yarn from the meadow - september
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* Spare skeins are now in the shop and ready-to-ship *
#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.
September – soft golden light, ripe hedgerow fruits, and the leaves are starting to turn. A walk around the meadow with the dog on a warm but breezy afternoon reveals the treasures of a new season. The old oaks that line the field are revealing their fresh, lime acorns. Still waxy and unblemished and yet to be discovered by the jays and squirrels, their zingy green vivid against the oak leaves that are a little tired and dark, ready to begin their transformation to crispy brown. I love the subtle combination of fresh grassy green, soft grey and tawny beige, with just a hint of cool aqua and the barest blush of warm earthy clay... Folklore stretching back to the norse and celtic mythology references acorns as good luck charms and keeping one in your pocket is said to ward off evil (along possibly with spiders and lightening strikes – handy!) Good luck charm is dyed on hoo | sock, our stalwart sock yarn that's also got great yardage and perfect for shawls and lightweight garments.
Our second September shade is also dyed on hoo | sock and is called pincushions for robins. It was inspired by the Bedeguar Gall, a fluffy fibrous growth that appears on dog roses in late summer and is home to the larvae of a tiny gall wasp larvae that feed on it over winter before hatching the following spring. It might also be used as a pincushion by crafty robins, but I didn't spot any when I photographed these beautiful pom poms on my favourite wild rose...
Both shades are dyed on hoo | sock, our recycled merino/nylon base that we love for socks (of course!) but also 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.