Thursday 25 January 2018

Baa Ram Ewe Introduces Own Stranded Colourwork Wool Range


The new year brings three more shades for baa ram ewe's British wool ranges Titus and Dovestone DK, plus the launch of Pip Colourwork, 25g balls of wool in 15 shades meant for Fair Isle and stranded colour work designs. Each ball costs £3.20 plus P&P.

Pip Colourwork image courtesy of baa ram ewe
The company says that the name Pip comes from a traditional method of sheep counting in Swaledale, North Yorkshire. Pip is baa ram ewe's fifth own-brand yarn, and Pip means five after Yan (one), Tan (two), Tether (three) and Mether (four). 

We haven't had the chance yet to test knit the Pip range but on its website baa ram ewe describes the wool as 'soft and squishy yet with enough grip to bind the shades together'.  It recommends four patterns from Isabell Kraemer on Ravelry to knit with the range. 

Titus image courtesy of baa ram ewe

The three new Titus and Dovestone DK shades are North Sea, a deep blue; Nidderdale, an emerald green; and the 'does what it says on the tin' shade Muck - an earthy brown. 

Titus has increased in price to £17 per 100g skein due to the rise in the popularity of the Wensleydale fleece and a seventy per cent increase its wholesale cost: great news for the British wool industry but not so much for customers. Baa ram ewe says it has tried to keep the price of its yarns as low as possible.

Other British stranded colourwork wool ranges

If you want to try out stranded colourwork this winter there are plenty of British wool ranges to choose from. They all consist of 25g balls or skeins.
  • Erika Knight's British Blue Wool is spun from Bluefaced Leicester fleece and comes in 17 shades. Each ball costs £4.20 plus P&P from mcadirect.com
  • Jamiesons of Shetland's has a multitude of shades in its spindrift and DK range at £3.15 a ball
  • Fenella is a 2ply yarn that knits up to a vintage 3ply tension. It was created by British designer and historian Susan Crawford for stranded colourwork patterns and costs £4 a skein plus P&P.
  • Foula Wool comes from the Scottish island of Foula, west of the Shetland Islands and all the seven shades are natural. Each DK ball is £3.95 plus P&P but you can also choose from lace or jumper weight.

Tuesday 23 January 2018

Northumberland's Whistlebare Yarn & Daisy Snood Pattern Review

Why haven't I come across Whistlebare yarn before? It's right up A Woolly Yarn's street, producing yarn from British animals kept to the highest welfare standards, and is a family-run business.

On their farm in Northumberland Alice Elsworth, her husband and four sons keep Angora goats and Wensleydale sheep. The fleece is scoured, combed and spinned in Yorkshire then returned to the farm for dyeing. I tested Yeaving Bell, their 4ply 100g skein, in a barely-there grey called 'Willo' the Wisp', and knitted up their Daisy Scarf/Snood pattern that comes free with a yarn purchase.

On first impression this 80% mohair and 20% Wensleydale yarn looks delectable: a delightfully-nuanced pale grey that catches the light, wrapped in a squishy skein held together in a cute, cardboard label. When rolling the skein into a ball by hand I could feel the softness of the yarn and see its slight halo, collecting little tufts as I rolled. Yeavering Bell 4ply is delicate and can tangle easily but has a surprising toughness when pulled - no snapping here.

Here's Whistlebare's photo of their Daisy snood:

Image courtesy of Whistlebare

The pattern was fun to knit, the daisy stitch being challenging to knit yet not too difficult that it couldn't be knitted in front of the TV. It passed my EastEnders test! One 100g skein created a snood that can be wrapped around the neck twice. Knitted on 6.5mm circular needles you would think the pattern's lack of density would make it not very warm. Not so, for it certainly keeps my neck cosy on cold days.

Here's a snapshot of the delicacy of the stitches in my version:



Yeavering Bell costs £18.50 per skein plus P&P. It's available in 4ply, DK and Aran weight, in full skein or mini skein lengths. There are 21 colours to choose from: think natural, pretty and bright.

