Tremendous Tea Cosies for a Good Cause

 



When knitter Penny Comley-Ross visited the shop earlier this year in search of unusual yarns such as Noro, we were intrigued to find out what she'd be using them for...

On chatting to her, we discovered she has set herself the target of raising £3,000 in support of St Margaret’s hospices in Somerset, by making glorious and extravagant tea cosies. How could we not be totally behind Penny in her wonderful quest!

Many of the designs are by Loani Prior from her books ’Wild Tea Cosies’ and ‘Really Wild Tea Cosies’ with kind permission of Murdoch Press and Search Press. Each one takes about 4 evenings to knit and most people make a donation of between £20 and £30 in exchange for a cosy.

St Margaret’s Hospice needs to raise £10 million per year to provide superb services to people with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones. If you're not a tea lover but still want to support this great cause, we will also be accepting donations on behalf of St Margaret's hospices, or you can always donate a knitted tea cosy of your own to help Penny raise funds.

Great British Knitting Awards winners - again!

We are all celebrating this week as our lovely shop is in the top three BEST INDEPENDENT KNITTING SHOP SW! Last year we were placed fourth placed so were moving up the poles.

Each Summer we welcome lots of new customers to our shop in Bovey Tracey as well as customers on holiday who always come and visit us and stock up on designer yarns.

We also treat knitters with serious 'knitters withdrawal symptoms'! People who come on holiday without ANY PROJECTS???! A soothing cup of tea, browsing our huge pattern collection and two rooms of yarn collections to choose from gets them back to their happy place.

Frill Seeker Boa for parties, presents and just to own

If you would like to knit this beautiful scarf, there are a few spaces left on Thursday 18 September...

The Frill Seeker Boa

Workshop spaces still available in September!

We are famous for our workshops, our teachers are designers and authors. Is a lovely day to learn, relax and be in the company of knitters, surrounded by beautiful yarns - how can you resist!

The workshop space. Classes are small with a maximum of eight

Workshops cost £49 and include 10% discount voucher to spend on the day.
Full day, 10.30am – 4pm and with a homemade lunch, tea, coffee and tea time treats
Friday 5th September


Anniken teaching one of her workshops

Continental knitting with Anniken Allis
Wednesday 17 September
Tunisian crochet with Diana Stewart
Thursday 18 September
Frill seeker Boa with Alison Crowther-Smith
To book call us on 01626 836203
The complete Autumn programme is on the website.

Happy knitting,
Victoria x

Student designs

Textile student Heather Firby, working with the Spin A Yarn team this summer has been inspired by our big collection of designer yarns. Specialising in knitwear design she has put her talents to use and created this fabulous crop jumper in the Schoppel laceball

 

Heather used one ball of Schoppel laceball



Beautiful variegation gives a contemporary look

Heather with a selection of Laceballs

Thanks Heather for designing and knitting this, Victoria X

Cowlboys

Yarns knit up differently, we know this, but it can be difficult to get a true comparison. And, yes prices can vary dramatically.

With this conundrum in  mind we have knitted this Cowl pattern in two different yarns to help our customers feel the difference.



Cowl knitted with one ball of Sirdar Wool Rich Aran

Cable cowl knitted in Artesano Aran knitted with 2 skeins, although one would just as good.



Knitting in Umbria Workshop

We get customers from all over the world and last weekend we met Alexandria Hook and her daughters. Alexandra wanted to knit something that resonated the colours of the Moor and the new Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal Tweed was perfect.

She told us about a knitting and design workshop in Umbria and we promised to tell everyone about it...

Weeklong Knitting and Design Workshop, Hotel Bramante, Todi in Umbria with Kathleen Taylor.
May 24 - 30 2015

For more in formation email inspirationalumbria@gmail.com
Visit the website www.hotelbramante.com

Autumn dress for a little neice

Talking yarn, how it will knit up, helping our customers choose colours is what we do, so we really appreciate it when they come in with their finished projects.

This was knitted by Sarah for her niece's 10th birthday, perfect for Autumn and the cooler weather.


Thank you Sarah for sharing another gorgeous knit

Pattern - Elsie by Rowan 'Winter Kids' Collection in Rowan Felted Tweed
 

Interview: Marni from Touch Yarns, New Zealand

Welcome to a new feature on the Spin A Yarn blog, where we'll be asking some of our favourite designers and yarn suppliers all sorts of questions.

It's fairly apt that we kick this feature off by interviewing Marni at Touch Yarns, whose beautiful skeins of yarn, spotted by Joyce while on holiday in New Zealand, inspired her to open the shop in Bovey Tracey in 2006.

Touch Yarns are a family business, based in Central Otago, New Zealand. Spin A Yarn customers will know them for the boucle and brushed mohair/merino skeins of yarn which are so popular for shawls, wraps and blankets.

Skeins hanging in Spin A Yarn

Interview:

Q: When did you start manufacturing yarn?
A: In 1991

Q: What inspired you to start your business?
A: I come from a farming background and for over 20 years had a specialised flock of natural Coloured merino, halfbred sheep and 250 mohair goats. An avid spinner and weaver, I made garments for my family, finding that the fine yarns did not have the prickle factor of some of the coarser yarns on the market. So began the quest to produce soft, fine yarns.

Q: Your 12 ply brushed and boucle skeins are some of the most popular yarns in our shop – our customers love the range of colours. But what is your personal favourite yarn from all the yarns you manufacture?
A: I love them all of course but my current fave is a new shade brushed 748. It is designed by my son Glenn who now does the bulk of our dyeing and colour range development.

Vibrant autumn colours

Q: What are the inspirations behind the gorgeous shades of your handpainted yarns?


Hand painted merino and silk 2 ply

A: We take inspiration from the beautiful environment and landscape here in Central Otago, New Zealand, we are very spoiled in that regard. And, we are constantly on the lookout for absolute gorgeousness that be translated into handpainted colourways.

Q: What do you find the most challenging aspect of the business?
A: Learning to ‘drive ‘ my smartphone, ipad etc! Luckily my grandchildren Sam & Hannah can be called upon to help- such is the world we live in.

Q: And which aspect do you most enjoy and find most rewarding?
A: There are so many things to love about what I do. I love creating. Nutting out fibre combinations, colourways, and designing patterns that I know people will use to create wonderful pieces for the people in their lives they love. I love that we produce a world class product and our customers get so much enjoyment from it. And it is very rewarding that our yarns are finding their way to every part of the globe- it’s wonderfully exciting.



Touch Yarns Showroom

Q: We know and love your alpaca, merino and possum yarns here at Spin A Yarn – will you be venturing into any other exotic fibres?
A: Our latest fibre combination is our Possum Silk Merino 2ply. It is a worsted yarn and has divine handling.
We took this to Vogue Knitting Live in New York earlier this year and the response there was amazing.

 



Happy Knitting! Marni
 
    

Stunning kits from Touch Yarns have arrived

 Possum, silk, merino worsted spun



Wool and merino kit

This is not just yarn, this is hand painted, feather light, silk, possum and merino yarn. The wool and merino kits are 440 metres and come with a pattern for Feather & Fan or Lacy Openwork.

The Possum, silk, merino worsted spun are a generous 465 metres and comes with a lovely lace pattern.

Elephant for sale!!

It's sale time at Spin A Yarn and yarn addict Sarah Jackson came in with  Ella the Elephant to find bargains on our designer yarns.

Sarah knitted Ella with a variety of allsorts from her stash from a free Rowan pattern.

It is originally knitted in cotton glace, order now and get 10% off in our online Yarn Boutique

 Ella the Elephant free pattern download