Curious Handmade with Helen Stewart
This week I'm continuing the discussion of yarn, glorious yarn, talking about what I'm working on in What's in the WIP and announcing a new knit along. Show Sponsors   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more.   This episode is sponsored by The Fibre Company and their newest yarn, Cumbria. Inspired by England's stunning northwest region with its deep blue lakes and sheep-grazed fells and valleys, Cumbria is a lustrous blend of brown wool from the rare breed masham sheep, fine South American wool and mohair from South Africa. The resulting light brown-grey shade is then over-dyed creating lovely deep saturated colours. Cumbria is a staple yarn, perfect for garments and accessories alike. What's in the WIP? I finished and blocked my Pebble Beach Shawl that I cast on at Unwind Brighton last year in Skein Australia yarn in Cashmere Fingering in the Sea Salt colour. I've also been knitting my magic cake of yarn using Paula's instructions and for a Magic Cake Ruffle Shawl - it's completely addictive! Pebble Beach Shawl - Two More Sizes My Pebble Beach Shawl pattern will soon be re-released with two more sizes. I'm aiming for release date of 5 May 2015. If you already have the pattern in your library you will automatically receive an update with the new sizes. I'm currently testing and finalizing photos and pattern. The new sizes are knit in yarn by The Uncommon Thread. Knitting Pipeline Pebble Beach KAL Paula at Knitting Pipeline is hosting a KAL of my designs to celebrate the relaunch of Pebble Beach. Yarn, Glorious Yarn!  This week I am talking about Shetland Yarn. Clara Yarn Shetland 1.0 Jamieson's of Shetland Jamieson and Smith - See their blog for a wealth of interesting information KnitBritish Hap Along hosted by Louise Meet My Yarn KAL Challenge you to introduce your favourite yarn to the group here by creating a swatch in April It could be for a specific project or it could be for the joy of taking some yarn for a walk! Tell us about the yarn, the qualities – if it is a specific breed, any special story about the yarn and what you discover about it from your swatching. My hope is that it will encourage reluctant swatchers to give it a try and for enthusiastic swatchers to show off their work! This week in the KAL AlpakkaAnna shared an interesting story about her swatch using special Swedish yarn. She also mentioned Louvre by Hinterm Stein – an Austrian designer.   I’m really excited to share that the KAL will be sponsored by The Fibre Company and their new Cumbria yarn. Here is some more information about it: "Inspired by England's stunning northwest region with its deep blue lakes and sheep-grazed fells and valleys, Cumbria is a lustrous blend of brown wool from the  masham sheep, fine South American wool and mohair from South Africa. The resulting light brown-grey shade is then over-dyed creating lovely deep saturated colours. Cumbria is a staple yarn, perfect for garments and accessories alike." "I began the product development process for Cumbria during the time that I was organizing my move to the UK. I was drawn towards including fibre from an English sheep breed in the blend. There were many to research and consider, but eventually I was attracted to and settled on the beautiful brown wool from the Masham sheep, which is a crossbreed between a Teeswater ram and either a Swaledale or Dalesbred ewe.  The Teeswater is on the "vulnerable" list of rare breed sheep that is published and watched by the Rare Breed Survival Trust." While this yarn won’t be available to the public until later this summer around August – knit along parti...
Direct download: 150424_CH_71_Pebble_Beach_and_Shetland_Yarn.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:00am UTC