Whistlebare also sells two other yarns I've yet to test: Cuthbert's Sock, 80% mohair and 20% Wensleydale, and Cheviot Blue in 4ply and DK weight, a blend of South Country Cheviot and Blue Faced Leicester.

I asked Alice to tell us a bit more about her business.

Q: How did Whistlebare come about?

A: Whistlebare is a small (around 60 acres) very beautiful farm in North Northumberland, a stone's throw from the beach in one direction and the fabulous Cheviot hills in the other. We moved here in 2004 bringing our small herds of Aberdeen Angus Cattle and Large Black Pigs with us. These we farmed to organic standards until 2012 when a variety of factors converged to mean we needed to find a new direction. In that time I had learned to crochet and was picking up knitting needles again after a 25-year break. I was loving the c creativity and the peace induced by an evening's crafting. It was when I started to visit some of the fantastic yarn festivals around, notably the very first Edinburgh Yarn Festival, that the idea of producing our own, British, local, ethical yarn began to take root.

Q. How did you choose the fleeces to use?

A: As a teenager I had spent my holidays helping my Aunt on her goat farm in Cornwall. She had a few Angora Goats and I had always loved them and the amazing lustrous mohair they produce. After a lot of investigation and soul searching I was delighted when Angora Goats appeared to be the way forward. Our first nine Angora Goats arrived in 2013 to great excitement. I wasn't the only one who was excited, our four sons, then aged six to 11 years-old, were very keen to get involved. My husband and I decided that this was an opportunity for the boys to begin their own flock of sheep. Again, much research ensued. Wensleydales with their beautiful long locks of high lustre wool, as well as being a rare breed from my husband's native Yorkshire, seemed to be the perfect compliment to our gats. The boys' first three ewes arrived, in lamb, at the beginning of 2014.

Q. Tell me what makes your yarn ranges special.

A: Yeavering Bel lis a unique yarn ... it is soft and sleek with rich colour and very high lustre. Mohair is a hollow fibre so is very insulating whilst being very lightweight. The addition of Wensleydale, which is a much heavier robust fibre, gives the mohair enough weight to drape beautifully. Another of mohair's characteristics is that it has the highest rub test of all natural fibres so, when knitting with Yeavering Bell you can be sure that your project will last for years.

Our other mohair and Wensleydale yarn is Cuthbert's Sock. It is entirely natural fibre, 80% kid mohair and 20% Wensleydale wool spun tightly to be robust. Mohair is the perfect sock fibre ... the fibres themselves have very few scales and what scales there are lie smoothly, as a result bacteria has nowhere to cling on and so mohair socks don't smell!

Q. Where do you get your colour inspiration from?

A: Within a very few miles of Whistlebare we have dunes, beaches, the sea, castles, moorland and forestry: the inspiration for colour is all around us and endless. When planning a new palette I have to focus on a theme or particular location as the possibilities can be overwhelming otherwise. I try very hard to produce groups of colours that work well together and are truly wearable as well as being eye catching in your stash!

Saturday 20 January 2018

A Woolly Yarn Wins Knitter Of The Year 2018: Online Innovator Award

Image courtesy of Knit Now
Today I can announce the fabulous news that A Woolly Yarn has won Knit Now magazine's Knitter of the Year 2018 award in the Online Innovator category.

It's the fourth year that Knit Now has run the awards, crowning winners in five categories: Charity Hero, Designer of the Year, New Designer of the Year, Local Superstar and Online Innovator. The lucky winners' prize, as well as mention in the magazine, is a day out at knitting company Sirdar's in Yorkshire to find out what happens behind the scenes, meet the designers and receive a sneak preview of their new season yarns and patterns.

I set up A Woolly Yarn three years ago to champion British yarns and designers whilst also delivering knitting news and reviews. I'm excited, honoured and thrilled that the blog has won this award and am grateful to everyone who reads it, follows us on Facebook and to all the companies and designers who have agreed to reviews and answering my nosey questions. A big thanks too to Kate Heppell, Knit Now's Editor, for choosing A Woolly Yarn as a winner; and not forgetting Denise Burrows who designed our new logo that launched last year.

