BB's News

Organic linen yarn

Organic linen yarn

Linen DW fabric

Dear Weavers

In this blog I would like to introduce the new organic linen yarn NeL 16/2. Yes, I finally managed to put this new yarn online with all its glory, all colour pictures and description. Putting a new yarn into my online shop is always very time consuming. I do everything myself, which is my own choice to do so, not complaining. It really never made sense to me to have a website and not being able to service it myself. So everything on there had to be manoeuvrable by me. I had to learn how to do it and being able to change it when necessary... And I am sure it takes me three times as long as when a website designer does it. Hey I can do it... but I really don't want to bore you with all the website details. 

The new organic linen NeL 16/2 is a beautiful yarn. It is of course a 100% linen yarn made out of organically certified grown flax. The yarn has an amazing shine, wrong...  it glows. I love the colours there are available, bright and happy. But the best got to be the smell. Ahhh for me it smells of summer hayfields and sunshine. (Warning: Please don't smell it if you have an allergic reaction to hay). The linen yarn is a very strong yarn and can be used for many things. Actually its tensile strength is even higher when woven in humid weather. Like now. We just experienced another rain period over the last couple of days and the linen yarn loves that. When the yarn is able to suck up the humidity, it is more flexible and not as stiff. The linen yarn is not just used for weaving, there are so many applications. It can be used for stitching, tatting, embroidery and even bookbinding. 

 Costrel

An amazing example of what the linen yarn can be used for would be this costrel made by Wayne Robinson. Wayne is reproducing all sorts of medieval and Anglo-Saxon leather works. For more information on his work go to  https://leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/

The linen yarn can also be quite temperamental and sometimes be declared as stiff and not cooperating. I remember in my early weaving years, I beamed a linen warp very neatly on the warp beam only to discover next day, that the whole warp has unravelled itself. Well, I always keep saying, linen is special and has its own character. Treat it as such and you won't be too surprised when it does not want to behave. But what you can achieve with linen is always worth the trouble. A linen product is very unique and special with its shine and long-lasting quality. 

When weaving linen and there is dry weather, it is advisable to have a water spray next to you. Spray it directly onto the warp and you will even notice how the thread pulls itself together. Once moist, it seems to be handled much better. Whenever you use water, just be careful not to spray towards the reed. Most reeds rust and cleaning them is not fun.

The new organic linen from Venne comes in cute 100g cones. Even though this linen is certified organic it has a great price of $15.90 natural and $16.90 bleached and coloured. 

There is still some of the old linen 16/2 yarn from Borgs Vavgarner available. You will find this yarn in the On Sale section on the website and it is 20% off. The colours still available are Lavender, Magenta, Basil, Orange, Hickory, Shamrock and Ultramarine. Press on the photo below to get straight to the page.

 Old linen orange, magenta, lavenderOld linen basil, olive, hickory

It has been cold in our neck of the woods. We had the coldest ever day with a top of 11 degrees! Our wood fire heater was on all day long. A couple of days ago it was only 5 degrees in the morning, Oh my was that cold. Thank goodness for the sun, which brings some warmth back during the day. Look, I know it can get much colder than that in some parts of Australia. But not in Queensland. We are definitely not used to such cold weather up here. Anyway, the wattle and casuarina trees seem to like the colder weather and have started to flower. The gold and green from the wattle trees is spread all over our property. The casuarina tree or she oak looks a bit like an autumn coloured tree. But if you look closer it has an extended needle with some reddish pedals on it. Isn't nature just extraordinary?  

WattleCasuarinaCasuarina close

That is it from me. Stay safe and be good. Looking forward to hear from you.

Happy weaving

Ursula

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Weaving seminars 2022

Weaving seminars 2022

DDW scarf workshop

Dear Weavers

Time seems to fly right now. I didn't even get to write a blog post in May and meanwhile it is already past middle of June, winter solstice. I will have to catch up on writing, because I really want to manage 1 blog/month this year. That means a lot of writing is coming up for me and a lot of reading for you.

Registration for the seminars is now open! 

