This week, I spent some time looking after the Bellwether Yarns store in Leeds Corn Exchange, for the wonderful Sonja! It’s a definite must-visit for any avid knitters and crochet artists in Leeds!
She also runs a ‘knit and natter’ in the cafe, for details on that check out:
Here’s a little tour that I posted on my Instagram page; showing off the gorgeous range of yarn she has available, as well as the lovely gift items!
https://youtube.com/shorts/tTmeTxIS_Io?feature=share
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m a big fan of Stylecraft Special DK yarn for its wide variety of colour and affordability – and Bellwether stocks every shade! From deep to neutral to bright to pastel, you’re sure to find what you’re after for your upcoming project!
I also mentioned that I’m a lover of West Yorkshire Spinners, and you can find some of their beautiful sock yarn and their super soft double knits here too. Sonja is passionate about supporting local brands and shopping small, and I completely agree.
Plus! If you missed it in my last post; West Yorkshire Spinners are part of the Campaign for Wool, which advocates for ‘an environmentally responsible, sustainable, and commercially viable wool industry.’
Bellwether Yarns is particularly special because they stock a couple of European brands that are rather difficult to find in stores in the UK.
The first being Lang Yarns, which is a high quality Swiss family brand. You can find lots of natural fibre yarns here in store, including Merino and Alpaca. If you love making socks, then you should definitely take a look at the Jawoll sock yarn Sonja has in stock – they are spun with reinforced fibres, making them ideal for heels and toes on your socks, so they’re extra durable against daily wear and tear.
Opal Yarns, a German family brand that specialises in beautiful printed sock yarn made from high quality materials, can also be found here in store. Being from Germany herself, I can tell this is a brand Sonja must hold close to her heart!
But the crowning jewel of Bellwether Yarns, I’d say has to be Sonja’s hand-dyed yarn. These are amazing quality and the colours are a dream come true. Sonja single-handedly produces all of these herself in her dyeing studio and they’re a must-try for those who knit socks. You can find full skeins displayed pride of place out at the front of the shop as well as mini skeins, which are perfect for contrast heels and ribbing – I couldn’t resist picking one up for myself! As I’m sure you can tell, I’m super excited by these hand-dyed’s and hope to join Sonja in the dyeing studio at some point!
I thought I’d also include a few pictures of orders I completed while working in the shop; a couple of handfuls of mini pet portraits!
Be sure to give @bellwetheryarns a follow on Instagram! If you live in Leeds or are visiting the City Centre any time soon, you should definitely go and have a look! If not, don’t fear, you can still purchase from her website!