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  • Knitpicks Modish Merino – What is Easywash Wool?

    Knitpicks Modish Merino – What is Easywash Wool?

    My interest is always piqued when I learn about new types of yarn, and especially innovations in sustainability. So when I learned about Knitpicks’ new ‘easywash’ wool yarn, Modish Merino, I had to try it out. According to the Knitpicks website, the easywash process uses enzymes rather than chlorinated chemicals to smooth the wool’s surface…

  • Crafteaze by Valari Pillow Review

    Crafteaze by Valari Pillow Review

    Valari, maker of craft and gaming support pillows, recently reached out to me and offered to send me one of their pillows to try out. I have a long history of neck and shoulder pain, and with a new diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, it seemed like a perfect opportunity. Suffice to say, I want to…

  • 3 Ways to Use Your Yarn Stash

    3 Ways to Use Your Yarn Stash

    There is a lot of interest from knitters (and crocheters) right now in creating projects from stash yarns. Using what you already have can be a great way to knit sustainably and save money (not to mention make space for new yarns!). It also can inspire creativity. Some of my favorite projects have been made…

  • Sampling Wooldreamers Manchega Yarns

    Sampling Wooldreamers Manchega Yarns

    Normally when I sample a new sheep breed, I like to purchase spinning fiber. But Manchega wool spinning fiber is not something I’ve come across as yet, and I was inspired by Sandi Rosner’s comparison of Wooldreamers’ Manchelopis yarn with plötulopi to try it out. Plötulopi is unspun roving made from both the undercoat and…

  • Spinning a Non-Superwash Sock Blend, Part 2

    Spinning a Non-Superwash Sock Blend, Part 2

    In a previous post, I wrote about a non-superwash sock blend I was sampling. The fiber is a blend of 50% Southdown, 25% Dorset Horn, and 25% bio-nylon from Hipstrings, in the colorway Sky Above, Ground Below. To ply, I lined up two of the singles with the color progression in one direction and the…