SQ Blog

April 2025 Shop Update April 26 2025, 0 Comments


Thank you so much for all the orders in the Easter Sale, they were all posted yesterday so should be well on their way by now and the studio has some nice gaps ready to fill!

Is there anything you would like to see in our yarn range? Now would be a great time to let me know and I'll see what I can do as I plan the next few months.

My kids have gone back to school today after the two week easter break. We had a lovely time with some nice days out (Did you see the photos from the model village?) but they are now back being busy with uni visits and exams coming soon.

This month we have dyed a good top up of popular repeatable colourways as well as some Coorie and there will be more as we head into the summer show season. We will be at Buxton Wool Gathering next month, followed by Cumbria Wool Gathering in June and Southern Wool Show in August. As I have said to a few people we won't be at Summer Wool Festival this year, I just couldn't fit it in, sorry. There will be an Open Studio in July tho if you can make that. I'll try and share the date next week.

Everything is on the website already - As well as the Coorie, there is Crush, Selkino, Enchant and Floof as well as minis and some small quantities of other bases. Read on for more details or jump straight to the preview page below. If you aren't in the UK do check the time as we have started BST since the last shop update so the time might be an hour different for you.

 

Coorie

 

A little DK treat which is possibly needed given the change in the weather today! This is an 8ply yarn with a super bouncy feel. I'm in the process of writing a blog article on Coorie with some suggestions of patterns and lots more info on its structure and why its so special.

The colourways I have dyed this time are a mix of vibrant and slightly more neutral. There are also mini skeins of Coorie including some semi solids from the Mini Skein Club available on line if you want some smaller quantities to provide contrast colours or just try it out.

 

Fingering weight yarns

 

Crush 

If you are new, Crush is our popular sock yarn. Its a merino nylon blend which is great for being hard wearing socks however its also soft enough for garments or shawls. I have knitted many of the sample shawls in Crush so do take a look if you manage to see us at a show or can visit the studio. If you can't see the colourway you are looking for don't forget you can order any of our current repeatable colourways on Crush under the Dye to Order section as well.

 

Selkino

Some of our most popular colourways on this base including some Hummingbird for the first time in several months. This yarn is best for delicate accessories like shawls which really show off its beautiful drape.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Enchant

This is still our most popular base, especially at shows. I had one visitor describe its softness as being like 'buttered kittens' which is a great way to describe it! Its perfect for accessories, garments or shawls.

  

 

 

 

I have also added some extra undyed, 'Naked', as I've had it requested for colourwork. If you can't see the colourway you want this base is also available in the Dye to Order section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laceweight Yarns

 

 


Floof


This is our laceweight mohair fluffy yarn - idea for using on its own for ethereal floaty shawls or hold with another yarn for a lovely soft texture. This is used in popular patterns such as "Love Note" so make a warm yet light fabric.

 

 

 

 

Lustrous Lace

We are very low on Lustrous Lace in stock at the moment with just this one skein of Basildon House being added today but there will be lots more coming soon. In the mean time do order any you are waiting for from the Dye to Order section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

  • 17th - 18th May - Buxton Wool Gathering, Buxton
  • 28th May - Shop Update
  • 21st - 22nd June - Cumbria Wool Gathering, J36 Rural auction centre
  • July, Date TBA - Open Studio
  • 30th - 31st August - Southern Wool Show, Newbury Racesourse

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this shop update and I'd love to hear if there are any bases, new or old, you would like to see. I'm really looking forward to working on some new things over the next few weeks. Keep an eye on your email for news while you make a nice cosy sweater for the weather that can't decide if its summer or winter! Take care, stay safe and keep crafting,

Rachel x

PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live

 

 

March 2025 Shop Update March 31 2025, 0 Comments

 

And we all blinked and another month has gone! We weren't at any shows in March but we did have our lovely Open Studio and I have been working on lots of exciting things behind the scenes which I hope to be able to share very soon, as well as a heap of wholesale dyeing that might be appearing in a yarn shop near you! If you have a local yarn shop who might be interested in stocking SQ yarns do ask them to get in touch as I currently have a little space for new wholesale customers.

It's been a big week for my daughter as she has finally chosen her GCSE subjects, and I think she will enjoy them after eventually going back to her first choices. I can't wait to see what she gets up to in textiles - the work produced by last years students looked brilliant and I wish I could join in.

Everything is on the website already. There are lots of non-repeatable colourways and slightly different bases this month. If you are looking for specific repeatable colours you can order those Dye to Order so you don't need to wait for them to appear in a shop update. This month we have Desire Marble, Flockly, Slinky Twist, Luminosity Lace and Voluptuous DK as well as minis and some small quantities of repeatable colourways. Oh and the sock kits I managed to miss off last month, sorry!

Read on for more details or jump straight to the preview page below but check back later as I'm still uploading stuff as well.

 

Luminosity Lace

        
This is a base I dye rarely so it's a bit of a treat. This is 100% silk laceweight with 800m per 100g and would make a beautiful shawl for a special summer event. There are only a few skeins left but 1 skein will make a good size shawl.

 

 

 

 

Fingering weight yarns

 

Flockly

If you are fairly new to our yarns you might not have had the chance to try Flockly yet. Its my absolute favourite base and would be the one I'd take with me if I was on a deserted island (Am I the only person who plans these things?) because it's versatile, you can knit garments or socks or shawls or even a hat to keep the sun off. It has a little bit of a woolly grabbiness for colourwork, a touch of silk for shine and is so soft! It had been out of stock for a while our the stockist which is why I hadn't dyed any for ages but its all back now and I dyed up 10 non-repeatable colourways in a selection of cheery spring/summer themes and some more neutral ones as well. Do try it if you haven't already!

 

Slinky Twist


This is another great all round yarn, designed as a no nylon sock yarn it combines silk and high twist structure for strength but it is equally good for drapey shawls or garments.

 

 

 

 

Desire Marble


This 100% merino yarn uses the natural black fibre to make up part of the yarn when its spun to give a really interesting visual texture where that fibre shows through the dye. Its all as soft as you expect from merino so you can't feel the black parts and would make lovely warm accessories.

The effect looks really interesting for crochet as well, although I don't have a sample of that, sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Voluptuous DK

 


This is the last of our custom spun Voluptuous for a little while. It will mix with the Sonsie DK as well if you are looking for more colourways and is a really nice woolly wool - 100% British, non-superwash.

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

 

52 Weeks of Scrap Yarn


You may have seen the new 52 weeks book from Laine is coming out next month. It looks really exciting and great for using up every bit of yarn. I can put an order in if there's enough interest so if you would like a copy please just reply and let me know. I need a minimum number to cover the shipping from Finland. It will be around £35.

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this shop update and hopefully I haven't forgotten anything this month! I hope the weather is improving where you are, try and get outside if you can, take care, stay safe and keep crafting,

Rachel x

PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live

February 2025 Shop Update February 27 2025, 0 Comments

I can't believe it's almost the end of February already! Its been a busy week getting on with 'other' things that hadn't been done before Unravel, and the one I'm most pleased about is I've finally finished (and got the certificate) for the Tech Editing course I've been doing. If you haven't come across tech editing before its the person who checks the pattern after the designer has written it to make sure it works properly for all sizes, is consistent and lots of other things. I can explain more another week if you are interested but basically if you are a designer of patterns for other people it's an important step before releasing your pattern; If you like using patterns that work and are well written its useful to look and see if the pattern you are interested in has been tech edited. If you want more info do drop me an email. 

Otherwise its been half term and the kids were at their Grandparents last week. Back to school this week and already looking forward to the Easter holidays. 

I'm still uploading photos of the new yarns, there are quite a lot of minis this month, but do take a look at the preview page. There's Bonnie, Lustrous, the last of the Sonsie Aran for now, some Enchant and Enchant DK, several Crush semi solids, Lustrous Lace and 2 new sock kits. Read on for more details or jump straight to the preview page below but check back later as I'm still uploading stuff as well.

 

 Laceweight yarns


Lustrous Lace

A stock up of our lovely 800m per 100g laceweight in 9 colourways, and I will also be adding naked (undyed) to the website soon but I forgot to take a photo as I've had requests for it. It will be on the Lustrous Lace page when its done.

 

Fingering weight yarns

Bonnie

Bonnie got a lot of attention at Unravel, I think people were surprised by just how silky it feels, with absolutely no silk in the blend at all. I need to get a big sample of this knitted up but I haven't settled on a pattern yet. Do you have a favourite one or two colour drapey shawl you think would look appealing on the stand? I also want to make myself a summery top as I think it will be perfect for that too, but I'm trying not to use it all myself.

 

 

Say it with Flowers


There is just the one skein of the Unravel Show Colour "Say it with Flowers" on Selkino left. It would pair really nicely with a semi solid, maybe Greenham Common or Royal Ascot
 

 

 

 

 

 

Lustrous

Just 4 colourways left of this 50/50 merino silk yarn from Unravel. All named with a tropical holiday in mind - given the weather I have to dream!

 

 

 

Enchant

There is finally a little more Enchant in stock. This has been so popular at shows recently which isn't surprising as if you have felt how soft it is you are totally smitten. Not for socks unless you don't let your feet touch the ground, but lovely for everything else.
 

 

 

 

 

Crush

Mostly semi-solids this time - these are those lovely shades that show off some fancy colourwork or delicate lace without trying to grad the attention away from the real star. They aren't a solid colour as they, like all our yarns, have been dyed by hand but are mostly one colour with a variation in depth. We also reskein all our semi-solids so they wind more easily for you as they are dyed in deeper water and put in and out a few times so they can get a bit messy.

 

DK Weight Yarns

 

Enchant Dk


There are a few colourways of Enchant DK available - great for a cosy 1 skein scarf such as this Age of Brass and Steam I made last year.
 
 
 




 

Mini Skeins

There is a big upload of mini skeins in Coorie (DK), Lustrous, Crush and Bloom (all 4ply) from the last couple of club yarns as well as lots of pops on Crush. Don't forget if you buy 4 mini skeins the 5th is free (All the same price)
 

 


 

 

Aran Yarn

Sonsie Aran


Sadly this will be the last of the Sonsie Aran for a while but I am looking at something a little special in the woolly wool line soon. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Upcoming Events

  • 15th March - Open Studio
  • 26th March - Shop Update
  • 12th - 13th April - Sodbury Yarn Over, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol
  • 17th - 18th May - Buxton Wool Gathering, Buxton

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this update. Take care, stay safe and keep crafting,

Rachel x

PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live

 

 


January 2025 Shop Update February 01 2025, 0 Comments

Welcome to the first shop update newsletter of 2025! Its been a busy month already with Waltham Abbey Wool Show and there is a nice top up of lots of popular colourways plus a new batch of our newest base Bonnie which is a lovely blend of Merino and Bamboo. I chose it as it has a lovely sheen and drape similar to silk blends, is a very white base pre-dyeing and especially when dyeing semi-solids has a lovely slightly heathered appearance caused by the bamboo fibre resisting the acid dyes we use. I'm looking forward to dyeing more of this base this year plus hopefully a nice new batch of Flockly once it back in stock with my supplier and hopefully some more interesting new bases. I always strive to find a balance between quality, price and usability and I'm hoping to write some more patterns this year using some of our more unusual bases. Anyway, enough of what's to come for now.

