Craft Focus - Jun/Jul (Issue 73)

46 Close knit US yarn distributor Cascade offers high quality yet affordable products to the UK trade. We caught up with co-owner Rob Dunbabin to find out about latest developments Tell us a little about Cascade Yarns – how long has the company been in business? My father, Bob Dunbabin, started the business 32 years ago. He had been importing oriental carpets for my mother’s shop and to sell at Eaton’s department store in Canada. He also invested in real estate. While attending a bankruptcy hearing in an effort to purchase a warehouse north of Bellingham, on the US side of the Canadian border, he met the export manager of a British spinner. Bob never ended up buying the warehouse, but that connection led to his entry into the yarn business. My wife and I purchased Cascade from my parents eight years ago and have managed the company ever since. What are the products our readers should know about? Our flagship yarn is Cascade 220. Using Peruvian correadale- merino hybrid gives the product a reasonably soft hand, while offering loft and durability. We also offer a superwash version, which provides greater softness and machine-wash easy care. Are there any new launches coming up? We have six new yarns for fall 2019, some of which debuted at CHSI Stitches in February. We are very happy to talk directly to retailers if they’d like to find out more about stocking our collections. Where can UK retailers get to see Cascade products? Love Knitting and Wool Warehouse carry a large selection of our yarns. Cascade is also available in a growing number of wool shops in England. Our yarns are frequently featured in UK consumer magazines too. Does the company exhibit at any trade shows? We plan to attend CHSI Stitches at the NEC in Birmingham in 2020, as well as the next H+H Cologne. Is it important for you to keep up with industry trends? Yes, and this is something we do at trade shows. We found CHSI Stitches to be well-attended, giving us the opportunity to meet a variety of UK retailers. We noticed a number of differences from our home market in North America and left with a better understanding of how to meet the needs of our customers. What’s coming up next for the company? We are currently in the middle of finalising our yarns and colours for spring 2020 so look out for new developments coming soon. What’s new Cascade showcased its Cantata product at CHSI Stitches back in February. The cotton/superwash merino is ideal for changing seasons, and its coloured fibres are blown into a white cotton tube, creating a yarn with loft and bounce. Its tubular construction really makes cables and textured stitches pop, and the 100g put-up offers 200 metres that can be worked up quickly on 5.5mm needles. cascadeyarns.com