Yes, you have read correctly, there are going to be more than one seminar, to be precise there are going to be two. After my little promotion in the last blog post in April, I had an absolutely amazing response for the fabulous weekend ahead. There were so many of you who would love to be part of it. So many, that I would have had to decide who gets in and who doesn't. I couldn't help it and started looking for another solution. A discussion with my husband opened up an idea: Why don't I have two seminars in a row. Two exactly the same, same place, same workshop and same talks? This would open it up for double the amount of weavers to be able to participate. I immediately contacted the Brookfield retreat host and she said yes. The Brookfield retreat is now booked for a whole week. Seminar 1 will be held from 11.-13. October and Seminar 2 from 14.-16. October. One is more for weavers who are not working and can attend during week days. The other seminar is for long weekend lovers. Your choice. There will be one day in between the two seminars, where the cleaning crew will come in to clean and change the bed linens. I will be the only person staying there the whole week.

On offer this year is: 

  • Deflected Double Weave workshop, two days from 9.30am-4pm, learn how to design DDW, weave a row of samples (warp supplied) and explore colours within this weave structure
  • Have a go at being your own textile photographer, learn and explore tips and tricks of photography by having a go
  • Take your freshly taken photos and make them presentable for an exhibition entry or an online shop like Etsy
  • Talk by Jenny Jackett on how to make up your handwoven fabrics. What to look for before cutting into it
  • Being able to browse through BB Yarns extensive yarn supply and purchase what your heart desires
  • Relaxed gathering with like minded people or enjoy a dip in the pool or get soaked in the spa

WS Brookfield retreat

There are going to be a couple of changes:

- The workshop itself will be held in the newly renovated garage, made into a workshop/presentation room. The room has much better lighting and suitable flooring.

- There are only going to be 10 spots available for each seminar. Although the house could hold more, the experience from last year showed that 10 was a good number, regarding house and bedrooms available

- The 10 spots are only available for overnight participants. No more day visitors.

- Last year I prepared all the food in advance. Living 450km away from Brisbane has put a stop to this idea. Therefore the dinner for both nights will be delivered from a local restaurant.

- This year the option of arriving the evening before will be available for long distance travellers. The cost for one more night will be $50. Last year we figured out, that the traffic around this area of Brisbane in the mornings is horrendous. You will now be able to avoid this and arrive early.

If you are interested in participating in this years seminar, you better be quick. Last year the seminar was booked within 4 days. Just saying. Interested? The link below will take you to the website where you can download the registration form. It is a pdf file which can easily be filled in and sent back with payment to me via email. 

Weaving seminar 2022

Email address: sales@bbyarn.com

WS Brookfield retreat 2

It has now been 6 months since we have moved out into the country. Still loving it! Even though it is certainly much more work than living in the comfort of a city, we wouldn't change a thing. Every morning I get reminded of why and what for we have moved here. I usually get up every day around 5.30-6am and go for a walk with Lucky my dog along Michelles Road. Lately we have been greeted by the most wonderful sunrises. I reckon this is the most beautiful thing to wake up to. Every day it is different, sometimes red/orange, then there could be clouds, next day it has fog and the day after it is like pure gold on the horizon. I am amazed every day how different each sunrise is. Never the same. It also makes me enormous grateful to be alive and to experience such a wonderful thing every single day. Here are some impressions I was able to catch.

Sunrise 1

Sunrise fog

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunrise 3

Sunrise 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy weaving everyone

Ursula

 

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Shipping & seminar 2022

Shipping & seminar 2022

 Amalgamation

Dear Weavers

As promises this year I really try to have a blog post out every month with news from BB Yarns weaving world and what's happening up here in Horse Camp. Can you believe it is already four weeks since my last scribble?

This month I have shipping cost news: Because I had to restrict my posting days to Monday and Wednesday only, I thought I make it fair with arranging the shipping costs with an amazing deal for you.

  • All orders over $150 have free shipping!
  • All other orders have a straight shipping cost of $9.95.

