wool yarn – New England's Narrow Road

Five Favorite Places to Buy Wool Online

My five favorite online yarn shops to find and buy wool.

I love to use wool when knitting and I must buy my yarn online. I’m sharing my five favorite shops for ordering the wool I like.

Here in Florida I love knitting with wool yarn. It is never cold like up north, so I knit using wool year round. I hate when summer for everyone else comes and all the yarn sellers start pushing their linen and cotton. Summer for me is a great time to knit as the air conditioner is running full time to keep me cool.

No single place offers all the types of wool I like to buy, so it’s good to know who has what, and at what price. I’ve discovered a few favorite places to keep in mind. Most places will let you sign up for e-mail notifications, and it’s worth doing so to keep an eye out for sales.

What I Look For When Shopping For My Favorite Yarns

I look for what most knitters look for: Good prices, big selections, good images, free shipping – or how much I need to spend to get it, yarn winding cost, and ease of use. Fast shipping is a plus, as is the little “thank you” on the receipt. Goodies are a bonus!

When it comes to buying wool, these five places stand out.

1. Dublin Bay

Only recently have I found a nice bargain on wool yarn at Dublin Bay. They are located in Montana and had a nice selection of Soft Donegal tweed yarn. For my first order, I purchased three skeins to knit the Kate’s Poncho. The yarn was priced way below other shops, and I received the yarn in two days!

They have lots of other wool available and I’ve noticed their Spindrift (J&S) is also priced low compared to some other online places. Shipping is free to the US for orders over $35 (at current writing, which is quite low). I will be shopping here again.

Soft Donegal tweed yarn skeins — Tweed wool to knit a poncho

Blocking the poncho to dry — Tweed wool to knit a poncho

2. Wool and Company

Most of the time, I order my yarn from Wool and Company. They offer …..free shipping for any amount of purchase, and they will ….. wind yarn for free!

I’ve never found any other online yarn seller who offers those two things!

They carry Rauma, Brooklyn Tweed, Woolfolk, and Lopi, just to name some of their wool selection.

When knitting a large garment, such as a sweater, the cost of yarn can be high. It pays to shop around – or wait for sale notifications – when planning a big knitting project.

yarn store wool and company packaging is polka dots in black and white

3. Fairlight Fibers

Fairlight Fibers is the place I’ve been buying Jamieson & Smith Shetland wool which they usually carry in many colors. They offer free shipping after spending so much, but that amount has gone up to $80 and used to be less. They will send out e-mails with sale and discount information so it’s worth signing up if you like the types of yarn they sell.

wool yarn Jamieson & Smith — Jamieson & Smith yarn

4. Eat, Sleep, Knit

This store has a huge selection of yarn. The website is easy to navigate and the notice of free shipping for orders over $100 is right there to see. Sign up for e-mails and get sale notices. They also send along a little collection of thank-you goodies! This is what I received when I recently purchased some Flette Bulky yarn by Woolfolk, on sale – a very good sale! – at their shop.

My recent order shipped very fast and was safely tucked inside a sturdy box. I’ve only ordered a couple of times, but they are one seller that will remain on my favorites list.

Little gifts that came in my yarn order from Eat, Sleep, Knit yarn shop — Wow, nice collection of goodies from Eat, Sleep, Knit!

5. The Woolly Thistle

When I began knitting, the Woolly Thistle was the first online place I found with lots of pretty wool for sale. The shop location is New Hampshire, my previous home state, which is what drew me in.

I moved away from NH because I couldn’t afford to live there. This yarn shop is pricey, which tends to go along with the whole New England vibe. But, they do have a wide variety of wool and some items that can be hard to find elsewhere here in the US.

At present time, get free shipping in the US for orders over $149. This is high compared to most other online sites.

wool fiber from sheep — Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Please Share Your Favorites

I’m sure there are many other online places to find nice wool, good sales, free shipping, and offer yarn winding. If you have any favorite places to buy your wool, please leave a comment and share the info to help the rest of us out. Thanks!

The featured image on this post was taken when I visited Harrisville Designs in New Hampshire.

Knitting With Beloved Worsted Weight

When I began knitting many years ago, I used worsted weight yarn only. I practiced making winter hats and the little old lady who gave me lessons had a shop that sold lots of wool. I was in New Hampshire at the time, and it only made sense to knit for winter with heavy wool. “Peace Fleece” was one that I remember she sold.

