Huzzah and welcome to the second episode of Yarn Ambassador. You came back! I'm delighted. Thank you!

This is a two-part Podblog this month - first I shall be showcasing the yarns of the very lovely and adorable Amy from Stranded Dye works and in part deux we will be taking a super-fast whizz around the Baltics and Scandinavia with mittens on the mind.

You can watch the video podcast version of this month's installment here (click on the image below) or scroll down for the same content (ish) in words:

PART 1 - First.. to Amy and Stranded Dyeworks.

If you don't already know Amy and her hilarious podcast then you've arrived here quite by accident (delighted to have you - don't get me wrong). Amy's weekly podcast is one of the most endearing out there and full of optimism and joy and enthusiasm and a very particular type of self-effacing British humour. Seriously - if you haven't watched it, go there now. Stranded Podcast

Amy is very frank about how she arrived at being an independent yarn dyer. As many of us, it seems like knitting and dying was a retreat for Amy in some unhappy times when Amy was a student. It seems that is reflected in the name of her company - Stranded - and the names of her bases 'Castaway', 'Solo', 'Oasis', 'Drift'. Lucky for us that Stranded Dyeworks (and Amy) came out of this difficult period and more lucky for us that Amy is prepared to talk openly and honestly about that time in her life.

Amy comes from an arty background (she always wanted to be an illustrator) and despite being entirely put off illustration by her uni degree I think the influences on her colour choices and pairings are clear. She seems to have a natural eye for what works together and whereas I might create a dog's dinner.. Amy really creates a picture.

Despite all her protestations about only knitting things in grey, her dyework palette is vibrant and zingy. That's not to say you can't find subtler more neutral colourways - they are definitely in there too - but if you're looking for neon and pops of colour then Stranded Dyeworks is a great place to start. Even if you aren't looking for loud colours then you will probably come away with some anyway. It's hard to be immune to the infectious brightness - of Amy and the colours! I cast on orange socks for heaven's sake. Orange socks. And I love them! My excuse was that I was sucked in by the name - Koi.. all i could think of was a zen pond with elegant koi carp floating round and suddenly my feet had to be fish. That's how it works.

One thing Amy does really well is a semi-solid and on her 'Solo Singles' merino sock base they really come to light. This Linus shawl in her 'Paintbox No.60' shows off the depth and vibrancy of her colours.

Stranded Dyeworks Bases:

Solo - a fingering weight single ply yarn from 100% Superwash Merino wool. 366m / 400yds. Perfect for the Linus Shawl!

Oasis - A reliable sock yarn - 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon.

Paradise - A slightly more luxurious sock yarn - 80% superwash merino, 10% nylon, 10% cashmere (ooherr)

Drift - a laceweight blend of 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Silk. It's perfect for using on it's own, or holding alongside another yarn to add a fuzzy halo to your project. Each skein is 50g and has 420m / 459yds.

Castaway - a soft, bouncy double knit weight (DK) yarn from 100% superwash Merino wool. A skein of Castaway is perfect for small projects like hats or mitts, or a larger quantity would make a cozy sweater or cardigan. 225m / 246yds

Rugged - a squishy, substantial Aran weight Superwash Merino yarn. 166m / 181yds It's perfect for hats, cowls and warm winter accessories.

Click on the image below to see a mini showcase of Stranded Dyeworks yarn and colourways:

Amy is hard at it this July and is only having a few shop updates this month (normally on a Friday) but if you're desperate to get in on the party then you can track her down at PomFest (14th - 15th July) in East London or all the way over in Nashville at the Super Summer Knit Together (SSK) (19th - 23rd July).

A massive thank you to Amy for the interview, the beautiful yarn and the life-saving podcast!

Details:

Instagram @a myflorence

Ravelry: AmyFlorence and also check out her Ravelry Group Stranded Podcast

Email: strandeddyeworks@gmail.com

Shop: https://strandeddyeworks.co.uk/

PART DEUX - Mittens!

I was lucky enough to be in Riga, Latvia in April (surprisingly chilly for that time of year but I'm not complaining..) and what a delightful city that was. An old medieval city centre with a fascinating history that extends a long way into the recent past.

What made it even more worth the trip is that Latvia (along with her Baltic and Scandinavian neighbours) has a wonderful tradition of knitted colourwork mittens. I did some homework before I left and came across Hobby Wool right in the city centre. And what a delight - a cosy little haven with racks of wool, knitted garments and these wonderful mitten kits:

The kits come in a dizzying area of patterns and colours and are based on years of tradition. Each of the designs, symbols and patterns is imbued with meaning and history.

The tradition of stranded colourwork in mittens is not exclusive to Latvia (indeed Hobby Wool stock kits inspired by Muhu Island in Estonia) and there is a long and vibrant and current mitten scene (is there such a thing as a 'mitten scene'?! I say yes..) across the Baltics, Scandinavia and Europe. The double colourwork makes them really cosy, a beautiful winter staple and a little piece of history on your hands!

Inspired by these lovely kits (perfect for a little present to oneself - I got several!) I came home and did some digging and rediscovered some relevant titles that have been languishing on my bookshelf. I love the idea of a common history and a common language in the designs that are knitted into these humble little mittens and a shared tradition throughout Europe. In my readings it's become apparent that across the Baltics and Scandinavia it was (and perhaps in some places still is) expected that family guests at a wedding would receive unique hand-knitted pair of mittens. That sounds like my kind of wedding.

Norwegian Mittens and Gloves by Annemor Sundebo Is a wonderful pattern book with an excellent story about how these patterns came to be rescued and preserved. It's very easy to follow and I've made several of the patterns (details on my Ravelry projects):

Mostly Mittens - Ethnic Knitting Designs from Russia is also on my shelf and features designs from the Ethnic Komi community in Russia (that i knew nothing about prior to this title). It gives an excellent background and clear instructions to the designs that are more geometric and pattern repeat heavy (rather than animals etc as above). I've not tried any out yet but it seems very simple to follow. I think I might cast on....!

GIVEAWAY

I did indeed get several of the Hobby Wool mitten kits and one of them is for you (I've been thinking about this blog for a while!). One lucky Yarn Ambassador follower will win the following kit so you too can knit like a Muhu Islander.. (I bet you've never thought that!)

Muhu Inspiration No.12 - the pattern, the chart and the yarn to make your own mittens!

Just head on over to the Yarn Ambassador Podblog Group on Ravelry and follow the prompt and one winner will be picked before the August recording. So.. what better excuse than to get your mitt on?

Thanks again for joining and hope to see you next month! I'd love to hear what you think so please don't hesitate to be in touch!