Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs

2021 News Archive

2021 started with a new addition to our steek dot scot website. The Briodag Hat Set includes online access to a comprehensive video class project kit suitable for all abilities. With over 3 hours of tutorials the Briodag Video Class took quite some time to put together, but it was worth all the work. This particular project allows the development of a range of knitting skills, and it was wonderful to go into detail with a project that sets an excellent foundation for any knitter.

Briodag patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Briodag patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Briodag patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Briodag patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

February brought in another new patterncard kit - the Red Jacobite Rose Hat Set. The tasselled beret and fingerless gloves were inspired by the Jacobite Roses growing in my garden, and feature my interpretation of the rose leaves and hips which always make a glowing display of colour in the autumn. This was an ideal design for the dark winter months, bringing in some rich, warm colours to brighten things up.

Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

March added a matching Red Jacobite Rose Jacket to finish off the set perfectly.

Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Driftwood

2021 saw many new dyelots of our Hebridean 2 Ply arrive, including Driftwood, Clover, Kelpie, Summer Tide, Fulmar, Kelpie, Bogbean, Selkie and Calluna. We also headed out with the camera to capture lots more photographs of our yarn in the Hebridean landscape.

Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Clover
Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Selkie
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Summer Tide
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Calluna
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Bogbean
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Lapwing
Cluaran patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

The Cluaran Video Class arrived, taking the skills learned in the Sulaire Shawl and building on them with a more complex motif and edging.

Cluaran patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Cluaran patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Glen

I also began developing a new shade of our Hebridean 2 Ply, a long and involved process which began with a sample Cluaran shawl in the new Glen colour.

Alice Starmore 2 Ply Hebridean hand knitting yarn in Glen
Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

A third Video Class was added in the summer with the introduction of the Henry VIII Hat Set. Like the Cluaran, this class was designed to follow on from the Briodag Set, adding more complex techniques and developing further skills.

Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Alice Starmore Scottish Hand Knitwear Yarns and Designs

Summer and Autumn brought better weather and more photoshoots, as we went to a variety of locations to photograph new and existing designs.

Jane Seymour design by Alice Starmore from the book Tudor Roses
Jane Seymour design by Alice Starmore from the book Tudor Roses
Jane Seymour design by Alice Starmore from the book Tudor Roses
Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Mary Tudor design by Alice Starmore from the book Tudor Roses and Henry VIII Hat Set patterncard kit by Alice Starmore
Meadowsweet patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Meadowsweet patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs

Our Collaborations this year included a podcast with Farmerama: Landed Part 2: Re-storying the Landscape as well as filming for a couple of BBC productions. You can see one of these here on BBC iPlayer: An Cuan Sgith (The Minch).

Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs
Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs
Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs
Rosarie patterncard kit design by Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

The Rosaire patterncard kit came back in a slightly different form, this time as a choose your own colour design, giving a whole new range of options for this lovely waistcoat.

Rosarie patterncard kit design by Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Rosarie patterncard kit design by Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Rosarie patterncard kit design by Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Rosarie patterncard kit design by Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

We added a new Works In Progress page where we can share some of the things that are on our needles, giving a closer look at the making of our samples.

Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Peigi Vest patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Lapwing Collar patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Lapwing design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Oregon Autumn patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

The Polaris Patterncard Kit was a welcome Autumn addition, like the Rosarie this lovely design is available in a choice of your own colours, making it endlessly versitile.

Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Polaris patterncard kit design by Alice & Jade Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Oregon Autumn Vest patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

The Oregon Autumn Vest Patterncard Kit appeared again in November, along with a lovely photoshoot and custom styled outfit.

Oregon Autumn Vest patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Oregon Autumn Vest patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Oregon Autumn Vest patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs

The Oregon Autumn Vest also featured as the sample garment in brand new free video tutorial, taking you through the making of a stranded garment knitted in the round with steeks.

Virtual Yarns: Home of Alice Starmore Yarns And Designs
White Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

We rounded the year off with two new patterncard kits, the White Jacobite Rose Hat Set and Jacket. These two designs also marked the first skeins of our new Glen shade of yarn heading out across the world.

White Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
White Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
White Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn
White Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn

All in all 2021 has been a very busy year, with a great deal of designing, video class tutition and colour. In addition we also got out on our first Hiort project shoot, which we are looking forward to sharing with you later on in 2022, along with many other projects which we have been working away on in every spare minute.

White Jacobite Rose patterncard kit design by Alice Starmore in Hebridean 2 Ply yarn