Born & Bred Blog Tour – plus giveaway!

Born and Bred is a pattern book that uses Yorkshire yarns and is designed by Yorkshire designer, Ann Kingstone. When I first spotted this book at the end of last year I thought it was a wonderful idea, educating knitters on different yarn varieties and supporting local businesses.
I’ve known Ann for several years now and I’ve watched her go from strength to strength in her designing. This book is a collaboration between Ann and Baa Ram Ewe and it works beautifully. The casual layout with typewriter style font and a textured beige background create the perfect backdrop for this collection making it a pleasure to read. There is a huge range of projects and knitting styles in the book from stranded colourwork to cables with a felted project added in for good measure along the way!
I love the unique factor in this book that links the yarn, project and designer so tightly together so I wanted to find out a little more from Ann about this.

How did this booklet start for you and Baa Ram Ewe?
Last February I did a talk at baa ram ewe’s new season launch, after which I stayed to chat with Verity and Jo (owners) about developing my business, especially my branding. They gave me a lot of feedback, particularly emphasising how my branding should truly represent who I am and what I do. An obvious theme we discussed was my identity as a Born and bred Yorkshire lass. The next day Verity rang and suggested that we do a book together with a Yorkshire theme, using Yorkshire wools. I was instantly enthused!


Was the process of writing and designing this book and education for you in Yorkshire yarns?
Actually, I was already familiar with Yorkshire yarns, especially the Wensleydale longwools. I have been on woolly pilgrimages all over Yorkshire in search of true Yorkshire wools. It’s a passion that began for me as a teenager when I learned to spin. It was wonderful though to work with the new yarns that baa ram ewe have created – Titus (a Wensleydale and alpaca blend) and Rare (a Whitefaced Woodland and Hebridean blend).


Do you have a yarn favourite after working with the different yarns?
baa ram ewe’s Titus is a beautiful yarn with a very lovely handle, and I love it! They’ve just brought out naturally darker and lighter versions, and have also had a range of colourways produced in the yarn by The Knitting Goddess. It is very deservedly popular!

It looks like you used 4 different sheep varieties, Wensleydale longwool, Masham, Whitefaced Woodland and Swaledale. How do the different wools compare?
The Masham yarns I used (Rowan British Sheep Breeds chunky and Jarol Aran) have a lot more spring than the Wensleydale yarns. These are the two fibres most suited to jumpers. The Whitefaced Woodland is a little rougher, though still appropriate for most knitwear. The Swaledale is very rough though, with lots of kemp in it (wiry hairs!) and is truly only suited to outerwear. It produces beautiful felt though, and would make fabulous felted bags and accessories. I love the Swaledale Clogs I made with it – so cosy!


Did the qualities of the different wools influence your design decisions?
To some extent, eg it was obvious the Swaledale was inappropriate for a jumper. However, the qualities imposed by the spinning method and finishing made more difference to my design decisions than the inherent qualities of the actual fibre. The bulky character of ‘Rare’ (Whitefaced Woodland wool) begged for large cables, while the Wensleydale Longwool Sheepshop yarn was at that time the only one with a colour range appropriate for stranded designs (this was before baa ram ewe introduced other shades of Titus). And the Jarol ‘spoke to me’, demanding to be made into a something resembling a Celtic nun’s habit! Truly it did: the subdued colour and rustic quality of the yarn were so evocative of this theme.


So if you want to get your hands on this book just leave your Ravelry name below and let me know what your favourite project from the book is!  I’ll draw a winner on Friday.

54 thoughts on “Born & Bred Blog Tour – plus giveaway!”

  1. Hard choice but I think the Ilkley moor beret is marginally my favourite

    Wyvernfriend on Ravelry

  2. I saw this book at the weekend when a friend showed me her copy, and it’s so beautiful. I’d probably knit almost everything in it to be honest, but top of my list would be the cabled hat and mitts and the tea cosy :)

    (Saz on Ravelry)

  3. I love Roseberry. It is just the sweetest thing (and if I start soon it might be done by next winter).

  7. I love the hooded sweater – my daughter would never take it off !!

  8. Wonderful patterns all, but the hat, Ilkley Moor, drew my eye the most. (debbolib on Ravelry)

  9. This is a difficult choice but I love the Ilkley moor beret. I love them all!
    Ravelry name – mcknits

  11. This book looks amazing, and it’s so hard to get these kinds of books here in the States!

    I think the pattern I would immediately want to try is Wetwang – I love the yoke design!

