Love, True Love

I think I'm in love.

The Shibui is amazing.  The sock yarns are great.  The Sweater, the alpaca, the Rastitia...all really wonderful.  But this.  This is my yarn.

Harrisville Highland.  I have not managed to take any home yet, mainly because my mind is swamped with possibilities.  Sweaters, hats, wraps, blankets...what to do?  And the colors.  I don't want to make the wrong choice.  I am drowning in inspiration, but I am okay with it.

This lovely stuff comes from the town of Harrisville, New Hampshire, where they have producing yarn and fleece for over 200 years.  The town itself has been declared a historic landmark and has been recognized as "the only 18th century textile village in America that survives in its original form." (From the HD website.)  Pretty cool, huh?

We have started with Highland, an Aran weight yarn (4.5 sts/inch) in some of the most beautiful heathered shades I have ever seen.  The yarn is "dyed in the wool."  This means that the fleeces are dyed prior to spinning the yarn, so the depth of color in each strand is really rich and interesting.  The colors are vibrant and lush, anything but flat.

Sally knit and washed a little swatch to show how much it softens up...quite a bit.  I have so many ideas, as I'm sure you will, too.  Let me get you started.

Maybe a blanket?  We have here the Hudson Bay Blanket, the Super Easy Baby Blanket, and the Moderne Baby Blanket.  I love the big blocks of color and miles of garter stitch on each of these.  Of course, there are many lacey or cabled blankets, too, but these are my favorite kind.

Photo from The Purl Bee

Photo from The Purl Bee

How about some hats?  Peacock from designer Karen Borrel.  Think of all the color combos!

Photo from Karen Borrel's Ravelry page

I like the Kami Hat quite a bit, too.  Simple and stylish.

Photo from Katie Schumm's Ravelry page

The Lazy Jacks Hat looks like fun.

Photo from Savory Knitting Ravelry page

And sweaters.  So many options.  This yarn is similar to the lovely Shelter that came out a few winters back, so it will work really well for all of the incredibly fashionable Shelter designs in the Spring Thaw, Wool People, and Brooklyn Tweed Collections from Jared Flood.  Some of my favorites include Holl, Guston, the Inversion Cardigan, Forester,  Bedford, and Tinder.  Go ahead and check them out.  I'll wait right here.

Photo from Heidi's Ravelry page

I myself am eager to try out Tea with Jam and Bread from Heidi Kirrmaier.  She has always been one of my favorite designers, and this sweater is exactly what I need right now..comfy to wear, easy to knit, striped, and pocketed.  Pretty much perfect in my mind.  The design includes sizes for little kids through full-grown men, so it will get a lot of use in my house.  Plus, I get to choose three colors, eliminating at least a bit of my anxiety over leaving any of them on the shelf.