10 beautiful British yarns

The wool industry was once the cornerstone of British economy, and for knitters it has been a dream to see more and more British yarns on our shelves! But which are our absolute favourites?

- West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply
West Yorkshire Spinners is the first ever winner of the Best British Yarn category in the British Knitting Awards 2014, so of course we had to start here! The newest yarn from this family-run business comes in solid and variegated shades, and it’s perfect for knitting socks! One 100g ball costs £7.20 from www.wyspinners.com

- Woolyknit Aran
Nestled in the valley of the Pennines, Woolyknit is not only the home of a licensed cafe, shop and lively workshop space but founder Roger Shepley uses a lifetime’s worth of knowledge to spin and produce his own yarns. We just love the bold colours in the beautiful Aran range! One 50g ball costs £2.95 from www.woolyknit.com

- UK Alpaca Baby Alpaca Silk DK
Of course, it’s not just wool that makes for a warm knitting yarn; although not native to the UK, we now have an alpaca population of 35,000, and they produce an incredibly soft fibre! UK Alpaca have blended this yarn with 20% silk to create an ultra luxurious finish. One 50g ball costs £9.55 from www.loveknitting.com

- Susan Crawford Fenella
This 100% British wool 2ply yarn is perfect for knitting vintage patterns, and comes in a gorgeous range of soft colours. One 25g skein costs £4.49 from www.deramores.com

- Blacker Swan Falkland Islands Wool DK
Blacker Swan is an exciting collaboration between Blacker Yarns, based in Cornwall, and the Swan Inlet Farm on the Falkland Islands. This soft DK yarn comes in dyed and undyed shades, making it a wonderfully versatile yarn to work with! One 50g ball costs £8.50 from www.blackeryarns.co.uk

- Frangipani Guernsey 5ply
5ply is the traditional weight for Guernsey sweaters, and the generous 500g cones by Frangipani are the perfect way to make your own contribution to a very special part of knitting history! It is available in traditional and contemporary colours, giving you the freedom to experiment. One 500g cone costs £25 from www.guernseywool.co.uk

- Jamieson & Smith Shetland Chunky
With seven shades inspired by Shetland, this soft chunky yarn has a gorgeous lightly mottled effect, and is made from wool sourced right there on the islands. One 100g ball costs £7.50 from www.shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk

- Sylvan Tiger Yarn
Made using 100% British Bluefaced Leicester wool, this pretty 4ply yarn is hand-dyed in Yorkshire using natural dyes and colour combinations inspired by the beautiful county. One 100g skein costs £14 from www.baabaabrighouse.co.uk 

- King Cole Masham Misty DK
There are two new British yarns from King Cole this season, and we are particularly enamoured with the Misty version. Although hand wash only, the pastel shades and lightly dappled effect makes for a lovely overall finish. One 50g ball costs £3.35 from www.wool4less.co.uk

- Wendy Ramsdale DK
Wendy Ramsdale is an impressive feat – it uses wool which is not only found in Britain, but in the county of Yorkshire itself. And not only that – it’s been dyed, spun, and labelled there too! One 50g ball costs £3.25 from awoollytail.com

What’s your favourite British yarn? Let us know! Find out more about Wool Week 2014 at www.campaignforwool.org