When I close my eyes and think about Ireland and knitting, I always see crisp cables with a buttery cream yarn. The stitches are bouncy and firm and the cables seem to float above the surface.

Can you see it too?

The Galway Blanket Project brings us close to this vision. In this collaboration with the Galway Wool Co-Op and Donegal Yarns, we have the opportunity to bring Galway wool to life with delicious, glorious cables.

This project began as a seed of an idea back last summer with Donegal Yarns. They had some samples in Galway wool and were eager for the wool to be introduced to a wider community. The idea (and yarn) sat with us for a little while. We knew it was a project we were drawn to, but we really wanted to do it justice.

This was more than just a new yarn. We wanted to tell the story of the wool; from the sheep to your needles and all the sheep stomping, yarn scouring joy in-between.

The Galway sheep has got a beautiful natural cream colour that really works well with cables. Because of its more rustic nature, it’s best suited to projects that don’t sit right next to the skin. The cable definition and loftiness of the yarn creates a warm but light fabric that you’ll never want to let go of. A blanket project is what this wool demanded and who are we to argue with the whisperings from the yarn!

Gaillimh Yarn – All About the Wool

We have named this yarn Gaillimh, which is the Irish for ‘Galway’. Galway is a county on the west coast of Ireland, but the sheep are now bred all over the country. This yarn is created entirely from our native Galway wool. It’s a DK weight and there is 190m / 208 yards for every 100g.

This club will give you a rare opportunity to knit with this unique Galway wool, which was collected from farmers all over the country by the Galway Co-Op, and milled by Donegal Wools. This yarn is rustic and strong, with stitch definition that just jumps out at you! Amazing for warmth and visually stunning, we think this wool is perfect for home wares, including, of course, blankets.

Club Options

This club comes with two size options, with the difference between them being the amount of yarn you will receive. The lap size club has enough wool for a lap size blanket (30″ x 40″ / 76 cm x 101.5 cm) and the throw size has enough for a larger throw (40″ x 50″ / 101.5 cm x 137 cm).

This yarn will come in a single delivery with a tote bag and a little booklet on the club.

All of the patterns will be delivered electronically between the 23rd of May and the 4th of July with companion video workshops for all the blanket squares. There will also be an exclusive chat forum on KnitHub just for you! We even hope to have a launch from the sheep pen with Blatnaid where you can get up close and personal with them.

Designers of the Galway Blanket Club

There are three designers working on this project; Carol Feller, Eimear Earley and Laura Perrem. Each designer has picked some of their favourite stitch patterns for the project that they felt would do the Galway yarn justice.

Each designer enjoys working with cables and textured stitch patterns, creating miniature canvases with each square. Cables allow your stitches to move into three dimensions. They no longer lie flat on the surface, but instead rise and fall about your knitting.

Each designer will bring their own favourite cables to the mix, each of us creating a variety from simple texture squares to more complex cables that will keep you engaged. There will be 12 different square designs in total, so you get to decide what mix you want for your blanket. Will you pick a few favourites and repeat them or will you have a big mix of cable types?

The choice is yours!

Charity Support

This club is all about support, on multiple levels. As well as supporting the Galway Wool Co-Op, we wanted to include a charity support. €5 from the sale of every membership will be donated to the charity, Jigsaw by Stolen Stitches and Donegal Yarns will donate €1 from every kg.

This charity provides vital mental health support to young people in Ireland online and in person. There is a severe lack of funding and support in this country for mental health, especially for younger people, where it can have a profound impact. So by supporting this club, you’re also supporting a crucial service here in Ireland.

We are the only primary care youth mental health service provider in Ireland, for young people aged 12-25. We want to extend our reach to meet the mental health needs of more young people than ever before.

Jigsaw

Where to Buy

The club will be available to purchase at 8pm on Friday 17th of February here. (Link will be live then.)

It will only be open until February 26th, so get it quick while you can!