Purl &Jane

It’s Shall we go on another adventure? It was such fun doing the that I thought it’ll be great to go on a wool journey this month! Fancy joining me?

It’s day 14 of the and although we’ve reached the end of our journey through North Yorkshire’s local yarn shops, there are two more days to visit them on the trail! And, of course, all of us are here for you to visit any time of the year!
So where else could we finish our journey than in Skipton, which for the last 14 years has been the home of Purl &Jane! As well as being the Gateway to the Dales there is lots to see and do in Skipton, including the woods, canal & the castle built in 1090 and famously restored by Lady Anne Clifford after the civil war. In 1659 she planted the yew tree that is still in the middle of the courtyard. And just across the road and down a ginnel you’ll find Purl &Jane and, to celebrate the North Yorkshire Yarn Trail, there is 10% off everything this weekend as well as my annual sample sale. This is where I sell hand knits for crazy prices, many just the price of what the yarn would cost and some even better than that! I hope to see you in the studio soon!

Thank you .d.w.vanadventures for, once again, taking some beautiful photos. Some of them are my photos & it’s easy to see which ones 🤣🙈

It’s day 13 of the and we today are going to travel back down the A59, past Bolton Abbey and through Blubberhouses. When I first took this trip I was very disappointed not to find houses made of blubber on this road but the breathtaking views does make up for this and the feeling dissipates. This is the road to Harrogate, a Victorian spa town. I grew up near Bath, the roman spa town so it’s lovely to be near another spa town. The origin of the name is uncertain and might mean the way to Harlow. And some of the highlights of this beautiful town include the RHS Harlow Carr gardens, definitely worth visiting as is which is found on Knaresborough Road in Harrogate. Yarn Etc., is owned by the fabulous Fiona, the other half of the team behind the North Yorkshire Yarn Trail and they stock Purl &Jane patterns so definitely pay them a visit!

Thank you to .d.w.vanadventures for the first two beautiful photos of Bolton Abbey. The remain ones were taken by me & we have two of Blubberhouses, two of the Stray in Harrogate & two of Yarn etc.,

It’s day 12 of the and today’s location demonstrates why Skipton makes such a great base for exploring the Dales. If we head one way we go into the North Yorkshire Moors, and if we go another way we head towards the Pennines and if we head this way along the A65 we will pass Settle and then take a right to Ingleton. There we find a beautiful Yorkshire Dales village nestled on the lower slopes of Ingleborough, one of Yorkshire’s famous Three Peaks. There is so much to do in Ingleton! If you love the outdoors, there is the Waterfall Trail, the underground White Scar caves and there are some excellent road and mountain bike routes. If you prefer a slower pace there is the beautiful village and its many independent shops, including the delightful run by the fab Ali!

It’s day 11 of the and we are popping up and over the A1 again to Helmsley, a pretty market town (we have lots of market towns in North Yorkshire!) with many interesting things to visit. It has a castle like Skipton does, a medieval fortress. There is a Victorian Walled Garden, an Arts Centre and it is located on the Cleveland Way, a long-distance footpath that runs through the North York Moors National Park. The town has a rich history, with evidence of human settlement dating back to the Bronze Age. And, of course, for those of us with an interest in knitting most importantly there is who have been Helmsley’s LYS for over 40 years!

It’s day ten of the and we have popped across the A59 to Knaresborough. It’s only about 27 miles away and is a lovely town to visit with many different attractions, from Mother Shipton’s cave, the famous viaduct, a Norman castle and the River Nidd with some nice walks along its banks. In the town you’ll find so many lovely shops including the fabulous where you can also find Purl &Jane patterns - Diane puts together some kits with the patterns.
During the trail Diane is holding some fun events!
Knaresborough is another market town, granted its royal charter in 1310, (Skipton was granted earlier but it’s not a competition!). However it’s not just a market town, it’s also a spa town! We’ll come across more of those later on the trail!
The last two photos show the Ryedale Jumper & Frankie Mittens, two Purl &Jane patterns bought with the yarn from Knitting Pretty 🧶🌟

Day 9 of the sees us in Stokesley, which again is another market town! Its weekly market, which has been held since 1223, is still going strong today. It also has another thing in common with Skipton, it is also a gateway. While Skipton is a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, Stokesly is the gateway to the North Yorkshire Moors! The River Leven, crossed by the ancient Pack Horse Bridge, provides a perfect spot for walking and picnics – not to mention the spectacular views of Roseberry Topping and the North York Moors from the east end of the town, where an ancient mill wheel can also be admired. Stokesley is the furthest north of the trail LYS places and here you will find . Ripping Yarns has been around since 2012 and has moved three times since then. It started in the picturesque seaside town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, and that is where the last two photos are from. So we managed to get a beach into this trail! Saltburn by the sea is definitely worth a visit and you can pop into Stokesley on the way there or on the way back!

