A club yarn parcel from earlier in the year[/caption]This weekend finds me packaging up the parcels for the final instalment of the Yarn Notes from Assynt 2015 yarn club. Over the early part of next week Anne, our postmistress, will be calculating the postage for each parcel, and doing the ever increasing admin around the parcels and then sending them on their way to the 4 corners of the world. So I thought it was about time to tell you about 2016.
The feedback from the first yarn Notes from Assynt club which ran during 2015 was so positive and encouraging that I have teamed up with my husband, Stevan, again for the 2016 yarn club. Once again we will be visiting 12 varied locations in Assynt, and at times we may just slip over the Assynt border into other locations which are close to Assynt but which can be viewed and explored from an Assynt perspective. Comments from the 2015 club included “I love, love, love the club colour - so vibrantâ€, “Stevan’s notes are as much a joy as the yarn!†“What a complex and fascinating subject. Thanks, Stevan, for such a thoughtful essay!â€, “The notes brought back happy memories of a highland trip a few years agoâ€, and finally “It’s here and needless to say I love it. I say that every month but I really really love itâ€.
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A Selection of the greetings cards from Yarn Notes from Assynt 2015[/caption]So what does the monthly package look like? Well, each month, in addition to a hank of yarn dyed specifically for club members, subscribers will receive a picture postcard showing a location in, or around, Assynt, and a set of notes written by Stevan, a Scottish Cultural Studies graduate from UHI, which will talk about different aspects of the location. These may include cultural, historical, geological, archaeological, literary and sociological aspects – in other words from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
There will be the choice of 3 yarn bases. The first is Ripples Crafts Reliable Sock Yarn. This base was the first base I bought into Ripples Crafts back in 2008 when I established the business. It has been a staple yarn for customers (and me!) ever since and it does what it says on the tin. It is a reliable 4ply sock yarn – hardy and long lasting. It is 75% wool, 25% nylon and each 100g hank contains approximately 425m of yarn.
The second base is Quinag (pronounced Koon-yuck) which is a 4ply pure Bluefaced Leicester yarn. Each 100g hank contains approximately 400m of yarn. This yarn is beautifully soft when knitted up and is ideal for a variety of uses.
The third base is Suilven (pronounced Sool-vin) which is a 4ply mix of Merino, Silk and Yak. This yarn is wonderfully luxurious and each 100g hanks contains approximately 366m of pure self indulgence!
By the way, both the mountains Quinag and Suilven were covered in last year's notes and no doubt different aspects of the hills in Assynt will be covered this year.
The techniques used to dye the yarn each month will vary. Some months it may be an almost solid shade, others it may be a very definite semi solid, and at other times it may be wildly variegated. This is one aspect of the club which many members love – they are occasionally surprised by yarn colours outwith their “normal†range of colour choices, but when they receive them in a club yarn they relish the challenge of finding a suitable pattern for the yarn.
You will be able to join for 3, 6 or 12 months. Furthermore, you will be able to join at any time during the year. So, for example, if you don't join in January but decide you'd like to join for 3 or 6 months from February, that will be fine. Annual membership is only available up to the end of December 2015.
So .... if you fancy receiving a small surprise each month in the shape of words, yarn and a picture, then step into the wonderful world of Yarn Notes from Assynt. Sign up, sit back, and await your purple parcel with anticipation.