Outside of work the kids have been busy at school, the eldest got good marks in his first lot of practice A Level exams and is also part of tech crew for the school play next week and my youngest has also had mid year exams and will be choosing her GCSEs soon. She knows what she wants to do so that shouldn't be too difficult.

Our next show is Unravel in February which is a big one for us and I'm already starting to dye for that. The January mini skein club will be posted tomorrow.

All the new yarns are now on the preview page so do take a look - there's Bonnie, Selkino, some Enchant and Enchant DK although most of what I dyed sold at the last show, and lots of Crush and Crush DK. Read on for more details or jump straight to the preview page below.

 

Fingering weight yarns

Bonnie

This is a relatively new base for us that I introduced at the last Open Studio but not very much has made it on line so far. This time there are three new variegated and 3 semi solid colourways. The semi solid colourways in particular have a lovely gentle heathered look from the bamboo content resisting the dye. Its beautifully soft and smooth and I think as well will have a cool feel for summer projects. Do tell me what you think if you try it.

 

Advent Yarn Set


There are just 2 full sets of our Advent Yarn from December available on Crush. The theme was the 4 seasons so you have Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter plus a complementary semi solid called Seasonal Blush.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Selkino

This is our popular merino silk singles yarn. Our two new colourways, Aurora and Poinsettia, are now available on Selkino plus one skein left of the Seasonal Blush semi solid from the Advent Set as well as some extra repeatable colourways.

 

 


Enchant

There are only 2 new colourways of Enchant this time. Its still proving to be very popular at shows. If there are any colourways you are itching to see do let me know. I will be dyeing more for the website and Unravel very soon. As well as Abyss we also have some Chesil Beach which is a lovely colourway I don't think I've done on Enchant before. The alpaca base just softens the speckles slightly and the background colour blends beautifully. I love the way it has come out.

 

Crush

As well as a general top up of this popular sock yarn there are a few colourways I'd like to mention: Midnight Chapel is the show colourway from WAWS, read all about its inspiration on the yarn page. I have some more Mellow Fruitfulness which has been really popular recently so if you missed out on it at a show recently there are now 5 skeins read to go. Finally there are just two single skeins of the Winter colourway from the Advent Yarn Set as well as the full sets left, just don't ask how I managed to dye a different number of Winter to everything else, the answer is I'm really not sure, however its very pretty with a touch of icy grey and promising peachy pink I'm sure it won't hang around long. View all the Crush via the button below including the other newly dyed colourways.

 

DK Weight Yarns

Enchant DK


There is a little Enchant DK left after WAWS - both weights of this base really were super popular there, it really is one base where feeling it makes a huge difference. One customer described it to me as feeling like "Buttered Kittens"!






Crush DK


Our brilliant all round DK yarn. I decided I wanted to dye up some older recipes when I was dyeing this so this is one you might recognise from a while back - Oyster Bay. Nice and cheerful for the end of a very long January!



 
 
 
 
 


Upcoming Events

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this newsletter and joining me for another year of colourful yarn and other witterings on. I really do appreciate everyone who reads my emails or comments on my social media. I have recently also joined Bluesky and you can find me at @skeinqueen.bsky.social so if you are on there do say hi but be gentle, I'm not sure I have the hang of it totally yet!

Until next time, take care, stay safe and keep crafting,

Rachel x

 PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

 

 

 

December 2024 Shop Update December 13 2024, 0 Comments

I know this is early but I decided given the post in December I thought it would be better to have it now than next week after the show. This is going to be a very quick email though as I'm trying to pack shop update and show prep into one week.

The Open Studio on Saturday was lovely although I'm sorry some people couldn't make it due to the weather.

I'm really not good at picking the date for this one am I! However if you missed out, for any reason, I will be having an extra Open Studio next year in March so look out for the date of that one.

Alternatively you are welcome to visit any time but I really do recommend you drop me an email to arrange a time if you are making a special trip as I'm not in the studio all the time and I would hate for you to waste the journey.


I hope you like our Christmas Tree!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 All the yarn is on the preview page already. There are the two new colourways on Enchant and Lustrous Lace, plus some Floof fade sets, in case you are looking for something for the Hiberknitalong or a similar project, as well as single skeins. There are also non-repeatable skeins of Lustrous, Lustrous Lace and one Crush. Plus the spare minis from November's boxes, all our boxed kits which will be really easy to wrap as presents and a really cute yarn holder that would make a great stocking filler!

 

Laceweight yarns

 

Lustrous Lace

A mix of repeatable and one of a kind colourways on this lovely silk and merino blend laceweight.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Floof

I have put together 3 fade sets of floof which can be used alone or held double with other yarns. Ideal for the Hiberknitalong! 
 
 
 
 

 Fingering weight yarns

 

  
 

Lustrous

These three colourways are the only ones left from the yarn I dyed for the Open Studio on Lustrous. All are non-repeatable pairs.
 

Enchant

I have dyed both new colourways up on Enchant and they have come out looking lovely - Softer on the alpaca than merino as the dye has more time to mingle with the yarn before sticking.
 
 
 
 
 

Crush

There are just a couple of colours of Crush but this one is special as its another non-repeatable and its called Delicate Tapestry as it reminds me of medieval wall hangings - muted but still beautiful.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Mini Skeins

Extra Minis from the November mini skein club inspired by Warwickshire - Gunpowder Plot and Second Best Bed. Buy 4, get a 5th free if they are all the same price! Crush, Bloom and Coorie can be mixed and matched as well.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Upcoming Events:
What's are we up to over the next few months:

14th & 15th December - Christmas Wool Show, Birmingham NCC
20th December - Last UK Posting Date for Christmas
19th January 2025 - Waltham Abbey Wool Show
 
 
Thank you for reading this update. If I get a chance there might be a bonus extra update next week as there's some yarn for this weekend that it would make more sense to list before Christmas, but it will depend how this weekend goes. If you are heading to Christmas Wool Show this weekend, have a safe journey and see you there, otherwise take care, keep warm and keep crafting,

Rachel x
PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.
 

November 2024 Shop Update November 25 2024, 0 Comments

   
 
I'm sure its been less than a month since the last update, but my calendar says it was 4 weeks ago! Since then the studio has been decorated after the heating work done earlier in the year so its looking nice and fresh and all ready for the Open Studio next month. I also had a lovely day last Sunday at RiverKnits Christmas Stollen and Wolle event, I might not have had any stollen but I did have some very nice Christmas cake. Thank you to everyone how came and hello if this is your first email from me. I usually send one short email a week and a longer one like this on shop update days which happen once a month.

Outside of work the kids and I have been quite busy, They were both involved in the Remembrance Parade the other week and we had a day out to Portsmouth Dockyard at the end of half term. We are actually going again on Friday as the plan last time had been to go over to the submarine museum but it was closed. Fingers crossed its open this week.

This is a slightly smaller update as a lot of what I had sold at the weekend, which is lovely but I haven't had time to dye since, but what I do have are two brand new repeatable colourways, I'm hoping there will be another two shortly but I want to get these out there; and a whole bunch of very small batch, non repeatable, mostly sock yarn skeins; plus a few other bits including the extras from last month's mini skein club.

All the yarn is on the preview page already. There is Selkino, Crush and Crush DK. Plus the spare minis from October's boxes. As well as what's in stock there is also the opportunity to order the new colourways as Dye to Order.
 
  
 
 
   
 


Christmas Bunting Kits

 I have been busy designing this fun bunting for the Christmas events I'm at but I wanted to give everyone the chance to get their hands on it so I have listed it on line. There are only a few boxes left after the weekend when I launched it but I will be making up more very soon. You get a box containing enough yarn for 3 hats and 3 stockings, full written instructions for knitting and assembling and the ribbon and bells to create your very own string of bunting. Plus as one customer on Sunday said you also have a nice safe box to store it in for next year.

 

 

 Fingering weight yarns

 

 

 

 

 Selkino

Two rare non-repeatable pairs of skeins of Selkino. I will also at this point apologize for the photos this month but it was snowing when I took them so I wasn't going to stand there with the big loading door open, not that I think it was bright enough outside to have made any difference anyway. This is when I'm really grateful for photography lights but a bit of natural light still helps a lot.

 

 

   
 

Crush

The weather was certainly featuring in my naming of these skeins - the one on the left is named after a new word I learnt yesterday - Graupel - also called soft hail. Whatever its called it was very cold and wet! I'm sure these colourways will create lovely cozy items to help protect the wearer from the cold.

 

 

New Bonnie

I mentioned this the other day as I offered it as an option for the Advent Bundles. This new base is a lovely soft one with a great shine but no silk. Its a blend of superwash merino and bamboo which gives it a slightly softer drape than just merino.

 

 

 

 

It takes the dye beautifully and produces lovely bright colours and you get a beautiful heathering on the darkest areas from the bamboo. I'm really looking forward to dyeing more of this soon but for now there are just these two colourways to whet your appetite. 

 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 

Crush DK

A small amount of Crush DK including some ready to ship skeins of the two new colourways and a few old favourites.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Minis from the October mini skein club inspired by Middlesex - Kew Gardens and Lady Justice. Buy 4, get a 5th free if they are all the same price! Crush, Bloom and Coorie can be mixed and matched as well.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Upcoming Events:


What's are we up to over the next few months:

1st December - Shaw House Christmas Fair
7th December - Open Studio
11th December - December Shop Update
14th & 15th December - Christmas Wool Show, Birmingham NCC
20th December - Last UK Posting Date for Christmas
19th January 2025 - Waltham Abbey Wool Show 
 
Thank you for reading this shop update.. Its a small update this month but I'm moving next month's newsletter forward to 11th December so there's more time before the last posting date for Christmas and there will be lots more goodies then. Don't forget the Open Studio on the 7th! Take care, keep warm and keep crafting,

Rachel x
PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

 

October 2024 Shop Update October 25 2024, 0 Comments

    
It's hard to believe there are only two more shop updates this year after this one, but here we are in October - Season of warm colours and spooky pumpkins!

This is quite a big update with lots of repeatable colourways, particularly semi solids, on different bases as well as some non-repeatable Bliss Heavy Lace and Voluptuous DK. If you prefer the non-repeatable colours do look out for our special Christmas offering coming soon and next month's shop update as I will have lots of non-repeatables then.

Outside the studio I am very slowly working on my Westknits MKAL and my daughter has just passed her first martial arts grading since she went back to it earlier this year. It was actually really nice to see how much her brother was helping her as he's a junior instructor, makes a change from winding each other up!

Most of the yarn is on the preview page already. There is Bliss Heavy Lace, Lustrous Lace, Selkino, Enchant, Crush and a smaller amount of Voluptuous DK, Enchant DK and Crush DK. Plus the spare minis from August's boxes will be available. All this is in stock and ready to ship so perfect if you are thinking about gift knitting as you can start quickly.

