With just over two weeks until I’m back to work, I'm getting very excited about all the things I have planned. Here we have the final update from my maternity leave, with some of my knitting, spinning and sewing projects and plans.
There’s a bit of love for Appledore yarn from John Arbon Textiles* and a look at some of the hand-dyed spinning fibre colours that will be in my very first shop update of this year.
*This is an affiliate link, so if you tap this and shop with them, I get a little commission from anything you buy (and it doesn't cost you anything extra)
John Arbon Appledore yarn, working with local spinning mills and a preview of hand-dyed spinning fibre for the next shop update!
Hello hello!
As much as I love my kids and love spending time with them I am feeling so excited about my imminent return to work. I’m very excited to get back to work; it’s going to be great. I’ll be finding a new rhythm, working in the new studio rather than in the house, but I’m very much looking forward to it.
Here's a quick run-through of everything that's been going on, including a lot of love for John Arbon Appledore yarn, new handspun yarn, some sewing updates and an exclusive preview of some new colours of hand-dyed spinning fibre that will be available in my first shop update when I return.
If you’d like to watch the full video update, it's live and available to all my Patreons. So if you’re not yet a member, but would like to join me on Patreon, you can do so just here. And just as a reminder before I get stuck in, Patreon subscribers on all paid tiers will get access to the shop update at 6pm BST on Thursday 17th September (which I decided whilst filming!) 24 hours before anyone else.
I’ll be at Tetbury Wool Fair on Sunday 11th October
I’ve already got a few events booked in for when I’m back, and the first is Tetbury Wool Fair, which is happening on Sunday 11th October. So, if you’re a knitter or spinner local to Tetbury, it would be lovely to see you there! I also have a couple of talks for guilds and retreats coming up, with details of all my upcoming events on my website.
I am eagerly waiting on my British wool Mendip yarn from the mill
Stocks of my hand-dyed Mendip 4-ply yarn and Mendip DK are starting to become slightly low. I’ve paid for all the fleece that will be spun into the next batch, and now all I can do is wait to hear from the mill about when they’ll be able to start spinning it.
British wool mills, particularly those working with small batches, can have very long waiting times, and the mill I use for my Mendip yarn is very busy. Whilst I wait, however, I have been planning some new colours to add to my already unwieldy range of hand-dyed skeins - I know, but I just can’t help myself, and I think it’s going to be so much fun.
If it looks as though we’re heading for a Mendip shortage, I may look at bringing in some guest yarns to fill the gap, but more on that in the future!
I’m wearing my Scrumper Cardigan in John Arbon Appledore DK
The hand-knit cardigan I’m wearing in the video is my Scrumper Cardigan, a neatly fitted cardigan with tiny cables and panels of moss stitch, which I love.
This sample was knitted up in John Arbon’s Appledore DK yarn in the shade Sweet Copin, which is one of my all-time favourite yarns. It’s so soft with a lovely depth of colour and I’ve used it for a number of my knit designs, including my original Scrumper Waistcoat, which I knitted in Dufflin.
The handmade wooden buttons I've used are the 15mm Laburnum wood ones from Tom Dyson.
Some Appledore colours are being discontinued
Sadly, both Sweet Coppin and Dufflin are among the Appledore shades that John Arbon is discontinuing. The other discontinued colours are Dabinett, Yeovil Sour, Winter Stubbard, Foxwhelp and Hangy Down (another favourite of mine).
So if you like those colours, get them now as they won’t be making them again!
Of course, discontinued colours mean new colours, including plenty of new good greens yaaay. My own limited edition shade Fallen Leaf, which I designed with John Arbon for my Beechmast Sweater knitting pattern, is also becoming a permanent colour across the entire Appledore range. It’s being renamed Blenham Orange to fit with the rest of the apple-inspired colour names.
If you’d like a look at the new colours and hear my thoughts, I start chatting about them at around 12:25.
I’m knitting a saddle shoulder sweater for my father
Whilst we’re on the subject of Appledore, I have a new knitting project! I spoke about this last time, but I am knitting a rather simple jumper for my father using Appledore Lace held double in the colour Billy Down Pippin, which is coming together very nicely.
Before I move on to my next (secret) knitting project, I wanted to take a moment to say that I don’t normally do plugs, but I love John Arbon, and I finally have an affiliate link set up with them. So if you are considering buying anything from John Arbon Textiles, I would love it if you bought it via my affiliate link or using my code MARINASKUA. That way, I’ll get a small commission from your order, without it costing you anything extra.