No more adjusting to the weight of the order. All shipping costs are now very straight forward and easy to deal with. These prices are only valid for standard shipping costs. The prices for express shipping have not changed and still vary depending on the weight of your order. But be aware that even express orders will only be posted Mondays and Wednesdays. I simply can't just drive to the post office quickly to drop the parcel off asap.

WS 2022

The next news is that I can now reveal that there is going to be another weaving seminar this year! I have again booked the Brookfield retreat for a long weekend in October, 14. - 16. 10. This year the workshop is going to be all about "Deflected Double weave" and again we will have great talks on Friday and Saturday night. A special talk will be by Jenny Jackett showing us her tips and tricks about "Making up Handwovens". There will also be a follow up on the photography talk from last year and taking it one step further on how to make up the photo on your computer. If time permits we will even venture into how to create an Etsy shop. Next to all this there is a pool, spa and a beautiful garden to enjoy with plenty of food and I am sure there will be a glass of wine. The most common feedback I've got from last years seminar was that it was simply a great time to enjoy with other weavers, have time to weave and chat together, relax and enjoy each others company. Did I catch your interest? If so let me know via email, text or phone and I can put your name onto the list to receive the registration form first up. Last year the 12 spots available were booked within 4 days! If you really would like to be a part of this, you need to get in contact with me now. 

  • sales@bbyarn.com
  • Ph.: 0402 973 655
  • Facebook: BB Yarn Supply
  • Instagram: bbyarnsupply
  • Or simply write a comment on this blog post
  • www.bbyarn.com

Easter is here! Traditionally I will be dyeing eggs with onion skin on Good Friday and finally be allowed to eat chocolate on Sunday. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter celebration and maybe even find time to do some weaving over the coming days. 

Easter nest

Happy Easter everyone and don't eat too much chocolate!

Ursula

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Big Move!

Big Move!

Rainbow over Weaving studio

Dear Weavers

It's been a while! But can you see the rainbow in the picture above?

I hope this blog finds you all well & safe and I hope you have all started 2022 with a new and happy lookout! Yes, it has been a while and I have to say, I missed writing this blog. This might sound rather crazy and weird, but writing these blogs bring me a lot of enjoyment and clarity. It feels a bit like when I write all this down, it seems to clear in my head and there is relief. And I really, really do enjoy being able to help or maybe give a little support or happiness to other weavers. Or to friends. I learned that not just weavers read this blog, there are also some friends who enjoy reading it. 

Now to the news: Yes, BB Yarn Supply, Roland and I, with Lucky the dog have moved. We have spent the last two years building this house in the bush with no intentions to move this fast. It was always the intention to retire in this new house and we are no way near retirement. But I guess over the two years building, a lot of things changed. First up there was this mad virus spreading around the world. It made us think that living in the country could be much safer than in a big city. Then of course there is the temptation of being able to move into a brand new house. One that we built ourselves! We thought about this and discussed it many times, before the argument that this new house needs looking after too, gave us the decision. How could we leave this house alone now, when we spent so many hours building and caring/worrying. This house literally has blood, sweat and tears on it. Shouldn't we enjoy it now?

So we collected our courage and took the step. We did it! We moved at the beginning of December last year and had everything unpacked by Christmas. The business side of things took a little bit longer but now eventually I am fully set up and going. 

New officeNew office

Okay where did we really move to? It is a location called Horse Camp out in the bush, about 15 minutes drive from Gin Gin. Our house sits on a hill and we have the best view in the whole world. It really feels like we are alone on this earth and there is no one else here. In German there is a saying for a remote place, it goes something like a place where the fox says goodnight to the hare. That is how it feels like up here, nature all around with birdsong waking you up in the morning and the croaking of green frogs putting you asleep at night. I haven't seen any fox yet, but there are hares...

