Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 is Here!

Kauni Effektgarn is back! And the beautiful long self striping colors are as rich and vibrant as ever!

EA - Mauve, Purple, Lime & Sage

Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 is an amazing self striping yarn painted in long, vibrant color repeats which give your finished garments and accessories beautiful, long stripes of color. Crafted of 100% wool this sport weight yarn can be knit and felted with equally stunning results. Let your imagination flow with projects for shawls, cardigans and pullovers, handbags and more.

ED - Tan, Brown & Black

Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 is put up in generous 130, 140, 150, 160 or 170 gram balls and priced accordingly.

EQ - Rainbow

Also available in EP (Burgundy, Brown, Gold & Rust) and EY (Magenta & Purple)

Have a very Merry Christmas!

This home is located in Clarksville in downtown Austin and the owner is a local celebrity when it comes to decorating for the holidays. Last night when we visited he was outside greeting passerbys and he graciously allowed me to photograph his work, "Thank You Willis, Merry Christmas!"

And a Happy & Prosperous New Year!
See you in 2011!

Holiday Parties, Big Bend and of course Knitting...

Where to start? Life has been a whirlwind of activity since late October! I'll do a little update, out of order of course my usual style!

First on December 6th our Monday Knitting Class met for our annual Christmas & Hanukkah party at the Tea Embassy in downtown Austin. This darling little teashop is owned by one of our fellow knitters. It was a blast to see everyone since I had been out of town for quite some time.

Here's Carroll (not the owner Carol) taking it easy, no gift knitting for her.

The elegant Nita, decked out in tiger print and knitwear of her own creation.

My good friend Beth who not only knits brilliantly but creates the most beautiful quilts as well.

The multi-talented Bren, she knits, crochets, tats, beads, sews, does scrap booking, teaches, I know I'm leaving something out!

This is the shop owner Carol demonstrating how to brew a Japanese green tea as Carroll supervises! It was a lovely party!

Now we'll go back in time to November and Thanksgiving...8 of my family members and my DH & I swept into Big Bend National Park in West Texas and did as much hiking, horse back riding and eating as we could in four short days! An amazing time was had by all! I have one word to say to you about Big Bend, if you've never been there, "Go!"

On the second to last morning DH insisted we get up before dawn so we could get this shot, "Good morning sunrise!"

These next two pics are a little out of order. We stayed at the Las Lajitas resort which was wonderful. One of the excursions they offered was a Star Gazing Horse Ride. The pic of me on the horse below should be next. We rode across the Chihuahuan Desert and up into the mountains in the fading daylight. When we arrived to our campsite the cowboys had dinner waiting, steaks grilled over the camp fire!

As the sun set and the Milky Way revealed itself to us, we realized we really were in one of the darkest locations in the United States. DH got this shot of the movement of the Earth by holding the shutter open for several minutes.

Yes this is me on a horse!

The intrepid hikers! We reached the summit of the Lost Mine Trail near Chisos Mountain.

For Thanksgiving Day we dined at the resort and we're all very satisfied with the menu even my vegetarian husband. Again I can't tell what a beautiful place Big Bend is and what a great time we all had. I look forward to another visit, there is so much to do we could go again and again.

Ah but what about the knitting you ask! I've been very busy adding lots of new yarns and patterns to my website plus doing a little personal and gift knitting.

Dive In! Madelinetosh Tosh DK

The wait is over, Tosh DK has arrived and its stunning. This superwash yarn is a worsted weight and has 225 yards per skein.

Cascabel by Nelkin Designs

And I'm also in the process of adding two new knitwear designers to my website, Laura Nelkin of Nelkin Designs.

Onyx by Army of Knitters

And the designs of Army of Knitters.

And I've been doing a little knitting as well, its been quite some time since I picked up my needles and I'm really enjoying myself. I'm working on Swoon Fibers' Scultped Cowl, one for my mom and one for me!

This one is for my mom in Karabella's Soft Tweed. I think she's going to love the dark green color. Think I'll get it done in time?


This one is for me, I'm knitting it in Malabrigo Twist in Sunset. I adore yellow! Twist and Merino Worsted are both on sale.

I've also just added new colors in The Schaefer Yarn Company's Audrey, Chris and Nichole yarns, lots of semi solids and hand painted variegates! All three would be perfect for your next sock, lace, hat or glove project, just let your imagination run wild.

