Fulmar – 50g Hebridean 2 Ply
Description
Alice Starmore Hebridean 2 Ply Yarn is made from premium quality pure new British wool, dyed in the fleece and skillfully blended into unique shades. It is hand-washed and dried in the Hebridean air, and supplied in hand-made skeins which may vary in weight. It is priced per 50g at standard conditions. All yarn is weighed to order on balances that are checked daily to ensure that you receive the correct total amount.
Fulmar is part of the Birds range, which is inspired by birds of the Outer Hebrides.
Story
The inhabitants of St Kilda – the most Westerly of the Hebridean Isles – have long since abandoned their island in search of more fertile shores. It is now the home of a variety of different birds out of which the Fulmar has the strongest claim on the land. Up until 1878 there was only one colony of Fulmars in the British Isles, and they made their year-round home on St Kilda. Like the Solan Goose, Fulmars lay only one egg each year and chicks cannot breed until they are about seven or eight, but this is balanced by a lifespan of twenty-five years. Their numbers have risen very successfully over the last century and they have spread around the coast of Britain. The St Kilda colony is also still going strong. This expansion in numbers is probably due to island communities becoming more prosperous, with a consequent falling off in the need to harvest Fulmars for flesh, oil and feathers. Also waste offal from commercial fishing provides the Fulmar with a plentiful diet.
Although they are ungainly on land, once in the air these plump birds become powerful and impressive fliers, almost equalling the Albatross in their manoeuvres. They are the ideal shape for aerobatics, and the Fulmar inspired the classic lines of the legendary British fighter plane, the Spitfire. Like the Spitfire, the Fulmar is not defenceless. They may have awkward land legs, but nestlings have the ability to spray a foul smelling jet of fishy oil at anyone who is bold enough to approach. The subtle beige, browns and greys of the Fulmars’ wings and back have provided the base for our colour, which is then mixed with the dusky pink and orange tones of their legs to create a soft and flattering shade.
£8.00