  13. My favorite from the book is the tam/beret, Ilkley Moor. I love the fingerless mittens too. My Ravelry name is sweetpeaTX

  14. I love the idea of learning more about the wool content in the baa ram ewe line of yarns and I would love to make and sport the Ilkley Moor beret.

  15. Such nice patterns. I have to pick Roseberry as I have a baby girl who would just look wonderful in it!

  16. I LOVE Wetwang and those Swaledale Clogs are a must for my husband who keeps stealing my ultra-comfy slippers.

    Ravelry name is loopybiker.

  17. Roseberry is adorable and I know just the little girl I’d knit if for. : )

    wahoomerryf on Rav

  18. Hard to choose one, but Roseberry would be adorable on my two granddaughters! For me, Ilkley Moor.

  19. It’s really hard to chose but I think my granddaughter would look cute in Roseberry. I love the fingerless gloves!

  20. I am Nibbleknitter on Ravelry and I have three grandsons so I would have to choose the little boys vest as my favorite project. Just finished two little Icelings. Love that pattern and I love making sweaters for my grandsons!

  21. I love Hild. I’d like to knit this for my daughter. Love the simplicity and the longer sleeves.

  22. I adore Hild! And, of course, I love that everything is made using British wool! Wonderful!

    Leira (rav)

  26. As a Yorkshire lass, I love them all but Wetwang is my absolute favourite.
    Quickerby (rav).

  28. Even though my ravelry name is moresocks, I like the fingerless gloves (Baht’At0 just a wee bit more than the moor hat. I see them as a stunning set.

    Thanks for offering this.

  30. I am bizzilizzi on Ravelry and my favourite pattern is Wetwang. I have everything crossed!

  31. My favorite pattern is Rosebery. It would look so cute on my niece.
    I am Queenofkings5 on Ravelry.

  32. The Swaledale Clogs are my favourite, but I like them all. Diaspora on Ravelry.

  33. My favourite is Betty, such a lovely tea cosy, it looks just like what you would like a cosy to be and a such a suitable name.

    Unimaginatively my name is dairiona on Rav.

  34. Such a gorgeous collection! I love Hild and Wharfe (I’ve been wanting to make some boot toppers!) I’m sassykrafty on Rav

  35. that design on the front of the hoodie looks like it would be fun to knit

    Fracksmom on Ravelry

  37. I love the Wetwang, but Hild is more me so’ll would wear it lot more…
    but girls hooded cardigan is perfect for my grandniece…

    I’m FankyHenKnits on Rav.

  38. While I would love to make the accessories for myself, there is no doubt that I NEED to make Roseberry for my daughter.

    melosa on Rav

  40. I love Wetwang and Little Tyke. I can’t wait till my little one is walking and I’ll make it for him.

    Ravelry name – kidlet

  41. I like Hild the best, but Wetwang and the clogs are close behind!

    This book look great! Thanks for the giveaway! Rav name: LauraH3

  43. I love the Hild pullover with its hood and front cable, but since I’m still quite intimidated by sweaters, I’d probably make the cabled mitts first. They are very lovely too! my rav ID is Llule

  44. Can’t choose just one; would start with Ilkley Moor, and move on to HIld and Wetwang. rav id: KateMisbehavin

  45. Love the idea behind this book. And the knits are wonderful. Hard to pick a fav but I’m really drawn to Wetwang for my daughter. Tweedy on Rav.

  46. Hi, Roseberry is the cutest and as having a 6-year old daughter I Can’t not imagine how she would wear it. I’m Szandrah on Ravelry, and hope to get the possibility to see it in real. Thanks for the giveaway!

  48. The swans on Wetwang are lovely and the edging to its panel suits it well. sheepishlywinkn on Rav

  49. I love Hild and Wetwang. And Roseberry would make an adorable gift!

    stipton @ ravelry

  50. Can I enter without a ravelry account? I really love the last sweater shown in this post, with the gorgeous swan colorwork around the neckline. urchiken at gmail dot com

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