Pure delight
The arrival of two luxurious new yarns from West Yorkshire Spinners is a treat for knitters
WEST YORKSHIRE SPINNERS is marking the start of the spring-summer season with the launch of two new yarns – and both have been designed to offer knitters sophisticated, British-spun luxury.
The first new arrival is Bo Peep Pure, which joins the Bo Peep family alongside the existing DK and 4ply ranges. These two are a blend of Falkland Islands wool with nylon; Bo Peep Pure, however, is a 100% Falkland wool in a DK-weight. “Producing a 100% Falkland yarn seemed the perfect choice to grow our Bo Peep and Falkland families,” explains Rhiannon Evans, marketing manager at West Yorkshire Spinners. “The demand for pure, sustainable products is growing. Falkland Islands wool is clean, white, and world-renowned for its sustainability and soft handle. We’ve spun Bo Peep Pure with exceptional care and attention to detail, to create a sumptuously soft yarn for hand knitting.”
Bo Peep Pure comes in 50g/112m skeins, and costs £6.50 per skein. It’s available in a lovely palette of eight shades, including dandelion yellow, blush pink, misty grey, and soft green. “We were inspired by vintage hues for this playful yet mature collection,” Rhiannon explains. “We wanted the shades to be subtle enough to give a nod to the beautiful colours found in nature, with enough depth to provide knitters with inspiration and joy.”
Pure has been launched as a luxury baby yarn, but it is also suitable for adults’ garments and accessories, and will knit up into soft, comfortable, classic pieces. “We’ve already seen our customers and designers curating their own colour selections for Fair Isle and colourwork pieces,” reports Rhiannon. To showcase the new yarn, the Keighley-based company
commissioned designer Jenny Watson to put together a book of baby patterns. Bo Peep Pure Collection One offers heirloom pieces for little ones, including a charming bobbled dress with bloomers, vintage-style moss stitch jackets, everyday sweaters, and a lacy cardigan. ‘Jack and Jill’ are gorgeous all-in-one romper suits, and ‘William’ is a cabled sweater with matching leggings. There are accessories, too, such as bonnets, hats, bootees and mittens.
Exquisitely soft
West Yorkshire Spinners’ Exquisite Lace has long been one of our favourite laceweight yarns, thanks to its wonderful gleam, its handle and stitch definition – so we were delighted to hear the company’s plans for a 4ply version. “The fibre blend of Exquisite Lace, which is 80% Falkland Islands wool and 20% mulberry silk, is also used in Exquisite 4ply,” says Rhiannon. “This blend creates perfect stitch definition with a beautiful drape and sheen. Exquisite 4ply’s point of difference is the shade range. It has a new palette of eight opulent colours including Bordeaux, a deep berry red, and Tuscany, a bold yellow.” The yarn costs £14.75 for a 100g/400m skein.
We’ll be bringing you exclusive new designs using Exquisite 4ply, including an elegant tunic from Jennie Atkinson in
Issue 151, but in the meantime, if you want to try out this lovely yarn, take a look at the collection by Chloe Elizabeth Birch. The Exquisite 4ply book contains lightweight jumpers and accessories. “Chloe’s stylish, contemporary and wearable pieces are suitable for casual day dressing or smart evening wear, adding a touch of luxury to any outfit.”
- To find out more and to order yarns and pattern books, visit www.wyspinners.com or call 01535 664500