Day 8 of the and this time we are staying on the Skipton side of the A1, heading west on the A65 into the Yorkshire Dales and the beautiful town of Settle. Its name derives from the Old English word ‘Setl’ meaning a seat or a dwelling - probably because of its lofty setting in the Yorkshire Dales.
It is another ancient market town with so many beautiful things to see including the architecture like The Folly is a striking and impressive 17th century house close to the centre of Settle, the Shambles on the north side of Market Place and Victoria Hall and the world’s oldest music hall. In Settle we will find at Cottontail Crafts. This LYS was established in 1956 by Sue’s parents. It is a traditional local yarn shop in the heart of a lovely traditional Yorkshire town with a helpful and passionate owner.

Day 7 of the and we are off along the A59 again and it’s another 44 miles but this time we’re heading east to the cathedral walled city of York. There is so much history and so much to do in York, including a visit to the famous Bettys Tea Rooms for a Fat Rascal.
York Minster is one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals. There’s so much to take in when you’re looking around this ancient building – from the stunning, handcrafted stone through to the breathtaking collection of medieval stained glass. However the history goes back further to the Mesolithic and it seems everyone has been here in York at some point from the Romans to the Vikings and probably everyone in between! And I’m not surprised, it really is an amazing place to visit.
Here we find who offer a creative welcoming space for learning new skills and, like Purl &Jane, the team there believe it’s not about perfection but about giving it a go and trying. Those skills will come in time. Have a great visit!

Photos credit of York to .d.w.vanadventures - thank you for taking some great photos of York & letting me use them!

Welcome to Day 6 of the and today we’ll keep our tour closer to home. Just 20 minutes drive from Skipton along the B6265 or, to give it its formal name, Grassington Road is… can you guess? Grassington! A charming village that is a great starting point for a wealth of walks. It is also the fictional market town Darrowby in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small. The first year the crew filmed there, I held a Learn to Crochet workshop for the Costume Designer and her team.
The name Grassington comes from a combination from the Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon and Gothic languages, and means either the town of the grassy ings or a farmstead surrounded by grass.
Although some call it a village, Grassington was granted a Royal Charter for a market and fair in 1282, giving it market town status. And just like how Purl &Jane is hidden through a ginnel behind Skipton High street, you’ll find just off The Square where the market was probably held in Grassington. It’s a lovely shop where you can find all your craft items including tapestry ones!

Day four of the sees us in Masham, and depending which route you take from Skipton, Masham can be on the way to or back from Leyburn. And apparently it is near an old roman road that was the main route from York to Wensleydale. And can you guess? It’s another beautiful market town also with a history based around sheep. The name Skipton comes from the name – Sheep Town. And, in Masham, which has a breed of sheep named after it, the town square with its beautiful Georgian houses was created in the 18th century but the huge market place was originally the site for annual Sheep Fairs where over 80,000 herds of sheep were sold some years. The Sheep Fair tradition continues on a smaller scale today: each September Masham Sheep Fair takes place attracting many rare breeds and visitors. Masham’s very own local yarn shop, is just off the square and what a lovely place to be!

It’s day two of the North Yorkshire Yarn Trail so shall we visit Leyburn, another market town? There are a few different ways to get to Leyburn from Skipton, both are beautiful routes that go through the Yorkshire Dales and past many towns that we will come back to later, really giving you a feel for the stunning landscape of the Dales. They are very narrow in places and steep so depending on how you like driving depends on how relaxed you will feel! But you can always try the A1 if you prefer wider roads. Leyburn means clearing by the stream and like Skipton is also said to be the gateway to the Dales. It is Wensleydale’s largest market town and is first mentioned in the Domesday book in 1086. In Leyburn we have the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Shop with its own beautiful Wensleydale wool!

