ray area in NOVA, Art on the Avenue is no stranger.
Same time last year it was freezing! The hot chocolate stands did very well. However the weather didn't completely dissuade visitors & shoppers.
But this year it was great (huge attendance). I was so impressed!
All the pictures taken were of artists & objects at the festival. The photos of articrafts are not at all representative of what I saw there. There were lots of potters, jewellers, soap makers, musicians, chefs, weavers, sculptors, knitters and others. And many many people.
For those of you who can set up shop at 'A on the A' or are thinking about it, give it a shot!

I also met a lot of artists who had heard about Etsy through the "Crafty Bastard".

Above: Etsy's own Tasha McKelvey! I've purchased beautiful earrings from her tashamck shop. It was good to see in person an artist I admire.

Above: Photographer Steve Miller. Her was selling his prints. His portrait work was impressive. I'm hoping to take his class soon.

Above: The chicken juggler. He was very popular with the kids. "And don't forget to give me some money".

Above: The soapmaker. I bought a ton of stuff from him. He & his mother make lotions & soaps. I was impressed at the subtlety of the essenses they used. Just look at that smile.

Above: An artist in her stall.

Above: A basket & gourd stall. Sorry about the picture. It was really crowded here.

Above: A Bonsai stall. I saw many people walk away with these. My mother has a zillion Bonsais & only the truly obsessed can care for them regularly.

Above: There was a lot of pottery being sold here.

Above & below: A jewelry artist & her husband.

Above: Musicians playing. They were good - had drawn a huge crowd. There were at least 3 separate bands playing here.

Above & below: Young musicians trying out instruments for sale.

Above & below: Very original printed Ts.

Below: A weaver & her work.

Semi solids & crazy colors - sock yarns ahoy!

2007-09-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

New sock yarns at Yarn Ahoy's shop. Some of my best yet!

Click on image for larger view.

Feel like Silk?

2007-09-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Silk/Merino lace yarn freshly dyed.

The YARN AHOY competition!

2007-09-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the knitters who sent in beautiful pictures & descriptions!

Voters: Please use the grey vote box titled "YARN AHOY Competiton" to vote. Only one vote is allowed. Please choose carefully.
Please take the time to read the competition details/rules here.

Mozilla Firefox users will find the vote box immediately to the right of the post.
Internet Explorer users will have to scroll down to the end of the page to find the vote box (sorry, Internet Explorer doesn't like the blogger format).

Every entry has it's own special post. Voters/visitors can comment on these post. Comments will be moderated & may take a little while to appear.

Below are the entries. Please click on them to view or just keep scrolling down.

1. Grapevine socks by ISOBEL

2. Fuego socks by THE SOAPY KNITTER

3. Beaded bag by KNITTEREVANS

4. Jaywalker socks by KNITTINGB

5. Jaywalker socks by JULIE HENTZ

6. Wee Tiny Sock by JULIE HENTZ

7. Autumn Jewels scarf by SONIA P

8. Lacy Mock Cable socks by TASHA

9. Lightweight socks by TIA

10. Anastasia socks by PEACHY

Grapevine socks by ISOBEL

2007-09-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

1. Name or preferred handle: Isobel

2. Name of colorway used: Indigg

3. Pattern used or name of your project: The pattern is Grapevine from More Sensational Knitted Socks

4. Inspirations & what drew you to the color: The indigo and purples made me think of full ripe grapes on the vine.

5. Problems encountered (and creative solutions for the same): None: The yarn is a self-striping and using a slip stitch toe decrease creates a faux fair isle effect. I like the pooling around the ankle bone; it creates a definite right and left foot. Eye of Partridge heel, creates the faux fair isle heel, the fit well and the wonderful merino creates a slight springy stretch for comfort

6. Optional: I loved this yarn, it was great to work with, super soft, and the colours were amazing.

Fuego Socks by THE SOAPY KNITTER

2007-09-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

1. Name: Rosi G. aka The Soapy Knitter.

2. Colorway: Ablaze Superwash Sock Yarn

3. Pattern: Fuego Socks by ME!

4. Inspiration: I love the vividness of the color on this yarn. The picture of it in your store is spot on to what it looks like in real life but I have not been able to duplicate the beauty of the yarn in pictures. (you take GREAT pictures!)

5. Problems encountered: I didn't encounter any problems. I loved how the yarn knit up and it wears wonderfully, too. And I WEAR my socks ALOT!