I'll be reporting back from the Sirdar day on the blog later in the year. Is there a question you'd like me ask or something you've always wanted to know about yarn production or the design process? Please let me know via the form below or on A Woolly Yarn's Facebook page.

The list of all the winners is in Knit Now's issue 84, which hits subscribers' doorsteps today and goes on general sale in the Uk next week.

Right, time now to have a break from knitting and crack open the champagne. Bottoms up!

Thursday 11 January 2018

Fears For The Debbie Bliss Brand As Designer Yarns Goes Bust



Logo courtesy of Designer Yarns
Yarn shops have expressed their fears about restocking British wool brand Debbie Bliss as Designer Yarns, a Yorkshire-based company that distributed yarn and accessory brands, closed on 18th December 2017.

Elaine Jinks-Turner, owner of online yarn shop Baa Baa Brighouse, said she had "attempted to place an order and discovered that since January 3rd the company's affairs were being managed by Rushton Insolvency. I'm afraid this will most likely affect our future supply of Louisa Harding and Debbie Bliss yarns."

Designer Yarns' Facebook page gives no mention of the insolvency and its website homepage has changed to give an email address for queries. Insider Media reported that the company went into administration on 14 December, that 12 people lost their jobs and although a buyer is being sought for Designer Yarns' stock the business itself is not being marketed.

Logo courtesy of Debbie Bliss
Currently Debbie Bliss doesn't sell yarn on her website Debbie Bliss Home. Responding to knitters and shops' concerns about getting hold of her yarns, Debbie Bliss, who herself is an unsecured creditor, said:

"I was sad to hear that Designer Yarns had ceased trading, having enjoyed working with the team there for many years. It was very difficult news for everyone: customers, suppliers, employees and myself. I am doing all I can to ensure that the Debbie Bliss brand will continue and will update all my knitting friends when I have more news."
Until wool shops can restock customers may find it difficult to get hold of their favourite Debbie Bliss yarns. If you know you need more of a certain colour or yarn the advice is to buy now whilst stocks last.

The full list of brands affected by Designer Yarns' closure is:

  1. Debbie Bliss Yarns and sister brand C&B
  2. Louisa Harding (the company that bears her name, not Harding's most recent venture Yarntelier)
  3. Noro
  4. Mirasol
  5. DY Choice
  6. Amano
  7. Brittany Needles.


* Blog post edited 12th January.








Saturday 6 January 2018

Kate Davies' Carbeth Sweater + Sock It To You Swap Challenge Recommended Patterns

Scotland-based designer Kate Davies was quick off the mark this year with her latest pattern release. Carbeth is a cropped, boxy sweater she describes as perfect for beginner jumper knitters. It's knitted bottom up in the round and uses her own-brand Buachaille yarn. 

Image courtesy of Kate Davies
Davies calls this her Boxing Day jumper. Knitting kits containing yarn, pattern download and tote are available in her online shop from £68 plus P&P. A Woolly Yarn is a fan of the warm and hard-wearing Buachaille. Whilst the roll neck and short body of Carbeth might not suit everyone, the pattern can be easily modified to make it longer in the body and have a shorter neck if required. 

Socks Swap Challenge

Louise Scollay, Editor of the KnitBritish blog and podcast, has launched a Sock It To You Swap with her pal Louise Hunt from Catithness Crafts.  The idea is this: sign up in the Caithness Craft Ravelry Group by Friday 12th January and you'll be paired up with another sock knitter. Cast on date is 22nd January and the deadline for casting-off is March 11th. You'll then post your pair of socks to your partner and vice versa - or, if you're both going to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival between 15th and 17th March, the two Louises recommend you meeting up and swapping socks there. 

Looking for a sock pattern? Here are four of our favourites:


Image courtesy of Rachel Coopey
Basic sock tutorial for beginners from the Queen of Socks. Costs £17 from Ravelry for the full Socks Yeah! Volume 1 download containing 12 patterns.

Image courtesy of Baa Baa Brighouse

Learn how to knit rib socks with this pattern created by the prolific blogger. Currently in the sale, a printed pattern costs £1.68 plus P&P.


