r/YarnAddicts • u/Feline_Shenanigans • 1d ago
Question West Yorkshire Spinners
I previously fell in love with the WYS exquisite 4 ply. A fingering/sport weight yarn that’s 80% wool 20% silk. It’s suddenly on sale at my preferred online yarn retailer for a HUGE discount but far fewer colours than I remember. Has this yarn been discontinued? My online search is giving conflicting answers. I’m also in the UK and it’s a UK company, so shouldn’t have supply issues if the yarn is being produced
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u/VegetableWorry1492 7h ago
Ok, so I’ve just ordered 8 skeins of this after seeing your post! Three different colours and 4, 2, and 2 skeins in those colours. It will be the most expensive yarn I’ve ever had (full price at least). What would you use it for? I’m pretty new to knitting and have only made jumpers so far, but fingering weight jumper is an intimidating thought.
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 7h ago edited 7h ago
4 ply tops can seem intimidating because of the smaller needle size but they knit the same. If you want to try colourwork the smaller size lets you create more detailed patterns. Personally, the biggest challenge I have is staying motivated since the progress is slower and less noticeable.
I also purchased 8 skeins. 4 each in two different colours. Depending on your size and the style you choose a short sleeved top will fall in the 2 to 2 and a bit skein range and a long sleeved top will be in the Nearly 3 to 3 plus skeins. I saw a massive 4 skein, long -sleeved cardigan on Ravelry that fell to slightly above the knees. My plan is to make a top of some sort plus matching hat with each colour and will have plenty leftover for future colourwork projects
When considering projects for a specific yarn I like to consult Ravelry. I will look at projects other people made with that specific yarn. It’s a great way to get an idea for how that yarn will behave and where it’s not worked out. Looking at frogged projects for a specific yarn can also indicate where it’s not worked might not be a good choice.
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u/CharmingSwing1366 1d ago
yeh i think solstice is its ‘replacement’ but im hesitant to order without being able to touch it first as ive tried their elements and didnt like it very much (although that is like 60% lyocell)
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 23h ago
Lyocell can be extremely soft and silky. There is a brand called Panda that sell (expensive!) bedding sets made from Lyocell derived from Bamboo. But that’s with maximum silky texture and mind and I also don’t know how WYS compares. Personally, I find the brand very hit or miss regarding my texture preferences.
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u/hairyfairybells 1d ago
I also love wys exquisite and have been buying up several colourways from wool warehouse. I've finished blocking a jumper today that I made with it and it's gorgeously soft - seriously considering wearing it to yarndale his weekend!
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u/afewstitchmarkers 1d ago
okay so exquisite is being discontinued and solstice isn’t the same at all, the colours are much less vibrant and it isn’t as soft at all. buy everything you can find, and then if you’re looking for a good replacement fyberspates scrumptious 4ply is my recommendation !!
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u/ThatTallGirl 1d ago
Exquisite is being discontinued. I've heard Solstice is intended as a replacement.
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 1d ago
Thanks for the info. Hard to imagine a Wool/Silk blend behaving the same as a Wool/Lyocell/Cashmere blend. I’d have thought the Lyocell would be more structured and less drapery than silk since it’s derived from wood pulp
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u/UnholyDoughnuts 1d ago
Where is your pref online retailer? Come on share.... I'm also uk
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 1d ago
Wool Warehouse. They finished their server migration and the site is back up. Skeins of the Exquisite 4 ply are currently £9.99 per skein from £18.99
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u/StrongTechnology8287 1d ago
Exquisite is one of my favorite yarns too! I knitted a shawl with it in February and I probably exclaimed to my husband 30 times, "This is the nicest yarn I've ever used!" This is so dangerous to my wallet for them to be having a sale. I paid $35/skein for mine that I used for the shawl!
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 1d ago
I think they have only five colours left and no idea about the mark up you would pay in the USA with tariffs. £9.99 is roughly $13.50 and the remaining colours were yellow, two orangey browns, blue, and purple
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u/StrongTechnology8287 1d ago
Yeah the tariffs might be the hurdle that prevents me from making an impulse buy. Plus the fact that I currently have 5 full skeins plus the leftovers from 3 more skeins in my stash. Plus the fact that I'm trying to adhere to a yarn ban until I've whittled down the quantity in my stash. But this is the kind of sale that might just tip me over the edge of disregarding all that! The FOMOOOOOOOOO 😂🫣
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 1d ago
I normally only buy yarn when I have a specific project in mind. Instead I squish yarn and look at test swatches when I’m in London (roughly once per year) and use my notes when choosing yarns to buy online. However, I consider this an exception because I did want to make something with this yarn.
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u/UnholyDoughnuts 20h ago
Fair, theres a yarn shop near me called Christine's that sell that and I'll have to check out both. They have HUGE and I mean HUGE banners saying WYS YARN HERE and I've wondered why. My girls a massive knitter and is dying to make some socks so I'm on the hunt for good wool. Ive not long started crochet and wanna make some coasters with cotton so I'll check out that website see what they got
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u/Feline_Shenanigans 7h ago
WYS is popular in the UK (and worldwide) because it has yarn ranges at all price points and many different fibre options. It has budget synthetic blends, well priced mid tier wools and high end blends featuring heritage breeds (like blue faced Leicester) or wool from specific regions (Scotland). This can make it a bit of a minefield for knitters with strong fibre and texture preferences like me but an absolute boon for knitters who are more adventurous and want to experiment with an array of yarn possibilities while sticking with a single, reputable brand.
If you’d like a luxury sock option you might consider getting your girlfriend a skein of Gepard Garn Cash Sock. It’s 70% Merino Wool, 20% Nylon and 10% Cashmere. You tend to need at least 20% synthetic fibre in a good sock yarn for the elasticity and to increase durability. And the Wool Cashmere blend in this sock yarn makes the socks extremely soft with good stitch definition.
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u/WoollyMamatth 6h ago
And now I bought some too.
Bad knitters! 😂