Categories: Yarn Reviews

I've been promising to review Rowan Felted Tweed for some time now and as it seems that Winter is not quite done with us yet, there's still plenty of time to make use of this unique yarn. I've used Rowan Felted Tweed in a variety of projects. When I first cast on a pair of walking socks with it, I wasn't sure if a tweedy yarn was the right one for the job. Tweed tends to be one of those yarns where you either love it or you hate it and I hadn't quite made my mind up. ...

I first stumbled across Laura Rosenzweig's yarn when researching the wool industry and in particular, independent yarn labels with strong connections to Yorkshire. I quickly realised that Laura's Loom encompassed the same ethos that I wanted to promote through Baa Baa Brighouse and that the origin and subsequent journey that her yarn took, from sheep to needle, was of real importance to Laura. Spun as a single ply, this 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool, was originally intended for weaving but being an experimentalist and wanting to steer Baa Baa Brighouse in a non-commercial direction, I made inquiries as to how suitable the yarn was for hand knitting. Laura was kind enough to parcel up a box of samples for me to try out. The Bluefaced Leicester Naturals range immediately struck a chord with me. In my opinion, it is probably the closest...

I first met Katie Pearce, otherwise known as Sylvan Tiger Yarn at Wharfe Wool Fair, having spotted her hand dyed yarn on Twitter. Her stand immediately caught my eye with its wonderful vibrant palette and I quickly snapped up a hank of Summer Berries before it was all gone! I've always been the type to act on instinct and I knew I couldn't leave without asking if Katie would be interested in Baa Baa Brighouse stocking her yarn. To my delight, she said yes and we became the very first stockist of her home-grown Yorkshire yarn. Katie, who is based in Leeds, uses wool, predominantly Bluefaced Leicester, sourced from British suppliers and natural dye in extract form to achieve her unique colourways. Because Katie's inspiration comes from the local landscape of Yorkshire, the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, it...

Browsing around the yarn department in John Lewis one day - long before Baa Baa Brighouse became a reality - Rowan's Fine Art Aran, an unusual looking yarn immediately caught my eye. It was available in several colourways - each one quite unique and distinctive. From vibrant yellows and greens to subtle blues and deep reds, it was one of those yarns that I knew I could quite easily fall in love with. Made with a mixture of wool, mohair, mulberry silk and alpaca, it is incredibly soft, warm and has a lustrous sheen. I've since discovered that it is hand painted in South Africa which is how the beautiful colour palette is achieved. Not quite sure what to make with the two skeins of Fandango I found myself holding, I wandered across to the pattern books and discovered the Rowan Mini Collections - Fine Art Aran. This is a fantastic...