I know its not Arbor Day but I'm celebrating Memorial Day by planting 4 varieties of Buford and Yaupon Holly trees!15 trees to be exact! Have a happy and safe day everyone!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Happy Memorial Day
I know its not Arbor Day but I'm celebrating Memorial Day by planting 4 varieties of Buford and Yaupon Holly trees!15 trees to be exact! Have a happy and safe day everyone!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Meet Anne Hanson of "Knitspot"
Meet Anne Hanson: Knitspot owner and designer Anne Hanson, a life-long knitter with experience in the fashion and graphic design fields, enjoys an ongoing conversation with users, incorporating customer feedback into Knitspot products wherever possible. Anne also teaches and writes about knitting, spinning, and designing in her “knit spot”, and lives in Ohio with David, who loves wool, too.
Anne’s background as a patternmaker/draper, technical designer, and costumer in New York City’s garment district informs her work, providing a rich source of experience in garment construction and fit, as well as knowledge of a wide range of fibers and fabrics.
The most important concern at Knitspot is to provide user-friendly instructions for beautiful handknit designs. Knitspot offers fun and interesting patterns of all types and ability levels. In most cases, their patterns feature both written and charted instructions, with detailed explanations of technique.
A very special and important aspect of Anne's business is her program of recycling dollars back into the general fund for doing good in the world. Each month 10% of Knitspot proceeds go to an organization committed to world improvement. The focus is on non-religious organizations which keep administrative costs to a minimum, in order that more dollars reach those most in need.
Some recipients include: The National MS Society, Doctors Without Borders through Knitters Without Borders, Heifer International, Oprah's Angel Network and Cure Autism Now.
Dovecote
Anne breathes new life into the classic triangular shawl and rectangular stole by playing with size, shape as well as stitch patterns. Her designs often feature more than one size, petite or tall, and can be knit in more than one weight of yarn, allowing you to create a custom piece.
Knit a cozy triangular shawl like none other. A delicate Victorian composition Pine and Ivy drapes over your shoulders or wraps lovingly around your head and neck, this shawl can be worked in petite, medium or tall and features a dramatic horizontal hem. Lovely multiple stitch patterns make Bee Fields an interesting and pleasurable knit. Dovecote is knit from the top down with a knit-on edging at the hem and features a composition of multi-directional diamond patterns. And the array of swirling snowflake and pine motifs lends Whispering Pines its' name, its worked from the neck to the hem and has a knitted on lace edging at the outer border.
Lacewing
Maplewing
Birnam Wood Wrap
Many of Anne's rectangular stole designs also allow for customization with petite or tall sizes. Palimpsest is worked in one piece and while the pattern is easy to work and memorize the lace knitting on both the wrong and right sides lend visual intricacy to the fabric. The Birnam Wood Wrap features a repeating diamond pattern over several pattern arrangements to evoke the confusing brambles and mysterious surprises of Shakespeare's Birnam Wood. Gnarled Oakwoods is worked from hem to center back in two pieces which are then grafted togther. The transitioning diamond and chevron patterns that combine to evoke textures and shapes of the ice and frost formations on the Icicle Dream stole are worked from center back to hem, with an applied lace edging.
Starlight Evening Wrap is a pretty rectangular stole featuring multiple lace patterns and a wide deep edging. Cluaranach is a cozy lace wrap or scarf in fingering yarn featuring thistle motifs and garter stitch selvedges.
Comfort yourself or someone special with one of these lovely square shaped shawls. Honey Baby, this magical square is worked in the round from the center out in lace patterns suggesting a field a buzz with bees and grasses. Work it in a washable fingering wool and this piece will be as turdy as it is pretty and practical to use at home or when traveling. Square shaped Snowflakes in Cedarwoods features an array of swirling snowflake and pine motifs and its also worked from the center out to the hem edge in the round.
Visit my website to purchase any of these Anne Hanson patterns.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Ravelry Projects & Stash Drawing VII
In honor of my 5 Year Anniversary I thought it would be fun to have another Rav Projects & Stash Drawing (this will be lucky #7)!