 

 
 

Laceweight Yarns

 

  
 


Bliss Heavy Lace

I have had several requests for different colours so I hope there is something here to appeal. If you haven't tried it before, or haven't tried laceweight before, this is a great base to try. Its 600m per 100g so slightly thicker than Lustrous Lace but should work for most laceweight patterns (just be careful you have enough yardage if substituting for an 800m per 100g yarn). Its a blend of Bluefaced Leicester and Silk so has a lovely sheen and blocks beautifully. There are even a couple of semi solid colours and I will dye some more if these are popular.

 

Lustrous Lace


We have lots of Lustrous Lace in stock now, and if the colour you want isn't available or you need more than 2 skeins don't forget its available as dye to order.

 

 

 

 Fingering weight yarns

 

    

Selkino

A restock of several semisolid colourways on Selkino. Lots of popular favourite neutrals plus two (yes, I know, but I'm not sorry!) shades of teal. If there is anything else you want dye to order is available and I'll aim to get it out in less than 2 weeks. If you need help pairing colourways just drop me an email. I know there are lots of semi solids this month but it was what needed stocking up after the summer shows.

 

 

Enchant

There wasn't much of the new Enchant left after Yarndale but there are a few semi solids. We do have a reasonable number of variegated colours in stock at the moment as well.

 

 

 

Sheep Town - Yarndale Show Colourway

 

As you may have seen on social media, unfortunately I forgot the sign for the Show Colourway for Yarndale. This means I have a lot left which is a shame as I think it's really pretty. It's also available on Crush DK. I'm sorry if you came to the show and missed it. Its called Sheep Town after the origins of the name "Skipton" and is a lovely natural cream with green, pink and purple speckles and a touch of sky blue.
 
 
 

DK weight yarns 

 

 

  
 

Voluptuous DK

Just 3 new colourways of ou custom spun 100% British yarn this time. I am hoping dye some more for next month so do let me know what colours you would like. There are other colourways already in stock, several in garment quantities. These big 200g skeins are about 512m long so they go a long way! Let me know what other colours you would like to see.

 

 

Enchant DK 

This is an extra special yarn and ideal for a sumptuous scarf or small shawl. This is the Age of Brass and Steam kerchief I knitted earlier in the year. It's a great 1 skein gift knit as it didn't take me long and is buttery soft. There are several more colourways of Enchant DK now available. 
 
  
 
 

Mini Skeins

Extra Minis from the September mini skein club inspired by Somerset - Glastonbury Tor and Aqua Glass. Buy 4, get a 5th free if they are all the same price! Crush, Bloom and Coorie can be mixed and matched as well.
 
 
 
 
 

Upcoming Events:

What's are we up to over the next few months:

17th November - Stollen & Wolle, RiverKnits
1st December - Shaw House Christmas Fair
7th December - Open Studio
14th & 15th December - Christmas Wool Show, Birmingham NCC
Look out for details of Christmas workshops soon!

Thank you for reading this update! Take care and keep crafting,

Rachel x
 
 PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

September 2024 Shop Update September 20 2024, 0 Comments

     
 
Hello and welcome to the September shop update. If you are new to our emails then this is our long monthly email, and in between are shorter emails, they usually come out on a Wednesday.

This shop update contains the yarn I dyed for Southern Wool Show so do check the quantities available as they are not all full batches. I will be dyeing more laceweight for Yarndale as I know there isn't a lot on line at the moment.

Next stage of the new heating at the studio is happening tomorrow, but hopefully that won't be as disruptive as the last lot. Otherwise the kids are just getting back into their activities, they both do various scouts and martial arts sessions in a week, and Ashley is getting stuck into his A Levels.

All the yarn is on the preview page already. There is Bliss Heavy Lace, Lustrous, Selkino, Floof and Crush, plus a small number of skeins of Crush DK and Enchant, and a top up of the kits that were sold out. There are also more mini skeins which are buy 4 get a 5th free as long as they are all the same price, and you can mix and match between the new ones and ones on line already.


 

 

Clapotisfest!

If you haven't seen it before Knitty.com is a free, online knitting magazine which has been around since Fall 2002 and was responsible for (probably) the first viral knitting pattern, Clapotis! I remember this pattern coming out when I was a new knitter but never actually knitted one, well now Knitty have decided to celebrate its 20th Birthday with Clapotisfest - knit your own Clapotis and submit a photo and you could win a Clapotis-worth of indie hand dyed yarn. Do go check out Knitty, its a lovely resource with patterns and articles.

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Laceweight Yarns

 

 

    
 

Bliss Heavy Lace

I was amazed at how much of this sold at Southern Wool Show so I will say sorry for these being the only 3 colourways left! I have more yarn on order and will dye it up before Yarndale. I have already had requests for a couple of different semi solid colourways so the next batch will be a mix of variegated and semi solids, plus a few darker, more autumnal colours. Do let me know if there is something you would like to see.

  

 

Floof 

We have lots of Floof in stock at the moment, and I have added several semi solid colourways. Some are favourites and some and new creations. Hot Pink Floof anyone? Great to hold with another yarn to create an even cozier garment!

 Floof

 

 

 

 Fingering weight yarns

 

        
 

Selkino

Lots of colourways restocked on Selkino - our lovely, drapey, silk merino singles yarn. This is the yarn I used for my Clapotis above, in Lulworth Cove, and it is so soft and the drape is beautiful. I chose this for the pattern as the original was knitted in a wool silk single, all be it a thicker one, and I also thought I'd rather have a slightly finer weight scarf, so I chose the Selkino. 

 

 

 Lustrous

This was by far the most popular base for the August Reboot and I love seeing how vibrant the colours look on it. Because its 50% silk it has a great shine and is another lovely drapey base. These colourways won't be available again so don't miss out.


 

 

 

       

Crush

Lots of our favourite sock yarn left which is just as well as I was trying to dye enough for both shows! I still have a few colourways I need to dye so now would be a great time if you want to request a repeatable colourway I haven't currently got in stock. Its so difficult to predict which colours will be popular at different shows!

 

 

Colour Poppertunity Wrap


You may have seen this wrap in my stories or at Southern Wool Show. Its a new pattern from Stephen West, based on the mystery sock pattern released over the summer. Its a lovely big rectangular wrap with an interesting pattern of colour pop welts. The pattern uses 4 skeins of the main colour, in this case Dodo Feathers, and 3 colour pops. Our kit contains 400g of the mail colour and 40g each of the pops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Skeins

Extra Minis from the August mini skein club. Buy 4, get a 5th free if they are all the same price! Crush, Bloom and Coorie can be mixed and matched as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Crush DK


Not much DK this time, I will hopefully have lots more at Yarndale and will certainly be dyeing more over the cooler months. Let me know if there is anything in particular you want to see.
 

 

 

   

Upcoming Events:


What's are we up to over the next few months:

28th - 29th September - Yarndale, Skipton
1st December - Shaw House Christmas Fair
7th December - Open Studio
We also have other events coming up I will share as soon as dates etc are confirmed including Tunisian Crochet workshops, so keep an eye out for those.

Thank you for reading this shop update. I hope there is something of interest to you and if there is something in particular you would like to see at Yarndale or in next month's shop update do let me know. In the mean time have fun, take care and may be see you in Skipton!

Rachel x

 PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

 

August 2024 Shop Update August 22 2024, 0 Comments

Welcome to the August Newsletter. I can't believe we are two thirds of the way through the summer holidays already! Its been a very quiet week dyeing wise as we have had the plumbers in the studio replacing our old oil boiler. So far we have a lovely new hot water heater and the boiler and all its associated bits have been removed. Please ignore the appearance of the studio if you come and visit at the moment! (Ignore its unpromising appearance - I seem to remember that as a line from a Delia recipe my Dad used to cook... can't remember what!) If you let me know you are visiting I can recommend days we don't have workmen in and make sure the yarn isn't all packed away.

Mini skein club will be dyed up tomorrow and out on Tuesday I hope. This month's inspiration is West Sussex.

At home the kids have been doing usual summer holiday stuff, mini golf, trawling charity shops for clothes to upcycle - I'll let you guess which is which! Please keep your fingers crossed for my son for tomorrow - its GCSE results day! I'm sure he will be fine and has a place staying on at the sixth form of his current school, but its still nerve wracking as a parent! He seems completely chilled about it.

 

  
 
The shop update this month is a bit different, most of the yarn is actually Dye to Order - Its a reboot of our most popular Limited Edition colourways from the last 18 months-ish. The listings will only be up for 1 week so make sure you don't miss out as I am very unlikely to do this again for these colourways.

There is a selection of Show Colourways, the Album inspired collection from last year and the mini skein club colourways from January to June this year, on 4 different bases. If you would like a different base option let me know and I'll see what I can do.

The spare mini skeins from July are also listed, these are ready to ship.

The details below list the bases on offer and example photos of those bases. Not all the colourways have been offered on all bases before so if you have any questions do let me know. Colourways will look slightly different on different bases.
  

Fingering Weight Yarns

  

Lustrous


A lustrous combination of silk and merino in equal balance resulting in a super soft yarn with a lovely drape. Apert from the mini skein club, most of the colourways haven't been available on Lustrous before so this is a rare chance to order. The colours will come out with a lovely shine from the silk and really pop. Its a great base to work with for projects that benefit from good drape.

 

 

Selkino

 

Selkino is a super special singles yarn, Fingering weight and a blend of Merino and Silk, its round structure means its great for all lace and texture patterns. I also know weavers like using this yarn as a weft in their projects.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 

Crush


Our most super popular sock yarn. This was the most often requested base and it doesn't have to be kept for socks. I have used Crush for garments, shawls and other projects as well as socks.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Sweater Quantities

  

If you are looking for a sweater quantity and there doesn't appear to be enough in stock - you should be able to order more than the in stock qty. Any problems drop me an email. This will be dyed to order so I can dye up a whole sweater qty together and make sure you have matching skeins.

 
   
 
 

DK Weight Yarns

 

Crush DK

The same blend as our 4ply sock yarn in a thicker weight - perfect for those quick DK sock gifts!

 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 

July Mini Skein Club

 

Last month was inspired by Yorkshire and the heraldic Yorkshire Rose. The semi solid is inspired by the National Railway Museum in York. Mix and match bundles of minis from these are others in stock. Buy 4 the same price and get a 5th free!

 

Upcoming Events:

What's are we up to over the next few months:

21st - 28th August - August Reboot Yarns Available
7th - 8th September - Southern Wool Show, Newbury
28th - 29th September - Yarndale, Skipton

 

Thank you for reading this shop update. I hope you enjoy this slightly different shop update this month. I know I regularly get people ask me to rerun limited editions and its much easier for me to dye them all in a block. If it works well I'll consider doing it again in the future with other colourways!

Take care, keep cool and enjoy your crafting!

Rachel x

 PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.  

July 2024 Shop Update August 02 2024, 0 Comments

Hello and welcome to the July shop update. 

Both my kids are now on holiday, finally. I think the end of term dragged a bit for my daughter given how long her brother has been off!

Mini skein club was sent on Monday, unfortunately I lost internet at the Studio Thursday just as I was about to put postage on them so I could post them before Summer Wool Festival - Apparently the workmen putting fibre broadband in managed to put the digger through the power to the box for the non-fibre broadband, helpful! Thankfully it was all fixed by Friday morning but by then it was too late to get it in the post before I headed off.