6. Optional: I tried to find a pattern to fit the Ablaze yarn, one that would set off it's color. When I wasn't successful, I decided to design my own. This is my first sock pattern design and I'm PROUD of it!

Feel free to share the pattern with everyone! :)

Beaded bag by KNITTEREVANS

2007-09-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

1. Name or preferred handle: KnitterEvans

2. Name of colorway used: Sour Berry

3. Pattern used or name of your project: Knitting Pattern-a-day calendar, Koigu beaded bag May 25, 2007

4. Inspirations & what drew you to the color: Reminded me of Sweettarts! I love them!

5. Problems encountered (and creative solutions for the same):
None! I love this yarn!

6. Optional: I did not add as many beads as the pattern calls for.(ex. K1, bead, K1, bead, etc) I actually K3, bead, K3, bead.

Jaywalker socks by KNITTINGB

2007-09-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

1. Name - knittingb

2. Colorway - Chocolate and Sour Berry

3. Pattern used - jaywalkers by grumperina

4. Inspirations - I'm a pretty new knitter, and it seems that everyone and their mother has knit this pattern. As for the colorway, I've been drawn to pinks and browns and I loved the vibrancy of yours.

5. Problems - I did not check my gauge, and my first attempt was waaaay too small. Luckily, when it was small was when the pooling was its worst; when I changed needle sizes I liked the striping much more.

6. Anything else - I guess I just haven't been too scared to try new patterns, no matter how much experience I have so far. I've learned a lot in the short time I've been knitting and continue to be excited to learn more!

Jaywalker Socks by JULIE HENTZ

2007-09-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

1. Name: Julie Hentz

2. Colorway: OF MY LOVE superwash hand painted Merino Tencel sock yarn

3. Pattern: Jaywalker Socks

4. Inspiration: I was drawn to this colorway because the socks were for a February
swap (KH Sockintine Swap) and I was sooo tired of winter at that
point! The colors were so nice and springy!

5. Problems encountered: No problems! I had originally started to write a lace sock pattern
with this yarn, but ended up with Jaywalkers because I was so busy at
the time that I needed a simple pattern I could take on the run and
knit during stolen moments!

Wee Tiny Sock by JULIE HENTZ

2007-09-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

1. Name: Julie Hentz

2. Colorway: OF MY LOVE superwash hand painted Merino Tencel sock yarn

3. Entry: Wee Tiny Sock

4. Inspiration: I thought this yarn would be perfect for the Wee Tiny Sock
Exchange...it didn't pool when I made my Jaywalkers, and I definitely
needed a solid or a multi that wouldn't pool!

5. Problems encountered: It took me three tries to get the proportions right...other than
that, no problems. :)

Autumn Jewels scarf by SONIA P

2007-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

1. Your name or preferred handle.
- Sonia P

2. Name of colorway used:
Rajasthan (No photograph available)

3. Pattern used or name of your project
- “Autumn Jewels” – The pattern is my own and it is a simple garter stitch, instead of using complex knit patterns for the scarf, thick and thin knitting needles were used to create the pattern. In order to emphasize the color and texture of the beautiful yarn, I decided to underplay the pattern. The yarn was thick & thin and so were the knitting needles.

4. Inspirations & what drew you to the color:
- Mina Kari (enameling on gold jewelry) and the colorful attire of women folk in Rajasthan was what drew me to this eye catching warm colored yarn.

5. Problems encountered (and creative solutions for the same):
- The yarn was a little too thin at certain places and broke, but I used the simple trick of overlapping and it looks great.

6. Optional:
- I am not a knitter, just learned this back in high school. The varicolored exquisite yarn compelled me to pick the needles and just start…and the result is here.

Lacy Mock Cable Socks by TASHA - "bijouxmaster"

2007-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

1. Name: Tasha - "bijouxmaster"

2. Colorway: Berry Beautiful - I think. This was a gift from a secret pal

3. Pattern: This is the pattern I used (great pattern, btw) - Lacy Mock Cable Socks
http://scarlettknits.livejournal.com/796.html

4. Inspiration: Secret pal gift but she bought it for me because pink & green are my favorite colors. Honestly, this pair of socks made me fall in love with socks (my 3rd pair)

5. Problems encountered: No problems. They are fraternal twins which I LOVE & the slight pooling that I encountered was welcome

6. Optional: Um, I really don't wing it. I'm a follow-a-pattern kind of girl. The only rules I have in sock knitting is no stockinette plain jane socks & no solid socks. I'll pair a varigated / striped yarn with a busy pattern & that doesn't bother me in the least. No boring socks for me please!

