What we want to do
Woolly Chic is looking to produce a brand new environmentally sustainable luxurious British 4ply yarn made from 70% Bluefaced Leicester wool and 30% Tencel™.
HeartSpun: Spun out of a love for British wool and the environment!
BACKGROUND
I set up my business, Woolly Chic, in 2012 at a time when there was very little British Wool available in the UK for knitting and crochet. Passionate about supporting British farmers and buying from local and sustainable sources, I was able to get small amounts of Welsh wool spun from the fleece of sheep farmed by my family in Pembrokeshire and I have been writing knitting and crochet patterns for this yarn ever since. I am happy to say that now there is much more choice of British yarns available and, with knitting and crochet becoming more and more popular, British sheep farmers are getting paid a better sum of money for their fleeces. However, I often hear British wool being criticised for being too itchy, coarse and scratchy and that they prefer to use acrylic because it is cheap, or merino wool because it is soft.
I have been working with a spinning mill in Yorkshire to create a yarn that counters all those arguments and produces yarn that is both super soft and silky, as well as strong and environmentally friendly.
– The Sheep
HeartSpun Yarn will be spun from the fleece of Bluefaced Leicester sheep, which is both strong and soft and drapes beautifully once knitted. These elegant sheep are blessed with fine, soft and semi-lustrous fleece.
Bluefaced Leicesters’ fleece is known for its softness, but the fibre is also hard wearing and has wonderful stitch definition, making it equally ideal for both more durable items and lace garments.
– Tencel™
Tencel™ is made from renewable wood pulp from Eucalyptus trees grown in certified sustainable forests in Europe and South Africa. It is 100% biodegradable and the production of Tencel™ requires less energy and water than fibres such as bamboo, cotton and viscose. For more information on the environmental credentials of Tencel™ visit https://www.tencel.com/sustainability
– The Yarn
Combined together, Bluefaced Leicester and Tencel™ creates a beautiful soft yarn with a luxurious smooth sheen. It is strong, breathable, naturally anti-bacterial and hypo allergenic. It also allows dyes to penetrate deeply into the fibre resulting in impressive colour brilliance.
I am calling this new yarn HeartSpun, as it will be spun out of a love for both British wool and the environment.
The yarn will come in 6 gorgeous colours – Natural, Raspberry, Pink, Purple, Fern Green and Blue. These reflect the Woolly Chic colour palette and are inspired by my Granny’s favourite flowers, Love in a Mist (Nigella).
WHY IT MATTERS
As more and more people are enjoying the wonderful crafts of knitting and crochet, it is becoming increasingly important to have yarns available that don’t harm our planet. Woolly Chic’s HeartSpun yarn offers an alternative to knitting and crocheting with acrylic and nylon (plastic) and also rivals merino yarn in softness and luxurious sheen. Merino wool is thought to be one of the softest yarns available, but as the sheep are farmed in South America and Australia, the fleece has travelled many miles to reach us.
THE GOAL
Everything is in place to spin the yarn, but I need your help to fund the final stage of the project. Your pledge will go towards funding getting the yarn scoured and dyed and for the design and printing of ball bands.
The rewards will be available by the end of February and will be shipped the moment the yarn has been delivered to me.
Rewards
In exchange for your support, as little as £1 will earn my eternal gratitude, or if you would like to get your hands on some of this stunning yarn, pledge £15 or more and you could be one of the first people to knit or crochet something beautiful with this HeartSpun yarn (and with a free Woolly Chic pattern!).
Pledge £12 and get a limited edition Woolly Chic Tote bag.
Pledge £15 and get one 100g skein of undyed yarn and a knitting or crochet pattern.
Pledge £20 and get one 100g skein of dyed yarn and a knitting or crochet pattern.
Pledge £50 and get one 100g skein of undyed yarn, two 100g skeins of dyed yarn and a knitting or crochet pattern.
Pledge £100 and get six 100g skeins, one of each colour and a knitting or crochet pattern.
Pledge £110 and get ten 100g skeins of undyed yarn.
Pledge £120 in return for a one to one crochet lesson and lunch with Helen, along with one 100g skein and a limited edition Tote bag.
Pledge £150 and Helen will crochet you a Harmony of Leaves scarf in any colour of HeartSpun yarn.
Thank you!
RISKS AND CHALLENGES I am confident that the spinning mill in Yorkshire will be able to spin the yarn, as I have already had a trial amount spun and dyed. My 7 years of experience running a small wool business, dealing with suppliers and producing quality knitting and crochet patterns will minimise the risks. In order to fund the production of this new yarn, I am fully committed to invest a large part of my own money into the project and the Kickstarter funding will ensure that there are ample funds to get the yarn to the customer much quicker. The real challenge will be time. With careful management the spinning mill will keep to the production schedule and the yarn will be spun and dyed by the middle of February. Then it will be down to me to fulfil orders and send out the rewards. As a small business we will have to be super organised in order to package and ship all the orders quickly. I will ensure that all backers are kept informed of progress on the project and I will produce content for the Woolly Chic website and YouTube channel throughout the process. HeartSpun yarn will be marketed as a luxury hand knitting yarn, and the recommended retail price of between £16 and £22 reflects this.