Summer Wool Festival at the weekend was very busy and extremely hot but once again lovely to see everyone. Thank you! The yarn in this shop update is what we brought back.

 

Important news - After this shop update I'm taking a week off! So any orders that come in after noon Thursday 1st August, probably won't get posted until 12th or 13th August. I hope you appreciate that I need a break and as a small business I'm the only person who can do the post run!

I'm still loading mini skeins to the preview page - there are lots of extras from the first 6 months of the mini skein club - so do keep checking the website. There are also 100g skeins of Bloom in fingering weight which has previously only been available as a DK or from the mini skein club. There is also top ups of Selkino, Crush, Enchant, Lustrous Lace and Crush DK.

 

Don't Forget!

 

Dye to Order is only available for all repeatable colourways until 14th August. I'm hoping to have the current collection and a selection of semi solids available after this. Please order now and any other requests do get in touch.

 

 

 

Lustrous Lace

 

    

A lustrous combination of silk and merino in equal balance resulting in a super soft lace weight yarn with a lovely drape. The Merino is non-superwash so the colours come out slightly softer than on superwash bases.
  
 

Fingering Weight Yarns

 

     

 Bloom

I'm sure you are aware I'm a huge fan of Bluefaced Leicester - their fleece has a longer staple (like hair length) than merino which means a smoother yarn and it has a lovely sheen even in 100% blends. Bloom is a fingering weight yarn which is 100% Bluefaced Leicester and so far has only been offered in the mini skein club box. Great for socks, garments or accessories. 100g skeins and 20g minis

 

Enchant

Our most popular base at the moment. Lots of colourways including a single skein left of the show colourway "Rowers on the River". If the colourway you need isn't available do check out the Dye to Order section.
 
 

 

 

    
 


Selkino

This is a single ply blend of merino and silk. Perfect for low abrasion projects that benefit from extra drape - Think floaty shawls and indulgent accessories!

 

 

Crush

There are 3 skeins left of the show colourway on Crush, our favourite sock yarn, plus a restock of popular colourways and a whole bunch of minis! All the minis are buy 4, get a 5th free the same price. Make your own bundle for colourwork, socks or other mini skein projects.
 
 

 

Lustrous Minis

 Extra Lustrous Minis from the mini skein club. Buy 4, get a 5th free! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DK Weight Yarns

 

 

Crush DK

A few extra skeins of Crush DK, the thicker version of our sock yarn, including a spare show colourway. Have you tried DK socks yet?

 

 

 
 
 
 
    
 

Coorie Minis

 Coorie is the DK base available in the mini skein club and there are quite a few skeins left to choose from. Its a very bouncy DK yarn with a special ply structure that makes it lofty and have great stitch definition. Mix and match bundles of Crush, Bloom and Coorie minis!

 

 

Upcoming Events:

What's are we up to over the next few months:

2nd - 12th August - Holiday - No post!
21st August - Shop Update
7th - 8th September - Southern Wool Show, Newbury
28th - 29th September - Yarndale, Skipton

 

Thank you for reading this shop update. 

Have fun and I'll try to remember to post a few photos on social media!

Take care, keep cool and enjoy your crafting!

Rachel x

 

PS. Sign up here to get our newsletters delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.  

June 2024 Shop Update July 10 2024, 0 Comments

Hello and welcome to the June shop update. There's lots in this shop update as we always dye a lot up for the Open Studio plus we have been dyeing more since so even if you visited us there is lots of new yarn to check out.

In the last month my son has also finished his GCSEs and is currently on his second induction day for 6th form. My daughter loved going to The Globe over half term. No shows this month, next one up is Summer Wool Festival which is in the same location as Fibre East used to be, Ampthill School, Bedfordshire. 

    
I'm keeping this intro short this month as there is a lot else to put in the newsletter. Lots of Summery Silk blends and sock yarns including bundles for the WestKnits Sockalong which I'm really looking forward to. I think I've decided which colourway to go for...

The preview page is all up, there's Bliss Heavy Lace, Cloudgazer, Lustrous, Slinky Twist, Wriggle, Enchant and Bloom DK as well as the yarn bundles for the Sockalong and my Spring Flower Sock kits. Do check out the important news on Dye to Order as well in this update!

 

 

 
 

Important Dye to Order News

I have put Dye to Order back on the website until 14th August when it will become only the current collection and a selection of semi solids only. Please order now and any other requests do get in touch.

 

 

 
 

Colour Poppertunity Yarn Bundles

I have created these three yarn bundles for the upcoming Westknits Sockalong which starts 9th July. These are all dyed and ready to post so you will get them in plenty of time for the start. Will you go Mermaid, Dodo or Heather?

 

Crush - Colour Poppertunity Yarn Bundle "Mermaid"
37.5 GBP
Crush - Colour Poppertunity Yarn Bundle "Heather"
37.5 GBP
Crush - Colour Poppertunity Yarn Bundle "Dodo"
37.5 GBP

 

 

 Spring Flower Socks Kit

 

Get your kit for these fun, helical striped socks. The pattern includes lots of tips for helical stripes which is a great technique to know, not just for clever jogless stripes but also for blending two skeins of hand dyed yarn without having to remember to carry it up the side!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Laceweight Yarns

 

    


Bliss Heavy Lace

This is my favourite Bluefaced Leicester based laceweight yarn. Slightly thicker than the Lustrous Lace but still containing a nice amount of silk and added sheen from the BFL. It blocks beautifully! Measuring 600m per 100g its suitable for most laceweight patterns but do watch out for larger projects that need most or more than one skein you have enough. All these are non repeatable colourways with a strong summer vibe - great for a light weight wrap to keep the evening chill off!

 

Cloudgazer

We haven't had any new Cloudgazer for a while so we have decided to try it out again and see how popular it is. This is an alpaca based alternative to Floof and great to use on its own or held with another yarn

 

 

 

 

Fingering weight yarns

 

Enchant

Top up of our most popular Enchant colourways including Lulworth Cove which previously sold out before it got on-line. If the colourway you need isn't available do check out the Dye to Order section.

 

 

 

Lustrous

A lovely merino silk blend in lovely summery non repeatable colourways. Great for warm weather projects and the silk is smooth and cool to use as well as wear!

 

Lustrous - Seafoam
25 GBP
Lustrous - Sakura
25 GBP
Lustrous - Summer Rain
25 GBP

 

 


The Octagon


The last two skeins of the popular show colour from Buxton Wool Gathering on Selkino. This colourway (like all our show colours) won't be repeated so don't miss out.
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
    

 Slinky Twist

Another lovely silk merino blend, this time with extra twist. This high twist yarn has lovely stitch definition as well as being strong enough for socks which is great is you prefer to avoid the nylon in may sock yarns. These are all non repeatable colourways mostly in very small batches. Great for smaller projects or combining with other colours for a larger project. Just a note about the Flowing Water colourway - all 4 skeins were dyed together but one is visibly slightly darker. I'm sure it wouldn't notice in a larger project if alternated with the other skeins but I did want to make sure you were aware before buying. This is part of the nature of it being hand dyed yarn and I would always recommend alternating skeins on larger projects if the variation will bother you.

 

 

Wriggle

We haven't dyed any Wriggle for a while since we stopped offering it as a base for repeatable colourways. It is a lovely yarn however and fills a gap for people who prefer a 100% wool singles yarn rather than the merino silk blend in Selkino. We have decided to see how popular it is as non repeatable colourways and will start bringing a small amount to shows again. I hope you enjoy this first batch! Check out the website for the full set

 

Wriggle - Campfire
24 GBP
Wriggle - Mill Stream
24 GBP
Wriggle - Vintage Books
24 GBP

 

 

DK weight yarns

 

   

 

Bloom DK

Just in case you are based in a cooler climate, or want to make a head start on your autumn projects, we have dyed a little Bloom DK. This is another lovely Bluefaced Leicester yarn which is soft, bouncy and nice and warm.

 

Upcoming Events:

What's are we up to over the next few months:

Thank you for reading this long update, I hope there is something to inspire you for your next project.

Take care, keep cool and enjoy your crafting!

Rachel x

 PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

May 2024 Shop Update June 03 2024, 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to the May shop update newsletter. If you are new this is the long email I send once a month on the day our new yarns are added in the shop update with details of all the yarns plus other news. In between I send a shorter email with news and the occasional offer. Thank you for joining us and grab a cuppa and read on.

There seems to have been a lot happening since last month. My son is now half way through his GCSEs and enjoying a break over half term and my daughter had her 13th birthday last week! We are off to London on Friday to see Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe as her birthday treat as she's really into Shakespeare at the moment. We were also at Buxton Wool Gathering where the sun very kindly shone on us for the weekend!

The show was very busy so there is less in tonight's update than I expected, but still lots of lovely Enchant, some Crush, the new variegated colourways on Floof, one of a kind Coorie colourways and a little Crush DK, Enchant DK and Selkino. Its all on line so either visit the preview page or read on for more details including info on our Open Studio and a link to a couple of quick questions on Dye to Order at the end of the page. 


Dyeing Update 

Apologies for the delay but the mini skein club will be posted tomorrow as will all the pre-orders for The Octagon from the show. They are drying at the moment. I'm really pleased with this month's colourway and hope you will be too.

 

 

 

 

Yarn Details!

    


Coorie

This is our new, super bouncy DK weight, 100% merino yarn. Its a 'Crazy 8' construction which means its 8 tiny plies (the individual strands you see twisted together in most yarns) each twisted into pairs then the 4 two ply strands twisted together! All this means its soft and bouncy as there's a lot of air trapped in the structure which also means it will be lovely and warm. I've only used it for a small project so far but I'm thinking I need a cardigan or jumper in it before the autumn! Any pattern suggestions?


 

Floof

All the new variegated colourways are here in limited quantities on Floof, our mohair silk laceweight. Hold it together with a matching smooth yarn for a fluffy texture or use alone for a light and airy ethereal effect. Flake shawl in Lulworth Cove anyone? Drop me an email and I can put a kit together just for you in any colour combination you wish.


 


Enchant

We also dyed all the new colourways - variegated and semi solid - on Enchant however the Lulworth Cove did sell out at Buxton but we will dye some more as soon as possible! The others however are available.
 
 Limpet on Enchant DK Right
 
 
 
 
 
 

If you haven't seen Enchant in person before there are two things to note: firstly the colourways are slightly softer due to the alpaca content as the dye has more time to move before striking. Secondly its super soft! described as being like 'buttered kittens' by one visitor to the stand at a show. We also have a tiny amount of the DK version available.

 

Crush

A great all round yarn - designed as a sock yarn but can be used for any project. I frequently use it for shawls and it has lovely drape and is nice and soft.
 
  
 
More colours available on the website. There is also a DK version which is the same fibre blend in a thicker yarn.

 

Selkino Shawl Kits

 

 


  

Open Studio

 

Its just over a week until our next Open Studio on 8th June. If you haven't been before its a chance to see where we do our dyeing, what yarn we have in stock which is more than we can take to shows and eat some yummy homemade cake.