Lightweight Socks by TIA

2007-09-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Name: Tia

The colourway is Mt Vernon Ave.

The pattern I used was from a book by Sandi Rosner (Not Just Socks) and is named *Lightweight Socks*

These socks have only just been finished this minute, and at my daughters request. She is travelling to another city here in NZ to represent her High School in the Basketball Nationals, and wanted a pair of hand knitted socks to show off to her friends!

She chose this yarn out of my stash, and I must admit, as I was knitting it, I wish I hadn't shown it to her. I really want to keep them for myself.

I chose a basic pattern, as I love the stripes to be visible, and not blurred by a pattern.

I did not really encounter any problems while knitting these socks, but as I am fairly new to sock knitting, managing to finish them in time for my daughters trip (this weekend) was a feat in itself.

Anastasia Socks by PEACHY

2007-09-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

1. Your name or preferred handle: Peachy

2. Name of colorway used: Old Earth

3. Pattern used or name of your project: Anastasia Socks by MintyFresh ( http://www.pepperknit.com/patterns/anastasia.html)

4. Inspirations & what drew you to the color: Both the color itself, and the description, and the colorway name - old earth just sang to me!

5. Problems encountered (and creative solutions for the same): I didn't have any problems, pattern and color worked together perfectly.

6. Optional: well, I varied the tension in knitting until the pooling color patches (red or blue) were pooling a bit, but nothing serious!

Yarn4socks now has Yarnahoy!

2007-09-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

My recently completely wholesale order for Yarn4socks is up & selling.
Check them out!

Colorways are:
Gerbera Patch, Streets of Rajasthan, Mount Vernon Avenue, Nouveau Bleu & more.

Thanks Donna & Valerie!

NEW YARNS IN THE SHOP!

2007-09-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

New sock yarns have been added to the Yarnahoy shop! Both semi solids and solids.

Also check out the Kvik Sock section. The Kvik socks are slightly heavier fingering weight & knit "Kviker"! More colors will be added to this section in the coming days.

The dye pot runneth over.

2007-09-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

After close to a 2 month hiatus, my apartment has been seeing some dye activity.
Much clanging rang out last weekend as I dyed up colors I've never dyed before - some variegated & some semi-solids.
I've also been getting a few wholesale orders ready to ship out, so the place has been a sea of yarn lately.
Below are pictures. Sometime this week (or the next) I should be loading pictures onto the Yarnahoy shop. I shall be sending out a mailing list update when I do that.
Meanwhile, below are pictures...

Young light and old light

2007-09-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Light changes all.
These 2 pictures were taken within minutes (& a few feet) of each other.
One's bright & peachy and the other's dark & moody.
It's like when you're with a friend who can't seem to look on the bright side of things when all you see is sunshine.

Yarn sitting on my ancient and battered but very dear floor-loom.

At long last - a YARNAHOY competition with yarn prizes!

2007-09-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Entries submitted so far:

1. Fair Isle Socks by Isobel

2. Fuego Socks by Rosi G. aka The Soapy Knitter

3. Knitting Pattern-a-day calendar, Koigu beaded bag by KnitterEvans

4. Jaywalkers by Grumperina (Chocolate & Sour Berry colorway) by knittingb

5. Jaywalker Socks by Julie Hentz

6. “Autumn Jewels” thick and thin scarf by Sonia Punjabi

7. Lacy Mock Cable Socks in "Berry Beautiful" by Tasha Duvic

8. Lightweight Socks in 'Mt Vernon Avenue' colorway by Tia

9. Anastasia Socks by MintyFresh in 'Old Earth' colorway from Peachy

- All entries will be uploaded on the 24th of Sept 2007

OK folks! Here's a little competition for anyone who may have used Yarnahoy yarns.
Send in jpeg images (to mayacrafts@gmail.com) of projects made from Yarnahoy yarn (sock or lace) with:

1. Your name or preferred handle.
2. Name of colorway used: if you don't remember the colorway, I'll be happy to help you find it.
3. Pattern used or name of your project: if these patterns are your own or you bought them, the name is enough (please give due credit to the original source). If you want to share your own pattern- send the whole thing in!
4. Inspirations & what drew you to the color: these could be places, food, people, books/stories and songs.
5. Problems encountered (and creative solutions for the same):
Example 1 - the yarn pooled at the start & you made intelligent adjustments to the number of stitches cast on to alter the pooling to a more even or different appearance.
6. Optional: Any additional info related to the project that sets you apart as a knitter who can 'wing it' & be creative like it was second nature!

