Meet Our Newest Yarn!
We would like to introduce you to Chicken Coop Dyeworks yarn! New at My Sister Knits this week, you will find it featured on our renovated wall to the left as you enter the shop! We are busily creating samples of this fun yarn so you can see and feel it knit into a project.
Chicken Coop Dyeworks DK weight Wings, 100% Polwarth
This colorful yarn comes to us from Carol Jones who lives near Dallas. Seeing all of her fun color combinations, we can just imagine her knitting items her granddaughter will love!
All of Carol’s yarns are named after something to do with chickens! Our delivery included fingering weight Talons and DK weight Wings, both are superwash yarn. These are 100% Polwarth yarn from New Zealand sheep.
Chicken Coop Dyeworks fingering weight Talons, 100% Polwarth
Polwarth Sheep
These sheep are not found in the United States! They are common in Australia, New Zealand, and the Falkland Islands. This breed originated by breeding Merino rams with Merino/Lincoln ewes. Lincolns have been cross-bred with several breeds to create new ones. The Lincoln fiber added strength to the Merino fiber and eventually a true new breed was born. A fun fact about Lincolns is that they are huge gentle sheep! When we can all go back to fiber festivals, see if you can find one and you just might fall in love!
Yarn made from this fiber is excellent for next-to-skin wear. It is fairly sturdy for gentle everyday activity such as walking but most likely won’t hold up long when used for more strenuous activity such as yard work.
Be sure to swatch and block before you knit with Polwarth because it will bloom when washed. Blooming is when the fibers puff up and become fuller. The yarn diameter is increased just a little which creates a halo and softer effect to the fabric. You’ll want to see what the final product looks like before you decide what size needle to use!
Check out our newest yarn the next time you’re in the shop!
Julie’s Finds
Julie loves to use Twig and Horn’s Concrete Notions Dish to keep stitch markers corralled. The shape of this little dish makes it so easy to grab a marker and slide it out when you need one!