Welcome to the start of the ! It’s day one where shall we start? What beautiful North Yorkshire town to pick first? One of the great things about Skipton is that it is a good starting base to explore the Dales, so if we head out of Skipton along the A59 and pop over the A1 and here, 44 miles away from Skipton, is the traditional market town of Thirsk. In Thirsk you will find two yarn shops, and . Ewe & Yarn is owned by Sharon, one half of the team who organises the NYYT, and Crafts of Thirsk recently moved to a larger shop, after I took this photo of their previous location! There are also lots of fun knitted things around the market square. It’s a really historic town, archeological finds show there was a settlement here in around 500–600 BC! Like Skipton, Thirsk is a thriving market town, the market was established in 1145 and is still much loved by locals and visitors today.

Do you fancy coming on a North Yorkshire Yarn Trail adventure?
Skipton is known as the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and for the next two weeks I’m going to share with you a few of the fabulous towns and other local yarn shops that you can visit from Skipton.
You can follow along in real life if you are local, pick up a map and a passport from Purl &Jane or another participating LYS to get stamped and enter a prize draw or if you can’t get to Yorkshire at this time hopefully you can feel like you are travelling along with us via the magic of Facebook.
And today is a gorgeously sunny chilly day, the perfect day to get those hooks and needles busy with joyous autumn projects!

The is back from 14th to 29th September, and Purl &Jane is part of the action!

If you pop into the Skipton studio and get your Yarn Trail passport stamped, you’ll get a free Purl &Jane knitting pattern! It’s the perfect way to start a new project to use up some of your stash or treat yourself to some new gorgeous yarn.

There’ll be some exciting things going on in the studio during the trail - watch this space for more detail! And obviously Yarndale is just around the corner too! What an exciting time to be a knitter in North Yorkshire!

The studio is open an extra day on Sunday this weekend to celebrate the beginning of the trail! Hope to see you all very soon! Or if you can’t be in Yorkshire keep on eye on the stories during the two weeks as we might be going on a virtual tour!

Opening Hours this week include a Sunday opening to celebrate the beginning of the !

A beautiful delivery of Spindrift from Jamiesons of Shetland. I was lucky enough to be invited to their spinning mill. It’s not open to the public. The view from their mill is amazing & the drive there was stunning! It’s influenced the new colour choices from them. I’ve included more of the natural shades of the sheep in the Purl &Jane colour range.

The North Yorkshire Yarn Trail is happening from the 14th September and here is a map of the trail! A lovely way to explore the beautiful Yorkshire dales and pick up exciting treats along the way!

There are two ladies we are grateful for being involved behind the scenes of North Yorkshire Yarn Trail and that is artist The Relentless Crafter who hand draws our stunning map each year, and My little Graphics co who puts our maps and passports together. Thank you both from all the yarn shops involved.
Below you can see the whole of the 2024 map with all 13 shops included. As an ex geography teacher I do have to say it isn't to scale, but with all the shops contact details on the back, you'll not get lost on your travels 💚

The North Yorkshire Yarn Trail will be starting soon! If you follow their page they are sharing who is taking part over the next few days...and here is the Purl &Jane one! I've been sharing the others in stories and over the two weeks are be sharing them on the main page so if you can't get to North Yorkshire you can take a tour with us!

Purl &Jane is the wonderful base for hand knit designer Jane Ellison, in Skipton, on the edge of the Dales and the home of Yarndale Wool Show. With around 2000 patterns to her name, and a desire to help the knitter on their knitting journey visiting Purl & Jane is a must do on the North Yorkshire Yarn Trail. Please check out Jane's social media to check opening hours through the Trail 💚

This photo doesn’t show the gale force winds that are sweeping through at the moment!
Lana & I were blown here today Dorothy & Toto style!

The Skipton studio is O P E N today! The open sign isn’t out because it’s too windy but we’re here!!

I’ve been blogging! This time about the joy of picking up stitches 😁
If the words still don’t help you find that joy I have made a short video on the technique. You can find it on the Purl &Jane YouTube page under the Professional Finishing Series playlist 📺🧶🙌🏻

These brown bags are holding some colourful joy! It’s a Learn to knit Fairisle in the round workshop today 😊

I've received an email from a knitter who has a friend who has some Hebridean sheep fleeces that they would like to go to a good home, someone who can make good use of them. Is that you??