THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTRIES. RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A BLOG POST SHORTLY.
Who’d like to win some beautiful hand-dyed yarn, regardless of where in the world you’re knitting/hooking? And for those not quite lucky enough to win, who’d like a stonking great discount off said yarn?
Do I perchance hear a ‘yes’ at the back, there?
OK, well first let me tell you a little about the yarn in question, because I realize that you’re too discerning to grab at any ol’ shifty string.
Deep in the Leicestershire countryside, a woman named Fran McCarthy works at her independent yarn dyeing business. Maybe you’ve come across her before, or maybe you’ve yet to encounter the loveliness of her Etsy shop, Burrow And Soar. She produces a number of different things, but her speciality is sock yarn in 100g skeins: plenty of merino with a twist of nylon because, as I pointed out for non-knitters in my last post, feet are bastards.
Look!
And the yarn? She generally sources British breeds worked in British mills, focusing on the Southdown sheep where possible.
Fran originally contacted me weeks ago to talk about her work, and I’m very glad that she did. (Do you know the feeling when you just have a really good instinct about someone?) Of course there are loads of indie dyers out there doing great work, but some people just have an exceptionally visionary eye for colour combinations, and Fran is lucky enough to be one of those people.
I posted the other day about the yarn that Fran sent me after we’d corresponded a’while. No, I didn’t pay for it (DISCLAIMER!!) but no, my fickle head hasn’t been turned by a mere freebie to the extent that I’ll call gorgeous on something that isn’t properly wonderful. Look at this yarn:-
To be honest, I was nearly sold as soon as I saw the name of the colourway on the left: ‘English Landscape With Yarn’. Yes it’s sock yarn, but I’m knitting a shawl (Cladonia) to show off its beauty. Look, here’s a (badly, badly, badly-lit) photo I took whilst calculating WPI (wraps per inch): isn’t there something very English and Constablesque about these colours together?
And this isn’t surprising, because Fran uses the colours of her (outdoor) surroundings to inspire most of her work. She focuses especially on the colours of her garden, which presumably explains all those luscious blues and purples and pinks in the screen-shot above.
Fran’s attention to detail extends to the naming of her work. Most of the names of her colourways are inspired by history or by plays on words. (I couldn’t help smiling at the jumble of purples she’s called Gratuitous Violets.)
And just in case you’re not in the market for yarn, she also sells lovely knitted things (her fairisle is divine), as well as hand-dyed tote bags like this one below. Meet my new project bag:-
But enough of that: there’s a giveaway and a discount to be discussed.
Fran is offering one super-lucky reader the chance to win their choice of skein of her yarn. This competition is open worldwide. If you’re extra-terrestrial (on the space-station, say) then she regrets that postage costs make your participation prohibitive. Apologies. But if your primary residence is somewhere on planet Earth, then you’re in. To enter, simply comment below, leaving some way of contacting you (email, Ravelry username, Twitter handle, or link to your own blog, etc). And for an additional entry, leave a comment under this post on the ‘Yarn’s Facebook page. Liking and sharing is much appreciated, thank you kindly, because we want lots of people to see this pretty yarn. This contest will close at midday GMT on Thursday 20th August. The winner will be drawn at random. I will pass the winner’s contact details to Fran so that they can choose their skein, and I will also announce the winner here.
But wait! There’s more!
You, and any yarn-lovers you happen to know, can also gain a massive 15% off throughout the Burrow And Soar store simply by entering BURROW15 at the checkout. Not bad, huh?
Trust me, you want this yarn. Go have a browse, my friends.
stitchingyarns says
August 18, 2015 at 8:00 amDefinitely count me in. That yarn is to die for! The colourways are divine. My rav ID is Podocarpus.
P.s. I absolutely love your blog. The crochet house project you are beavering away at is absolutely stunning.
stripeychicken says
August 18, 2015 at 8:43 amCan’t remember whether I have entered or not so doing so now. Lovely yarn. Would be delighted to have some.
Pam says
August 18, 2015 at 8:54 amGorgeous colours. It makes me happy just looking at them. My Ravelry name is Romanticknitter.
Sew Hope Needles says
August 18, 2015 at 10:26 amGorgeous yarn, would definitely appreciate such lusciousness. I enjoy your blog tremendously. It has the right mix of yarn and other bits to make it an enjoyable read. The tantalizing project has made check every day to see your progress. Thank you for sharing with us.
ailyntang says
August 18, 2015 at 12:19 pmWhat gorgeous yarn! I’ve just stumbled across your blog recently and am so glad to have found it. Fingers crossed I win!!