 

We are based near Newbury, about 5 mins from the M4 / A34 junction and will be open from 10am til 2pm. This time we are also very pleased to have Judith from Buttoned Up with us with her lovely ceramic buttons.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

 Sock Knitting Workshop

 

Last chance to join the sock knitting workshop starting next week!

 





 
 
 
 

Free Pattern Friday

 

Look out for this months Free Pattern Friday blog post this week. Its a fun stuffed heart I made for my daughter. See all the Free Pattern Friday posts so far on the blog.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Please take a minute to answer these quick questions about our Dye to Order service, Thank you
 
 

Upcoming Events:


What's are we up to over the next few months:

 

Thank you for reading this newsletter and do please take a minute to answer the questionnaire on Dye to Order. I'm very keen to bring this back but I need to check my future plans are going to fulfil your needs before I make too many changes! Sorry if that's a little cryptic! I hope to see some of you soon at the Open Studio and do let me know if there is anything you want to see in the next shop update!

Take care and keep crafting!

Rachel x
 
PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

April 2024 Blog Post April 25 2024, 0 Comments

    
 
It has been a lovely quiet week this week, the kids are back at school and my eldest has done his GCSE Language speaking exam, which he said went "Good", but he says that about everything! He's far more excited about passing his martial arts grading to become Black Belt 1st Degree on Sunday. I hope this is the beginning of a good summer term for him! I have been busy planning my new series of Sock Knitting workshops and I'm hoping to offer an online version as well for those of you not able to visit Newbury. I'm sorry Free Pattern Friday has been so late this month, but its finally finished and will be out this Friday. There is a sneaky peek photo at the end of this email.

The shop update is all on line so do check the preview page out, or read on for more information. This month we have focused on the new colourways on lots of bases - there is Crush, Crush DK, Selkino and Lustrous Lace, plus a few other things we have left over from Sodbury Yarn Over. If you haven't seen, they have confirmed they are running it again next year, bigger and hopefully with even more space so if you are in the area put 12th and 13th April in your diary and give them a follow on social media for more details nearer the time.
 

Are you in the EU? If you are and you have ordered from us recently please can you let me know if you were charged vat when you received your order. We use the IOSS scheme to deal with the vat at checkout for you so your order should arrive with nothing more to pay unless its valued at over 135 Euro, however I have found out that this hasn't always been working as it should. If you order and get charged please get a receipt and let me know. Myself and the IOSS agent want to get this sorted. Thank you

 

Spring Summer Colourways

This season we have introduced 6 new colourways, 3 semi solids and 3 variegateds. Our inspiration was split between the soft colours of spring and the hot tropical hues of summer. As always our semi solid colourways are named after places. Originally these were within Berkshire but now we have more than 30 semi solid colourways I have had to look slightly further afield to find fitting names. Here are our 3 semi solid colourways.
 
 

Charterhouse

Charterhouse is a soft pale grey and is a colourway I have wanted to introduce for a while. I often find I want a neutral to pair with another colour that's not too harsh or strong. It looks lovely paired with delicate colourways like Pink Champagne or used as a light contrast colour for colourwork patterns. If you are looking for a grey fade pair with Abbey Ruins and Donnington Castle.

It is named is after the area of the Mendip Hills south of Bath where the Romans mined Silver.

 

 

Durdle Door

Durdle Door is a pale baby blue. Think soft spring skies or possibly gentle raindrops. Not quite sure why its taken us so long to create this one, I think it will quickly become a firm favourite. I'm looking forward to pairing it with Snow Fields, CMYK or Monterey Bay.

Named after the spectacular sea arch off the Dorset Coast and chosen as it perfectly links the two natural blues of the sea and the sky together.

 

 

Primrose Hill


Primrose Hill is a pale springy yellow. Cheerful and delicate. I would recommend combining it with Salvage or Firethorn or even Lighthouse for a bit of zing. You can also create a lovely palette of pastel semi solids with Grey's Court, Frogmore, Winterbourne and our other new semi solid Durdle Door.

There wasn't much competition for the name for this one with its soft primrose colour - Primrose Hill is beautiful park in London with amazing views.

 

As well as the semi solids we have created 3 new variegated colourways to join our ever growing range.

 

 

Lulworth Cove 

Lulworth Cove is a blend of vivid shades of blue with aqua and and little splashed of grey. Think the sea on a hot summer's day.

I couldn't resist calling it Lulworth Cove after the beautiful bay a stone's throw from Durdle Door.

 

 

Mermaid's Tears

Inspired by the colours found in the fragments of glass that have been naturally weathered by the gentle action of the sea on the beach - Mermaid's Tears is another name for sea glass.

 

 

  

Stargazer

A real tropical colourway. Inspired by hot pink lilies with white edges and lots of yellow pollen. Imagine the perfume wafting on a warm evening breeze while enjoying a holiday cocktail!

 

 

 

These colourways are all available in stock on Crush, Crush DK, Selkino and Lustrous Lace and Dye to Order on Enchant.

 

Mop Fair

 

What is a Mop Fair I hear you ask? Its how workers used to get their next seasonal job. They occured in every town and if you were looking for a job you would carry something that represented the sort of work you were looking for. I guess I would carry a brightly coloured sheep or something.....


 

 

 

They stopped as employment laws became better after the First World War but there are a few places where they continue as more of a seasonal funfair rather than a job fair. Chipping Sodbury is one of those places and that was why I chose it as the inspiration for the Sodbury Yarn Over show colour.

 

 

 

 

The show also had a free shawl pattern which works really well with this colourway and I actually had the shawl at the show thanks to some super speedy knitting by my Mum (Thanks Mum!) So if you want your own Weavers Shawl in Mop Fair you can! Although it would look lovely in other colours too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sock Knitting Workshop

 


Would you like to learn to knit socks? I will take you through the process step by step, helping you gain the skills needed to complete your first sock. Three weekly sessions gives you time to work on your project at your own pace in between.

 

 

 

 

Free Pattern Friday

 


A little late this month but this cute baby cardi is the subject of this months Free Pattern Friday blog post. Its knitted in Crush DK Bonfire Glow and Kingfisher with buttons from Ethel and Joan who were one of our lovely stand neighbours at Unravel. Don't they go well?

 
 
 
  
 
 
  

 

 

I have been wondering if there would be any interest in me stocking buttons to match some of the more popular colourways like Kingfisher that might be harder to find buttons for. What do you think?

 

 

Upcoming Events:

What's are we up to over the next few months:

 

Thank you for reading this long newsletter and I promise there will be something other than the new colourways next time. After spending weeks developing and perfecting them I just love sharing them. If they aren't for you there is still lots of other yarn in stock on the website so do take a look. If you need help choosing yarn for a pattern do get in touch, I'd love to help.

Did you enjoy this newsletter? I realised it was a bit different from our regular shop update newsletters so do let me know.

Take care and keep crafting!

Rachel x

PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

 

March 2024 Shop Update March 22 2024, 0 Comments

Its been a busy few weeks since the last shop update with another lovely show, this time in East Anglia. Thank you to everyone who came to see the stand. As we are now in show season this month's shop update is mostly repeatable colourways on different bases. We have Sodbury Yarn Over next month and Buxton in May to look forward to.

Outside the studio both my kids have had exams recently, with year 8 exams for my daughter in which she did amazingly well and the last lot of GCSE mocks for my son. He also had his actual food tech practical exam on Monday, hopefully that went well. Its all getting very real now that his exams are getting close! It really doesn't seem that long ago he was starting secondary school.

I have a meeting this afternoon so all the yarn is on line already! This email might even go out a little earlier than usual too. Check out the preview page to see what will be coming this evening or read on for more information. This month there is Crush, Crush DK, Selkino, Enchant, Enchant DK, Floof and Lustrous.

 

Non Repeatable Colourways

    

Lustrous

This is a beautifully smooth and shiny blend of merino and silk. Great for summer projects as the high silk content can make it feel cooler to the touch. We dye all our Lustrous as one off colourways so do grab it while you can as the next batch will be totally different! These are called Turquoise Vein, Papyrus, Storm Brewing, Ballet Slippers and Lemon Drop.

 

The Broads

This was our show special colourway for EAYF and there are a few skeins left on Crush and Crush DK. Inspired by The Broads national park it pairs soft green and blue with brightly coloured speckles.

 

 

 

 

Maltings Sock Pattern and Crush 50g

 I have added printed copies of my Maltings Sock pattern to the website. If you prefer a digital copy please head over to PayHip still for now. I'm still working on putting digital downloads on Shopify. If you buy 2 x 50g Skeins of Crush you can add the pattern to your cart for half price. I'm hoping this is a more flexible way of offering sock kits but do let me know if you have any problems!

 

 

 

 

Shawl Kits

We have finally managed to get more of our popular kits on line after repeatedly selling out at shows. If you would like to have a bespoke kits put together in another colour do get in touch. I'm very happy to help

 

 

 

 

 

Repeatable Colourways

 

Crush

Our every popular sock yarn that can be used for so much more! We have dyed up lots of colours so we have plenty in stock for those 'Must cast on now' projects.

Selkino

A little top up of our most popular colours on Selkino. Don't forget we can dye any of our repeatable colours for you if we don't have them in stock.

 

  

 

    


Enchant

This has been the most popular base so far this year, with one customer at the last show describing it as feeling like 'Buttered Kittens'. Please don't go buttering any kittens to find out if this is accurate, as its sounds messy, but this is the softest yarn. If you want any colourways not currently dyed up do order soon as I'm going to be taking it off dye to order for a little while at the end of the month so we can concentrate on other things for a while.

 

Enchant DK

The same base as Enchant but slightly thicker. Great for quick, luxurious projects such as this small shawl I knitted for last months Free Pattern Friday Review in Limpet.

 

 

 

 

Floof

This fluffy mohair and silk yarn is great for using alone for super lightweight shawls or held together with another yarn for an interesting texture. It also makes really warm and cosy garments.

Crush DK

If you missed out on the Mellow Fruitfulness at Unravel we have some more! There are also other popular colourways such as Kingfisher, Enchanted Forest and Mountain Heather for you to choose from.

 

Upcoming Events:


What's are we up to over the next few months:

6th & 7th April - Sodbury Yarn Over, Chipping Sodbury
24th April - Shop Update
18th & 19th May - Buxton Wool Gathering, Buxton
Another long newsletter this week and there are still things I haven't mentioned so look out soon for details of our next Open Studio and I have a new sock pattern coming out soon! Has anyone got a spare few hours a day I can use please?

Take care and keep crafting!

Rachel x

PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

February 2024 Shop Update Plus Post Unravel News February 29 2024, 0 Comments

skeinqueen at unravel skeinqueen at unravel
 
Thank you to everyone who came to see us at Unravel last weekend. If you joined our mailing list at the show welcome, I really hope you enjoy receiving my emails and if you have any questions do get in touch.

The show was amazing as always. If you have never been then do consider it; The dates for next year are 21st to 23rd February. If you missed out on the show colourway there is a pre order up but I'm going to dye it tomorrow so its out the way before the next show so please order asap if you would like to.

