It is no secret that I was a huge fan of the Blacker Yarns 10th birthday yarn - Cornish Tin - and I jumped at the chance to knit my "I Heart Stripes" shawl using two of the colours from the range.
This year sees another Cornish Tin custom blend (Tin II) being produced for the company's 11th birthday. Again, this is a one-off, limited edition, this time featuring a blend of amazing British fibres including Mohair, Black Welsh Mountain, Gotland, Jacob, Alpaca, and a few others for good measure. In total, this woollen spun yarn includes yarns from 9 high quality British fibres. The undyed yarn is a delightful pale grey which lends an amazing depth of colour to the dyed shades on offer.
Cornish Tin II is available in both dk (100g; 220m) and 4ply (100g; 350m) weights and I was lucky enough to road test the 4ply version in the shades Ding Dong Purple (which wins the award for coolest yarn name ever) and Gorland Grey.
Each of the yarns used adds a little something to the party and the result is a pleasingly bouncy yarn which feels wonderful through the fingers as you are working with it. There is a lustre and shine but the slightly more bulky yarns used mean that it has just the right amount of 'grip' as well.
There are 7 shades on offer as well as the undyed yarn, with the natural and slightly muted palette being perfect for colourwork. I can't help but think that all of these shades would work really well together as the most amazing blanket. With my ever bursting stash in mind though I may well have to restrict my purchase to two skeins of 4ply (for a shawl, probably) and maybe one or two of the dk weight, as my winter collection of hats and mitts is in dire need of a refresh.
Now I just need to decide on colours....tricky one.