Tag Archives: British Sheep

New Year, New Plans, Yan Tan Tethera Club

Happy New Year! It’s been a while!

I took a good break after Yarndale last September, but now it’s time to warm up the dye pots again and get cracking on making 2017 woolly and colourful!

Yan Tan Tethera Club

The first plan for 2017 is to dye for Baa Baa Brighouse’s Yan Tan Tethera yarn club. Elaine selects an inspiration photo, taken by her husband Gary, then I choose a yarn and make it colourful.  This is the photo that Elaine has chosen this time, it’s called ‘Red Cloud’ and was taken in the hills above Rastrick in West Yorkshire:

Red Cloud

The yarn I’m using this time is something a bit different, a 100% British Jacob DK weight yarn, made by West Yorkshire Spinners.  Sign ups are open now, and will close on Friday 20 January. There are limited places, so be quick! Pop over to Baa Baa Brighouse’s website to see what extra goodies you might find in your subscription box and to sign up.

Whilst you’re there, have a look at the gallery of photos of things people have made with previous Yan Tan Tethera club yarns.  I’m just one of a group of Yorkshire yarnies who dye for the club in rotation.

New year, new yarn

In exciting news, my very first custom spun yarn should arrive with me next week.  This yarn is made of all British fleeces, and is wholly processed by the Natural Fibre Company in Cornwall.   More news to come once I’ve got my hands on it and sent it through the dye pots.  This is what it looked like when we picked up the main component from a friend:

IMG_20160711_113746

Just one more thing…

Prices of undyed yarn have increased recently, so I shall have to reflect that with a small rise in prices. I’ll be updating the shop over the next couple of weeks, yarns priced £7 will go up 25p and yarns priced £14, £15 or £16 will go up by 50p each (except the Shetland gradients, they’ll stay the same). So if you want to get in before the increase…here’s where to go.

Dates for the diary

I shall have a stall again at Leeds Wool Festival on 3 June at Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills.

And I shall be applying to Yarndale again, so fingers crossed for that.

Yarndale 2016 and Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club

Sylvan Tiger Yarn stall at Yarndale 2015

Sylvan Tiger Yarn stall at Yarndale 2015

Yarndale 2016

It must be nearly time for Yarndale 2016, I’m struggling to fit any more yarn in the boxes! All the yarn is dyed, there’s just a few skeins left to label, and new samples are drying as we speak.  I hope to see some of you next weekend (24-25 September), have a look at the Yarndale website for all the information you need to plan your visit.  We’re in our usual spot, number 56 on the plan.

I’ll have lots of lace and 4ply yarns in semi-solids and variegated colours.  There’ll be a big stock of the Shetland 4ply gradients, including pattern and yarn kits.  Gwen Wagner-Adair has designed a new pattern for the gradients, a hat and mitts set featuring squirrels, yes squirrels! Here’s a sneaky peek:

Hatt and Mitts 600

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gwen will be on the stall on Saturday afternoon 2-3pm for a ‘meet the designer’ session and will be happy to sign patterns and talk about her designs.

Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club

Stained Glass

If you can’t make it to Yarndale, there’s another chance this month to get your hands on Sylvan Tiger Yarn. I’m dyeing for Baa Baa Brighouse’s Yan Tan Tethera yarn club.  Each month a different dyer creates an exclusive colourway based on an inspiration photo that Elaine chooses.  This month it’s me and I’m creating a colourway based on the photo above of stained glass.  Sign ups are open now and will close on Sunday 25 September. Be quick though, places are limited this month as it’s so close to Yarndale! You can read more about the club and sign up via the Baa Baa Brighouse website.

Hopefully see you at Yarndale next weekend, and if not the Etsy shop will be back open by the beginning of October.