Unlike my assorted Yarns in Waiting from last April, nearly all of which have since factored into garments, my year-end lineup is still mostly sitting patiently on the shelf. But in the meantime, I’ve acquired a few more lovelies that are now hoping for a turn (clockwise from top):
– Rosa Pomar sent me this ball of her newest yarn, Mungo, which is milled in her native Portugal like her other yarns. In addition to being drop-dead gorgeous and exactly the shade of blackish-blue I’ve been on the hunt for, it’s recycled. 100% pre-consumer waste, wool and cotton (50/50), all fiber sourced in Portugal and Spain. And the fiber mix gives the color that inherent heathered look I love.
– The four balls of Gilliatt by De Rerum Natura were given to me by Aimee of La Bien Aimée when I was in Paris in April. This is French milled, French merino, and everyone’s always telling me I have to try it! (I love that the label says “Fabriqué en France dans le respect des moutons et des hommes.”) At least two of these colors are undyed but possibly all four, and these amount to a sweater’s worth if I can decide on a strategy!
– Luma from Kelbourne Woolens/The Fibre Co is a reinvention of a former yarn that I always wanted to love, and I do love this iteration of it. It’s 50% merino, 25% organic cotton, plus linen and silk, spun and dyed at a well-respected mill in Peru, but that’s really all I know about it. Other than it’s a light, lovely DK-weight yarn. The natural is a really great non-yellowy natural.
– At the Squam Art Fair there was a table full of baskets of incredible farm yarns that I couldn’t choose between and also couldn’t walk away from — to the point that I broke my single skein rule. (The rule: No single skeins.) The vendor was New England Farm to Fiber, who rep a bunch of New England farm yarns at the Boston Public Market (and on their website), and the skein I walked away with is this gorgeous 80% Romedale/CVM and 20% alpaca blend from Crooked Fence Farm. I think it will make an exceptional pair of mitts.
– And I just acquired this skein of YOTH’s new Best Friend from my pal Meg at Haus of Yarn. This is YOTH’s collaboration with Francis Chester of Cestari, as it happens — it’s 75% cotton (grown by Cestari) and 25% wool (US-sourced), milled in VA by Cestari. Again, beautiful heathered color due to the fiber mix, and it’s also spun with a bit of a slubby texture. This “blueberry” skein is perfectly gorgeous — like your favorite old faded jeans. It’s light fingering (550 yards!), so whatever I do with it, it will be held double or triple, but I can’t wait to experiment with it and see if I need a sweater’s worth. Maybe next summer’s summer sweater project!
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PREVIOUSLY: Yarns in Waiting, late 2016
Elles sont toutes superbes ! I’m knitting a breton sweater with this shade of Mundo, i love also this black/blue tone. And yes, The four colors of the gillatt are undyed hues, which are the ones I prefer in their catalog.
As always, your yarn selection is awesome … and tempting ! I really can’t afford most of the yarn you work with, mostly because shipping costs are higher than the yarn itself. And, to be honest, I often wonder what is the point in being careful on how the fiber is produced if it has to travel across the world to arrive to me ?
But fair made yarns are more and more common in Europe nowadays, and Solenn, the woman behind De Rerum Natura is really someone I thank for that ! Her yarns are amazing and I’m sure you’ll love them. The four shades Aimée gave you are all natural. You have a natural white and a natural dark brown, ans the two light browns are made by mixing the white and the dark brown.
Thanks for sharing that new Retrosaria yarn. Local and recycled, and in the perfect heathered grey, it looks gorgeous !
Those yarns are all lovely! I have tried one of them. I discovered De Rerum Natura about a year ago and I love it. I am currently knitting Nuuk from Laine in Gilliatt and it is really nice. I really have changed my thoughts on yarn from the wild colors to the minimally processed neutrals. And, because of your blogs, after 2 years of trying, when it was offered, finally got 6 skeins of the last of the Hole and Sons yarn. :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Was the famous Hole and Sons yarn very different from Isle Yarns? I haven’t heard too much about this Isle Yarnd but it appears to be the same family. http://www.isleyarns.co.uk
I’m not really sure, I haven’t used it yet and haven’t used Isle Yarns but I follow Benjamin Hole and all the farm life and really wanted some of his yarn. :-) I will let you know!
I’m not 100% sure what the situation is with that. It is definitely the same family (same sheep) — Ben’s Aunt Sue, who was at least a little bit involved in Hole & Sons initial release, starting offering Isle before Ben disappeared, so it’s not clear to me whether they were the same basic yarn (same mill and make-up, etc) under two labels, and Isle is the surviving one, or if there are actually some differences. I’ve only knitted with the Hole & Sons.
Simply awesome yarns Karen!!! Reading your posts is giving me an “education” on yarns: what to look for in types of fibers used, to value when their processing respects the sheep, the men and the nature, to look for natural colors, etc. Unfortunately it’s very difficult to find yarns that fulfill all these requirements here. Buy from overseas is unaffordable to me. I just felt a little discouraged for knitting with the yarns available here in São Paulo… but I love knitting! So, I guess I will just go on doing what I can for the time being.
I like the wool/silk blends. None of my finished garments pill-a big plus! I will check out Luma:)
I’d love to reach into the photos to touch these gorgeous yarns! As a weaver, I am mentally figuring fabulous textiles as I reuse the pics. I will look forward to what you do with them. Have fun!
I’m currently knitting a sweater in Luma! It’s lovely! Last winter I went to the Boston Public Market to see New England Farm to Fiber and came away with two skeins of the Crooked Fence Farm yarn. It made a very warm and lovely cowl that I can pull over my head when it’s cold and windy. So glad to see you posting about these yarns!
Karen–I saw Rosa Pomar’s Mungo at her Lisboa shop. If you’re in Lisboa, it’s got true Portuguese yarns. I bought 3 skeins of a lace weight version of Mungo. Happy knitting, Heidi aka Knitted Yarns
I will be in Paris for a couple of days in August and plan to visit La Bien Aimée (at last). I am on a yarn fast, might be hard to resist their lovely yarns. Your new stash is pretty awesome and quite coherent in terms of shades. Hours of fun ahead.
I may have to adopt your single skein rule. Sometimes I’ll find a lovely skein in my stash and wish I had two or three of them! On the other hand, it’s also fun to try to combine singles with each other and knit up something fun.
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I love the idea of “Yarn in Waiting”!! I have so many that I am excited to incorporate into my designs, it is hard to keep track. I would really like to do a post using your idea and link back to your post as my inspiration, would this be okay with you?
Sure
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