| Namaste Farms Ohm 100% Kid Mohair |
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| Written by Barbara Rottman | |||
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The Look Just as a beautiful girl (or guy) will turn heads, bring on stares, exhalations of lust with a reflexive desire to touch, there’s a sensual nature to Natalie Redding’s handspun yarns. Perhaps it’s an innate reaction to beauty: we want to possess it. We want to be it. Universally, upon seeing these yarns, knitters are overtaken by the same involuntary wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression that we humans exhibit in response to all objects of wonder. They gape. If you’ve heard the ancient Sanskrit word, “Namaste” (I bow to you), you may know it as a ritualized honorific greeting. The greeting is still used in India and Nepal and was popularly used in many forms on the television series, Lost. Your yoga instructor may have opened a class with head bowed and hands folded prayerfully. Fibernistás, and a growing number of knitters, associate Namaste with Natalie Redding’s Namaste Farms rare breed wool and fiber. Natalie shears the sheep, prepares the fleece for spinning, dyes it, and spins all the yarns for Namaste Farms Yarns. These original yarns are exquisitely luxurious. Natalie’s yarn is representative of the artisanal movement sweeping the nation. Potters, glass artists, spinners, weavers, carvers and jewelry designers have joined organic gardeners, cheese makers, and brewers and vintners in a renaissance of craftsmanship. Borne of respect for the sheep, and suffused with artistry, Natalie’s yarns are sure to inspire knitters, spinners, weavers, felters and all other fiber artists.
The Feel Namaste Farms specializes in rare sheep breeds, in particular Wensleydale Longwools and Gotlands. They have begun breeding Old English Babydoll Southdowns and Racka sheep, a Hungarian breed with spectacular spiral horns and long soft fleece prized by handspinners. Their flock also includes Champion Pygora Goats as well as Grand Champion and Champion Colored Angora and White Angora goats that produce curly fleece. All the yarns we tested were exceptionally soft, resilient and silky. If you close your eyes and dig deep into the yarn, you can imagine a live sheep beneath your fingers. These yarns rated #10 on the softness scale.
Namaste Farms yarn appeals to all the senses, including smell. The yarn is permeated with a signature scent from Aveda that gives off a mild but perceptible fragrance. Slightly sweet and floral, most who sniffed the yarn liked the scent. Inquire about scent-free yarn if you are sensitive to odors or want unscented yarn.
The Patterns Natalie’s unique yarns are skillfully spun concoctions of color, fiber and texture. These hand spun rare yarns are available only in small quantities that you will find most suitable for embellishing other knitting or commercial garments. Scarves are a natural choice and Natalie has won awards on her designs that feature .925 Sterling charms and Hanah silk ribbon. Occasionally Natalie offers scarves for sale on her website. You can create your own scarf using the larger gigantic needles and embellishments that reflect your own artistry. Even a simple garter stitch scarf will be a work of art when knit in this artfully hand dyed and spun rare-breed yarn.
Color Range
Natalie prefers jewel tones, so her yarns are deep and rich in color. There is a tremendous variety available -- and new ones are introduced all the time -- but they don't necessarily match from lot to lot. We suggest you buy all the yarn you'll need for your project at one time.
Working It As you wind Namaste Farms yarn from the skein, you’ll quickly get a sense of how easy it is to work with. Soft and silky, it flows through your hands without tangling and with little strain. It’s a super bulky, thick spun yarn with giant slubs of curly wool that must be knit loosely on űber-sized needles. Knit to a tight gauge, it will become boring and stiff. Use a loose, flowing gauge to get the most from this yarn. The best part: at this gauge, you can knit a scarf in less than an hour and be ready to take on the world wearing a fantastic new fashion.
What I’d Like to Make with It Some yarns intimidate us into just looking at them while we search for the perfect project. Don’t let that be the case with Namaste Farms Yarns. Relish this yarn; don’t let it sit in your stash awaiting perfection. Here’s what I did with some small samples.
Knitting Outside the Box Anything you create with this yarn will be exclusively yours. Don’t overcomplicate the process by trying to come up with an Avant-garde design. Stick with basic shapes, using these yarns to accent or embellish the knitting. Garter stitch takes a bit more yarn, but when worked loosely, the curly texture of these wools is strikingly displayed. You might use Namaste Farms yarns to trim collars, cuffs, or to knit a collar or cuffs. Insert an intarsia-like motif in your knitting or add a horizontal or vertical stripe. Take a lead from Natalie Redding and add beads, silk flags in a scarf or necklace. Finally, you can sprinkle it throughout a garment knit with commercial yarns. You only need a little of Namaste Farms rare breed yarns to make a statement.
Blocking It Lay flat to dry. Carefully pin and damp block with light steam. Allow to cool before removing pins.
Washing It Dry clean or hand wash in cool water.
Wearability Expect a fine haze to develop on mohair as fine fibers are released from the surface of the spun yarn. Some of these fibers may pill, but they’ll brush off easily. To keep this luxurious yarn looking fresh, follow care recommendations from the Mohair Council of America:
To fluff up garment, lightly shake or gently brush down with hand. Overall Recommendation: Namaste Farms yarns are completely unique and can’t be imitated. For a completely unique and individual knitting experience, try one of these very special yarns. Costly, yes, but truly original. I rate these yarns #9.
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