Image courtesy of The Knitter magazine

This pattern originally appeared in The Knitter magazine and is now available as a £3 download from Ravelry. It requires DK weight yarn and has a knit and purl diamond pattern at the cuff to challenge basic sock knitters. 


Image courtesy of Blacker Yarns

This download is free. The socks have a cable pattern running up the side and use two colours of 4ply yarn. Great for intermediate knitters. 

Which are your favourite sock patterns? Let us know below or on our Facebook page. 

Monday 1 January 2018

Wool Shows To Look Forward To In 2018

The excitement surrounding the burgeoning number of wool fairs and shows in the UK looks set to continue into 2018. With old favourites such as The Knitting & Stitching Show joined by newcomers   including Wool Is The Festival, there are a lot of venues to choose from right around the country.

Wool shows offer the perfect opportunity to meet small, independent wool companies and traders, squish their yarn first hand and stock up on British brands you may not be able to buy at your local yarn store. On top of that they're a great day out and very economically important to small producers so you can shop in the knowledge that you're contributing to keeping your favourite British designers and yarn makers in business.


Memories of Yarndale in Skipton

This list includes all wool shows that have definite dates announced for 2018. 

January 2018

21st January - Waltham Abbey Wool Show
Essex-based show with bookable workshops.

February 

16-18 February - Unravel
Go to Farnham in Surrey for this three-day stall and workshop extravaganza.

March

Olympia in London is the venue for this popular favourite. 

15-17 March - Edinburgh Yarn Festival
This styles itself as 'the UK's premier urban hand-knitting show'. Classes have already sold out.

April

7-8 April Spring Into Wool
Head to The Grammar School in Leeds for this show that as well as knitting embraces crochet, weaving, feltmaking, spinning and dyeing. 

28-29 April Wonderwool Wales.
Wales' leading yarn show is based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, Powys.

May 

11-13 May The Handmade Fair.
Ragley Hall in Warwickshire is the venue for this Kirstie Allsopp-fronted craft event.

12-13 May Wool@Junction13
Head to Staffordshire for this celebration of all things woolly.

June

Armley Mills Industrial Museum hosts this woolly day, which also gives an insight into the history of textile production in the area.

22-23 June Woolfest.
Cockermouth in Cumbria is home to this perennial favourite that calls itself the original British wool festival. 

22-24 June The Handmade Fair.
Bowood House in Wiltshire is the venue for this Kirstie Allsopp-fronted craft event.

July

14-15 July Yarningham.
Birmingham's own yarn festival.

28-29 July Fibre East
Bedford's annual event focussing on the finest-quality British wool.

August

This show in York supports The Campaign For Wool in raising the profile of British wool.  

September

1st September Southern Wool Show.
New for 2018 is this crafty show based at Newbury Racecourse.

1st September Wool Is The Festival.
Another new for 2018 show, this one's venue is Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. Expect stalls, sculptures and yarn bombing.

8-9 September Perth Festival Of Yarn.
Perth in Scotland will bring together independent dyers, knitters, spinners, felters and weavers.

14-16 September The Handmade Fair.
The Green at Hampton Court Palace is the venue for this Kirstie Allsopp-fronted craft event.

22-30 September Shetland Wool Week.
This Scottish island show is the holy grail for many knitters who want to visit the home of some of the finest Fair Isle knitwear.

29-30 September Yarndale
It's the sixth year of this popular wool show in Skipton, Yorkshire.

October

Another chance to visit Alexandra Palace in London for this long-lasting show.

13-14 October Bakewell Wool Gathering.
This Derbyshire event is dedicated to the best of yarn, knitting and crochet.

19-21 October Loch Ness Wool Fest.
One of the newest wool shows on the block, this one in Inverness gives you the chance to search for the Loch Ness monster as well as snap up yarn bargains.

November

2-3 November Yarnporium
A London festival of sweater weather, yarn, friends and fibre.

It's Harrogate in North Yorkshire's turn to play host to this famous yarn show.


Do you know of any UK yarn shows that aren't included here? Please let us know either in the comments below or on A Woolly Yarn's Facebook page
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