Warping with a view

Warping with view

The next larger town with facilities like a small hospital, supermarket and post office is Gin Gin. This town is at the Bruce Highway approx. 450km north of Brisbane. Or the larger town of Bundaberg is just an hour away. Having Gin Gin 15 minutes drive away is quite handy and we are very lucky for the supply of things down there. But it is a 15 minutes drive for a packet of screws or some eggs! You certainly start to think what is needed when you drive down the hill and planning ahead is essential. So far I managed to drive to town maybe two times a week. This of course means, that the parcels of yarn orders will only be posted then. We will see how this goes in the future. So far I have reserved Monday's and Wednesday's as my parcel posting days and at the same time do my personal shopping. The best and quickest way to order yarns is now to do it over the weekend or Tuesday. When you order yarn on a Sunday, it will be posted Monday. If you order yarn on a Tuesday, it will be posted the next day. I hope this makes sense and you do understand the reason for it. I will outline these ordering norms on the website too, so it can't be missed. Of course if it doesn't matter to you when you receive the order, then you can make the order any day you like. 

Other than the parcel posting, nothing has changed. There are still the same great quality yarns available.

We have the popular Pearl cotton 10/2 in 40 colours

The new organic Cottoline in 28 colours

The fabulous Bambu 7 in 36 colours

Our everlasting yarn the Tussah silk 20/2 in 26 colours

The new soft organic 8/2 cotton in 36 colours

Not to forget the Pearl cotton 3/2, 5/2 and 20/2, Tencel 10/2 and 20/2

Soon there will be a new range of linen 16/2 available

I am also finally able to build up the stock and yarn boxes will soon be ready to be ordered again

Of course the weaving correspondence course has moved with me too and is distributed from here now. 

There are still some handwoven articles available on the bbyarn website or you will also find the Glui7 products on www.glui7.com

Email address, website and phone number have not changed. They are still the best way to reach me. sales@bbyarn.com www.bbyarn.com

Looking forward to hear from you all soon and thank you for your patience over these last couple of months (I'll promise I will never move again....)

Happy weaving

Ursula

PS: In case you wonder about the floods.... I started writing this blog before this weather system passed. But we are fine. We only had storms one night long with heavy rain and it dumped 120mm of wet stuff on us. Then the weather moved on south towards Gympie and Brisbane. We were very lucky once more! I feel for all the people who have a flooded house yet again and are cleaning up right now. I can still remember the smell from 2011 and how this mud sticks to everything. I feel for you right now!

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Weaving seminar

Weaving seminar

Echo & Iris

Dear Weavers

There is going to be a weaving seminar in October this year in Brookfield, Brisbane, which is planned and organised by me (BB Yarn Supply). There it is, the cat is out of the bag. I have been thinking about this now for a long, long time. Actually, I would have liked it to take place last year, but Covid made it impossible and the seminar was postponed to this year. (And I really hope that it can go ahead this year!!! Fingers crossed.)

The idea behind all this is quite simple. I was looking for a gathering just for weavers, a fun weekend with lots of interaction, talks, speakers, workshop and support. Basically the ultimate weaving weekend. I know that these days you can further your knowledge in weaving very easily online or completing workshops with zoom. But a zoom workshop will never be the same as one to one, being able to interact with everyone and touch the handwoven pieces made. Anyway: The idea came to me after being asked, if I would like to host a workshop with a tutor from overseas in Brisbane. I quickly looked at the costs having this tutor to fly up, overnight stays, venue hire, overall workshop payment and I had to realise that this would not be possible. I simply would have struggled to get the weavers together to cover the costs. This was before Covid, mind you. And as much as I would have liked to have this tutor come to Brisbane, I just did not see it work. But it did make me think. Eventually I came to the conclusion that we don't really need (as nice as it would be to get to know this person) an overseas tutor here. We have plenty of brilliant weavers here in Australia who are able to give a workshop. Just look around or ask any guilds from the East Coast to the West Coast. That is where my idea started to grow into a seminar. 

I thought I start this weaving seminar small to hopefully, if successful, give it a chance to grow. The easiest way is to give a workshop myself. I asked around the weavers in Brisbane and surroundings on what they would like to have a workshop of and the topic "Echo & Iris" topped all points. So I have put together a workshop on "Echo & Iris" based on the book from Marian Stubenitsky. Instead of having her here, we will follow her book and create our own colour fun. I have also thought about speakers or topic weavers would like to hear about. One topic close to my heart is photography. Do you know how to take an excellent picture of your pieces to be put into an exhibition or show? I always struggle with it, no matter what I have created and I am never sure if the photo I have sent in was good enough. Coming from this idea, I have organised a product photographer who will come and give us great tips and tricks on how to photograph a textile piece. There will also be a talk about Japanese textile and an introduction to the TC loom from Norway.

