A fresh spin
Tallulah Speed explores the philosophy behind West Yorkshire Spinners’ success, and the development of its newest British yarn, ColourLab
MIND YOUR food miles. Think local. Watch your carbon footprint. Most of us now recognise the virtue in supporting local business when buying food, but how much thought have you given to your yarn miles?
While Europe has a comfortable foothold in the yarn business, China, the USA, India and Pakistan are among some of the biggest exporters of cotton, and are the countries of origin you’re most likely to see while perusing the shelves at your average craft store in the UK.
In part, this is due to the textile crash of the early 1990s, which led to many yarn manufacturing units being closed in the UK. Additionally, large countries with expanded acreage are able to benefit from economies of scale in a way that diminutive players such as the UK cannot hope to square up to.
Close to home
Despite this, there are still independent spinning factories in the UK – and with the public’s increased interest in environmental issues, their stars are on the rise.
West Yorkshire Spinners launched in 1997 in Oxenhope, as a response to the textile downturn. “We identified that there would now be a gap in the market, as very few companies were actually producing their knitting or crochet yarn in the UK,” recounts Peter Longbottom, Managing Director of West Yorkshire Spinners.
But while the company’s decision had a sound logistical underpinning, the team had a mission closer to its heart as well – to continue the legacy of the British spinning industry. “Without the few spinning mills that are left here, the entire skill set would die out in the UK, which would be such a great shame,” comments
Peter. “We used to be world leaders in this field, and we have some fantastic knowledge and talent in this area.”
West Yorkshire Spinners is now one of very few remaining hand-knitting brands in the UK still designing and manufacturing yarn in-house. “It’s of paramount importance to keep manufacturing in the UK and to keep the worsted spinning industry going,” affirms Peter. And while spinning itself is the ‘poster child’ of the industry, it’s easy to forget the myriad roles which complement this skill – the rearing of sheep and clipping of fleeces, processing the raw materials, and fibre dyeing. Without the spinning industry, all these roles would be consigned to the annals of history.
In addition to nurturing our cultural bloodlines, when buying British wool you can rest assured the product scores low on air miles. The bulk of West Yorkshire Spinners’ fleeces come from suppliers in Bradford, while the rest of the process takes place at the company’s factory in Keighley. “Our whole operation is carried out within a 40-mile radius, which reduces the yarn’s carbon footprint substantially,” says Peter.
Compounding this is the company’s philosophy around raw materials, which are sourced locally wherever possible. This homespun approach has other benefits too, as Peter explains: “We’re not beholden to any developments in Turkey and China to make up our product range for us, so we can be really dynamic and react to our customers’ demands, developing a wonderfully unique selection of yarns which stand out from the pack, and which are designed and produced right here in Great Britain.”
Making an impact
The newest addition to the West Yorkshire Spinners yarn range is ColourLab, launched this year. It’s a 100% DK-weight wool that’s notable for its unashamed all-out saturation. “With evolving colour trends and the demand for sustainable fibres increasing, developing a 100% British wool DK with an ever-growing colour palette seemed the perfect choice for 2019,” explains West Yorkshire Spinners’ marketing manager, Rhiannon Evans.
“ColourLab was launched in the Spring to be bright and impactful.
We drew inspiration from seasonal trends whilst ensuring we included core colours.”
West Yorkshire Spinners’ operation is notable for the fact the company has its own on-site dyehouse, and ColourLab showcases this advantage in its vibrant hues. Hardwearing enough to withstand a 40°C machine wash without fading, the set of rainbow brights comes in 18 solid colours and five self-striping shades. “We work closely with our dyehouse through a process of lab dips and sampling,” says Rhiannon.
ColourLab has been well received by knitters since its launch – not only because of its exciting colour palette, but also thanks to its excellent stitch definition, smooth and soft feel, and its practicality. Crafters have been sharing snaps of their ColourLab projects on social media, and the West Yorkshire Spinners team have enjoyed seeing the sweaters, accessories, childrenswear and homewares that people have been making with the new yarn. “The stripes are proving a hit for socks, too!” reports Rhiannon.
To support ColourLab, West Yorkshire Spinners commissioned independent designers to produce two knitwear collections. Collaboration in Design brings together the work of Emma Vining, Francesca Hughes, Rosee Woodland and Helen Metcalfe, and features eight projects for women, including a yoked Fair Isle sweater, cabled cardigans and jumpers, and colourwork accessories. ColourLab
Kids, meanwhile, showcases the versatility of the range’s self-striping options, and offers playful projects for children aged two to 10 years.
Consumers can tie themselves up in knots trying to trace the threads of all the conflicting messages around the ethics of environmentalism and the economy. But with its indisputable emphasis on quality, provenance and a reduced carbon footprint, buying more UK-spun yarn is one green swap that’s entirely straightforward.
- To see West Yorkshire Spinners’ full range of yarns and pattern books, visit www.wyspinners.com