New Lanark spins a yarn for the Queen

The Queen was warmly welcomed to New Lanark in 2000.

The traditionally spun wool range has been launched to mark the Monarch’s 70 year reign and is available in amethyst, azurite and platinum.

The colours have been inspired by the gemstones and precious metals of the St Edward Crown, which the Queen wore at her Coronation ceremony in 1952.

Clare Healy, New Lanark Spinning Company’s textile and retail trading manager, said: “The Queen visited New Lanark in 2000 and we decided to come up with something to mark her Jubilee.

“We wanted to focus on pure colours rather than blends and we used gemstone colours to tie into the crown and to keep it a little bit different from our usual range. For the platinum, we also mixed some Alpaca wool into it to make the yarn feel a wee bit softer but give it some strength to reflect its name.”

New Lanark Spinning Company is situated in the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site, brought to worldwide fame by social visionary Robert Owen.

His work at the cotton mills, situated by the Falls of Clyde, saw him vastly improve living and working conditions and focus on education for all, including introducing the first workplace nursery in the world.

When the Queen visited New Lanark in 2000 she was presented with a ‘Silent Monitor’, the tool mill managers used in Owen's time to monitor productivity.

The Jubilee yarn has been spun on 19th century machinery powered by renewable energy generated onsite by water-powered turbines.

It is available now at New Lanark or call 01555 661345.