Warmer than wool and as soft as cashmere, what is not to love about the Yak? A large domesticated wild Ox with shaggy hair... so they say. What you wouldn’t expect from looking at a yak is that its fibre is as soft as cashmere, extremely durable and lightweight and preserves heat in winter yet breathes in warmer weather.

Yalana is our personal favourite – a blend of 50% Yak and 50% merino lamb’s wool, this yarn is beautifully soft with a textured look, that is particularly visible when dyed. The colours tend to be deep and rich – just looking at it makes me smile.

Being a sport weight, Yalana knits up quickly and can be luxurious substitute for any of our Doolin or Softwool patterns.

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
50% yak / 50% merino lamb
weight Sport
100g/ 3.5oz
300/ 328 yards
3-4mm needles
Origin: Yak - Tibet, Merino - USA
Spun: in Mongolia
Naturally dyed in Ireland

Grey puffy willows,
Like fairy pillows,
So soft for fairy’s head...
Cherry petals sweet for a cool clean sheet,
Green moss for a fairy’s bed... 

This children’s song very much describes the character of this beautiful yarn. Only selected baby alpaca fleeces from the Peruvian Andes are used for this incredibly soft and light Alpaca yarn. Spun in Peru, Alpaca Light still keeps with the general slouchy and drapey character of any Alpaca yarn. It is best suited for flowing and body skimming pieces, ideally knitted seamlessly. Unlike its bigger siblings, Alpaca Light is perfect for delicate knits, baby clothes or undergarments.

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All our Alpaca yarns come from the Peruvian Andes

The entire production ~ from Alpaca farmer to the spun yarn ~ is done within Peru, supporting local employment and a low carbon footprint.

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
100% baby Alpaca
4ply
weight Sport
100g/ 3.5oz
400m/ 437.4yards

Needle size 2-3mm

Origin: Peruvian Andes
Spun: in Peru
Dyed naturally in Ireland

This is a natural product and may contain natural debris ie. Straw which can be easily removed.

Indigo* - herbaceous plant ( you might get a bit of blue on your hands while
Knitting - that is easily washed of with soap and even healthy!)
Vegan note: please be aware that we use Lac and Cochineal dyes as well, which would be of animal origin ~ Cochineal** - small louse; Lac*** - the casing made by beetles to hatch and protect their eggs.

Let’s celebrate the humble nettle! Doolin is made from 80%wool and 20% Ramie. Ramie is a bast fibre, made from the inner phloem of the nettle. Ramie not only gives the yarn a gentle sheen, but also provides strength and stability needed for the heel and toe areas making it a great alternative to nylon rich yarns. Ramie doesn’t absorb dye the same way as wool does, giving this yarn a unique two-toned mottled effect.

Like with all hand knitted items, a gentle handwash is best, however, this yarn has been washing machine tested by us and can be wool washed if preferred.

We also have some stunning patterns available for this yarn in our pattern section, designed by LBhandknits for AppleOak FibreWorks.

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
80% wool & 20% Ramie
weight Sport
100gr/ 3.5oz
300m/ 328yards
2-3mm needles
Origins: Wool USA, Ramie China, spun in the Czech Republic, Dyed in Ireland naturally.

Indigo* - herbaceous plant ( you might get a bit of blue on your hands while
Knitting - that is easily washed of with soap and even healthy!)
Vegan note: please be aware that we use Lac and Cochineal dyes as well, which would be of animal origin ~ Cochineal** - small louse; Lac*** - the casing made by beetles to hatch and protect their eggs.

I love this wool yarn, simple, beautifully soft and would make a lovely sweater or other wearable item. 

We're often asked, is, why do we call it Softwool? We originally mistook it for merino for starters! It came up while talking with Albina (LBhandknits) about this yarn and how well it knits up. Upon closer inspection, we noticed that this wool is stronger, has a lot less pillage and is almost as soft. Albina has designed a couple of cardigans, a sweater, and a dress for this lovely yarn and a name was necessary, so Softwool it became. 

Once being aware that it isn't merino, you can just feel a slightly stronger handle, less of the plush and more of a textured smoothness. Perfect for colour work, the Softwool line comes with one of our biggest colour ranges, inviting you to enjoy your favorites when choosing from a broad colour palette, including pastels as well as stronger dominant tones.

Suitable for all kinds of projects, like "Ada" and "Ripple and Bloom" both of which have been custom designed for AppleOak FibreWorks by LBHandknits.

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
100% wool
weight Sport
100gr/skein
300m/328yrds
3-4mm needles

Indigo* - herbaceous plant ( you might get a bit of blue on your hands while 
Knitting - that is easily washed of with soap and even healthy!)
Vegan note: please be aware that we use Lac and Cochineal dyes as well, which would be of animal origin ~ Cochineal** - small louse; Lac*** - the casing made by beetles to hatch and protect their eggs.