And I have a huge order of my Sandrasingh.com Lace, 1 Ply Merino Worsted and Superwash Fingering on its way to me as I type this.

This post is getting long and I've got more products to add to my website, more parties to prepare for and more house guests on their way! Happy Holidays to you and your family ~ Merry Christmas and have a Safe and Happy New Year!

We have a Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of the Sculpted Cowl Kit, Sarah!

And "Thank You" to everyone who entered. Stay tuned...I have another Giveaway coming real soon!

NEW Malabrigo Yarns In Stock!

A HUGE shipment of Malabrigo Yarn just arrived and I now have new colors in stock of Merino Worsted and Twist which are 15% Off.

Plus lots of Sock in Eggplant for Ysolda's Orchid Thief Shawl. And new colors in Silky, Rios and Lace.

Sculpted Cowl Pattern, Kit & Giveaway!

We have a winner! Will Sarah, aka sadiekate08 on Twitter, please contact me at sandrasingh@sandrasingh.com to claim the Kit!

In my December Newsletters I've been giving you lots of pattern ideas to knit up quickly for last minute gifts and this time I have something very special for you. This new design knits up fast with stunning results and combines a talented new knitwear designer, the in demand accessory the cowl, a luxurious hand dyed bulky yarn crafted of super soft wool & alpaca and a Giveaway for the Pattern & Yarn!

Swoon Fibers' Sculpted Cowl

Alida Porter of "Swoon Fibers" has been professionally designing womens knitwear for over 15 years, you can find her garments and accessories in popular clothing stores such as The Gap, Chicos and many more nationwide. I'm excited for the opportunity to bring you her unique designs and her first piece is being offered exclusively on my website, Alida's Sculpted Cowl.

Whether you create this classically cabled cowl for yourself or a loved one it will keep you warm in the upmost of style. Knit flat and sewn together it works up quickly in Swoon Fibers' very own bulky weight, hand dyed yarn Fireside. The pattern is both written and charted.

Finished Size: Circumference 28" x Height 10"
Yarn: 1 skein Swoon Fiber Fireside (85% wool & 15% alpaca, 250 grms/270 yds)
Needles: size US 11 (8mm)
Gauge: 15.5 st and 18 rows = 4"

Don't want to wait to win this pattern? The Sculpted Cowl is available as a Pattern only that is downloaded as a PDF after purchase and as a Kit. The Kit includes the Pattern and one skein of Swoon Fibers' Fireside and it will be shipped to you immediately!

Meet Alida Porter: Alida Porter started her line of yarns & patterns "Swoon Fibers” in May of 2010. Hers designs have been featured in “Vogue Knitting” and she has been an avid handknitter and professionally a knitwear designer in the fashion industry/specializing in novelty design, in New York City for over 15 years. Her designs have been sold to The Gap, Liz Claiborne, Target, Chicos and many more. Growing up in the beautiful rural Delaware Valley, and a student of painting in art school, her love of color combined with the love of luxury fibers is what always motivated her. That interest in art and nature, and a need to create something personal now has found its way to her own hand dyed yarns.

The Giveaway includes the Sculpted Cowl pattern and a skein of Fireside in Cool Blues shown below. The pattern will be emailed to the winner as a PDF and the winner will be announced on December 15th.

Enter this Giveaway:
The more ways you enter, the more chances you have to win and make sure to leave a comment telling exactly what you did to enter.
1. Leave a comment, with your contact information, under this blogpost.
2. Blog about this Giveaway and link it, leave a comment under this blogpost with the link back to your blogpost.
3. Join my Ravelry group Sandrasingh.com and introduce yourself in the "Welcome Tell us About Yourself..." thread.
4. Friend me on Facebook: Sandra Singh and say you "Like" my post about this Giveaway.
5. Follow me on Twitter: Sandrasingh and announce this Giveaway with the link.
6. And sign up for my Newsletter on my Home Page.
7. Sign up to follow my Blog.

Only 25 days left to knit until Christmas! This December my Newsletters will feature quick to knit projects available as Kits for immediate shipping, either to you or to a fellow knitter. To make your busy life easier I'll mail the gift for you and even include your greeting, just make sure to put the name and address of the recipient in the Ship To information and your message in the Comments Box during Checkout. And my Gift to you this Holiday Season, a Complimentary Pattern when you spend $25 or more.