And for all this we will stay in a large mansion with spa, pool and garden to relax. Here is the program for the two days:

Friday

 

9.30am - 4pm

Echo & Iris workshop, day 1

5 - 6pm

Photography talk by Blake Image Photography, www.theblakeimage.com.au

6 - 8pm

Dinner

8 - 10pm

Weaving presentations (Suzy Furness talks about her TC loom)

 

 

Saturday

 

9.30am - 4pm

Echo & Iris workshop, day 2

5 - 6pm

Japanese textiles, presentation by Kumi Robinson

6 - 8pm

8 - 10pm

Dinner

Show and tell, topic Inspiration

 

 

Sunday

 

- 11am

Breakfast and goodbyes

 

If you would like to read more about this seminar go to www.bbyarn.com and look for weaving seminar or use the link here

https://www.bbyarn.com/collections/weaving-seminar

Okay now listen to this: I have launched the registration two weeks ago, thinking let's see how many people I can get together without promotion. Within 4 days the whole seminar was booked out!!! It went so quick, that some weavers who were interested didn't have a chance to register. It was sort of good and bad. I struggled with keeping up with the registrations and even had to say no to weavers who really wanted to come. But overall I was amazed. It seems that this is really something weavers want. So therefore I thought I'll start a list for weavers who missed out and would like to be on the next one. Yes, I am thinking of either repeating the seminar or having another one next year. But first I would like to see how this one is going and how the venue is holding up. If you would be interested in a weaving seminar next year, let me know and you will be put on the list straight away. When the next registration will open you will be the first to know and able to register. Send an email to sales@bbyarn.com and let me know what you would like.

I sincerely apologise to each one of you who would have liked to come to the first weaving seminar and unfortunately missed out. You will be missed.

I better get going and start organising. There are only 3 months to go. 

Happy weaving

Ursula

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The siblings of the pearl cotton 10/2

The siblings of the pearl cotton 10/2

Pique sample

Dear Weavers

In this month I would like to introduce the little and older brothers/sisters of the pearl cotton 10/2. The pearl cotton 10/2 is the most popular of the UKI pearl cotton series. There are three more yarns available, spun exactly the same way for which the pearl cotton is famous for. I've heard that this yarn got its name for the way it is spun. The twist in the yarn looks apparently like a pearl. I don't know if this is true, but I kind of like the idea of this. A yarn looking like a pearl, sounds good right?

There are two pearl cottons thicker than the 10/2 and one yarn is finer. The 3/2 is the thickest of them all and I estimate that it has about the thickness of a 4ply Australian standard yarn. The 5/2 is a little bit thinner than the 3/2 and the 20/2 is the very fine one. BB Yarn does now stock all sizes of the pearl cottons, but only in white so far. If I ever win the lotto, I promise I will have the 3/2 and 5/2 yarns in all its colours on stock immediately. Until then, we have to make do with the white. The 20/2 pearl cotton is no longer produced in colour and only available in black and white. I have both of them in stock. But should you need one of the 3/2 or 5/2 pearl cottons in colour, this yarn, being a 100% cotton yarn, is very easy to dye. It takes the dye very well and can be boiled, dunked, painted or even sun or freeze dyed. 

Pearl cotton 3/2 = 2548m/kg         100g = 254.8m = approx. 278yds

Pearl cotton 5/2 = 4247m/kg         100g = 424.7m = approx. 463yds

Pearl cotton 20/2 = 16987m/kg     100g = 1698.7m = approx. 1852yds

All of the pearl cottons from 3/2 to 20/2 have the same fabulous price of $16.90/100g

These pearl cotton yarns are good for many weaving projects. The Handwoven magazine has often projects with the 5/2 pearl cotton presented. Like the popular 10/2 pearl cotton, these yarns have a huge versatility of how they can be used. I was looking through my records to find some example where I have used some of these yarns. Maybe I can inspire you to choose one of the yarns for your next project.