Sorry there wasn't an email last week - time got away from me with packing for Unravel. I need a rest now its over but I can't stop for long as its East Anglia Yarn Festival on the 9th and 10th March so as soon as the shop update is over we will be dyeing for that. If you are going to both we will have new yarn for EAYF so come and say hi again!

The mini skein club has all gone out for this month and I will reveal February's colourways once the boxes have been received. This inspiration this month was the county of Essex.

We have a brand new yarn base we launched at Unravel - Coorie - more about that later on.

This month there is Crush, Crush DK, Enchant, Flockly, Floof, Selkino, Lustrous Lace, Slinky Twist, Yaksino and the last of our current batch of Sonsie DK. There are quite small amounts of some yarns and not everything is a full batch of 4 so double check the listing.
 

 

 
 

 

 *New* Coorie

This is a brand new base for us and is a 100% merino DK weight made up of 4 double plies giving a lovely round structure and a really bouncy feel. It also takes the dye beautifully and Eliza and I both love working with it!

 

 

   

 Sonsie DK - Sad News

This is the last of our current batch of Sonsie from the mill. Given the current prices of the fibre for this blend I'm not sure whether to reorder as the sale price would need to be a lot higher in the future so this is likely to be the last for at least this year. I don't want to discontinue it but it may be unavailable for a little while once this has sold, sorry.

 

 
 

 

Non repeatable colourways

These are where we play with the dyes, we don't write down what we did and just let our imagination have fun. Most things we dye in batches of 4 so there will never be more than that batch. If you bought a skein at a show with no colour name on it, its non-repeatable, although if it didn't all sell you might spot it here and see what we called it! 

 

 

 

      

 

Flockly

I love this base! I'll let you into a little secret, its usually on the table at shows so I can give it a quick squidge while I'm talking to people! Its a blend of bluefaced Leicester, silk and cashmere and feels soft and woolly. Its not quite as soft as the Enchant which everyone ooo's over at shows, but being wool rather than alpaca it has more bounce so garments are less likely to just grow and grow. I have used it for socks as well as shawls and it makes a beautiful fabric on bigger and smaller needles. I think if I could only have one base to use and dye it would be this one!

  

 

    

 

Slinky Twist

If I can't take Flockly to my desert island I'd take Slinky Twist. High twist yarns are very smooth and have lovely stitch definition and this has enough silk in it to give a lovely drape. Its actually designed as a sock yarn as the combination of high twist and silk will make it hard wearing but it can be used for any fingering weight project. 

 

     

Yaksino

This base is a lovely one to dye as the natural colour of the yak makes the colours almost glow. Perfect for fingering weight projects where you want the pattern to not be hidden by a busy variegated yarn.

 

 Repeatable colourways

These are our regular colours we dye often. They are the ones you might see in you local yarn shop if they stock our yarns and many are available dye to order on our website on a range of bases if you can't see what you want. They will look slightly different on different bases and may vary slightly from batch to batch so still try to buy enough in one go for your project and consider alternating skeins on larger projects. It is still all dyed by hand in batches of 4 skeins at a time.

 

 

 

Crush

We have 100g and 50g skeins of Crush although there are only a few colours on 50g at the moment. Several semi solids have been added to the shop that haven't been in there for a while as well as lots of Lighthouse to celebrate our lovely new shawl sample!

 

Selkino

Lots of Selkino, semi solids and variegateds, but don't forget you can order selkino dye to order if we haven't got the colour you are looking for. A few colours were extremely popular last weekend.

 

    

 

 Crush DK

The bigger brother of Crush - this is a great all round DK yarn for garments, accessories or lovely thick, warm and quick to make socks! Look out for a new sock pattern in Crush DK after EAYF! We have 4 non repeatable colours on this as well - Briney Sea, Chalk Stream , Winding Forest and Ocean Twilight.

 

 

 

 

Floof

We have lots of Floof and if you want a shawl kit, either 100 Words for Rain, Flake or Hive in any of these colours do let me know. I can't list all the possible combinations but I'm more than happy to help put together your perfect colours. There were several lovely Hive combinations bought over the weekend to go with specific outfits.

Lustrous Lace

A top up of lots of popular colourways on this lovely merino silk laceweight. The colours look slightly more blended as the merino is non-superwash so the dye doesn't strike quite as fast as the superwash bases. If you like this look but prefer 4ply then Enchant has a similar effect from the alpaca

 

   

 

Enchant

Someone at the show said they had been all round Unravel and hadn't felt a softer base there! Its also been described as like a cloud. This is our softest base and is a blend of alpaca, silk and cashmere. Super soft and best used for those extra special projects like a cosy cowl which will be next to your skin so you can appreciate its softness. Believe it or not we dyed 2kg of this base before the show and this is all that's left to add to the website!

 

Upcoming Events:

What's are we up to over the next few months:

9th - 10th March - East Anglia Yarn Festival, Norfolk Showground Arena
20th March - Shop Update
6th - 7th April - Sodbury Yarn Over, Chipping Sodbury

Thank you for reading this very long newsletter and I hope you have found something that tempts you if you couldn't make Unravel. Maybe we will see you later in the year. Take care and keep crafting!

Rachel x

PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

 

 

January 2024 Shop Update January 25 2024, 0 Comments

    
 
First I need to start with an apology if you saw my social media posts last night, clearly my brain had already gone to bed as they mostly are Hearty, not Crush. They are now all correct on the website.

Other than that, this month has been busy with lots of sale orders at the beginning of the month so the shelves are looking a little bare, but that has given us space for this new batch of yarn.

Outside of SQ I seem to have mostly spent this month taking my son to the dentist after he fell over and hit his face. Fingers crossed today is the last visit for a while!

At home, I started the year by going through my knitting project pile, and have decided I need to get it under control. I've frogged one scarf I was never going to finish and have put all the single socks together so I can grab one of those rather than start a new one! I'm going to post more about this is a blog post soon. This year I am trying to use the blog more as its a better place for longer pieces of me wittering on I can refer back to than emails. Let me know if there is anything you would like to read about. So far there is a Free Pattern Friday review post for the Frankie Hat.

There is still some Voluptuous DK to hopefully go online, read on to find out all the details of everything else and make sure you check back later to see the Voluptuous DK. This month there is Crush, Hearty, Desire Marble, Bloom DK, Voluptuous DK and a few odd skeins of other bases.
 
 

Repeatable Colourways

   

We have dyed some popular colours on Crush this month and will be restocking the other standard bases - Crush DK, Lustrous Lace, Enchant, Enchant DK and Selkino - over the next month before Unravel so if you want anything do use the Dye to Order section as we may either have it in stock but not on the website or be dyeing some anyway so you shouldn't have long to wait. During a tidy of my office at the beginning of the month I found a solitary skein of Sock Club yarn left over from May 2021! I hope someone can give it a good home.

 

New! Crush 50g Skeins

I have introduced 50g skeins for Crush under the Dye to Order section because as I have been designing more socks I have found 2 x 50g skeins are more practical so I wanted to offer a more personalised and cost effective way for you to get yarn for these patterns without restricting you to the duets we had before. I will look at getting paper copies of my sock patterns on the website but in the meantime they are available digitally on PayHip.

 

Laceweight Yarn

   

Not a lot of laceweight this month, but someone at the Open Studio did request Floof in Foxholes - Its here! Also a non-repeatable lovely warm orange/red Floof and a very pretty one of a kind Bliss Heavy Lace. I don't think these will hang around for long.

 

DK Weight Yarn

   
 

DK Bloom

Its no secret that I love Bluefaced Leicester yarns and this one is no exception. A lovely DK weight 100% Bluefaced Leicester yarn which would be perfect for cold weather accessories like hats and cowls. These rich, saturated colours are great for adding something extra special to your wardrobe and as they are all non-repeatable it will make your project unique!

 

Fingering Weight Yarn

  

  

Desire Marble

This is a skooshy superwash merino which has been spun with a darker fibre for parts of one ply giving an interesting marbled effect. Super soft feel suitable for hats, scarves, gloves or whole garments.

 

  

Hearty

This is a Bluefaced Leicester sock yarn which I love. I think its harder wearing than Crush and just as soft. The dyes tend to spread out a tiny bit more giving softer edges and blended bits. Great for socks but can be used for any fingering weight pattern.

 

Pompom Magazines

I'm sure you have seen that the most recent issue of Pompom is sadly going to be their last. I have a few copies of this and other recent issues I will be uploading to the website in the next 2 days. We still have stock of many back issues. Do take a look as they are out of stock in many places already.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

What's are we up to over the next few months:

  • 13th February - Mitred Square Workshop, Buick Mackane
  • 23rd - 25th February - Unravel, The Maltings, Farnham
  • 28th February - Shop Update
  • 9th - 10th March - East Anglia Yarn Festival, Norfolk Showground Arena

Thank you for reading another long shop update! I'm really looking forward to 2024 and all the things i have planned for the year. I just need to remember I don't tell you about all of them at once. I hope to see many of you at some point this year. Take care and keep crafting!

Rachel x

PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live.

December 2032 Shop Update December 14 2023, 0 Comments

December's Shop Update Is A Bumper Woolly One!    

    

So here we are at the last shop update of the year! Thank you to everyone who came to the open studio last Saturday, I'm sorry if I didn't get to speak to everyone as it was quite busy. There is lots of new yarn today as we dyed up all the new colours on several bases for the open studio as well as some non repeatable colours and there's even a little bit of Luminosity left.

As well as the open studio we had the Christmas Tree Decoration workshop last night and everyone had fun making lots of little knitted Icord christmas trees. I have written instructions up for these - would there be any interest in me tidying them up and making them available?

I've not had much time to knit this month on my projects, but my Geogradient and my mitre square blanket are both growing slowly. My kids have had several extra christmas/end of term activities so that has reduced the knitting time. The finish for Christmas is on Friday so they are looking forward to that, although Ashley gets the results of his mocks on Thursday so fingers crossed there.

I will be in the studio next week up to Wednesday so all orders placed before midday on 20th will be posted before Christmas, then we will be on holiday until 3rd January. Hopefully I'll get time to do some knitting over the break.

The shop update is nearly all on line so do check the preview page out, or read on for more information. This month there is Crush, Crush DK, Selkino, Lustrous Lace, Desire Marble DK, Slinky Twist, Sonsie DK and Luminosity as well as a couple of odd skeins of other bases.

 

Fingering Weight Yarns

   

Luminosity

This is our 100% Mulberry Silk fingering weight yarn. We don't dye this often and this is all that's left after the open studio so grab it while you can as I don't know when we will dye it again.

 

     

Slinky Twist

One of my favourite bases, Slinky Twist combines merino and silk with a high twist to make a lovely smooth yarn that works for socks or other projects equally well.

  

  

Crush

Our every popular sock yarn that can be used for so much more! We have dyed up lots of colours so we have plenty in stock for those 'Must cast on now' projects.

 

 

 

 

Selkino 

We have dyed up all the new Autumn and Winter colourways on Selkino so its ready to post. Don't forget we can dye any of our repeatable colours for you if we don't have them in stock..