Three lucky winners will receive a skein of my new Sandrasingh.com Yarn. Winners will be contacted and asked for their yarn and color choices.
Entries may be submitted May 4-31, 2010 and winners will be contacted via Ravelry and will be announced during the first week of June.
Submissions are Not Judged, winners will be drawn randomly.
Rules & How to enter.
1) Log onto Ravelry and join the Sandrasingh.com group
2) In your Ravelry Notebook enter either…
a) PROJECTS, enter a finished project or a work in progress created with Yarn or a Pattern (or both) purchased from Sandrasingh.com. Upload a photo and you must link to Sandrasingh.com under Purchased At, OR
b) STASH, enter yarn purchased from Sandrasingh.com. Upload a photo and you must link to Sandrasingh.com under Purchased At
c) Share entry with the Sandrasingh.com Group
3) On the Sandrasingh.com group, under this thread ”Ravelry Projects & Stash Drawing VII”
a) Describe your Projects or Stash entry
b) Include a link to that page in your Notebook
c) Post a picture of your work
Your entry you may include more than one project or yarn.
You may enter as many times as you like.
If you have entered or won before you may enter again with a new project or yarn.
Only one prize per person. Thank You!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Showroom Clearance Sale!
WHO: Sandrasingh.com
WHAT: Showroom Clearance Sale!
Save up to 80% on most everything In Stock!
Including Yarns, Knitting Needles, Magazines, Books, Paper Patterns & Jordana Paige Knitting Bags!
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday May 22-23, 2010 10am - 5pm
WHERE: I'm in Spicewood, TX outside of Austin, Email or call, 877/519-1693 for directions.
Door Prizes & Refreshments!
Can't make it out?
Order online, if something marked "In Stock" is not discounted call or email for sale price.
To see sales visit Specials
NOTE: Patterns sold as PDF downloads are excluded & sale prices are not retroactive.
Thank you, I hope to see you this weekend!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Introducing Shalimar Yarns
This time my search for luxurious yarns produced in the United States and hand dyed in exquisite colors led me to Frederick, Maryland the home of Shalimar Yarns.
Sprout
Shalimar's soft to the touch Zoe Sock is crafted of 22 micron 100% Superwash Australian Merino. Zoe has a delightful hand, fantastic springiness and an amazing loft. Its one of the softest merino sock yarns available. Shalimar Yarns hand dyes each hank in their signature "Stonewash" colors, semi solids that have beautiful highlights, lowlights and depth of shade. You only need one skein to knit or crochet a pair of adult size socks.
Peachy Keen
Damson
And Shalimar offers pattern support, Damson Heike was designed by Linda Minnick and is also knit in only one skein of Zoe Sock. This triangular shawlette is shaped to fit over your shoulders and stay in place without any tugging! The diamond lace pattern is accented with a lacey edging along the top that is knit onto the shawl as you go, not picked up and added later. This pattern is sold as a PDF download that is emailed to you after purchase with no shipping charges.
Meet Kristi of Shalimar Yarns: Kirsti is the owner and master hand dyer of Shalimar Yarns. Shalimar is an inspiration that began several years ago and stemmed from the desire to introduce the knitting and crocheting community to wonderful fibers and designs & everything it takes to create the perfect project. Shalimar is an extension of our need to explore colors, textures, and fibers through fine yarns. For whatever reason, colors say so much to people. Here at Shalimar Yarns we are constantly inspired by ideas that come with the changing seasons and the vivid and oftentimes subtle colors and hues associated with our rural farm life. We want to help inspire you onward in your knitting and crocheting adventure.
About Stonewash- Our Stonewash process guarantees a garment rich in subtle color variations without worrisome pooling or color blocks. Stonewash colorways emphasize plays in light and texture in the fiber to create rich and interesting results. Cables and textured stitch patterns will reproduce beautifully with our Stonewash colorways.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Introducing the designs of HeartStrings FiberArts!
A lot is going on this May, besides my 5 Year Anniversary and the launch of my own yarn line, Sandrasingh.com Yarn, I'm very excited to tell you that the designs of Jackie E Schweitzer of HeartStrings FiberArts are now available on my website! HeartStrings FiberArts is best known for lace and beaded projects, but Jackie also offers you sock and garment projects.
