West Yorkshire Spinners Knitting Patterns

Patterns written for a Yorkshire mill's own yarns

West Yorkshire Spinners spin in Keighley, and their pattern range exists mainly to show what those yarns do. That is useful for a knitter: the tension quoted has been worked in the actual yarn, the yardage is calculated against the mill's own ball weights, and the shade names in the pattern are shades you can still buy. The designs themselves are classic with a modern cut, covering pullovers, cardigans, winter accessories and family knits, with attention paid to accurate finished measurements rather than one generous size that suits nobody.

Matching pattern to yarn line

• Signature 4 Ply: the sock workhorse, wool with nylon for wear. Sock patterns here are written to its tension over 2.5mm to 3mm needles.
• Bo Peep: a soft baby-appropriate blend, used for the cardigans, blankets and pram sets.
• The Croft and Aran weights: heavier British wool for outerwear, cabled jumpers and hats with real structure.
• Illustrious and DK lines: smooth wool blends that suit texture and colourwork without fighting the stitch definition.

Tension, and why it matters more with wool

British wool has spring. It blocks generously and then recovers, which means a swatch measured straight off the needles can read a full stitch tighter than the same swatch after a soak. Knit at least 15cm square, wash it exactly as you intend to wash the garment, dry it flat and measure the middle. If you are a half stitch out over 10cm, change needle size rather than trying to knit tighter; hand tension rarely holds over a whole sleeve.

Socks in particular

The sock patterns are the reason many knitters arrive at this collection. Most are written cuff down with a heel flap and gusset, which wears well and is easy to reinforce. Work them on a set of double pointed needles, one long circular using magic loop, or two short circulars, whichever you find least annoying; the pattern maths does not change. A pair of adult socks in 4 ply generally takes one 100g ball, with enough left over to darn later. Knit at a firmer tension than you would for a jumper: loose sock fabric abrades quickly at the ball of the foot.

Garments and accessories

For jumpers and cardigans, choose your size by the finished chest measurement rather than the size label. Measure a jumper you already like across the chest, double it, and match that number. Sleeves are the most common alteration: check the length from underarm to cuff against your own arm before you start decreasing. Hats and mitts are the quickest way to try a new WYS yarn, and a single ball usually covers both.

Care and finishing

Block everything. Wool patterns look uneven off the needles and settle beautifully after a soak in lukewarm water with a little wool wash, five minutes of soaking, a gentle squeeze, then rolling in a towel and drying flat. Do not wring, do not hang a wet garment, and check the ball band before machine washing, as the superwash lines behave very differently from the untreated ones. Store folded with a cedar ring rather than hung on a hanger.

Questions about WYS patterns

Do I have to use West Yorkshire Spinners yarn? No, but match the weight and, more importantly, the stated tension, and buy to the metres rather than the ball count.

Which pattern suits a beginner? A ribbed hat or a simple garter and stocking stitch baby cardigan in Bo Peep before you attempt cables or socks.

How much yarn for an adult jumper? Follow the yardage in the pattern for your size and buy one spare ball in the same dye lot.

Are the patterns PDF downloads? The range includes downloadable PDFs and printed leaflets; the format is shown on each pattern page.