 

 

 

 

DK Weight Yarns

    

 

Desire Marble DK

This interesting yarn is spun with some natural black fibre making up part of one ply giving a random effect which still shows through after dyeing. Softly spun and lovely and warm this soft 100% merino yarn is lovely to work with.

 

     

Sonsie DK

This is our custom spun yarn that is created for us in Devon from 100% British fibres. Its a blend of Corridale and Polworth which are both closely related to merino sheep. Its soft and strong due to its long fibre length and takes the dye beautifully. All these colourways are non repeatable. Great for garments and comes in big 200g skeins.

 

Crush DK

The same as our sock yarn, just slightly thicker. Lots in stock and ready to post. This is a great option for any last minute gifts you might still be wanting to make.

 

 

 

 

 Laceweight Yarns

 

 

Lustrous Lace

All the new colourways on this lovely merino silk laceweight. The colours look slightly more blended as the merino is non-superwash so the dye doesn't strike quite as fast. This is why there is a slight difference in the look.

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this long update and thank you so much for being a part of SQ this year. We really wouldn't be here without you. Take care and keep crafting!

Rachel x

PS. Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live. 

 

November 2023 Shop Update November 16 2023, 0 Comments


Clocks have gone back and the evenings are getting even darker - all the more time for knitting and crafting! We have been very busy since the last newsletter - I had a few days away in Brighton, Ashley is currently doing Mocks for his GCSEs next year and Eleanor is practicing for a night hike with the Scouts. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather for her this weekend!

At SQHQ we have been busy perfecting the new recipes and I think you will love these 5 new colourways. They are only available on Crush and Crush DK at the moment but we will add them to the dye to order range very soon as well as dye them up on more bases. If you want to see them in person we will have them at the Open Studio on 9th December.

I have also been doing some work on our email system so look out for new emails from me soon and news on a new email address - if you can add this to your address book that will ensure you continue to receive our emails. The new system will also give you more control over which emails you want to receive which I hope will be useful to you.

Its not a huge shop update this month as developing new repeatable colourways does take longer than dyeing existing recipes or non repeatable ones, but we have lots of yarn in stock so in addition to the new colourways we concentrated on some lovely woolly yarns - Sonsie Aran and Bloom DK - for warmer winter garments and accessories, some Lustrous which is great for those special gifts and some non repeatable skeins of Crush. All the yarn is on line already so do go take a look or read on for more information.

 
 


New Colourways


At the beginning of this year we decided to start introducing new repeatable colourways twice a year so we can have a more seasonal selection and ensure there is something new available at the appropriate time of year. So this is our first Autumn Winter collection which is really exciting as previously all new colourways came out in spring so we either didn't dye yarns specifically for this time of year, or they weren't appreciated as much as they should have been when they first came out. I hope you like these colourways and do reply to this email and let me know what you think of having two releases of yarn a year.

   

We haven't added any new semi solids this time, but there are lots of options in our range already. Do get in touch if you want help putting some colours together for something.

    

Lustrous

 A lustrous combination of silk and merino in equal balance resulting in a super soft sock weight yarn with a lovely drape ideal for shawls, scarves and garments. If you are looking for a special yarn to make a gift then the shine from the silk in this yarn really elevates your work.

 

 

 



Sonsie Aran

This yarn is custom spun for us in Devon by John Arbon and is a cosy, woolly blend of Corridale and Polworth sheep fleece. These breeds are both cross breeds of Merino and Lincoln or Leicester sheep which means their wool is very soft but has a longer staple length than Merino meaning the yarn will wear better than pure merino. We offer this yarn in big 200g skeins and we have dyed it in batches of 6. Make sure you buy enough to complete your project as these colours are all non repeatable.

 

 

     

 

 

Bloom DK

Bloom DK is 100% soft and bouncy superwash Bluefaced leicester. I have dyed up some semi solid colourways to complement the variegated skeins we have in stock. Great for warm hats, scarves, gloves or whole garments.

 

 

 

Did you know we can ship to the EU and collect the vat when you checkout? 

This means you will have no extra charges to pay when you receive your order so you know exactly what you are paying. Available on all orders to EU countries under the equivalent of 135 Euro.

 

Do let me know what you think of the new colourways and keep safe in the dark evenings. I can't believe there is only one more newsletter after this this year! Take care and keep warm - Enjoy your crafting.

Rachel x

 

Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live. 

October 2023 Shop Update October 20 2023, 0 Comments

October 2023 Shop Update

Five for Silver: Christmas Rose, Fairy Lights, Fir Tree, Jack Frost, Seven Swans

Its certainly feeling very autumnal here in Newbury. Leaves are changing colour and the evenings are getting darker. I've been getting reacquainted with my knitwear now the temperature has dropped. We have also celebrated my son's 16th birthday at the beginning on the month and last weekend he went axe throwing with his sister. They both had an amazing time. Doesn't seem that long since he was a baby wearing little hand knitted jumpers.

At SQHQ we are putting the finishing touches to the advent calendars which will be going out shortly. Once the pre-ordered calendars have arrived there may be a few spares which will be made available. I'll let newsletter readers know first so if anyone you know is interested and isn't on the list do get them to sign up. (I really don't mind if they unsubscribe again afterwards) They will only go on social media if there are any left after that.

We have no more shows this year but next year is beginning to look exciting - a return to some favourites as well as some brand new shows. Keep an eye out for more information as soon as I'm allowed to share. We will be having our Christmas Open Studio on the 9th December in conjunction with Purlesence again. Should be a lovely day.

A slightly smaller shop update this month as there was so much last month, but we do have our special seasonal Five for Silver - The run up to Christmas is the only time we dye this sparkle yarn and this month there are 10 special christmassy colourways. We also have some Flockly, Selkino and Floof. All the yarn is on line if you want to head straight to the preview or read on for more information.

 

Five For Silver

Five for silver wool skeins

This is our special seasonal sparkle yarn we only dye in the run up to Christmas. Its a blend of soft merino, a touch of nylon for strength and silver stellina sparkle. This sparkle is very fine and not at all rough (but unfortunately almost impossible to photograph to catch the sparklyness!) Great for almost any fingering weight project either on its own or add to another yarn for a sparkly pop!

   

  

 

 

    

We have dyed up some popular Christmas colourways from previous years. Some of these colourways have not been available on big skeins or Five for Silver before.

 

 

Flockly

 

This is one of my favourite bases. Its a lovely blend of Bluefaced Leicester, Silk and Cashmere which makes it soft with a slight sheen but harder wearing than our other Cashmere containing bases. I'm currently using this base as one of my yarns for the Westknits MKAL and the garter stitch sections are working up so snuggly - I can't wait to wear this shawl!

 

 

 

 

Skein Queen Open Studio

 

 

Selkino

selkino wool skeins

We have restocked some popular colours of Selkino including several neutrals you can use to show off your colour pop choice. (L to R) Mountain Heather, Antique Map, Salvage, Lady Philomere, Biscuit Town, Highclere Castle.

 

    

 

    

    

 

 

Floof

We have recently dyed a large wholesale order of Floof and these are some of our favourite colourways. Let me know if you would like any of our kits made up with these yarns.

     

    

  

  

 

Did you know we can ship to the EU and collect the vat when you checkout? 

This means you will have no extra charges to pay when you receive your order so you know exactly what you are paying. Available on all orders to EU countries under the equivalent of 135 Euro. Forward this email to your EU friends to spread the word.

 

  

A shorter newsletter this month, I hope you like the extra photos. Thank you for reading it all. Take care and keep warm - Enjoy your crafting.

Rachel x

 

Sign up and get this newsletter delivered direct to your inbox before the shop update goes live. 

 

September 2023 Shop Update September 28 2023, 0 Comments

Enchant - Firethorn, Slinky Twist - Dragonfly, Crush - River Thames, Crush DK - River Wey, Yaksino - Marmalade

What a change in the weather! If you aren't in the UK we have gone from 30C plus temperatures which is hot for us and very hot for September, to proper wet and windy autumn in about 10 days. At least I can get my knitwear out again!

My kids are back at school and seem to be enjoying it. My son has just started his GCSE year and its my daughter's second year at secondary. School trips seem finally to be back on the timetable with one been camping already and the other one off on a geology field trip but its great these things happening again as I always loved school trips.

At SQHQ we are busy with wholesale orders and advent calendars. We will have to close orders for advents soon so if you are still wanting one please be quick. There may be one or two spare nearer the end of November as we always keep back ups in case any get lost in the post but its not guaranteed and they might not be with you in time for 1st December.

No more shows now for a while but we will have our Christmas Open Studio at the beginning of December. Look out for more details in the next few weeks. I'm also hoping to organise another workshop with Sharon, either Beginners Tunisian Crochet again or Socks - What do you think?

This is a big shop update this month as we dyed lots of yarn for Southern Wool Show and Unravel... Autumn. We have also put together some yarn bundles for the Westknits MKAL if you are still looking for yarn for that. 

Most of the yarn is on line already but there is a little more still to go. Grab a cup of tea and read the rest of the newsletter for all the details or jump straight to the preview page if you prefer. Everything will be available at 8pm this evening.

We have Westknits MKAL bundles and yarn for An Caitin Beag's new sweater pattern, non repeatable colourways on Lustrous, Slinky Twist and Yaksino and lots of your favourites on Crush, Enchant, Floof and Selkino!

 Browse Preview Page

 

Westknits MKAL Shawl Bundles

The Stephen West Mystery Knit a long is one of my favourite events in the knitting year. I just love seeing how different combinations of colours work up together. If you haven't done an MKAL before its a pattern released in weekly parts so you don't know what the finished piece will look like. There's always plenty of support with lots of others doing it too. Its not a race, although I find the encouragement of others does help me knit faster!

 

 

 

      

We have put together a few bundles if you would like to join in but don't have yarn yet. If the mystery aspect isn't for you then its always fun to see how different the same pattern can look in different colours. Sometimes switching a dark and a light shade can totally change the look!

 Browse All Bundles

White Cats in the Black Lodge

This is a new Twin Peaks inspired pattern from Marna Gilligan of An Caitin Beag. Featuring a round colour work yolk, with cats of course, and hem and cuff details. We have yarn bundles for the red and natural which will cover all sizes from child to the largest adult size and black for the main colour. 1 to 3 skeins of the main colour is required depending on size. This is on Voluptuous our custom spun 100% British yarn.

Yarn  Pattern

 

Kits

 Our kits have proven very popular at shows this year but we finally have stock on line as well. I am of course always happy to put different yarns or colours together but there are so many possibilities its easiest if you drop me an email to let me know what you are looking for and I will put something together just for you. They make great gifts and the two skein kits come packaged in a reusable cloth bag. Let me know if you want it for Christmas and I'll make sure its a festive bag!

 Kits

 

 

     

 

 

 

Non Repeatable Yarns

These are colourways we don't write down. We can't dye them again and once they are gone that's it. Mostly on our extra special bases. These will make your projects super special!

 

Lustrous

A fabulously soft and smooth yarn made up of 50% Merino and 50% Silk! Its shiny and drapy and totally luscious! Ideal for shawls, scarves and garments. We have both 100g skeins and bundles of minis (5 x 20G) in this lovely base.

