The British Knitting & Crochet Awards are run every year by Let’s Knit and Let’s Get Crafting magazines, and are widely recognised as the biggest and most important awards in the yarn industry.

There are three stages to these awards and nominations are now open for stage one with a total of 25 categories. We would love it if you could consider sparing a few minutes of your time to nominate Baa Baa Brighouse in the best online and best independent yarn categories…or any other category you think we may fit into!

Suggestions are compiled into a shortlist which is then put to the vote and the overall winners are announced at the end of September.

If you take part, you will automatically be entered into a draw to win one of three fabulous woolly prizes. One lucky winner will receive a massive bundle of yarn and accessories worth £300 and two runners-up will receive a bundle of knitting and crochet books worth £50.

As well as recognising the most successful names in the industry, The British Knitting & Crochet Awards also celebrate the smaller players such as independent stores and small yarn producers such as ourselves.

To win one of these coveted awards is a wonderful honour as they are voted for entirely by those whose opinions matter most, the knitting and crochet public. Last year there were almost 15,000 votes cast across 30 categories – a 5% increase on 2016 – showing once again how important these awards are to yarn crafters across the country. It would be wonderful if you could help Baa Baa Brighouse take a step closer to winning an award.

Nominations close on April 12th so please visit The British Knitting and Crochet Awards 2018 and complete the questionnaire. Thank you for all your fantastic support!

Congratulations to Marie Ryal, winner of our 2017 Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club Competition!

Marie won for her Gothic Lace Cowl by Tin Can Knits, which was knitted in ‘Red Cloud’, the February 2017 Yan Tan Tethera Club yarn dyed by Katie Pearce of Sylvan Tiger Yarn.

Marie will receive a £10 Baa Baa Brighouse Gift Voucher to spend on anything she likes across the store.

Well done Marie and we hope you enjoy your prize!

Don’t forget, if you’d like to be in with a chance of winning our 2018 Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club Competition, sign up to the club and show us what you knit with your exclusive hand dyed Yorkshire yarn.

It has been an exciting, challenging but most importantly, rewarding journey since founding the Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club back in 2014.

We have had the privilege of working alongside some of the most notable and talented indie dyers that Yorkshire has to offer and the results have been amazing.

Here, we take a look back at 2017 and the inspiration pictures that ultimately produced the wonderful array of yarns that we were able to offer to our subscribers.

If you have taken part in the Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club previously, you will be aware that each month we choose a different Yorkshire based indie dyer to work with. We provide the dyer with an inspiration photograph taken by the wonderful Shutterspot Photography of the Yorkshire landscape, wildlife or architecture and from that the dyer produces a unique and exclusive colourway.

Above you will see the outstanding work of Jodi Rooke of Cuddlebums, based in Halifax. Jodi dyed the January, May and October yarns. Katie Pearce of Sylvan Tiger Yarn, Leeds, dyed February, June and September. Louise Lavender of The Cryptozoologist, Beverley, dyed March, July and November while textile artist, Jaki Bogg, of Hot Butter Yarns, Skipton, dyed April, August and December.

It is interesting to see that each dyer has their own individual style, some choosing to concentrate on elements of the picture whilst others saturating the yarn with all colours imaginable.

We look forward to seeing what members of the 2017 Yan Tan Tethera Club have been knitting with their beautiful yarns. To be in with a chance of winning a £10 Baa Baa Brighouse Gift Voucher to spend in store as you wish, simply email pictures of any finished 2017 Yan Tan Tethera items to info@baabaabrighouse.co.uk with your name, email address, a description of the knitted item and which month’s yarn was used for the project. You can enter as many pictures of as many different projects as you like and we’ll choose our favourite make. Entries must be received by Monday February 5th and we’ll announce a winner that week.

If the above has tempted you, why not sign up for our February Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club?

Entries can be either for a knit or crochet design and the winner will have their pattern published exclusively with Baa Baa Brighouse.

All entries must use yarn that is available at Baa Baa Brighouse – this could be either County Alpacas, Erika Knight, Herdy, Laura’s Loom, Louisa Harding, West Yorkshire Spinners or hand dyed yarn from Eden Cottage Yarns.

Designs can be inspired from any era, not just the 1940s, but must have a vintage quality to them. They can include garments or accessories and there is no limit to the amount of times you can enter – so if you design several items that you think might fit the bill, why not enter them all?

The winning design will be made available as an exclusive free downloadable pattern from Baa Baa Brighouse, but must not be available anywhere else, either before or after the competition has ended. The winner will also receive a ball of West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply Sock Yarn in their chosen colour.

All entries, including a photograph of the item knitted up, must be received by the closing date which is Monday June 30th, 2014.

Please email entries to info@baabaabrighouse.co.uk or post them to Baa Baa Brighouse, 11 Church Street, Rastrick, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 3NF.

Good luck!