Edinburgh Yarn Festival is starting to feel like a distant memory, but it was so great to get the chance to meet so many lovely people from all around the world. Thank you to everyone who did come and say hello to us and to those who couldn’t make it this year we hope to see you at a future event.
We are back to work with an update to tell you about and two exciting new yarns:
The first is available on the website now and is called Askham Aran. This soft, dreamy yarn is such a joy to work with and wear — it creates a warm, fluffy, and drape-y fabric which can feel heavy to work with but is still lovely and light to wear. The gentle sheen shows through the alpaca fluff, meaning that stitch definition is not crisp but is still visible. The yarn is the same luscious blend of baby alpaca and silk that is also be found in Askham Lace and Askham 4ply and we have a number of our signature colourways available to choose from. It has undergone rigorous testing (knitting and crochet) and the whole ECY team adores the combination of shine and warmth. It also definitely passed the squish test with everyone who tried it at Edinburgh!! You can find our finished projects on Raverly here.
Our next update will take place at 8 a.m. (UK time) on Monday 15th April and will include Titus DK, Pendle Chunky and our second BRAND NEW yarn, Hayton DK. Hayton DK, like its 4ply counterpart, is a beautiful mix of smooth, bouncy Merino, a little nylon to make it more hard wearing and a dash of Cashmere for the ultimate luxury. It knits with both bounce and drape in equal measure — using larger needles and a lacy pattern creates drape, whilst smaller needles and a closer stitch type creates a nice warm, cosy fabric. The mix of fibres combines the best of both worlds. We have also tested this yarn and can confirm it is every bit as lovely as the 4ply version. Our finished knit and crochet projects using this yarn can be viewed on Ravelry here.
With all this focus on the new yarns, you would be forgiven for thinking the other yarns in the update are purely filler, but you would be so wrong! Titus DK is a beautiful and subtle yarn. It is a very luxurious blend of Superwash Merino and mulberry silk. The silk gives it a gorgeous shine (especially in dark or rich colours). It is ideal for all sorts of projects, from gloves to garments and everything in between. It washes well in the machine, and the silk gives it strength so it can take a lot of use.
Pendle Chunky is a smooshy, soft, warm, bouncy and smooth Superwash Merino yarn, which has great stitch definition, making it perfect for a wide variety of projects. We particularly love it in hats and cowls, although its next-to-skin softness makes it just as good in sweaters.