She's a fiber enthusiast who loves all fibers equally, her projects range from decadent single skein projects done in qiviut to knits done in popular lace and sock yarns such as Lorna's Laces and Schaefer yarns. And her patterns are written to make yarn substitutions a breeze.
So relax and plan your next lace project! Lace lovers will adore her new scarves Crest of Waves Lace and Links of Diamonds, both projects are just right for summer knitting. Or knit one of her lacey shrugs, the Put on the Glitz or the beaded Hug-Me-Tight Fan Lace Jacket Wrap. If you love to bead Jackie offers many other beaded designs such as the White Lotus Stole, Beaded Lux Shoulder Shawl and many more.
Its always the right season for sock knitting and Jackie has two new patterns Glitz and Bead and the Erant Ankles Lace Socks. Her Basic Toe-to-Cuff Socks are wonderful for a beginner sock knitter while her Beaded Faux Argyle Socks are perfect for an experienced sock knitter looking for a new twist. 
A special child will adore Jackie's new Technique Teddy Bear and you'll learn a new skill or two knitting it. There's also the precious Lace-edged Baby Blanket, another relaxing summer knit. 
All HeartStrings' patterns are sold as PDF downloads that are emailed to you after purchase, meaning no shipping charges. So sit back, relax and browse today!
And my 5 Year Anniversary Celebration continues on Ravelry, stop by my group, Sandrasingh.com and enter my "Ravelry Projects & Stash Drawing VII." Any purchase, whether its now a finished object, work in progress, skein of yarn or a purchased pattern is eligible to be entered and 3 lucky winners will receive a skein of my new Sandrasingh.com Yarn!
Meet Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer: Spinning Straw Into Gold...Jackie E-S is a long-time knitting enthusiast who shares her love of knitting and experience through guild groups, classes, and networking with other fiber artists. In her past "real life" she was an information technology consultant.
Knitting has always been a relaxing and fulfilling counterpart to a sometimes stressful technical career. Jackie is also an avid spinner and often uses hand-spun yarns in her knitting projects, in addition to yarns commercially available.
Jackie E-S established HeartStrings to provide quality instruction to knitters who want their items to be special, as well as practical and enjoyable to knit. Knitters of all skill levels have been enjoying the knitting patterns designed and published by Jackie E-S / HeartStrings FiberArts.
With a background in music and mathematics, she enjoys capturing the melody of color/texture and harmonizing it with style and function. Jackie's career in computer systems analysis provided the analytical framework evident in her intricate, yet simple, designs now showcased in her growing roster of HeartStrings patterns.
All HeartStrings patterns incorporate master knitter techniques that minimize extra finishing steps. If you don't consider yourself a master at knitting, don't worry. These techniques are elegantly integrated into Jackie's designs and clearly explained in the pattern instructions. For less-experienced knitters, this is a way to learn new knitting skills. For more advanced knitters, you can benefit by seeing new ways to apply these techniques. You will find that HeartStrings patterns are a pleasure to knit, and the completed project will be a source of pride.
As a certified master knitter and teacher, Jackie continues to share her love of knitting and knowledge through design and publication of skill-building pattern instructions, and conducting workshops, programs and demonstrations. Her interest in the fiber arts extends beyond knitting and spinning to include weaving, dyeing and all needle arts. She also enjoys tournament contract bridge and music. Her most recent 'play' thing is a cajun (diatonic) accordion – She has a lot of practicing to do to get up to the tempo of the masters!
From Jackie — a brief commentary on individual creativity
"Rumplestiltskin wrote to me this week about "spinning straw into gold". Bob (aka Rumplestiltskin) turns out to be an admirer of my work and is an interesting intellectual as well. His statement about the role of individual creativity in an ever-increasingly technological society especially struck a chord …
Straw is just a metaphor for raw fibers, and gold is a metaphor for a finished commercial product … The craft of spinning by hand is rarely practiced in this country, I think, but it's not dead. Those who do it are really saying that technology will never entirely replace individual creativity."
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