Back then, I knew very little about yarn weights, knitting gauge, and the difference between superwash and non-superwash. Now that I have been knitting with all types of yarn for a few years, I’m beginning to find some favorites, and they are not machine washable. I have come to love wool.

Often people will think “scratchy” when wool is mentioned, but times have changed! Wool that is minimally processed can be quite soft, and many yarn sellers will tell you all about their yarn and how it’s processed. Many wool yarns get softer after hand-washing and even wearing can soften them up.

Sweaters Should Be Wooly and Warm

When I plan a knitting project I am thinking about warmth. Sweaters, hats and mittens should all be knit in a warm fabric, which looks good and will last. I like the idea of wearing something that came right off a sheep. Natural fibers will be warm and that just makes sense. Wool is excellent for colorwork knitting as well.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Narwhal for a sweater — 10 Skeins of Shelter in Narwhal gray to knit a sweater

I don’t want pretty mittens that won’t keep my hands warm, or a sweater that won’t do the job. I fell in love with Rauma Finnulgarn (fingering) and Jamieson & Smith (fingering) when knitting colorwork projects like Katie’s Kep. Then, I wanted to find some good wool like this in worsted weight.

When I began knitting the Cobblestone Cardigan in beautiful #1: Brooklyn Tweed Shelter I realized how nice a wool sweater can be. It’s been a pleasure knitting with this yarn. The end product is light to wear, yet warm – this comes from being woolen spun, where air is trapped in the fibers.

Projects go along quickly when the yarn is thicker (worsted weight) and I’ve used Shelter for fingerless mitts as well.

Hand washing a sweater made of wool is not a chore. This type of sweater will lay flat to dry and it will dry quickly! If you use a leave-in wool wash, such as Eucalan, there is no rinsing needed.

#2: Woolstok wool yarn by Blue Sky Fibers gets excellent reviews at Ravelry. The link goes to Wool and Company, where I buy a lot of my yarn. The skeins seem to come in either 50g / 123 yds, or 150g / 370 yds, but not both. I am dying to try this yarn for a project! It is 100% Highland wool.

Lots of people give good reviews of #3: Cascade 220 wool. I have knit with it and was not super impressed with softness, but it comes in loads of colors. Many people love this yarn (see Ravelry reviews here), and it is not super expensive. I think it would be nice for a sweater worn over clothing – like a cardigan. The plied yarn is made of Peruvian Highland Wool.

More Worsted Wool Ideas, Not Superwash

Malabrigo Worsted, single ply – Personally, I don’t like single ply yarn. This must be hand-washed
The Croft Aran Colors – no link here because many colors are out of stock.
Scholar Worsted (The Plucky Knitter) – Quite expensive yarn of Merino wool and Cashmere.

Reasons to Avoid Superwash Yarns For Sweaters

Umpqua sweater yoke pattern colors — Umpqua pullover knit in washable yarn

Some knitters don’t like using superwash yarn. Anything labeled “superwash” may be easier to care for, because it can go into the washing machine, but the yarn tends to stretch after washing. Some garments, like sweaters and hats, can end up much bigger than anticipated because of this. This happened to me after knitting my first pullover sweater (Umpqua) in Malabrigo Rios yarn. It ended up quite large.

Sometimes pilling can be a problem with superwash yarns. If you are a member at Ravelry, look up a yarn and then read the comments. This is where I got my information – from actual knitters who have worked with the yarn.

Washable yarn (meaning in the machine), IMO, would work better for kid’s clothing, things that can stretch a bit (scarves and shawls) or anything that will not be hand-washed by the recipient. The Malabrigo colors are really gorgeous, but I would not choose to knit another sweater using it.

Superwash Worsted for Those Who DO Want It

$$$ Anzula, For Better or Worsted (about)- I love this yarn, but would use it for other than sweaters. It is not cheap but the feel…. amazing…. and the colors…. so wonderful. Personally, I look for sales, but it can be purchased at many online sites such as Purl Soho. I made the Namu Cowl in “root beer” and it’s very soft and beautiful. ($35)
$ Rowan Pure Wool Worsted – affordable and washable (I have never used it). ($13.95)
$$ Emma’s Yarn Washable Worsted Wool – from right here in Florida, at the Four Purls yarn shop. ($28)

What are your favorite worsted weight yarns made of wool?