Prizes!
There will be 1 First place & 1 Runner up!
-- The 1st place wins any 3 skeins of any 3 colors (or one color if they want) from the charts shown below.
--The runner up wins any 1 skein from the charts shown below.

Important Criteria:
The photos should be clear. I will take them all but please realize that voters can't see the real thing & the better your photo, the better your chances at winning!
Clear/concise descriptions are also helpful.
Other criteria may be added for the ease of handling entries.

Entry submission, display & mailing timelines:
Upto 2 entries maximum allowed by all those participating.
Send in entries anytime starting today. However, the submission date ends on midnight of September 20th 2007 (EST). No entries will be accepted after that. The entries will go up on this blog on the 24th of September 2007 - that's when the poll box for voting will be placed on the blog. Results will be declared on the 15th of October 2007 - voting will stop on midnight of 14th October 2007 (EST).
Prizes will be mailed on the 29th of October 2007.

Judging process:
People will vote! Everyone gets to vote only once - so choose carefully. Anyone can vote. This includes visitors, friends and family. A poll box for voting will be placed on this blog with headings of entries & names/handles of artists. Votes will be anonymous. Comments on/about all entries, are welcome and could help voters make a better decision but comments will not count as votes! Only the poll box can be used to vote.

Disclaimer - please read:
Please be aware that this competition will be part of a general creative exchange. Many visitors will see your entries on display and will be allowed to comment/vote on them (these comments will be moderated for offensive content).
Yarnahoy is not responsible for the images sent in by others or descriptions displayed on the competition post. Please give due credit to the creator of the patterns/designs if they are not your own. Copyright is your responsibility.
If you find your image/description has descrepancies, it's your responsibility to send me a corrected version. I shall not be modifying any of your submissions - only uploading them.
Color choices available for winners are only from the charts below.
The decision of voters using the poll box on the blog will be final- comments do not count as votes - only the poll box can be used to vote.
Timelines specified are final.

Color Charts are below. Click on the charts for a larger image.
Yarns reproduced for the winners may have slight variations from images (since they are handpainted). The first 3 charts are for sock yarns, the next 3 are for lace yarns.
Questions? Email me at mayacrafts@gmail.com

3 charts below are for sock yarns.

3 charts below are for lace yarns.

On holiday in Europe!

2007-07-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

I shall be off to the UK & the Czech Republic soon & shall be back on the 12th of August.
Will bring back lots of pictures :)
Stay cool!!

20% off survey & new yarns in shop!

2007-07-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Please take the very short survey on suggestions & satisfaction and get a 20% discount on the purchase of any one yarn in the shop. The survey will be open till the 25th of July 2007.
Once you are ready to make your 20% off purchase, email me to let me know & I shall send you a discounted invoice or refund you if you've paid.

Click Here to take survey

This discount cannot be combined with any other outstanding discounts.

Also, International shipping has changed on the Yarn Ahoy store. It is significantly lesser than before due to changes in USPS rates. International shipping will be done via USPS First class international & takes from 5-15 business days to reach the recipient depending on location (sooner if you're in Canada, later if you're in New Zealand). Please let me know if you'd like me to invoice you for insurance. This is recommended.

New in the shop are:

Hand painted Merino Sock yarns
Hand painted rovings

Also check the cool, stretchy cotton lycra sock yarns , great for warm weather!

Woolgirl.com has stocked up on more of Yarn Ahoy yarns. Check them out!

Enjoy the summer!
:)

Hooray for the handspun sweater!

2007-07-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Ages ago I went looking for someone to knit me a sweater out of my handspun yarn. And I found them. Michelle's grandmother Patti in Florida was kind enough to knit me the sweater which is a ribbed Raglan.
Michelle has an Etsy shop called OakGroveAlpacas where she sells yummy Alpaca roving, home grown yarn & hand knit/woven items.

