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Undyed vs. Dyed yarn

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If you’ve ever ordered the same yarn in undyed and dyed versions, you may have noticed that they can sometimes look like entirely different yarns. For example, the photo below shows two skeins of Whitefaced Woodland Light DK yarn, both containing 300m per 100g. The left-hand skein is dyed, the right-hand undyed. The dyed skein looks larger, plumper and thicker than the undyed skein, yet they are both exactly the same. The reason for the difference is simple. During spinning,… Read More »Undyed vs. Dyed yarn

Whitefaced Woodland Sheep

Whitefaced Woodland Wool

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The Sheep Whitefaced Woodland sheep originated in the Pennines on the borders of Derbyshire and Yorkshire. They are thought to be developed from the Blackfaced Linton mountain sheep with input from Cheviot and Merino. The breed nearly became extinct in the 1970s and while it has made somewhat of a comeback it is still listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as one of the four Priority (most at risk) sheep breeds in Britain (on the 21-22 list). The sheep… Read More »Whitefaced Woodland Wool

“Bluebell Basics” Yarn Survey Results

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If you receive my newsletter or follow me on social media you may have seen my survey on an idea I’ve had called Bluebell Basics. I am creating a new range of yarn, with the aim of making hand-dyed non-superwash British wool affordable and available to more people. If you answered the survey, thank you! Some interesting ideas and thoughts have been raised and I want to share them with you all. 89 people filled in the survey. Question 1… Read More »“Bluebell Basics” Yarn Survey Results

A Look at Corriedale

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Corriedale Sheep Corriedale sheep were originally developed by crossing the Merino and Lincoln sheep breeds. They were developed between 1868 and 1910 in Australia and New Zealand to create a sheep that would thrive in low rainfall areas and supply good quality wool. Beginning in 1914, they were exported worldwide and comprise a significant proportion of the sheep found on the Falkland Islands as well as in South America. They are a dual use sheep and are kept for both… Read More »A Look at Corriedale

10% off Corriedale/Mohair Sock Yarn!

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Later this month I’m going to be releasing my new no-nylon 100% Falkland Corriedale High Twist sock yarn. There are a few odd skeins available in the shop at the moment and I’ve used it in the Advent Calendars and Yarn Clubs but I’m yet to release for purchasing as individual skeins. I’ll be doing a full update with lots of fun new colourways. The new yarn takes dyes really wonderfully and I have some fantastic bright new colours which… Read More »10% off Corriedale/Mohair Sock Yarn!

Announcing the British Yarn Selection Box

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  ORDERS ARE NOW OPEN! I’m excited to announce a project I have been working on for some time now. The inspiration for the British Yarn Selection Box came from wanting to be able to work with yarn from lots of different breeds of sheep, but not necessarily wanting to purchase full skeins of each. The costs can add up when taking into account the cost of a single skein plus postage. I wanted an affordable way for crafters to… Read More »Announcing the British Yarn Selection Box

Competition Time!

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It’s competition time here at Bluebell Yarns. You can win the yarn and matching stitch markers from the picture above. It’s two skeins of no-nylon sock yarn (50% Falkland Corriedale, 50% British Mohair) in Peach Melba (yellows and oranges) and Stargazer Lily (pinks with a hint of orange). There are loads of ways you can win, and each way gets you one entry: Twitter Like this tweet Retweet this tweet Reply to this tweet Instagram Like this post Reply to this… Read More »Competition Time!

Shetland Aran - Minty Fresh

Yarn Update and Show Announcement!

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Show Announcement I’m happy to announce that this year Bluebell Yarns will be visiting our first yarn shows! The first will be Wonderwool Wales on 27th-28th April. The second will be The Wool Monty on 15th-16th June. You can read more about them on the show page.   Yarn Update I’ve updated the Etsy Shop with lots of lovely new yarn. I’ve added new colours of most of the bases, and added new base! I’ll be gradually expanding the range… Read More »Yarn Update and Show Announcement!

Yarn Rainbow

Thinking about Yarn Advent Calendars

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  The funny thing about being an indie dyer is that you have to think about things far ahead of when you want to. Currently, this means Christmas. Due to the success of my Yarn Advent Calendars last year, and the fact that there’s a rather major event happening for me in September, this year I’m starting early. I’ve spoken to the mill and they’ve agreed to wind the mini skeins for me which will save me so much time.… Read More »Thinking about Yarn Advent Calendars

Tits Out Collective

Charity yarn is now live! (#titsoutcollective)

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The #titsoutcollective yarn is now released! You can see mine here, and everyone else’s here. Follow #titsoutcollective on social media. Check back here tomorrow at 7pm to read about why I selected my chosen charity, Dogs For Good. My ‘If I wanted exposure, I’ll get my tits out (but I’ll need assistance)’ yarn is initially available as a small batch. When this sells out, I will open pre-orders. I will aim to get pre-orders dyed and shipped out within two… Read More »Charity yarn is now live! (#titsoutcollective)