Chair pads 20/2

Chair pads, stitched doubleweave, pearl cotton 20/2 in warp and weft, 36epi per layer, woven balanced

Tea cosy pique
Pique fabric, painted 5/2 pearl cotton for the stitcher warp, 10epi
Crepe scarf
Crepe scarf, pearl cotton 20/2 in warp, crammed 36epi and spaced 12epi
Velveteen sample
Velveteen samples for 8+ study group, pearl cotton 5/2 in the warp at 16epi, also in weft for hem and stabiliser
Bookmarks maroon
Bookmarks, pearl cotton 20/2 in warp and weft, pearl cotton 10/2 for supplementary weft, 36epi

Did I make you feel like having a go at one of these yarns? Please do! The pearl cottons are such a easy to use yarn and there are endless projects waiting for you to be completed. The link below will take you straight to BB Yarns website and the pearl cottons. 

UKI pearl cottons

Looking forward to hear from you.

Happy weaving

Ursula

 

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Pullover scarf

Pullover scarf

 Pullover scarf

Dear Weavers

I hope this blog post finds you well and safe. I don't know about you but now that the cooler weather is approaching it makes me feel more productive and I can't wait to sit at the loom for many hours to come. 

This blog is all about the launch of my new Glui7 product, the pullover scarves. These fancy little scarves are now available to buy on the Glui7 website www.glui7.com

What is a pullover scarf, I hear you asking. Well, there is a story behind this product. My husband Roland rides a motorbike to work every day. It is not a very long drive to work, but he finds it the most practical way to wind himself through the city traffic every day. He drives his motorbike in sunshine or rain. So this means he is wearing good protective clothing and of course a scarf wound around his neck. I used to make him many scarves, fine, short, wide.... but none seems to fit him well enough. They always seemed to fall down or unwind leaving his neck exposed. Or the worst, get tangled in the velcro from his jacket. A couple of years back we discussed this problem and he suggested he would like something he could just pull over his head. And of course he also wanted it to be elastic, that it wouldn't fall down and it could also be pulled up over his nose in cold weather. The scarf would have to be wind resistant. Right and here was my challenge. Weaving a tube is easy, I'll do it in double weave I thought. But finding the right yarn to make it elastic, stay up over his nose, was a rather bigger challenge. I tried many yarns, made multiple samples until I finally discovered a yarn with elité from Silk City (USA). It is a viscose yarn with the elastic quality (10% elité factor) in the core. The yarn feels normal until treated with heat, that is when it starts to shrink and get elastic. Therefore weaving with this yarn is easy and very normal. After the scarves are woven I steam iron them. That is when you can literally see them shrink. Amazing! The elasticity of the yarn is not massive, just enough to pull over your head and stay in place if needed. This leaves the scarf more soft and I guess, stays more in shape. Once I figured this out it was then only a matter of time to work out how wide the scarves have to be to fit Roland's head. 

Pullover scarf Pullover scarf

Of course I then thought someone else would like to use one of these scarves and started producing. This was last year, when the coronavirus came along. Because the scarf can be pulled up to cover the nose, it can now also be used as a protection against any bugs or virus. I have to make this clear, it is not a clinically tested mask and won't give you the full protection. But the pullover scarf will keep at least bugs away and can easily be washed. And it is soft and comfortable to wear, not like some masks!!!

Pullover scarf mask

So far I have only produced the pullover scarf for a head size of 56cm. Soon there will be different sizes available. You can now purchase the 56cm size in many different colours. It is made out of 50% cotton, 40% viscose and 10% elité and can be washed in the cold machine wash cycle. It feels beautifully soft, very comfortable to wear around your neck and so quick to put on. For Roland the most positive outcome is, that it doesn't fall down. I have been wearing one of these scarves last winter for testing and I caught myself in the middle of the day still wearing it. Sometimes I left it on because it just felt comforting, but other times I totally forgot it's there. This scarf is so light and soft, that you don't want to take it off.

