A look back at our monthly yarn club editions
Nature Lovers Club continues to be something I really look forward to dyeing each month. As the business has grown, my work as a yarn dyer is increasingly about keeping our most popular shades in stock (you don’t hold back from telling me when they’re not!). The club is a canvas for me to develop new ideas, many of which exist in my head for quite some time before they get brought to life.
2024 was not just a great year of exploring new ideas, but revisiting several familiar themes with a new perspective, and welcoming an awe-inspiring celestial visitor!
January – ‘Mossy’
‘Mossy’ was inspired by Iceland’s tenacious moss and lichens, which survive in seemingly inhospitable volcanic slopes within an arctic climate, reminding us that life is adapted to survive the harshest conditions.
I liked this shade so much I have just giving it a reboot as a stock shade.
I endeavoured to capture the essence of the moss colour, incorporating the textures and contrasts of the rugged landscape. I think the result has a lot of depth and interest, which I hope makes it a shade to reach for!
Photo Dylan Shaw on Unsplash
February – ‘Pomegranate’
Pomegranates coming into season is one of my favourite things about winter – delicious! The fruits have so many beautiful tones but I chose to focus on the rich ruby red of the peel.
This shade looks simple at first, but appears to transform in every light. It was been dyed three times to give it depth and subtle tonal variation.
Photo Marta Matyszczyk on Unsplash
March – ‘In the Matrix’
Opals are one of the most captivating of gems, every stone having a unique beauty. Matrix opal is formed in tiny pockets in the host rock. When that rock is a dark material such as basalt, the play of colour can be all the more dramatic. My apologies to anyone expecting Keanu Reeves in a long leather coat; the double meaning is intentional because there is something about this opal that reminds me of racks of servers!
This shade turned out to be one of the most challenging I have ever attempted to dye. Definitely a one-of-a-kind batch, but we do currently have one skein left in the shop!
Photo James St. John on Flickr Creative Commons
April – ‘Fluorite’
Staying with the gemstone theme, fluorite is a common yet fascinating gem that often displays colour transitions within a single crystal formation. This is caused by tinting from other minerals, creating beautiful teals and violets. These are colours I use often, so for this edition I did something a little different from my usual style.
For a companion shade, look no further than ‘Brixton Purple’.
Photo Tony Hisgett on Flickr Creative Commons
May – ‘Uncommon Blue’
Common Blue butterflies have become regulars in our back garden in recent years. I don’t remember seeing them much in the past. Maybe their presence is a side effect of climate change? Or perhaps we have a plant they like? Either way, they are very welcome. They are small but so striking, with a flash of light blue that’s almost iridescent (the males that is, the females are less showy but still have a blue tinge).
This theme has made for an unusual yarn shade, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before. It looks great with purples, peach/pink tones and neutrals.
Photo Mark Robinson on Flickr Creative Commons
June – ‘Aura’
It’s not every day that the Northern Lights come to town. And to be powerful enough to able to see with the naked eye in southern UK, and have a clear night, that’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime! I’ve travelled to Scandinavia 15+ times but never seen a thing, so obviously I had to pay tribute to this remarkable event with a yarn shade.
It turns out that we’re very well situated to capture the skies to the north as we overlook Epping Forest, so there’s less light pollution here than most of London. I was woefully unprepared with my camera but nevertheless managed to capture a few photos leaning out of a skylight. While the greens and distinct ‘rays’ only showed up in photos, the purples and pinks to the east were clear and bright, and danced across the sky. Magical!
Photo by Suzie
July – ‘Solstice Sunrise’
Many cultures mark the arrival of the longest day and significant events in the solar calendar. It’s easy to see why it was an important part of pagan religions when our survival depended on the harvest. I’ve always been fascinated by our prehistoric stone circles, but the relevance of the sun’s cycle today is not purely about new age spirituality; a friend from central Norway tells me how significant it feels when the sun finally rises high enough to reach their valley in early spring. Stone circles are a reminder that we’re custodians of the planet, rather than owners. The sun is the source of all energy on our planet, whether it’s solar power of fossil fuels, and that seems worth celebrating to me.
We had particularly beautiful solstice weather this year, and although I’m not an early riser I did get to see lots of friends’ amazing sunrise photos, which inspired me to create this pastel shade.
Photo by Stonehenge Stone Circle on Flickr Creative Commons
August
No shade for August – I took a break from the club fir the first time in 7 years – wild huh?!
September – ‘Miami Sunset’
This month Nature Lovers Club was back with a bang! The antithesis of July’s delicate and understated skyscape, September’s was vibrant and striking. Florida is famous for intensely coloured sunsets, which are thanks to its super air quality. Who knew?
I dyed an extra large batch of this shade and we still have a handful of these beauties in the shop.
Photo by Iliyan Gochev on Flickr Creative Commons
October – ‘Turning Leaves’
At this time of year we start to see the first autumn colour in East London. Last autumn I created a similar themed shade for the club, which became our most popular club edition ever! Luckily, the falling leaves give us such a diverse show of colour that this season always provides new ideas. I hope you enjoy this one – we have a few skeins still available, and I’ve also recently added a similar shade to our stock colours.
Photo Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
November – ‘Rockpool’
While everyone else is enjoying themselves in the sea, I am often found making myself slightly dizzy staring into tidal pools. These amazing little worlds are so full of colour!
Photo SGR on Unsplash
December – ‘Some Bananas are Pink’
Some bananas are pink, and they’re a pretty rad shade of pink, also a bit speckled – perfect for a yarn shade! They’re also hairy and a bit stumpy, but we don’t discriminate. Meet Musa Velutina, the hairy pink wild banana from the south Himalayan valleys. When I learned about pink bananas I couldn’t resist creating this shade to brighten up a grey December. It’s a very bright pink, but not neon. We have a handful of skeins of this cheerful colour still available in the shop.
Photo by Katja Schulz, Flickr Creative Commons
And that it for another year. Which was your favourite? And, what would you like to see next? Let me know in the comments!
