More New British Yarns For Your Stash + Knit The Queen!

The more I delve into the world of knitting and solo dyers the more I realise the talent and passion for British yarn that there is in this country.

Here's a round up what's recently released or up and coming:

Wool and the Gang Bille Jean

"Billie Jean is not my love" sang Michael Jackson, but perhaps this latest yarn from Wool and the Gang will be yours.

Image courtesy of Wool and the Gang

Its USP is that the yarn is is made from pre-consumer denim waste. It comes in two shades, raw denim and dirty denim, and Wool and the Gang's website says it feels like dry, light cotton. I'll post a full review soon.

Baa ram ewe 

I gave a squeal of delight when I heard from baa ram ewe's e-newsletter that they're going to launch new shades in 4 ply Titus and Dovestone DK and a whole new yarn! I'm on the list to receive a sample and will do a full review when I receive it. Baa ram ewe is based in Leeds and prides itself on the Yorkshire heritage of its yarn.

Whilst we're waiting to find out what the new colours are, here's a picture of the last two shades released for Titus and Dovestone:

Image courtesy of baa ram ewe

Updated shades for Blacker Yarns' Lyonesse

I'm a firm fan of the Lyonesse yarn range, a wool and linen blend first released in 2015. A previous blog post shows the summer jumper I knitted with it in rose quartz, a shade which reputedly is getting the chop. On Tuesday 21st June new shades, with five accompanying patterns, will be launched. No word yet as to what the shades are but perhaps this photo from Blacker Yarns' Facebook page is a clue?

Image courtesy of Blacker Yarns

Full details and a review to follow soon.

Countess Ablaze Sparkly Sock Yarn

For me, sparkly yarn certainly makes socks more fun to knit.

Countess Ablaze has launched the sparkly blue faced baron sock yarn, dyed by her own fair hands. It's a mixture of Bluefaced Leicester and Firestar (trilobal nylon - whatever that may be). At the moment there are quite a few shades to choose from, although colourways will disappear from the website once they are all sold out. My favourite is called 'Rebelling Against Suburbia' - this is a neon shade you won't want to hide away in boots! A 100g skein costs £17.

Image courtesy of Countess Ablaze

Phileas Yarns Wanderlust BFL

KnitBritish's latest email brought the delightfully deep red-colour from Phileas Yarns' Wanderlust BFL collection to my attention. Louise Scollay knitted a swatch to test the yarn and was pleased with the finished result's drape and lustre.

Image courtesy of Phileas Yarns

The yarn itself is available to buy from etsy.com and retails at £14 for a 100g skein. I haven't tried it myself but highly trust Scollay's opinion - it was her blog that got me interested in finding out if wool from a British brand really was sheared and spun in the UK. She recently updated her blog post recommending British wool for all budgets. I recommend reading this and going to Brityarn, which only sells British yarns, to buy your stash for your next project.

Knit The Queen!

Finally, happy 90th birthday your Majesty! For a woolly souvenir why not knit the Queen herself?

Image courtesy of BBC News and Getty

Let's Knit magazine's website contains a free pattern to download after signing in. Although she isn't wearing the neon green outfit she chose for the Trooping the Colour parade on her big day!

I was one of the many people who took up the challenge from Fiona Goble's Knit Your Own Royal Wedding book back in 2011 but only got so far as the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury and a corgi. This new pattern has given me impetus to search out my stash and keep on going!