Knitting the Cobblestone Cardigan, Getting Gauge and Buying Yarn

I’m always on the lookout for future sweaters to knit. They must be fairly simple (I am not super experienced at sweater knitting) and I prefer a cardigan to a pullover, so I was excited to see the Cobblestone Cardigan pattern by Jarod Flood of Brooklyn Tweed.

I had just finished knitting a pair of mitts (Oulu) using the same Shelter yarn called for in the cardigan. I bought the sweater pattern and then I used my leftover Shelter yarn to knit up a swatch to find my gauge for the sweater. Suggested needle size is 8 US, and gauge should be 18 stitches (across) and 36 rows (vertical count). I used color “Camper” for the swatch.

How I Knit My Gauge Swatch

Using the size 8 needle, I cast on the 18 stitches plus an extra six. Then I knit for 36 rows, plus six more. In this case the gauge is counted on garter ridges, so the piece was simply knit back and forth. How easy is that? The piece needed to be slightly larger than (what I hoped) my gauge would be so I could easily count the stitches and rows.

I was knitting other projects and this little swatch took me a few days to complete. By the time I finished, and washed and dried the swatch, I couldn’t remember what the actual gauge should be. I got my gauge ruler and began counting, then looked up the pattern again to compare my numbers to the pattern. Well, I was exactly on gauge! This was very exciting! I want to begin knitting this sweater very soon.

You May Think You Hate Shelter, But Don’t Give Up!

If you knit at all and have come across comments on Shelter and Quarry yarn (both are BT brands) you may be very confused because this yarn gets both very high and very low marks. Knitters either love it and use it all the time, or they hate it for pulling apart easily. Some people also complain about the grass bits stuck in it. Personally, this does not bother me.

In fact, I avoided both of these yarns for a long time because of the trouble I had right after buying some Quarry yarn to knit a hat. Quarry is a bulky weight Brooklyn Tweed yarn and as soon as I cast on and tried to join in the round, the yarn pulled right apart! I kept trying and it kept separating… I was very irritated and decided that I hated it and would never buy this type of yarn again! It scared me away from Shelter as well. I moved on and knit with other yarns. I was convinced that this yarn was horrible.

yarn splitting problem Quarry — My “bad” skein of Quarry

I now believe that I was unlucky enough to have received a “bad” skein, but more than likely I was simply not used to knitting with this type of yarn. I used it later to complete a hat and had no problems. When it has to be pulled, twist the yarn to make it stronger before doing so. I ended up using Quarry yarn once again to knit a big sweater, and I had absolutely NO trouble at all with it splitting or pulling apart. This is why I think that occasionally knitters get a “bad” skein, or are simply not used to knitting carefully.

Then I bought Jarod Flood’s “Skiff” cable hat pattern and it called for Shelter yarn. I knit the hat, but wouldn’t dare use Shelter yarn. I was so afraid that doing cables would be a problem with this type of yarn.

Then, one day Shelter was on sale, and I can barely resist a sale! Another reason I wanted to buy this yarn is that it is spun in a mill in Harrisville, New Hampshire which is very near where I had once lived. I would pass signs for Harrisville on my way to Keene, from Antrim, and never knew there was a mill spinning popular yarn nearby! So to me it’s a “local” yarn, and I knew I had to finally try it. I bought a bunch of skeins without a plan… can you believe it?

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter yarn in colors Old World, Amaranth, and Caraway — Brown: Caraway, Red: Amaranth, Blue: Old World

Now I have knit two pair of mitts (Maine Morning Mitts and Oulu Mitts) using this yarn and now I’m planning to knit the Cobblestone Cardigan. I’ve come to love this yarn! The yarn colors are so beautiful that it took me quite a while to decide on a sweater color. I almost went with Meteorite (brown) which is beautiful, but decided I wanted a lighter color.

My final decision was to go with gray, to match my hair, so Narwhal it is! The yarn has arrived and I will cast on any minute! More to come about knitting the Cobblestone!

Read more about the Brooklyn Tweed yarns at their page on Ravelry, or visit their website.

Mitten Knitting Practice With Milet Pattern

As soon as I saw the Milet mitten pattern, I knew I would try knitting it one day. The suggested yarn, Rauma Finull, is a wool yarn that I have never used. Come to find out an online store (The Woolly Thistle), which I’d been checking out, sells that type of yarn, which comes from Norway.

I’ve learned a lot from this experience. What I like and what I don’t.

Read on…..

