Meet Wensley Worsted!
We are super excited to introduce La Bien Aimée’s brand new base, Wensley Worsted. Wensley Worsted has the same yardage and thickness as Corrie Worsted, with 230 meters (250 yards) per 100g, and it is composed of 50% Falkland Corriedale, 25% Falkland Merino and 25% Wensleydale.
In Corrie Worsted, the black fiber in the Gotland makes this yarn a natural grey base. When we released it last year, Aimee knew straight away that she wanted to make a white base companion yarn to Corrie. Just like Felix is to Helix, Wensley Worsted is the white base companion yarn to Corrie Worsted. The white base means that we can dye all our super bright colors on it.
It’s really interesting to see what the same color looks like on Wensley and on Corrie. The natural grey base of Corrie Worsted makes all the colors look heathered, whereas Wensley really makes our brights and neons pop! Check out Aimee’s live on Instagram to see comparisons of the same colors on Corrie and Wensley.
Why Wensleydale? The Gotland in Corrie Worsted creates a beautiful halo, almost like Mohair. Wensleydale also has long fibers that create that same kind of halo, but on a white fiber. We also recommend mixing Corrie Worsted and Wensley Worsted, both yarns go together fabulously! They are the exact same thickness and were designed to be knit together or as substitutes for each other.
We have prepared a select palette of colors that we are releasing on Wensley Worsted, it is a mix of brights and neutrals. Aimee just finished knitting a Strata pullover by Tif Neilan using Wensley Worsted in colors Sandstone, Fluoro Morganite, Yellow Brick Road and Dawn. It is her Rhinebeck sweater this year!
To celebrate the release of La Bien Aimée's new base Wensley Worsted, Aimee asked Sylvia Watts-Cherry to design an awesome sweater in it, and boy did she deliver!
Let the Good Times Roll may be the most fun sweater ever designed in La Bien Aimée! Nostalgic about 80s roller skating parties? Don't be. This sweater has super fun intarsia motifs throughout the body and on the back, plus very bright stripes on the sleeves. And matching leg warmers!
Wensley Worsted is launching at Wool & Folk on the Brooklyn General Store booth on Friday, October 14! Come by to get a feel of this amazing yarn… The first selection of colors are also available on the La Bien Aimée online shop starting Friday, October 14 at 6pm Paris time.