Below are pictures. The yarn striped in subtle stripes. I spun the yarn for the sleeves so that color repititions were shorter. One of the plies was the dark brown corriedale & the other alternated with different colors & blends. The result being stripes of different colors & textures.

Above: pre-drafted rovings made them easier to spin.

The color rovings with merino, silk on the left bobbin (lots of blue here) & the brown corriedale on the right.

Jaywalker socks by Hey Julie

2007-06-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

I've waited for the longest time for someone to knit from the Merino/tencel I used to stock
Here are Jaywalker socks by Hey Julie in the colorway "Of my love". Beautiful!!

Scroll to the bottom of the page of the opening link to see them.

Etsy acquisitions over the past year!

2007-06-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Above: from starrydesigns . I like her designs - simple & elegant.

Above: earrings from MetalGardenFactory . They have very unique hand formed jewelry.

Above: Rosemary & Cedar lotion from bcbotanicals . Brew City Botanicals keep the most amazing lotions. My other fav is the orange blossom. These are great for dryness & I love the scent of all they have.

Above: custom made necklace from Amysjewelry . This one I had to have. The panels are attched thru' 2 half links but move independantly!

Above: RedCrowArts is one of my favorite ceramic pendant maker! Love her glazes.

Above: this pitcher I purchased from PhenixPottery is large & sits in my bedroom as bearer of my water supply. I love the glaze & it's very light for its size.

Above: this gorgeous piece was custom made for me by laurenmojica . She does beautiful work, a lot of it is metal.

Above: earrings from KrisCrossDesigns . I wear these often. The one on the extreme right is one of my favorites.

Above: Earrings from jNicDesigns. Her photos are as beautiful as her work.
Above: a pendant from ExoticEarthStudio. They have a vast collection of handmade pendants.

Above: pendants from TheDevilsCloth . Her work is simple & bold. I love the restraint in color.

Above: a Calla lily pendant from eva666 . Each time I wear this I get compliments :-)

Above: Necklaces from theartfulobject . Her sense of proportion & color are rare & very desireable.

Above: earrings from almapottery . Another 'compliment magnet'.

Sock from the Anastasia pattern on Peachy Knits

2007-06-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Check these socks out on Peachy Knits! They're gorgeous!

The author knitted them using the Anastasia Pattern from my "Old Earth" colorway purchased from Yarnahoy.

Below is an image of the colorway.

The socks keep coming!

2007-06-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Berriness. A colorway I named on a whimsy.

I found socks made out of these on Kelly's photo bucket.

They really do look wild!

I should have named them Berrrzing! :)

Love them.

New socks by Suzanne!

2007-06-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

I used to knit (or struggle to) with a great group of knitters in Richmond, VA.
Suzanne was one of them. For the longest time I found it hard to beleive she had little girls (she looks like she's 17).
Suzanne had purchased sock yarn named "The valley in Spring" from my Etsy shop & she's completed socks in the Monkey pattern. I love the way the stripes look on the sock.
Picture is on her blog knitzanity.

Below is an image of the sock yarn she used:

New sock yarn poll

2007-05-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Please take the time to fill in the "How do you like your Sock yarn?" poll. This is placed on the side of the page. You may even have to scroll down a bit.
Results are public.

:)
Manasi

New yarns & spinning supplies in the shop!

2007-05-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

New in the shop are :

1. Superwash Merino Sock Yarns

2. Superwash Cotton lycra sock yarns (soft, sproingy & cool)

3. Hand painted rovings & batts for spinning

Yarnahoy is also taking wholesale sock yarn orders . Contact me for color charts & pricing details. If you wish your LYS to carry Yarnahoy Socks, let them know!

woolgirl now carries Yarnahoy Superwash Sock Yarns!
Thanks Jen :)

The Spider’s-web shawl Brooke made from my yarn!

2007-05-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I come across an incredible project someone makes with yarn I dyed or spun.

1. Brooke has made a gorgeous Spider's web shawl.
Images are on her blog!

2. Fuego Socks by The Soapy Knitter. She made these from the "Ablaze" colorway.

I'm so honored :)

You control climate change.

2007-05-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Climate Change Colloquium (or CCC) is currently working on ideas in the realm of transportation & building environments through which it believes that people - not just regulatory bodies - will truly be able to control climate change. Members of the CCC are ordinary people from various walks of life who beleive that they have something positive & pragmatic to contribute to address climate change. They welcome your valuable comments and input.