Then, I learned that The Woolly Thistle, (referred to as TWT), is also sponsoring a knit-along (KAL) for mittens! What this means is anyone who wants to can join in and we all choose a pattern and “knit along” showing off our progress and finished mittens by the time the KAL ends.

I’ve done one KAL before, which was actually a MKAL (mystery knit along) for a shawl. It was intense for me, and we all knit the same mystery pattern. This mitten KAL is different because we each choose our preferred mitten, or mitts, pattern. I’m also a bit more experienced knitter, but not with colorwork. For this KAL, the mittens must be knit of at least two colors.

Have Yarn Will Practice

I was not at all sure I would join the mitten KAL because I’m not good with double-pointed needles, or knitting small circumferences (socks, mittens), and I’m a newbie at colorwork too. But I learn best when I jump in without thinking too much about it. I ordered the Rauma yarn and the mitten pattern (see link in first paragraph) and decided to begin knitting just to see how my gauge was.

Casting on a mitten cuff — Using DPNs to do the colorwork cuff

This will not be the mitten I knit for the KAL. I can’t start that one until the cast-on date of February 13th and I haven’t decided which pattern to choose. (If you want to join in, see the rules and participating designers – offering discounts on their patterns! – in the Ravelry TWT forum – you will have to sign in.)

I’m not used to casting onto small needles and I REALLY DISLIKE knitting the first few rows. I didn’t have the correct needle size, and decided to go up a size, since I usually have to. But wow, that cuff seemed huge!

Small Addi Flexi-Flips Are Sized Off…so I am knitting with larger needles than I thought!

Come to find out, a few of the smaller Addi Flexi’s are not true to size. The mm measurements don’t equal true US measurements. I intend to write a new post on all that, but in the meantime, my size 2 (US) is really a 2.5.

If you are shopping for Addi Flexi-Flips (three needle sets for circular work) be careful of the mm to US conversion which is not correct.

For instance, I ordered a size 1.5 US and was sent needles saying: 1.5 US / 2.75mm. But 2.75mm does not equal 1.5, it equals a size 2 US! Jimmy Beans Wool actually mentions this discrepancy in their Addi sales page.

Milet mittens cuff — Stranded colorwork cuff

This cuff is unique as it will be folded over, but it still seemed way too large. I almost stopped, thinking I would tear it out, but I decided to keep going with the smaller needle (which was bigger than I thought!). Now that I have gotten further along, I’m glad I kept going. Maybe the cuff needs to be larger to fold up easily? Also my arm is bare and when wearing mittens I would be dressed in heavy clothing. That cuff would have to fit over a sweater or shirt. (Things I forget about living in Florida.)

You can see the construction below and the green with white is the beginning of the hand. The cuff is inside out because it will fold up.

See it on my arm with the cuff folded up to cover the yellow ribbing. I’m going to keep knitting and see how the first mitten comes out. The other mitten to this pair will be knit with a smaller needle.

My size 2 needles are Flexi-flips (are actually size 2.5), which are a bit strange to work with but better than DPNs. I kept dropping stitches so added little yarn blockers to the ends of the needle not being used.

Knitting a mitten in colorwork — Mitten cuff rolled up

I love the Rauma yarn and since it is pure wool, will make nice warm mittens (which I will never wear here in Florida, so I’ll have to travel to NH more often). I love this yarn so much that I am ordering a bunch of new colors (it comes in tons of colors!) to be prepared for the KAL. Because the Rauma Finull yarn comes from Norway, not all US stores carry it. Besides The Woolly Thistle, I have found it to buy at Wool and Company, who offers free US shipping with any order! (I bought my new Flexi Flips here, and there was no note about the size being off. I needed size 1.5 and now have size 2.)

Now to find a mitten pattern! Lots of designers are jumping on board and putting their mitten patterns on sale beginning Feb. 6th. I’ve already taken advantage of sales, which began earlier, to get some new patterns.

To Summarize:

I love Rauma yarn, but never found a mitten to knit with it for the KAL. Since then, I have used it to knit Katie’s Kep (a colorful, Fair Isle hat).

For the mittens, I used a DK weight (Brooklyn Tweed Arbor) and knit a faster pattern (two really) which gave me perfectly sized mittens. The Milet mitten ended up being something I did not like, so I never finished the pair.

Although I used the Flexi Flips, I was not crazy about them. They were not a lot easier than tiny circular, or DPNs. I won’t waste my money on more.