This year, 2022, Her Majesty The Queen celebrates 70 years of service with a Platinum Jubilee. Here at Rowan, we are celebrating this historic milestone with a special collection of Jubilee-inspired knits using one of our British yarns Moordale.
Moordale is made using fine micron wool of the Bluefaced Leicester which is known for being both soft and strong. This is then blended with British Alpaca to add a lustrous, silky touch, resulting in a natural, robust, tender yarn which drapes well and feels comfortable on the skin.
The roots of this British yarn lie in West Yorkshire, the home of Rowan. It is produced by Laxtons Specialist Yarns, who are based in Bradford. Established in 1907, this British manufacturer is currently run by the 4th generation of the Laxton family. With a rich heritage and a strong ethos for sustainability, Laxtons were the perfect fit when we were looking to create this truly British yarn. Laxtons pride themselves on leading the way with sustainable practices and reducing the impact on the environment.
Moordale is currently available in a palette of eighteen shades including a range of neutrals, plus beautiful brights.
West Yorkshire, the home of Rowan, is steeped in strong textile heritage and tradition. We were therefore delighted in 2017 to introduce Valley Tweed to the range, spun and dyed by Gardiner Yarns at their mill in Yorkshire.
The spinners have used their expertise to create an airy and light yarn, featuring a beautiful colour effect due to the incorporation of an extra thread of lambswool. A selection of earthy, natural shades make up a colour palette inspired by and named after the surrounding valleys and features of the Yorkshire landscape. The different colours of Valley Tweed can be combined to spectacular, painterly effect or simply used alone. This is a stunning yarn which is a delight to knit and wear.
Pebble Island, is 100% pure wool. Fully traceable from farm to store.
Pebble Island is the most recent addition to our British yarn range. Launched in 2020, this fully traceable yarn is a joy to knit and has a wonderful story to tell.
Pebble Island is the third largest of the 750 offshore islands in the Falklands archipelago, to the east of the South American Continent. Home to colonies of four breeds of penguin including Southern rockhopper and macaroni, and low grasslands and lakes, which attract a wide range of wildfowl and wading birds making it an important bird conservation area.
Now run by Alex and Dot Gould, along with sheep dog Betty and her offspring, the island has been a sheep farm since 1846, and produces some of the finest wool in the world. The 6000 sheep and other livestock have access to the beaches, including spectacular Elephant bay where they can graze on kelp, which is proven to reduce methane emissions.
The sheep are all blade-shorn by hand – an artisanal process, requiring dedication, patience and precision. Slower and quieter than mechanical shearing, this highly skilled technique is kind to the sheep, and also produces better wool yields.
on the island – winters are longer, and spring is later – so Alex and his team shear earlier so that the ewes can be lighter on their feet for lambing. This also means that the wool is cleaner with less dust and dirt picked up through the summer months. The sheep are left with up to 18mm of wool using hand shears, and the lanolin is maintained for added protection and warmth.
The yarn is then spun in Yorkshire by a fourth-generation worsted spinning mill.
There is a palette of ten shades inspired by the natural agate stones and indigenous flora and fauna of Pebble Island.
Original article by Arabella Harris
