Weavers Bazaar tapestry yarn and a new project

I have always loved getting things in the mail. I am a mail-box haunter even now when most things come through the computer. I wish people still sent birthday cards with real messages or doodled pictures at the bottom of hand-written letters. Today I was excited to receive the yarn I have been waiting for from the UK. Yippee!!!

This yarn took some sleuthing to find. I started with a suggestion by Tal Landeau who visited my studio recently that she was interested in some yarn that Joan Griffin was using. I contacted Joan who identified that particular yarn as one I was already familiar with but then told me about her favorite dream yarn which she used in a Joan Baxter workshop many years ago. She sent me some samples of this awesome yarn (clipped from the back of her sampler no less--she didn't have more! Thanks so much Joan) though she didn't know what it was... and from there I had to contact Joan Baxter myself. I had to know what the yarn was. Joan Baxter is an amazing tapestry artist from Scotland. Her piece Hallaig in ATB8 (American Tapestry Biennial 8) was my favorite piece in the show (though there were many outstanding ones). Her color mixing abilities are phenomenal. I am greatly looking forward to her 2014 US teaching tour!

So you can imagine I was pretty disappointed to find out that the yarn is no longer made. But she gave me hope. Two English tapestry weavers, Lin Squires and Matty Smith, have started selling a new bit of yarn which Joan suggested I try. Lin and Matty of Weaver's Bazaar certainly do have some great yarn. I know because this package of it arrived today. I can't wait to see how it dyes. But because I knew I wouldn't be able to wait to dye it to give it a whirl, I also ordered some already dyed yarn. Here it is!

One of my many projects for 2014 includes an exploration of the list of tapestry yarns generated by this blog post: Where to purchase tapestry yarn.  I received some great suggestions from weavers all over the world and I have collected some of them and am working on some little samples. Of course, a tapestry yarn is a pretty personal choice and what I like may well not be what you like. But judging from the pile of various yarns I have so far accumulated, they are going to be quite different and some of them quite lovely. I'll let you know what happens.

I think the Weavers Bazaar yarn just moved to the top of the pile though. Maybe it is because it came straight from England. (I know, a bunch of the other yarns came from Sweden and Australia and Norway... but they came through people in the US and I didn't get to see the postage from over the pond. I am easily pleased and have probably been watching too much Doctor Who. And then there was the suggestion from Joan Baxter herself... can't beat that.)

Here are a few more photos.
I couldn't resist.

Color cards are available!

I do love playing with yarn.