Leicester’s Insta Yarn Show
I’m taking part in Leicester’s Insta Yarn Show. This will take place live on Instagram from 9:30 BST on Saturday 15 August. Follow us on @leicestersinstayarnshow to find out about our pattern and yarn launches.
Seven of us taking part: we are a group of designers, dyers, and yarn vendors who live in Leicestershire and Rutland. You may have met us at different yarn shows around the UK. Let me introduce everyone.
Burrow & Soar
Fran from @burrow_and_soar has been dyeing yarn since 2013. She dyes sock yarn and fibre, from standard merino to bamboo, linen, cashmere blends and silk blends. Her aim is to dye amazing colour and fibre combinations that are exciting, practical and beautiful; yarns that will make you excited to make something. I really want to make something using her Tweed effect merino sock yarn in Midnight Feast (image below): possibly a summer shawl!
Debonnaire Yarns
Erica from @debonnaireyarns dyes luxurious yarns in a wide array of colours and yarn bases. She also stocks an exclusive line of high-quality silk yarns which are hand-crafted in India. Her Squeal Lace is a blend of merino, silk and yak, and comes in a great range of semi-solid and variegated colours. I used Erica’s Monarch Fat Lace for my Meltwater wrap pattern which I shall release soon. It would look lovely in Violet Garden (image below).
Hummingbird Yarns
Kerry from @hummingbirdyarns was a primary school teacher who used to long for the weekends when she could hand-dye yarn. She established Hummingbird Yarns after illness forced her to give up teaching. She specialises in eco-friendly yarns and has a growing range of British Blue-faced Leicester blends, lots of nylon-free blends and a silky merino/Tencel blend. I love her yarn range inspired by bird conservation.
Norah George Yarns
Tracey from @norahgeorgeyarns has been producing artisan yarns since 2015. She is a keen knitter and loves to experiment with dyeing different techniques. She named her yarn-dying business after her grandparents, Norah and George. I love her yarns inspired by Roses. Rosewater in Super Sock (image below) reminds me of dried rose petals.
Knit One Kits
Alison ran the Knit One yarn shop in Leicester for eight years. I taught workshops there on many occasions. Alison created @knitonekits last year after closing her shop. She uses good quality yarn from some of the best commercial yarn companies for her popular crocheted and knitted cushion kits. Alison draws inspiration from specific stitches that complement multi-coloured yarns to create eye-catching scarf, shawl and blanket kits. Her blanket kit (shown below) is a great example of this.
Wool Zone
Julie and I met at a knitting group many years before either of us had yarn-inspired businesses. In 2014, Julie opened the @wool_zone in Oakham and has just moved to her third premises. She stocks beautiful yarns from the UK and other European brands such as Scheepjes, Schoppelwolle, West Yorkshire Spinners and Stylecraft. She also sells knitting and crochet kits for accessories and garments. Her Simple Stripy Blanket kit (shown below) is a fun and relaxing knit.
Being Knitterly
That leaves me: Nicki from @BeingKnitterly. Most of the time I teach knitting and crochet, but that is on hold for now. I love to help people become confident knitters or crocheters, to enjoy the soothing effects of rhythmic movements when stitching and to love what they make. That is my aim with my patterns and kits. It is very much the theme of my new book, Fair Isle Knitting and Design. On the day of Leicester’s Insta Yarn Show, I shall launch yarn packs for the designs in this book. I shall also be launching a few new patterns, so I’ve got a lot to do before then!
We are all looking forward to seeing you online live on Instagram @leicestersinstayarnshow from 9:30 BST on Saturday 15 August. Watch out for special offers and pattern or yarn launches.