But first a HUGE shipment of Madelinetosh Yarns just arrived! Beautifully hand dyed skeins of Pashima, Pure Silk Lace, Tosh Sock & Tosh Merino Light await you!

In This Issue: New Madelinetosh Yarn / Christmas Stockings / Lace Projects /

Pashima in Nikko

New Madelinetosh Yarn
You've been busy planning the holidays for others, don't forget a special treat for yourself! Pashima is a 3 ply, sport weight yarn crafted of 75% superwash merino wool, 15% silk and 10% cashmere. Each generous skein is put up with 360 yards and the fabric you create will have an exquisite texture & drape.

Tosh Sock in Logwood

Tosh Sock is crafted of a luxurious 100% superwash merino wool and each skein has 395 yards, enough to complete a pair of woman's size large socks, but you'll also discover its perfect for lace projects too.

Tosh Merino Light in Espedrilles

And single-ply fingering yarn Tosh Merino Light is crafted of 100% superwash merino wool making it machine washable! Each skein is put up with 440 yards and one skein is enough for a pair of socks and two skeins for a full sized lace project. But the breathe taking color palette will inspire you to knit or crochet pullovers, cardigans and hat & mitten sets for every member of your family.

Pure Silk Lace in Fathom

Pure Silk Lace is 100% Tussah Silk brilliantly dyed in glazed solid colors. With a generous 1000 yards per skein one skein can complete a large lace project with ease and your finished garment is hand washable.

Christmas Stockings
Make this holiday season even more special with a hand knit heirloom, a personalized Christmas Stocking from Annie's Woolens. They'll add old-fashioned charm to your home and you'll enjoy starting a new family tradition, children will love seeing their names on the side of their very own stocking and even adults will enjoy the attention, plus there are special designs for pets!

Each finished stocking is approximately 7" wide and 22' long, lots of room for goodies and available as Patterns or kits. Pattern includes easy to read instructions and a Color Alphabet Chart for personalizing. Choose from an Angel, Bear, Cabin, Evergreen, Moose, Holly, Joy, Ragg Wool, Snowman, Love, Peace or even a Cat and Dog.

Kitman Figeruroa Peacock

Lace Kits
You still have time to create a lacy shawl, shawlette or stole for that special person on your gift list. Kitman Figueroa's Peacock Shawlette is worked from the bottom up in two skeins of Claudia Hand Painted Fingering yarn. Its a quick and easy project with beautiful results and the Kit includes 2 skeins of Claudia's Fingering in the exclusive Yarns On Stage colorway Zebra.

Kitman Figueroa Damask

And Kitman's Damask is knit with just one skein of Malabrigo Sock and the pattern is written in two sizes. The lace pattern may look complicated, but its not, and the results are beautiful.

Goddess Knits Frillery

The Desert Rose Shawl's beautiful knit fabric, with exquisite drape, is created from The Alpaca Yarn Company's 100% suri alpaca lace yarn Suri Elegance. Designed by Renee Leverington of Goddess Knits exclusively for my website its knit from the top down and consists of two identical sections worked together with a dividing stitch and garter edge stitches. And Renee did another exclusive shawl for my website, Frillery, knit in one skein of my very own Sandrasingh.com Lace yarn.

HeartStrings FiberArts' Scotch Thistle Lace Stole is a flowing sequence of leaf and flower motifs, symbolic of the regal Scotch thistle, combined into this beautiful lace stole. Its knit with one skein of Schaefer's fingering Anne yarn.

The triangular shawlette Damson Heike was designed by Linda Minnick to be knit in one skein of Shalimar's Zoe Sock yarn. Its shaped to fit over your shoulders and stay in place without any tugging!

Prism Yarn Circle Shawl

And Christine Nissley dreamed up the quick and easy 5804 Circle Shawl to be knit in Prism Yarn's Saki fingering weight yarn. Three easy lace motifs are followed by a simple crochet picot edge and embellished with beads added during the knitting process: no pre-stringing! The pattern includes a short and longer length and the kit includes 1 or 2 skeins of Saki in the exclusive Yarns On Stage colorway Savoy.

Thank you for sharing my December news! I look forward to hearing from you this holiday season and helping you make your gift knitting & giving go as smooth as possible!