The scarves are available for $35 each.

Feel intrigued and want to give it a go? Click on the link below or on any picture.

https://www.glui7.com/store/pullover-scarf

Pullover scarf

This is one thing I really, really love about weaving. You can make anything, no matter what the request and it leaves you thinking "what's next".... bring it on!

Stay safe and happy weaving

Ursula

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New Yarn!

New Yarn!

Organic cotton 8/2
Dear Weavers
It has been a while! Life has been rather busy lately and even though I wrote this blog many times in my head, it hasn't made it to the keyboard until now. Sorry guys, will try and do better over the next months. I don't even feel like starting to list what held me back from writing. Too many things.
I was surprised on how many of you reacted to the last blog post about us building our own house at the moment. Thank you for noticing and being such understanding customers. It is a rather personal fact, but because everyone seems to be interested I show you a little pic of what we have achieved so far. 
This housebuilding, actual building, as we are owner builders, is an amazing adventure and experience. It is everything, filled with all emotions from happiness to total frustration. I never thought this can be possible all in one. And of course it is extremely physically hard work. But overall the feeling of pride is just the most powerful of them all. Did we really build this ourselves? Really? When you create a piece of weaving and wear it for the first time, it is such a great feeling, isn't it? But looking at this house and seeing what we've done is probably about thousand time more strong. It's very powerful and extraordinary.
Now to the weaving and yarn news. We have a new yarn on stock! Yes, between all the building and weaving, I actually managed to put a new yarn in stock. It is another favourite weaving yarn, the 8/2 cotton yarn. I chose the Venne organic cotton yarn for it's fantastic quality and beautiful colours. The 8/2 cotton is unmercerised which leaves it gorgeously soft, but still strong and versatile. Like the organic Cottoline, this yarn is certified organic through GOTS standard. This yarn is the perfect weaving allrounder and there is simply nothing that can't be woven with it. You can weave placemats with it, but it is also perfect suitable for curtains or upholstery. It can of course also be blended with other yarns, for example having this yarn in the warp and a Cottoline in the weft. The organic cotton Ne 8/2 comes in 36 colours from natural to lime green. It comes on 250g bobbins and the price is $32.90
Rep placemat 8/2 cotton
Of course I couldn't just list this yarn range and not trying it out first. I thought long and hard and then decided to give it the perfect test. What better way than making rep weave placemats. Having such a high density warp was the perfect test for this yarn. And it performed. Absolutely no problem and it wove up beautifully. This unmercerised 8/2 cotton yarn is truly the perfect allrounder. 
Rep placemats table 8/2 cotton
I liked the rep placemats so much, that I turned it into a weaving correspondence course project. It is now project 2 in level 2 of the course. The placemats are also used in our household daily and make me happy every day at dinner time. 
The colours used for the placemats were 
The sett for the warp was 50epi. Have a try and make your own placemats. There can be so many colour combinations formed with 36 colours and I am sure you will find your favourite in there. To see all colours in cotton 8/2 go to www.bbyarn.com and look for the organic cotton Ne 8/2 range.
Rep placemats with tulips 8/2 cotton
That is all from me this month. I will be back next month with more exciting news. 
If you have any questions about the new yarn or any other weaving concerns, please don't hesitate to call me or write a comment to this blog post. I am happy to answer any questions.
Thanks for reading and happy weaving
Ursula
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2021 is here!

2021 is here!

 Crackle scarf

Dear Weavers

Happy New Year! 

Now that the awful 2020 is gone, I wish you all a prosperous 2021. May this year be better than the last, in every possible way.

I am totally aware that a new year isn't exactly a new beginning. It is basically just another day. A butterfly doesn't know that it is New Years day. It keeps flying looking for a mate if it is New Years eve or New Years day. Just because it is a new year, doesn't mean we are going to have a covid-19 vaccine and the world will turn back to normal. Unfortunately not. Patience is needed and life as it is now, will stay that way for a while to come. Some call it the new normal. But even then, what is a new normal? Can we go back to the normal we used to have? Do we want to?