The ideas currently on the boards are both practical & very marketable due their fungibility. They are in simple terms - “grafts” on existing technologies. We believe that resources already exist through which these ideas could be implemented in a short period of time should the appropriate individuals or organizations take them on.

Please visit the CCC at http://climatechangecolloquium.blogspot.com/ to view the latest concepts on the boards.

YARN AHOY IS BACK FROM SABBATICAL!

2007-04-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have returned refreshed from my hiatus.

Sock yarns, lace yarns and handspun yarns are back in the shop and more shall be added on a regular basis!

All members who are already part of the mailing list & are yet to use their 20% mailing list discount are encouraged to do so.

The new 10% discount shall apply only to new members starting 1st of May 2007.

Enjoy spring while it lasts!

The neck warmer & the magic garden!

2007-03-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Below are images of a neck warmer my friend Gauri made from the yarn I gave her while she was visiting me last summer. I had spun & dyed the yarn earlier.

Gauri knits fast & keeps to small projects. She picked up knitting by herself & follows patterns much better than I do. The neck warmer pictures were taken by Gauri.

I love the slubbiness of the yarn in the neck warmer!

Before Gauri visited me, I had visited her in Philadelphia in 2005. We visited Isaiah Zagar's 'magic garden' on South Street. I was SO blown away by it. He's transformed the neighborhood over the past many years with his mosaic murals. The mural photos were taken by Gauri & me (not sure who took which).

Movies I've been watching

2007-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

The best of youth or La Meglio gioventù.
I have never seen so much life in a movie. 6 hours of beauty, searching conversations & acting genius.
Directed by Marco Tullio Giordana.

Khosla ka Ghosla (Khosla's Nest)
A very well directed (and beleivable) mainstream Bollywood film about a middle class retiree who's duped by land-grabbing con men. And how his children & a small-time theater troupe retrive his money and land. Great acting by Anupam Kher, Vinay Pathak & Ranvir Shorey.
Directed by Dibakar Banerjee.

YARN AHOY to be away for 2 months from March 1st!

2007-02-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Starting 1st of March 2007, I shall be suspending my Etsy shop for 2 months as I undertake work related travel, community service (teaching digital photography at Empowered Women International) & a sorely needed vacation.

Meanwhile, please feel free to pick up yarns from yarnahoy.etsy.com . Most of the items in there shall not be available when I return. Currently in the shop are sock yarns, lace yarns & handspun yarns.

I shall return to my beloved hobby after that with colors that one sees in ones wildest dreams!

Blog entries will continue through these 2 months.

SHOP UPDATE!

2007-01-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

SOCK YARNS
LACE YARNS
HANDSPUN YARNS

Shop update - sock yarns, hand spuns & lace yarns.

2007-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

New sock yarns, handspun yarns & lace yarns at yarnahoy.etsy.com

Email me at mayacrafts@gmail.com to join the YARN AHOY mailing list & get a 'new-member' 10% DISCOUNT on your next purchase of yarns (wait for discounted invoice before paying - this shop is not set up to process discounts)!!!

Shop update!

2007-01-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

New sock yarns & lace yarns in the shop at yarnahoy.etsy.com
Sign up for the YARN AHOY mailing list & get a 10% discount on your next purchase of yarns.

Sock yarns above.

Lace yarns below.

Favorite Etsy jewelry.

2006-12-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

OK - here are some of my favorite Etsy jewellers.
The link to their shops are below the images of their handiwork.
These are just some of the examples of their work - their shops have more variety.

theartfulobject

LunasaDesigns

Suuskeramiek

KrisCrossDesigns

DownToTheWireDesigns

jNicDesigns

esdesigns

Mission - Hand spun raglan sweater

2006-12-25T16:10:00.000-08:00

I'm too lazy & possibly too incompetant to knit myself a sweater like the white one below. However, i've hopefully spun myself a 2 ply yarn from the roving pictured below in the hope that I might find a super sweater knitting do-gooder to knit me a sweater that fits like this sweater - in the United States.
I also found a flexible pattern online at http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/raglan.html
I'd be happy to pay (email me at mayacrafts@gmail.com & we'll talk) or swap yarn from my Etsy shop or do both.
Any takers? :)

Anyone know where I can find a similar pattern for a raglan sweater?

Recent handmade aquisitions via Etsy!

