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Stylecraft Yarns has made a major move towards creating more environmentally friendly yarn.
They have invested in new, state-of-the-art technology and are committed to starting a new era of quality, eco-friendlier yarn.
Richard Brown, owner of Spectrum Yarns explains the reason behind the move: “We wanted to be more in control of the products we sell, our process, offer shorter lead times for our yarn, improved quality control and reduction in our carbon footprint. It is important to us that we aren’t dependent on overseas businesses which have up to 5 months lead time and uncertain political and economic outlooks.”
As a designer, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am. In the past, I have had to work 8 to 9 months in advance for my annual Crochet A Long projects to ensure stock levels of the colours I have chosen to work with and have available as yarn packs.
Spectrum’s yarn brand is Stylecraft, and its flagship range is called Special which has now started to be manufactured in the new plant.
These major advances, mean the brand is more efficient with its resources, using less water and energy.
By manufacturing in Yorkshire, the brand is also reducing transport distances, cutting both fuel consumption and pollution.
Many of you will know that the Special range is one of my favourite yarns to work with and I am thrilled that Stylecraft/Spectrum Yarns are taking a huge step towards not only better quality but also more environmentally conscious yarns and the new colours are simply stunning.
“Special is the UK’s most popular yarn. The volume we sell makes it the most cost-effective yarn to produce in this country,” says Brown. “To maintain the quality of such an iconic yarn we have carried out extensive trials on the raw materials and right through to the processing. Because of our in-house spinning expertise and quality control, we can ensure every pack that goes out will be consistent and of the quality our consumers expect from us.”
Stylecraft is launching the Made In Yorkshire Special with twenty new DK shades which will begin to appear in yarn shops nationwide from 22nd October. Each and every one of these on-trend colours has been dyed, spun and balled in the mill in the Colne Valley at Slaithwaite.
But that’s just the beginning. Stylecraft’s Special Double Knitting has 100 existing shades, so as stocks run out of other colours, they will also be spun in Yorkshire bringing the brand home.
In the future the entire Special range from 4-ply to chunky will all be made in Yorkshire.
Rather than have dozens of photos and lots of words and waffle from me, I thought I would make a little video tutorial to show you where all the new colours sit within the existing range.
The video below takes you through all 20 new colours and how they align with the existing range of 100 colours.
If you would like to know a little more about the changes Spectrum Yarns/Stylecraft have made here is a copy of some press information…
Spectrum Yarns, based in Slaithwaite near Huddersfield, has revealed a £4.25 million investment that puts their mill at the forefront of spinning, dyeing and combined heat and power technology, and makes them the only end-to-end acrylic hand knit spinner in Western Europe.
Spa Mill started in 1907 as cotton mill and spun this fibre until the mid 1930s. Spectrum Yarns, the family business now in the mill, started spinning in 1980 and moved production from another mill to this mill in 1990. The business mainly spins wool and wool nylon for apparel, knitwear and upholstery fabrics.
Stylecraft is the yarn brand that Spectrum has owned for over 30 years and is the UKs most popular brand. Up until now it has been manufactured in Turkey.
The investment includes a new dye house which can do acrylic and wool and new drying machinery for both. Spectrum has also purchased machines to stretch break the acrylic followed by re-breaking, a standard drawing line, a new assembly line, new twisting machines and a completely new balling plant.
Spectrum has also invested in a combined heat and power plant which produces electricity more efficiently than a normal gas fired power station and reuses the heat from the exhaust gases in the dye house. The plant is already hydrogen ready.
Even if Spectrum’s competitors wanted to set up their own mill it would be extremely difficult because the skills no longer exist. Spectrum has the opportunity because they have maintained their spinning business over recent years, safeguarding and investing in the technical skills required.