Yarn Development

Lyonesse: a new yarn

We don't just spin yarns here in Cornwall: we also tell stories!

So here is the story of Lyonesse: our new 50/50 linen and wool blended yarn.

New Year reflections: leading to making all patterns free!

I love reflections! This is a puddle on the road where we walked on Christmas Day - very close to darkness so fuzzy and unclear but the water was still so the reflection is still quite distinct.

Wovember inspirations: designing yarns part 4

Following from Part Three, here is a picture of our Elegance range, launched this year, in natural colours in DK and 4-ply, and occupying a neat place between the work-a-day Blacker Classic and luxury Blacker Swan ranges. Part Four describes the Blacker Yarns development process in more detail.

Wovember inspirations: designing yarns part 3

Wovember inspirations: designing yarns part 2

Wovember inspirations: designing yarns part 1

For Wovember this year, we have written a series of pieces on how we go about designing yarns and what affects the yarns, in the making and in the eventual performance. We are beginning to feel another book coming on ...

Anyway, here we go ...

PART ONE

Woollen and Worsted spun yarns - thoughts for Wovember

Felix asked for some thoughts and comments on woollen and worsted spun yarns (apparently, woollen is the US way and woolen the English way of spelling the former of these - you live and learn when translating stuff into French!). So here they are, as well as being on Wovember http://wovember.com/2013/11/15/sue-blacker-on-woollen-vs-worsted-mill-spinning/. You will also find an amazing amount of other really interesting and inspiring things on the Wovember site, which gets additions every day this

Something to cheer you/me up on a beastly weather day

I was pondering the current popularity of Indian/ikat designs, which I have always loved anyway. So here are a few options to try. They are stitch-and-row interchangeable with the sheep charts on our Feeling Sheepish pullover. Please request an email version if you need higher definition. I will also put it on our Free Patterns page at http://www.blackeryarns.co.uk/patterns-for-knitting-and-crochet/free-patterns-to-download