I’m working on a (secret) waistcoat design
Skip to 27:20 and you’ll see that I’m knitting a whole garment in herringbone stitch!…
It’s a waistcoat design for a publication so I can’t share too much at the moment, but I’ve chosen my hand-dyed Mendip DK yarn in Yew (Cloudy). It’s taking a very long time to knit each row; however, it is going to be beautiful when I’m finally done with it.
I will be putting out a call for test knitters very soon, so make sure you are on the mailing list if you want to hear about that.
I’ve finished some handspun yarn using the rough fibre from my Dutch Spotted x Suffolk fleeces
Spinning project chat starts at 32:40.
I have posted about this spinning project on my instagram, and touched upon it in the last update, but I’ve been spinning up some of the rough fibre I removed when skirting a couple of Dutch Spotted x Suffolk fleeces. These were the really hairy leg bits that were really nowhere near good enough for the mill, but I couldn’t bear not to spin. This lot was spun using worsted prep and spinning.
As a crafter who dislikes waste, I decdied to make this a project of multiple layers of rejection as I also spun up the waste that came from combing the skirting waste. I spun this lot using a woollen prep and spin, and it’s interesting to see how the two compare.
I had an enormous amount of fun with it and would love to do it again, this time making a video as I go explaining the difference between woollen and worsted prep and spinning. So please do let me know if this is something you’d be interested in seeing from me!
There was basically no waste from this spinning project, just a small handful of nepps that went into the compost. And now I have some very coarse, heavier weight yarn that is likely to become a rug weaving project for home.
*The fleece that was good enough for the mill is now there, and I’m hoping to have it ready for my first shop update on Thursday 17th September at 6pm BST, but if not, I’ll be taking it with me to Tetbury Wool Fair and any leftovers will then be added to the website in another shop update.
My stash of handspun yarn is growing even more
I’ve also spun up the beautiful plant-dyed Cottage Blend I got from my lovely friend Lorna at Thread and Yarn and some undyed fawn Shetland from Wingham Wool - both very kindly given to me to try. I spun the two singles and plied them together to create a glorious rather fine, gently marled handspun yarn that reminds me of the haze of a summer’s morning.
Rather fortuitiously I also have a small skein of Lorna’s yarn leftover for me to combine with the blend for a very special handspun project.
And I’ve also got a quick update on my wool and flax fibre, hand-dyed with onion skins and rhubarb root. I’ve been working on this for a very very very long time, but tune in at 42:00 for the latest update of this long standing spinning project.
I sewed a top and plan to sew some Betty Silk Lala Pants
I’ve been doing some sewing, as well as quite a lot of mending. I haven’t shown you all my mending, but I have given you a look at a new tank top I have sewn using a remnant of bamboo that I got from Organic Textile Company. The plan is to dye it a dark plum/burgundy colour, so tune in at 48:40 to hear all my sewing/dyeing/mending chat, including some plans for Lala Pants by Betty Silk aka Lizzie, who I occasionally see at the No Frills Knitting socials in Bristol.
Finally a sneak peek of some of my limited edition hand-dyed spinning fibre
I go back to work officially on Monday 14th September and will have a shop update ready for you guys on Thursday 17th September at 6pm BST. I won’t spoil the surprise as to what some of them look like, so tune in at around 58:30 for a first look at some of the limited edition hand-dyed spinning fibre that I’m going to have available. I will also have new buttons from Tom Dyson that I am very much looking forward to.
As a reminder, Patreons on all paid tiers will have exclusive access to my shop update (and subsequent updates) a full 24 hours before anyone else. It’s not going to be the biggest update, so all the more reason to join me on Patreon to be the first to shop!
That's all from me for now
Thank you so, so much for joining me for my final maternity leave update. I really am very excited to be back to business as usual from next month.
I’m incredibly lucky that I love my work as much as I do, but you guys make all of this possible, and I couldn’t do what I do in quite the same way without all the support I get from my Patreon community. It’s made such a difference to me and my family during my maternity leave, and I am very, very grateful.
Thank you for being here. It’s been so lovely chatting to you, and I hope you are all well.
I’ll catch you next time,
Marina
Stay connected with all things Marina Skua
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I’ve also recently added an events page to the website, where you can see all the upcoming places I’ll be. Whether it’s events I’m attending, talks I’m giving, or markets where you can come and squish some hand-dyed British wool yarns or just have a chat in person.
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See you next time.