2006-12-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

I've been buying from Etsy & look at what I got!

Handwoven Scarf from quedicha.etsy.com
I have never been so much in love with a piece of handwoven textile! And I weave pretty well myself. Viviana is an artist if there was one! Check her shop out. ALL her work is unique & wonderful.
The entire scarf is alive with handmade beauty. The jewels tones in the yarn are just gorgeous.
It arrived from Chile in very good condition. It was quite a find & I shall treasure this piece.

Below: Over the Moon bucket hat by TepperWear.etsy.com
I knew I had to have it when I saw it. The real hat has the same glow that the image has & it is wonderfully soft. The handspun yarn gives it beautiful character. Eileen has many other beautiful hats in her shop & she was a doll to deal with. A class 1 Etsy seller!!

Below: Hand crocheted (handspun) wool & Mohair hat from SnokistFarmGirl.etsy.com
Kathy is a very talented fiber artist. This hat had eveything in it that would attract a kooky architect. Abstractness, restraint in the use of color, bold motifs & a very beautiful, defined shape. I took it to work & eveyone fell in love with it!

New yarns in Shop!

2006-12-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

Announcing an update on Yarn Ahoy's Etsy shop – Monsoon Winds:

Superwash sock yarns in gorgeous new color ways – Merino & also the Tencel/Merino blend.

Lace yarns in Zephyr Silk/Wool & Superlamb.

Handspun yarns in thick'n'thin, tweed, worsted & novelty.

Email me at mayacrafts (at) gmail (dot) com to join the mailing list & get a 'new-member' 10% DISCOUNT on your first purchase of yarns!

Shop update!

2006-12-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

New handspuns in the shop

2006-12-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

New thick and thin hand spun yarns in the shop.

Spinning in Color workshop with Patsy Zawistoski

2006-11-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here are images of the control yarns & sample yarns from Patsy Zawistoski’s color spinning workshop -the one I attended at my spinning guild.
We did samples for several different kinds of yarns.

Even though I knew how to make many of the yarns Patsy’s technical advice & insight were great! She’s a wonderful teacher & knows things even experienced spinners could learn from revisiting. I really enjoyed the workshop.

Wierd wizards, witches & gnomes!

2006-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

Mine is the dismayed looking, geeky gnome in grey (3rd from right in the front row).
This was a fiber felting workshop organized at my spinning guild Clotho's Children by the wonderful & patient Linda. None of us poked our fingers once! This was my very first experience with fiber felting. And I think I've been bitten by the bug!
Clothos' has been my favorite monthly haunt in Richmond for well over 1 year. I think it just might be the best spinning guild in the world...
This photograph was taken by a guild member.

MORE NEW YARNS

2006-11-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Still more new yarns in the shop!
Email me to sign up for the YARN AHOY mailing list & get a 20% DISCOUNT on your next purchase!The mailing list will provide updates to new yarns, fibers & deals available at my shop Yarn Ahoy!.

Making for Yarn Botanica

2006-11-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

Lis of Yarn Botanica is soon to open an online shop called One Planet Yarn And Fiber & she has kindly asked me to send her some of my hand painted & handspun yarns along with some hand woven textiles to sell in the same shop.
Her online shop is still under construction but feel free to check out her blog for the updates of all the exciting things she plans to sell there!
Many of her vendors are international - Chile, UK, India etc.

http://www.oneplanetyarnandfiber.com

New yarns in the shop

2006-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

More yarns at the shop!
The update includes superwash sock yarns, Silk/Merino Zephyr-like lace yarns (1250 yards plus) and some worsted weight Baby Alpaca yarns & pure silks.

THINGS I GOT BACK FROM INDIA

2006-11-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Finally! A mailing list for YARN AHOY!!

2006-11-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

Email me to sign up for the YARN AHOY mailing list & get a 10% DISCOUNT on your next purchase!
The mailing list will provide updates to new yarns, fibers & deals available at my shop Yarn Ahoy!.
Please email me when you make your post-mailing list purchase, so I know to process the discount.

THE AUTUMN BANDI - spinning for Fall

2006-10-29T13:10:00.000-08:00

I've spun more yarn that'll knit up 'banded' like the scarf Sonia knitted from the previous skein I'd given her.
The middle skein is thicker than the other 2 - they total of 6 oz & 570 yards.
It's up on my shop.

