yarn from the meadow - october
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Pre-orders are open until October 31st. Yarn will be dyed in batches and dispatched within 7-days of ordering :-)
#YarnFromTheMeadow takes inspiration from the small hay meadow that we live next to. A few acres of tussocky grass, grown to be cut for hay or silage, depending on the weather, and occasionally used as grazing for the cattle that are raised on the fields all around us. Bounded by an avenue of sweet chestnuts on one side, ancient oaks on the other and with a scruffy hedgerow bordering the lane, it's home to rabbits, mice, shrews, and voles; a hunting ground for a beautiful barn owl and untold kestrels and buzzards. Adjacent to fox earths, and badger setts, and criss-crossed with the well-worn tracks of the muntjac, fallow, and roe deer that pass through, I walk it with the dog, with Chris, and sometimes just to breath in the air and turn my face to the sun. And I take photos, endlessly. Of the views, the sky, the weather, the flora and fauna, the changing of the seasons.
I'll be using all of the above as inspiration for this year's limited-run series. Two shades each month throughout 2024, dyed on a variety of fingering weight yarn bases, using the dye technique that creates our gorgeous ~flash~ shades.
October – autumn is definitely here; we've had days of rain and grey skies, the wood stove has been lit, and homemade soup is back on the supper menu! And while I can live without the grey skies, the rain does come with benefits and a good long walk around the meadow and the adjacent woodland with a keen eye revealed the exact treasure I'd been hoping for this month! Sometimes we find only field mushrooms that are quietly stunning in their velvety taupe and chocolatey brown tones (and were the inspiration for one of our oldest repeatable shades 'walk out to gather') but not quite the jewel tones I had in mind for this month's #YarnFromTheMeadow skeins but I needn't have worried! Almost immediately, I spotted a little pop of purple under a hazel tree. I'm not sure exactly what variety it is - possibly a Lilac Fibrecap? - but against the mulchy woodland floor and next to the fallen leaves, it provided the perfect inspiration for beneath the understory.
The second shade was a dream find too! I'm pretty sure this is a flame shield mushroom and if it is, it's also a fairly rare find for Suffolk. According to my research, they are usually found in clusters on large rotting branches, but I happened across a small patch of mossy grass that was proudly showing off a handful of these beauties. Just the thing for my yellow/orange loving soul... I've called this shade flaming shield, and I'm imagining a tiny forest sprite using it to fend off an evil troll, then maybe knocking up some warming soup with the leftovers - although don't try that if you happen across them because aside from the fact that they're rare, the jury is out on whether they are hallucinogenic!
Both shades are dyed on pightle | fingering/4ply, our classic superwash merino base that is perfect for scarves, shawls, and lightweight garments.
We use professional acid dyes with good light and wash fastness and do our best to exhaust every dye bath and reuse water wherever possible to reduce any further environmental impact. Occasionally a small amount of 'loose' dye may remain in the yarn after rinsing (most likely with deeply saturated shades) and we always recommend hand washing in very cool water and pre-washing your yarn separately if you are intending to mix light and dark shades in a single garment/project.
We recommend hand washing your finished projects in cool water to preserve the vibrancy of the dye and, as with all small-batch, hand-dyed yarn that doesn't have dye lots, we also recommend knitting alternate rows from two skeins when working on larger projects to avoid noticeable changes between skeins.