after a comedy of errors involving a 2-month shipping snafu with a big chunk of my stock, i had the opportunity to noodle on what i want the shop (and the brand overall) to focus on both right now and moving forward into the future. part of that involved conversations with my good friend, anna hunter of long way homestead, and the result is two brand new yarn bases sourced from our pembina fibreshed! first up, the smaller batch yarn that will likely stay exclusive to the shop - meet red river dk!

about the yarn

red river dk is a squishy 3ply semi-worsted yarn made from 100% bfl (bluefaced leicester) wool from a farm in central manitoba. dk is a bit of a funny weight to me - it’s just shy of worsted and a little heavier than sport, and the result is that it makes some really nice trans-seasonal garments with a little more drape than a lot of worsted and aran weight patterns create. it’s a really popular weight for baby and children knitting patterns, because it’s not too heavy for the kids who work up a sweat while playing but it’s still warm enough to be cozy in the cooler months. here’s a teasel cardigan in the 6-year-old size that i knit up with about 2.5 skeins:

as you can see, it’s got great stitch definition. thanks to the bfl, it’s got great durability, making it a fantastic choice for heavier hiking socks, but still has a lot of drape, as evidenced by this hipster hat that i knit with it (part of my one year one outfit roster for this year).

about bfl

a cutie patootie bfl sheep at twin oaks farm in guelph, ontario.

bfl stands for “bluefaced leicester,” a breed of long wool sheep originating from england. these cutie patooties have big ears and clean faces, and they get the “blue” reference from the colour of their skin showing through the short hairs on their faces. their wool is fine, soft, and has a gorgeous springy curl to it, and averages up to 6” in length. historically, they’ve been primarily raised for meat despite having such gorgeous wool. here on the prairies, you’re unlikely to find giant meat flocks due to the fact that their wool usually parts along their back, exposing their spine to the harsh winter elements. they thrive in less extreme climates, but you’ll still find them scattered across southern canada, and if you do get lucky enough to snag a skein or five, savour the making experience because it is a truly gorgeous yarn!

about long way homestead & mini mills

want to learn more about mini mills, the machinery used by long way homestead and many other small wool mills across the globe? watch this video from from field to skin to see the machinery in action!

about pembina fibreshed

the pembina fibreshed is my local fibreshed affiliate. you can learn more about the fibreshed movement here and by reading this awesome book. fibresheds are typically defined by geographic borders rather than human borders, so ours is 200 miles around the pembina river, which is primarily in southern manitoba but also extends into western ontario, saskatchewan, and even a bit of north dakota.

wanna work with local dyes?

because this is a smaller batch yarn, i’ve opted to dye it solely with local dyes to keep it a fully certified fibreshed product. if you’re interested in playing with your own local dyes or natural dyes in general, check out:

northern natural dyes recipe e-book, featuring 36 dye plants and recipes for plants growing in zone 3
my digital colour journal in the creative coven community (complete with dye recipes, plant monographs, historical facts, and more)
natural dyeing 101, my online natural dyeing course that’ll get you dyeing plant and animal fibres within a weekend!