#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.

March – Spring is slowly but surely arriving (thank goodness!) and although we've had frost and plenty of rain so far this month, we've also had the occasional day with warm sunshine, and we've started thinking about outdoor chores and making plans for the garden this summer. The meadow hedgerows are filled with blossom, the trees are all in bud, and the alexanders are flowering. It's a really prolific plant around here, introduced by the Romans, it has tall celery-like stalks, lush green foliage, and umbels of pale lemony-lime flowers that provide such a welcome zing along the field margin. I've called this shade 'what the romans did for us' - a homage to one of our favourite history programs from way back when the children were small.

The second shade was inspired by my first wander across the meadow with the dog *after* a full day at the studio! The sun was dipping below the tree line, casting a gorgeous warm pinkish glow, and although the air was chilly, it felt good. The first of many evening strolls as the days lengthen. 'First walk last light' is a subtle blend of washed-out turquoise blue, warm pinky-coral, and golden ochre and umber tones.

Both these shades are dyed on holt | singles - our gorgeous single-ply superwash merino base.

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.
 

holt | singles
weight: fingering/4ply/sock equivalent
fibre: 100% wool - superwash merino
needle size: 2.00 - 3.50mm
metres: 366m per 100gm skein
care: Hand wash in cool water using gentle wool detergent