My ravelry id is MelbourneLyn, and my email address is entered in the email field.
ailyntang says
August 18, 2015 at 12:20 pmGreat yarn and lovely blog! My ravelry name is MelbourneLyn
Tamra H says
August 18, 2015 at 4:44 pmThanks for the chance to win! Beautiful colors. 🙂
Grace Mitchell says
August 18, 2015 at 4:53 pmSuch beautiful yarn!! My ravelry id is Gracemitch
Dovile says
August 18, 2015 at 5:42 pmI’m so glad I haven’t moved to Mars yet:) Thank you for the chance!
spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com
Sarah L says
August 18, 2015 at 5:48 pmHow pretty! My ravelry id is slawson, and my email was entered when I commented here.
Debby says
August 18, 2015 at 6:50 pmOh these look lovely. Please count me in as well. You can use the email linked to this or determineddebby at gmail dot com
Claire Ross says
August 18, 2015 at 7:48 pmThese look lovely. My mum is the knitter in the family and I am sure she would love these x
Lisa Robins says
August 18, 2015 at 10:37 pmGorgeous. I’m booked in for a sock workshop in September so this would be perfect to use.
Kerry W says
August 18, 2015 at 10:44 pmFran has such a lovely sense of colour! What a fantastic freebie for you and one lucky winner (hope that lucky one is me). Must run ….. I’m off to a certain Etsy store right now.
(beluke on Rav)
OcianeKnits says
August 18, 2015 at 11:39 pmI just discovered your website thanks to you liking a post on my blog! I’m really excited, your blog seems beautiful and I’m looking forward to browsing more through it. I hope to have a blog as nice as yours someday… 🙂
I’m really excited about the yarn giveaway! This yarn and its colors are just beautiful. Crossing my fingers!
stanleybeagle says
August 19, 2015 at 12:18 amMmm, mesmerised by yarn….
Kathy Davis says
August 19, 2015 at 12:27 amThe English Landscape yarn is just beautiful. I have been to England and she named it appropriately.
kdavis1@centurytel.net
Ellen Toothacker says
August 19, 2015 at 1:18 amSo lovely!
(hardwarequeen on Ravelry)
maraewest says
August 19, 2015 at 2:18 amWhile I definitely don’t need to buy any more yarn at the moment, I certainly can’t pass up a chance at winning some yarn. Those are some very lovely colors. And I’ll be honest, despite my poor attempts at making socks in the past, yarn like this might just make me try again.
rainbowgoblin says
August 19, 2015 at 5:06 amI’d love to win, but will check out her store regardless!
bekki says
August 19, 2015 at 10:15 amBeautiful yarn. This lady seems to have flown under my radar so I’m going to go and check out her shop. I’m mokkiblossom on ravelry
Rachael Matthewman says
August 19, 2015 at 1:36 pmSooooooo pretty!
TheClutteredCorner says
August 19, 2015 at 5:56 pmHave been admiring the progress on your shawl – beautiful yarn that gives a wonderful pattern. Such a wonderful variety of hues, looking forward to browsing the shop page to see the full range!
Rhind says
August 19, 2015 at 9:55 pmBeautiful yarn!
Postcard from Gibraltar says
August 19, 2015 at 10:04 pmpostcardfromgibraltar.com
I’d love to be entered please! That green sock yarn is so reminiscent of my English home! ?
Ronnie G says
August 20, 2015 at 12:23 amFran’s yarns are like looking at a palette of beautiful oil paints! The tones are so rich and the hues are so vivid! I admire her talent and her gift for translating what she sees in her yard and garden into colors for us to create hand made knit pieces (which indeed means that her yarn IS the oil paint in our wearable art work!) I wish I could see pictures of her garden as well, I can see the pink roses in my head! (and your shawl is coming right along too!)
Thanks for bringing her talents to our attention… I would love to win the yarn, but also, I have bookmarked her store for my next “stash stock” purchase.
Karen Wall says
August 20, 2015 at 1:08 amAbsolutely beautiful yarn! Thanks for the chance to win some 🙂
karenjh73@googlemail.com
Rachel says
August 20, 2015 at 2:28 amThat is some lovely yarn!
Claire marten says
August 20, 2015 at 5:17 amLovely colours, I’d love to win a skein, I am geraniumbrodie on ravelry
Norma Pitcher says
August 20, 2015 at 6:57 amLove yor blog, love the yarn
Norma Pitcher says
August 20, 2015 at 6:58 amOops I forgot to say I am Gerlwyn on Ravelry