The Yarns

The greatest investment of all in producing a needlepoint is the stitcher’s time. Patience is a requirement, although I find that I am always driven on by the sheer tactile beauty of the emerging work. The threads which create the effect are of paramount importance. In my view, there is nothing more grevious than to see patience and skill negated by the use of poor or inappropriate materials. As with all the textile arts, the result is only as good as the yarns and threads used.

This is why we created our own exclusive Alice Starmore Hebridean yarn range. Making Alice Starmore Hebridean yarn is a complex process and we work very closely with Donald Macleod, our expert yarn maker, on all aspects of production, from the purchase of the raw wool to the hand-washing and drying in the Atlantic breeze. This ensures that our product consistently meets our standards as designers and stitchers.

A key element in designing both the 2 and 3 Ply Hebridean yarns was the requirement that in addition to being perfect knitting yarns, they should also be ideal for working needlepoint designs. This was technically interesting as it involved building two new requirements into the yarn specification. Firstly it had to be strong enough to withstand the friction generated by stitching through a needlepoint canvas. Secondly, its composition had to be such that it would guarantee a smooth finish to the stitched fabric.

We have successfully achieved these aims. Our supreme quality yarns, in meticulously composed shades, are truly a joy to stitch. Both Jade and I have found that the lively, subtle and complex effects of the stitched yarn provide us with the impetus for ever more design ideas.

• Alice Starmore Hebridean 2 Ply yarn is available in 25g skeins.
• Alice Starmore Hebridean 3 Ply yarn is available in 50g skeins.

We also offer boxed Designer Palettes of Alice Starmore Hebridean 3 Ply in 25g skeins.