Over the festive season my husband and I got in contact with our relatives from overseas, as we usually do. But this time it was different. One could hear the sadness in their voices, the despair, the helplessness and the longing for this crisis to be over. One relative even compared the situation over there as living through a war. One friend lost his job, he is a pilot with all his heart and is now driving a bus in a city. All this was heartbreaking for us to hear. And then comes the realization how good we have it here. Especially here in Queensland! We are so so grateful for living far away from the rest of the world and not being affected by this pandemic as much as anywhere else. I hope it stays that way (touch wood).

You probably wonder why I'm writing all this. Well in one way this blog is an outlet for me, for my thoughts and feelings to let go. Nothing to do with weaving really. On the other side, I can show you how I cope with the situation and therefore maybe help you. You might feel the same way and sharing feelings always seems to make things better. Or maybe just by reading this you will feel better, realising that we all go through the same process. 

Here is what I do: I go for a walk every morning and afternoon. No matter what, sunshine or rain, I walk. This helps me clear my head, sorting thoughts in my mind and tanking up on sunshine, vitamin D. Back home I usually fill my day with work, which of course helps me not to think as much about the current situation. The best work is always weaving and if you have the chance to do some, I think it is the best relaxation method ever. Seeing the fabric grow, using different colours to make you happy and the fact you are producing something useful is priceless. Yes, this makes me happy and what else is there better in this current pandemic than doing what makes you happy?

Tussah silk DW scarf

I looked at my yarns from BB Yarn Supply and let my imagination go wild. There is a suitable project for every yarn in my shop. Of course there are many more projects you could do with these yarns, the list below are just some of my ideas. Yes, I do have more, many more ideas. But I restricted it to one project/yarn. See list below:

  • Tussah silk yarn = Double weave scarf with 4 shafts, 16epi/layer
  • Organic cottoline = Colourful T-towels, 20epi
  • Linen yarn 16/2 = Huck lace placemats, 20epi
  • Bambu 7 = Scarf in crackle weave, 16epi
  • Pearl cotton 10/2 = Apron fabric in twill, 28epi
  • Rug warp yarn = Rag rug made out of old clothes or bed linen, 5epi

Apron

Can I also remind you, that some old colours from the tussah silk range and pearl cotton 10/2 are still 20% off. Not many colours left, but still this is a really good offer. In Tussah silk there is only one colour left, the navy blue. It is one of my favorites and I can't really understand why this hasn't been sold yet. Don't you like it? Maybe it is a sign for me to make something with it myself.... or did I just make you feel tempted to go and have a look. I'll give it another 2 weeks, then navy tussah will be mine. ;-)

I hope I was able to make you feel inspired and maybe grab some of the yarns and rush to the loom to weave. I sincerely hope so and I am pretty sure this will make you happy. 

Now to something a bit more private: Last year has been filled with all the worry about the virus, but for us, my husband and I, it has also been an extraordinary busy time. Next to work, business and household, we have decided to build a house. When we started this, the virus didn't even exist. But in hindsight it turned out to be the perfect time to build during lockdown and restrictions. You see, we are owner builders, meaning we are building the house ourselves. It is a lot of hard work, but amazingly rewarding. But this is another story to tell one day. The new house is 400km from Brisbane, so we couldn't just stay there and build for months. We had to take the time, a week here and two weeks there to make it work. Therefore the house is nowhere near finished. While I am away building, orders have to wait until I am back in the office. Some of you, dear customers, might have already experienced this issue last year. It will probably be mostly the same this year. I will do my utterly best to get your orders to you as quick as possible and I thank you already for your patience.

This turned out to be a rather long blog. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading. Looking forward to hear from you soon.

Happy weaving

Ursula

Old meets new

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I wish you all a very peaceful and safe festive season. May Santa Claus bring you lots of creative goodies this year to cheer you up after this crazy year.

BB Yarn Supply will be closed from the 19th of December to the 3rd of January.

Online orders can still be placed but will only be processed on the 3rd of January.

Thank you for supporting my business, every order received is valued and I am looking forward to another great year with you.

Happy weaving

Ursula

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