Imperial Yarns Columbia

We are so excited to welcome Imperial Yarn back into the shop! We have a few stunning samples for you to try on and oggle. The Arrowhead Cardigan above is a serious project, and the results are certainly impressive. Colorwork, steeks...all the fancy techniques in this one. The Essential Sweater Dress below is a much simpler knit, but the look is gorgeous, too. This one can be knit as a dress or tunic with either a cowl neck or a hood.

The Raindrop Bag is very cool, with its elaborate cables and ample size. The bag is lined with fabric, so it's nice and stable. All of these beauties are designed and knit with Columbia, a soft and squishy 100% wool yarn, grown in Eastern Oregon.

We have a small range of colors for now, but I'm hoping that we will see more Imperial Yarn soon. If you love local yarns, stop in and take a look!

Hello Future Yarn

We have a little photo update from our friend Kate of Ruby Peak Farms. We have been excited about this yarn for months, from Sally's initial discovery of the farm to meeting up with Kate at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Fest in September. It is truly a treat to see how the flock is doing out in snowy eastern Oregon.

Those sheep look warm and cozy in our future yarn, don't they? 

We have several skeins of Ruby Peak in the shop, with more on the way soon. The natural shades are rich and beautiful, and the marled skeins are so striking. Grown and processed all in Oregon, this yarn is a special item for sure.

What a beautiful flock of sheep she has out there in Lostine, not to mention the location. I am trying to figure out how to get myself out to eastern Oregon to see for myself. Road trip anyone?

Ruby Peak Farms

This unassuming little swatch is the first step in some pretty exciting news.

After a family backpacking trip in eastern Oregon this summer, Sally stumbled upon Ruby Peak Farms. She quickly realized what a treasure this place was and struck up a relationship with Kate, who has been raising Jacob sheep in the Wallowas for almost fifteen years. Take a peek at her gorgeous flock.

Jacob sheep are quite the animals. As Kate writes on her website, they are "well-suited for sustainable, grass-based, and organic systems." Her sheep are only fed fresh grass and hay that grow on the property, which has been chemical-free since 1999. These amazing animals are a primitive breed, "keepers of the ancient genes that made sheep strong and healthy." They are prolific reproducers, and the ewes take good care of their (adorable) lambs. And the horns on those guys!

In addition to being really cool animals, they produce wonderful wool. Kate worked diligently to find a mill in Oregon that could process her skirted fiber into yarn. She connected with Skyline Fiber Mill, and they are currently in the process of scouring, picking, carding, and pindrafting the fleece. Learn more about the whole process here. You can see it here drying on the racks.

We are very eagerly awaiting three natural shades and one marled/multi. Kate calls this a sport weight, but Sally's swatch knit up close to five stitches per inch on a US7. I guess we will see how it looks when it arrives. Regardless, I am very excited to get my hands on this yarn from Ruby Peak Farms and start planning a project with my own little swatch. I will let you know as we hear more from Kate and the mill!