I have always loved getting things in the mail. I am a mail-box haunter even now when most things come through the computer. I wish people still sent birthday cards with real messages or doodled pictures at the bottom of hand-written letters. Today I was excited to receive the yarn I have been waiting for from the UK. Yippee!!!
This yarn took some sleuthing to find. I started with a suggestion by
Tal Landeau who visited my studio recently that she was interested in some yarn that
Joan Griffin was using. I contacted Joan who identified that particular yarn as one I was already familiar with but then told me about her favorite dream yarn which she used in a
Joan Baxter workshop many years ago. She sent me some samples of this awesome yarn (clipped from the back of her sampler no less--she didn't have more! Thanks so much Joan) though she didn't know what it was... and from there I had to contact Joan Baxter myself. I had to know what the yarn was. Joan Baxter is an amazing tapestry artist from Scotland. Her piece
Hallaig in ATB8 (
American Tapestry Biennial 8) was my favorite piece in the show (though there were many outstanding ones). Her color mixing abilities are phenomenal. I am greatly looking forward to her 2014 US teaching tour!
So you can imagine I was pretty disappointed to find out that the yarn is no longer made. But she gave me hope. Two English tapestry weavers, Lin Squires and Matty Smith, have started selling a new bit of yarn which Joan suggested I try. Lin and Matty of
Weaver's Bazaar certainly do have some great yarn. I know because this package of it arrived today. I can't wait to see how it dyes. But because I knew I wouldn't be able to wait to dye it to give it a whirl, I also ordered some already dyed yarn. Here it is!
One of my many projects for 2014 includes an exploration of the list of tapestry yarns generated by this blog post:
Where to purchase tapestry yarn. I received some great suggestions from weavers all over the world and I have collected some of them and am working on some little samples. Of course, a tapestry yarn is a pretty personal choice and what I like may well not be what you like. But judging from the pile of various yarns I have so far accumulated, they are going to be quite different and some of them quite lovely. I'll let you know what happens.
I think the
Weavers Bazaar yarn just moved to the top of the pile though. Maybe it is because it came straight from England. (I know, a bunch of the other yarns came from Sweden and Australia and Norway... but they came through people in the US and I didn't get to see the postage from over the pond. I am easily pleased and have probably been watching too much Doctor Who. And then there was the suggestion from Joan Baxter herself... can't beat that.)
Here are a few more photos.
I couldn't resist.
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| Color cards are available! |
I do love playing with yarn.
