Yarns That Tell Stories…
Bouclelaine
Yarn made by a mother-and-daughter team in Landerneau, Brittany
Each year Brigitte and Clotilde go collect beautiful fleeces from Breton shepherds to sort and select the best fibers for theirs yarns.
Their goal: Putting these precious and local fleeces on the front stage with human-size processes at each step of their wool journey, in France and Spain.
Their enthusiatic and involved approach is part of a national effort to help people discover French wool. As such they are also part of the association A.T.E.L.I.E.R Laines d’Europe.
Daughter of a Shepherd
Limited Edition Yarns: 100 % British wool
Rachel’s and The Daughter of a Shepherd journey began with the 2015 clip of the Hebridean sheep who graze Escrick Park Estate, shepherded by her father. With a firm commitment to using only 100% British wool from shepherds and producers within the UK, Daughter of a Shepherd aims to support all aspects of British manufacturing in their processing and production.
De Rerum Natura
Yarn to knit a better world
Solenn decided to create De Rerum Natura in 2012 as a answer to a need and a challenge. How to provide handmade clothes to her childrens with a respectful, creative and mindful approach. “So I began to dream very seriously about a reinvented country wool, which would enhance the value of wool from traditional farms close to me, which would be soft enough to be worn next to the skin, or almost, which would have both the wild beauty of natural wools and a inspiring palette of colours. A beautiful and good wool that would draw a world with sheep in the mountains, small flourishing spinning mills and all sorts of happy knitters.”
Their yarn are made with Arles Merinos wool from the South-East of France near Arles for the most part and, for the brown merinos, from the Alentejo valley in Portugal. The wool is scoured, carded and spun in France. Beautiful natural yarns that invite us to think about the links between nature and us.
John Arbon Textiles
To the rythm of vintage machines
The John Arbon Textiles mill was founded in 2001 yet is strongly focused on tradition. They follow a very simple concept: a return to old-style textile manufacture by sustainably sourcing raw fibre locally, wherever possible, and converting it into high quality tops and yarns.
At John Arbon Textiles, all machines have been painstakingly collected and lovingly restored – many have been rescued from old, traditional mills as they closed down. The machines take a lot of time and care to look after (each named, to reflect their quirks, as they become part of the family). Keeping them going is a labour of love, but they reckon that the resulting woolly treats are well worth it. It is for that reason that the team will only work with fibre that excites them.
The Mill is situated in the heart of North Devon. The local sheep breeds offer a rich variety with various quality . As much as possible, they use the fibre which is reared and sheared on this land. The shades created there can be inspired by the Exmoor landscape, local apples of different types or even music! Helena and Sonja are now in charge of this mill full of character!
Riverknits
Colours on the cut
Becci and Markus both left their high-pressure corporate engineering jobs to jointly create Riverknits. They first started dyeing yarn at home on theirs narrowboat, which was moored on the River Nene at the time. After a couple of years, the business grew and they moved it into a studio in Weedon, Northamptonshire. Both knitters and crocheters, they love wool, especially when it’s sustainably sourced. Their yarn is all sourced from British breeds and it is all spun in the UK too. They are proud supporters of the Campaign for Wool.
A lot of their colour inspiration is drawn from their life on the canals and rivers, some directly from the wildlife and landscape, and some from the history of the waterways. They use acid dyes, which are specifically designed for use with wool and silk. Using them enables us to dye consistent and repeatable colourways. For them, dying colourful yarn is not the end of a journey but really the start of a creative adventure that they offer to knitters and crocheters.
La FERME à laine
From carding to felting in Morbihan
Started in 2021, la FERME à Laine offers to take on the first steps of the wool transformation process, like carding and needling, thus allowing to make felted wool. Convinced by the amazing properties of wool, Enora came to add in to the existing industryi n Morbihan by fixing up machines which would normally end in scrapyards to take part in the essential slow work of transforming sheep wool into finished product. A meticulous job to put the spotlight on local wool!
Maybe stationary
Katie Green Bean
More than yarn
Katie Green is a illustrator, using her drawing and painting skills in comics and design. She self-publish zines, and creates and contributes to books and other publications. The act of creating-more than any finished product-is why she does what she does. She likes to share with us (for our greatest pleasure!) her love of nature, sheep breeds and knitting. She produces a monthly video podcast where she shares her works in progress including, knitting, sewing and other crafts too. When she’s not creating, you can find her walking on Dartmoor (and now Wales!) with her dog, Jack.
KNITSONIK
Recording daily life
Felicity (Felix) Ford is an artist, knitwear designer and tutor, working with wool (knit) and sound (sonik) under the moniker KNITSONIK. Her practice is about celebrating and uplifting daily life, affirming the joy of being alive, and amplifying the overlooked and underappreciated.
From her KNITSONIK Bullet Journaling class to her books about translating daily life into stranded colourwork, her work is empowering, creative and fun.