the yarn
ash works exclusively with natural dyes and canadian-sourced and -manufactured fibres. they dye every skein themself in their home studio under the watchful eye of the resident coven pooch, willow. ash loves working with small canadian mills and farmers to create beautiful, sustainable, long-lasting yarns that can handle the wear and tear of everyday life, and hopes that with a little bit of extra care to help your naturally dyed skeins maintain their beauty for a long time, you’ll be crafting items that can be enjoyed for generations to come.
yarn support
ash is pleased to offer wholesale prices to designers and knitting publications looking for yarn support. please email ash at hello.sunflowerknit@gmail.com with yarn support enquiries with the base you’d like to work with, number of skeins, colour preferences, a sketch and write-up of your design proposal, your timeline, and a link to your website and/or design portfolio (ravelry, payhip, etc.).
canadian aran (sapling)
100% canadian wool
2 ply, heavy worsted/aran weight
216 yards/112g (108 yards/56g)
the inaugural base of the sunflower knit canadian-sourced and milled bases, canadian worsted is the perfect choice for those heavy workhorse knits needed in a cold northern climate. coming in closer to an aran weight on the scale of worsted weight yarns, it holds stitch definition beautifully, making it a great choice for chunky winter lace shawls or rich cables to help keep chill winds at bay.
working with independent canadian mills sourcing wool directly from canadian farmers at pay rates ranging from 2-4x what they would receive from the standard wool buying organization, canadian worsted is usually sourced from range wools like rambouillet, targhee, cotswold, and suffolk, and may begin as natural white or light grey sheep shades before going through their respective natural dye pots. processed with minimal cleaning agents (usually vinegars) and usually spun on turn-of-the-century equipment that mimics handspinning, it is a thick yarn that may contain handknots in the skein (made during the milling process and reducing wool waste) as well as vegetable matter.
upon arrival at tiny coven studios in treaty one territory, ash scours and mordants every skein before dyeing them with natural dyes, including homegrown, foraged, and redirected food waste from local farms. ash finishes the process off by handwriting every label to indicate their dye and mordant journeys.
forage sock*
100% canadian corriedale
3 ply, sock weight
399 yards/~110g
forage sock came about as a result of experiments with long way homestead to create the perfect all-natural sock yarn using locally sourced fibres. after creating fleece-specific special edition sock yarns blended with mohair all sourced within the pembina fibreshed, ash wanted a more generic yarn that would still make a cozy, squishy, durable sock while being easily replicable to go through their dye pots regularly. enter corriedale!
while many of the more familiar durable sock breeds can be found on the canadian prairies, including bfl, cheviot, romney, and wensleydale, most farms with these breeds have limited numbers, restricting the accessibility of these yarns and making them more appropriate for future fleece-specific projects. corriedale, on the other hand, is grown primarily as a meat breed in the region, resulting in larger flocks and less interest in their sturdy fleeces, which are the perfect creamy base for natural dyes. by working with these flocks, we are able to redirect perfectly wonderful wool away from the compost or burn piles while also providing local farmers with a secondary income for the same animals.
spun on mini mill equipment just 45 minutes east of their home studio, tiny coven studios, forage sock is a particular love affair for ash, whose handknit wardrobe revolves around all-natural socks these days.
*due to inconsistent access to fleeces, ash and long way homestead have gone back to the drawing board to create new all-natural sock yarns sourced from prairie flocks. forage sock may be back in the future, and in the interim/moving forward you will continue to see small batch all-natural sock yarns as we find new breeds to play with and strong fleeces that will keep your toes cozy.
pasture
100% albertan finn
2 ply, heavy dk/worsted weight
233 yards/112g
this yarn began as a semi-limited collaboration between sunflower knit and the alberta yarn project courtesy of the fort saskatchewan finn flock. these sheep have been used by the town of fort saskatchewan in treaty six territory for three decades to help maintain the local parks. this eco-friendly method of mowing saved the city money, helped to sequester carbon, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels, alongside creating a unique tourism experience for visitors.
kalea the luddite sources the fleeces by hand each shearing season. she purchases the flock’s fleeces directly from the farmer and sorts them into lots according to fibre quality to make different bases, including a thick lopi, springy single ply, and lustrous 2ply. all are spun at custom woolen mills in treaty seven territory. ash sources the 2ply yarn from kalea after it returns from the mill, completing the pasture process by naturally dyeing every skein by hand in their home studio, tiny coven studios, on treaty one territory.
due to flock size and variables such as annual weather conditions impacting pasture conditions, hay quality over the winter months, and general health and size of the flocks, this yarn is slightly more limited than the other primary yarn lines under the sunflower knit umbrella. in the event of the base selling out, restocks will have to wait until the following shearing season.
roots fingering (taproots)
100% canadian wool
1 ply, fingering weight
432 yards/112g (108 yards/28g)
the most popular of all the sunflower knit yarns, roots fingering is the perfect yarn for shawls, warm drapey garments, and delicate accessories. with great stitch definition for a single ply yarn, it’s ideal for cables and lace, holding its shape to show off the simplest stockinette to the most complicated textures.
working with independent canadian mills sourcing wool directly from canadian farmers at pay rates ranging from 2-4x what they would receive from the standard wool buying organization, roots is usually sourced from range wools like rambouillet, targhee, cotswold, and suffolk, and may begin as natural white or light grey sheep shades before going through their respective natural dye pots. processed with minimal cleaning agents (usually vinegars) and usually spun on turn-of-the-century equipment that mimics handspinning, it is a lofty yarn that may contain handknots in the skein (made during the milling process and reducing wool waste) as well as vegetable matter.
upon arrival at tiny coven studios in treaty one territory, ash scours and mordants every skein before dyeing them with natural dyes, including homegrown, foraged, and redirected food waste from local farms. ash finishes the process off by handwriting every label to indicate their dye and mordant journeys.
roots flock fingering
100% canadian tunis & finn
1 ply, fingering weight
432 yards/112g
roots flock fingering is the undyed sheep-shade companion to the most popular of all the sunflower knit yarns, roots fingering. it’s the perfect yarn for shawls, warm drapey garments, and delicate accessories. with great stitch definition for a single ply yarn, it’s ideal for cables and lace, holding its shape to show off the simplest stockinette to the most complicated textures.
working directly with specific farmers and custom woolen mills, roots flock uses tin forest farm’s tunis wool to create a creamy base and then adds in coloured finn wool from the same sheep that produce our pasture dk base. the wool clip changes slightly year by year, resulting in a natural annual colour lot. processed with minimal cleaning agents (usually vinegars) and spun on turn-of-the-century equipment that mimics handspinning, it is a lofty yarn that may contain handknots in the skein (made during the milling process and reducing wool waste) as well as vegetable matter.
depending on the exact blend of white to naturally coloured wool, chosen in consultation each year with kalea turner-beckman, we end up with a range of neutral yarns that are perfect for colourwork pairings with our roots and taproots yarns, as well as on their own. by spinning them at the same mill, we can ensure a seamless similarity in the yarn quality while directly supporting small canadian farms and mills.