Lustrous

 

 

Slinky Twist

This is one of my favourite yarns for versatility. Its soft and shiny but the silk also adds strength if you want to make socks with it. It takes the dye really well so the colours just pop. Use for garments, shawls, socks or any other fingering weight pattern!

Slinky Twist

 

 

Yaksino 

Yaksino is a heady mix of bouncy merino and warm yak with the sheen of silk with a twist. This yarn arrives in the workshop in a natural grey base colour which results in deep, rich colourways when dyed.

Yaksino

 

.

 Repeatable Colourways

These are our carefully designed colourways we can dye time and time again. They may look slightly different on different bases as different fibres don't all take the dye the same but we can repeat them. If you are looking for a larger quantity of yarn than we usually have in stock then you can order any of our repeatable colourways on a variety of bases and we will dye that up for you. Ideal for larger projects such as garments or blankets.

 

Floof

Not one of our usual dye to order bases - this is a fluffy cloud-like yarn which results in a soft, hazy fabric. Use on its own or hold together with another yarn to produce an interesting texture.

 Floof

 

 

Enchant 

One of our newer dye to order bases this is a dream combination of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere which makes this a super-soft yarn with a slight halo yet beautiful sheen. The most stroked at yarn shows by a mile! Also available as a DK weight too.

Enchant

 

 

Selkino

An absolute favourite. This is a super soft and lustrous yarn with a single ply structure. Its best reserved for low-abrasion, indulgent projects such as shawls, scarves and cowls. We dyed the Unravel... Autumn colourway on this base and there is just one skein left!

Selkino

 

 

Crush

A big restock of our popular sock yarn including several semi solids. Although designed as a sock yarn Crush can be used for any fingering weight pattern and I have made shawls, garments, accessories as well as socks from it. 

Crush

 

 

  Do you have a knitting friend who doesn't get our newsletter? Please forward it to them (as long as you are sure they really are interested) and help spread the yarn love. If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to get your own copy next time head here to sign up. Thank you!

  

Thank you for getting this far, very long newsletter this month and I'm sure I've still forgotten to mention something! Do hit reply if you would like to comment on anything or would like help choosing yarns We are always more than happy to help. Do take care and enjoy your crafting now the autumn weather has arrived.

Rachel x

 

 

February Shop Update February 21 2023, 0 Comments

 

Its been a busy month since the last newsletter and its actually only been 3 weeks! Shop update is a little earlier as we will be busy at Unravel next week which I'm really looking forward to. I do hope you can come too.

Outside of work my kids have both had exams recently, just school ones but its all good practise, and it looks like they went well.

My two designs for Unravel are just having final tweaks and will be available at the show and on line afterwards. We have also expanded our Dye to Order to include both Enchant and Enchant Dk and I've been updating the photos for all bases so do check those out and let me know what you think.

Quite a lot of new yarn this month, remember if you want to order and collect at Unravel use the code UnravelPickUp to take the postage off and make sure you don't miss out. We will be taking all the yarn to Unravel with us and most is unrepeatable colourways so if you aren't coming to the show it may not be available when we get back.

We are still uploading new yarn so keep checking the preview page, or read on to see what's coming.

This month we have: Crush Dk, Desire Marble, Lustrous, Squash and Cloudgazer to feed those creative ideas.

 

Browse Preview Page

 

 

Laceweight

Cloudgazer

        

We haven't had a restock of Cloudgazer for a while so this month there are a bumper new 11 colourways. All non-repeatable and some only have 1 or 2 skeins available. Cloudgazer is a lovely alternative to Floof with baby alpaca instead of mohair. The halo is slightly shorter and softer but can be used in the same way as Floof either alone on large needles for a very light and airy piece or combined with another yarn to add texture and interest (and warmth!)

 

Fingering Weight Yarns

Desire Marble

        

This is the fingering weight version of our popular Desire Marble Dk. If you haven't tried this base yet its lovely and soft, 100% merino but spun with some parts of one ply using the natural black fibre to give an interesting effect. It doesn't work up stripy as the black is included randomly and works up nicely in both knit and crochet projects. Check out the Desire Marble page to see a knitted sample. All colourways are non-repeatable and some are single skeins.

 

Lustrous

        

 

A lustrous combination of silk and merino in equal balance resulting in a super soft sock weight yarn with a lovely drape ideal for shawls, scarves and garments. All non-repeatable colourways dyed in twos to fours per batch.

 

Squash

        

Squash is a 100% nylon free version of our popular sock yarn Crush. It has the same smooth, round structure and is 100% superwash merino. Perfect for socks, shawls, accessories and any other fingering weight project. These colourways are all non-repeatable so do check them out and see what we have been creating.

 

Dk Weight Yarns

Crush Dk

        

Lots more Crush Dk in stock ready to go, or go to Unravel. We hope to have the biggest display of our repeatable colourways on lots of bases at Unravel. Do check it out in the Barley Room or look for photos on social media.

 

Events

Unravel

We will be at Farnham Maltings for the fabulous 3 day Unravel Festival next week. Check out their website for tickets and full details of the talks and other things going on. If you are coming and wish to pick up your order at the show please use the code UnravelPickUp to remove the postage cost.

 

Other Dates for your Diary:

  • 3rd - 5th March - Pop Up Shop at Yarnfest
  • 11th March - Pop Up Shop at Brown Paper Loves, Newbury
  • 18th - 19th March - East Anglia Yarn Festival
  • 29th March - Shop Update
  • 1st April - Open Studio

 

   Do you have a knitting friend who doesn't get our newsletter? Please forward it to them (as long as you are sure they really are interested) and help spread the yarn love. If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to get your own copy next time head here to sign up. Thank you!

 

Thank-you for reading this month's newsletter this month and sorry its slightly later going out, our mail provider has slightly changed the site so I had to start from scratch rather than use my previous template so it all took a little bit longer. Hopefully back to normal next month. Keep warm and enjoy your crafting and hope to see you at an event soon.


Rachel x

New Year, New Yarn! January Shop Update February 10 2023, 0 Comments

 

I hope 2023 is being kind to you all so far. We seem to have had a fairly busy month already. The sale went really well and lots of yarn has found new homes, thank-you to everyone who ordered.

Behind the scenes we have also been working on a very large wholesale order so there is yarn everywhere at the moment! Does your local yarn shop stock Skein Queen? Do tell them about us if you would like to see our yarn on their shelves.

We have also been to Waltham Abbey Wool Show which was their 10th show and was a great day. Thank-you to everyone who spoke to us and bought yarn or kits. If you signed up to this newsletter after meeting us there welcome, I hope you find it useful and if you want to get in touch just hit reply and I'll try to help.

All the new yarn is up so feel free to head straight to the preview page, or read on for more information. Do make sure you check out the events section at the end tho as there are some dates for your diary in there.

This month we have: Crush, Desire Marble DK, Enchant DK, Flockly, Voluptuous Skinny and Little Wrigglers for your perusal.

 

Browse Preview Page

 

 

Dk Yarns

Enchant Dk

        

I am really please to share that we will be increasing our range of Enchant and Enchant Dk available very soon. This is a beautifully soft alpaca, silk and cashmere base which has been described by a customer at one show as "Like stroking a cloud". The alpaca content does make the yarn take the dyes slightly differently and speckles are more diffuse so the repeatable colours do look slightly different. Take a look at the recent social media post on Instagram to see a comparison between the same colourway on different bases. There are 5 more colours available today and keep an eye out for an exciting announcement about more colours soon.

 

Desire Marble Dk

        

Thank-you to everyone who suggested names for the Marble Dk on social media earlier this week, do look and see if I used your suggestion. If you haven't tried this base yet its lovely and soft, 100% merino but spun with some parts of one ply using the natural black fibre to give an interesting effect. It doesn't work up stripy as the black is included randomly and works up nicely in both knit and crochet projects. Check out the Desire Marble Dk page to see a knitted sample.

 

Fingering Weight Yarns

Flockly

        

Flockly is one of my favourite yarns. The Bluefaced Leicester wool in it is grown in the UK and its blended with silk and cashmere to give a soft and luxurious yarn which still has a woolly feel to it and its fairly hard wearing due to the long staple length of the BFL. Do keep an eye out for other BFL bases as well as its a really versatile fibre - We currently have Bliss Heavy Lace, Tweedore and Bloom Dk with plans to restock others and introduce more soon.

 

Voluptuous Skinny

Our custom spun fingering weight yarn which combines Exmoor Blue which is a cross between the Exmoor Horn and Blue Faced Leicester and organic Merino. Its a springy, woollen, non-superwash yarn that blooms slightly when washed.

 

Little Wrigglers

This will be the last batch of Little Wrigglers we are going to dye so please don't wait if you want to add some to your stash. Wriggle is 100% merino singles yarn and these little pops of colour are great for colourwork.

 

Crush and Crush Bundles

         

Crush, our favourite sock yarn which can be used for almost anything. We have restocked some repeatable colourways, but don't forget you can always order the one you need and we will dye it up for you. We also have preorders available for our two advent yarn bundles - the Cloudy Rainbow and the Stormy Rainbow from the most recent advent calendar. These will close in just over a week so do order now if you don't want to miss out. We also have the last few WAWS sock bundles if you didn't get one at the show.

 

Events

Yarnfest Pop Up Shop

Our next Yarnfest Pop Up Shop will be from the 3rd to the 5th February.

 

Unravel

We will be at Farnham Maltings for the fabulous 3 day Unravel Festival in February. If you are coming and wish to pick up your order at the show please use the code UnravelPickUp for free postage.

 

Other Dates for your Diary:

  • 3rd - 5th February - Pop Up Shop at Yarnfest
  • 15th February - Shop Update
  • 24th - 26th February - Unravel
  • 3rd - 5th March - Pop Up Shop at Yarnfest
  • 11th March - Pop Up Shop at Brown Paper Loves, Newbury
  • 18th - 19th March - East Anglia Yarn Festival

 

   Do you have a knitting friend who doesn't get our newsletter? Please forward it to them (as long as you are sure they really are interested) and help spread the yarn love. If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to get your own copy next time head here to sign up. Thank you!

 

Thank-you for reading this very long newsletter this month and sorry its slightly later going out, our mail provider has slightly changed the site so I had to start from scratch rather than use my previous template so it all took a little bit longer. Hopefully back to normal next month. Keep warm and enjoy your crafting and hope to see you at an event soon.


Rachel x

Blog Topics

Yarn Bases

Yarn Tips and Tricks

Pattern Reviews

Open Studio



Recent Articles

April 2025 Shop Update Posted on April 26, 2025

March 2025 Shop Update Posted on March 31, 2025

February 2025 Shop Update Posted on February 27, 2025

January 2025 Shop Update Posted on January 31, 2025

December 2024 Shop Update Posted on December 12, 2024

November 2024 Shop Update Posted on November 25, 2024

October 2024 Shop Update Posted on October 24, 2024

September 2024 Shop Update Posted on September 19, 2024

August 2024 Shop Update Posted on August 22, 2024

July 2024 Shop Update Posted on August 02, 2024

Tags

RSS Blog Feed