British yarn maestros Blacker Yarns have two new yarns going on sale today at 10am! The first is a range of new colours for Blacker’s St. Kilda lace-weight yarn, hand dyed by Joy of The Knitting Goddess. Blacker’s St. Kilda yarn contains wool from St Kilda’s (an archipelago which is the remotest part of the British Isles) native […]
Cornish Tin II & St. Kilda Read More »
I have an article in the April issue of Seamwork, released today. The article is a guide on creating your own yarn, and includes stages from buying and washing a fleece, carding and spinning fibre, plying spun singles, and washing your yarn. That’s a lot of information to squeeze in. If anything is unclear in the article
Spinning Your Own Yarn Read More »
As a British yarn addict, I’m always really excited by the prospect of a new yarn from Blacker Yarns. Not only do they produce lovely yarns, they do so using unusual wools, create unique blends, and support small producers in the UK. The newest yarn from Blacker, Tamar, is released tomorrow, 03rd February. Tamar contains
Last Saturday was the annual Open Day of the Birmingham Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, where I am a member. The open day includes an exhibition of items produced by Guild members which have been woven, spun or dyed. The Guild are a very talented group and I snapped a few photos of some of
Birmingham Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers Open Day Read More »
Last weekend I got the chance to try dyeing with one of the dye plants I grew from seed in my garden. Of the plants I chose to grow, my biden and marigold plants have done really well. The teasel plants are looking very healthy (the leaves are huge), but don’t yet have any seed heads,
A Naturally Dyed Wardrobe: Biden Read More »
Woo hoo, my first article for Seamwork is included in the September issue, which is released today. The article is a profile of TOFT, a British knitting company who produce alpaca and wool yarns, and knitting and crochet patterns. TOFT yarns are produced in the UK using British fibres, and the business is based on
TOFT Profile in September Seamwork Magazine Read More »
My productive knitting stretch continues. I’ve recently cast on the Brigantia mittens by Victoria Magnus, which feature colour work and cables. I’m new to colour work and these mittens are a fairly simple project to start learning, but I’ve still managed to make a few errors. I suspect mitten number two, may be a lot more polished
British Fibres and Fabrics – a #1year1outfit Update Read More »
At the most recent meeting of my Weavers, Spinners and Dyers guild, we tried out acid dyes in addition to the natural dyes I previously blogged about. Led by fellow WSD member Rachel, I took the opportunity to dye some white yarn to make self-striping sock yarn. Acid dyes work with protein (animal) fibres and
Acid Dyed Self-Striping Sock Yarn Read More »
I recently dyed a range of yarns, some cotton, and my recently completed knitted socks, with turmeric. In preparation, I tied the loops of yarns in a number of places, and then soaked the yarn, fabric and socks in cold water so that they would take the dye better. I made a paste with a full jar
A Naturally Dyed Wardrobe: Turmeric Read More »
Before our holiday to Copenhagen becomes a distant memory, I wanted to tell you about some great shops we found, and share a few favourite photos of the trip. Phil thought that he’d been conned, as our hotel happened to be located directly opposite a haberdashery (not planned in advance – honest)! Stof 2000 is
Copenhagen – Shopping & Sightseeing Read More »