4And then there was the humble Nettle, so often despised for its sting. Nonetheless, it is a treasure. It can be used like Spinach, drank as a healing herbal tea, used for dyeing green and yellow, used in gardening as a pesticide and last but not least it creates fibre like Flax... 

The Company:

Made from Himalayan Nettles, wild harvested in Nepal. This yarn is ethically made in Nepal, by a company that is supporting homemakers, women and families to receive a decent income and to enable them to work from home, rather than finding employment abroad.

The yarn:

Untreated and collected in the wild of the Himalayas, this yarn has been hand harvested and naturally processed using a combination of water and wood ash (lye) to break down the outer fibres of the nettle, before it gets spun by hand in Nepal. The colour of the yarn is natural and varies from light grey/beige to brown brown/beige. Available in hank form only and ethically produced. The last two pictures show the yarn woven.

History:

Nettle yarn was once used widely in Europe and was known as the 'Poor man's Linen'. Nettles once rivaled flax and hemp (and later, cotton) as a staple fiber for thread and yarn, used to make everything from heavy sailcloth to fine table linen up to the 17th/18th centuries. "In Scotland, I have eaten nettles," said the 18th century poet Thomas Campbell, "I have slept in nettle sheets, and I have dined off a nettle tablecloth. The young and tender nettle is an excellent potherb. The stalks of the old nettle are as good as flax for making cloth. I have heard my mother say that she thought nettle cloth more durable than any other linen."


Use:

This yarn can be used for knitting, crochet and weaving as well as sewing.

The yarn is a medium size, semi rough and can be stiff at times and is not suitable for fine knitting or crochet work. 

In a nutshell for 100g:

approx. 265m
hand spun
hand harvested in the wild
naturally processed with Wood Ash and water
Origin: Himalaya, Nepal

I love this wool yarn, simple and beautifully soft. We now have a full new Pattern Collection available in this lovely yarn.

https://appleoakfibreworks.com/pages/a-story-of-forest-friends

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!)

Creating wearable Colours in a close relationship with nature - this Palette has been inspired by Fruiting trees & Shrubs, Irish River Meadows and Late Indian Summers.

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
100g/ 3.5oz
400m/ 437.4yards

Needle size 2-3mm

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

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.

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

Doolin 2021

Dyed with 18th century recipes, developed by Master Dyer Antoine Janot (1700-1775). Though I had to tweak a few recipes, this book has been a real inspiration when it comes to blending colour. Back then Natural dyeing was the only source of colouring cloth and the choice of dyes limited. Doolin has been dyed using only 4 dyes in varying quantities and combinations: Sage, Indigo, Madder & Oak Gall. I wanted to create a Winter Palette so I substituted Weld with Sage. Sage gives darker and moodier yellows in comparison to the lively lemon like yellow produced by Weld. I had to double dye most to create an even colour uptake, but I am very pleased with the results and I hope they will inspire you to create something beautiful, thank you! 

'Workbook: Antoine Janot's Colours'

Written by Dominique Cardon and Iris Bremaud

Let’s celebrate the humble nettle!

Doolin is made from 80%wool and 20% Ramie and the bigger brother of our 4ply Turin, made from a similar blend but including Silk as well. 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.

Doolin and Turin are 'all rounder' yarns suitable for any project you set your mind too.

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!)