NEWLY DYED LACE & SOCK YARNS

2006-10-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

The socks are the variegated yarn (top) & the laces are the tonal solids (below).

Finally after 2 long weeks I was able to dye some YAARRN!
The colors must have something to do with my having returned from India. It's COLOR with a bang.
They're all up in my shop.

ART ON THE AVENUE!!

2006-10-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

OK
So I haven't been posting lately because I was travelling in India. Then came back & got swamped with work & preparing for ART ON THE AVENUE !!
I shall be selling my handspun yarns & hand woven things here along with Sonia who'll be selling her jewellry.

11th Annual Multi-Cultural Arts, Crafts & Music Festival
Saturday October 7, 2006 10 am - 6 pm
Mt. Vernon Avenue Alexandria, VA

The shop's still offline since I'll be putting up all my stuff at the show!
It'll be back online on the 9th of October.

River Rapids Socks from Michelle

2006-08-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

Michelle from Australia sent me this picture. They're socks that she made from a Merino Tencel blend sock yarn she got from my Etsy shop.
Here's what she has to say about the yarn on her blog
I think she used the River Rapids pattern on these.
Thanks Michelle!! :)

Rusts, Greens & Lisa.

2006-07-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lisa, whose an avid knitter & recently returned from Bosnia & Serbia had bought hand spun yarns from me past winter.
When she sent me the images of what she's made from them, it occured to me that she may have been in a specific color mood!
One is a long scarf that she made from a beaded yarn & the other is a neck warmer she made from a "Mohair locks" yarn I had spun.
These are gorgeous Lisa!! I cant wait to see the finished 'Rusts' shawl you've been talking about on your blog. Hurry already! :)

Gorgeous Koigu-like hand-painted sock yarns

2006-07-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Up on my Etsy shop is a fresh lot of hand painted Koigu-like sock yarns!

A yarn of old.

2006-07-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

7 months ago Sonia came over to my place in Richmond & I lay out my handspun stash for her to see. She picked up a skein of handspun & hand-dyed singles (fingering/worsted) in the colors of Fall & said "This is mine." Then she went away to live out her life & heal herself through difficult times. I didn't see or hear from her much in the months to follow other than exchanges of anguished phone calls.
A few days ago she called me over to her home for some home-cooked "Dhokla". She had found her ground and long lost love. As I sat cross legged on the floor of her studio, my eyes wandered to a half finished scarf that lay in the shadow of a wooden chest.

I now wonder - 'is this really the yarn I spun?'. Sometimes I think people in pain make beautiful art. I've been convinced of this for years after having seen my mother's work & now Sonia proved a point. She's now back to making the exceptionally beautiful jewelry that sat in the shadow of the same chest for long, dark months.

I'm not sure what size the needles are - maybe US 3, 4 or 5. She also alternated with US 8 or 9 to get a more latticed/open knit in between. The yarn & scarf will now go back to Sonia so she can finish it. Hope the pictures explain.

Michelle's "Fire Birds" Sock!

2006-07-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Michelle in Australia had bought the "Fire Birds" superwash Merino/Nylon sock yarn from my Etsy shop some weeks ago & LOOK what she made out of it!
Gorgeous socks from a plain knit!! Her blog is full of neat yarn projects & lovely photographs.

SPEAKING OF MOHAIR

2006-07-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've been spinning some wool mohair blend & it turned out beautifully heathered - all 530 yards of it. It's got mostly mauves & some blue, grey, bits of burgundy & gold.

It took me ages to get down to weaving Sonia's shawl & when I finally did, I forgot to take pictures!
Sonia kindly returned the shawl for a few days so I could take pics.
The warp was a fingering weight Alpaca yarn - cranberry in color & very soft.
The weft was a grapey colored Mohair boucle. The inlay weft was white mohair used either single or doubled in pieces - it gave a subtle raised or ribbed effect intermittently.
Sonia's a talented jeweller & the shawl was in exchange for some exquisite things she made for me!

A ton of lace!

2006-06-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

I just finished dyeing some lace weight yarns. Some in soft superwash lamb's wool and some in a gorgeous Silk/wool blend.
They came out just gorgeous - with beautiful tonal variations. Ready to be made into beautiful knitted or crocheted lace!
The smaller images on top are sock yarns in fingering & DK weight.
Free shipping till June 30th 2006 to US & Canada - all yarns.