Homegrown yarn is a light worsted, 2-ply, 100% wool, put up in full 4 ounce skeins of 220 yds each and comes in 15 coordinating colors. Scroll down to see them and click for purchase info. Many Glacier Pheasant Tamarack Apikuni Falls Wood Thrush Wild Plum Wild Turkey Robin's Egg Beargrass Dove Barn Owl Blue Spruce Claystone The Salamander And coming soon: Bark, a deep brown/gray. I've used needles from size 3-9 with great results.

Homegrown has a rustic hand in the skein, but garments soften considerably after knitting and washing, and over time surfaces will mellow and soften. Pilling is negligible. This is a strong yarn and takes a firm tug to break.

Wools for the Homegrown yarn were grown by small farms in the US and Canada and contain a mixture of wools from many different breeds, all the myriad kinds of sheep that thrive on small farms today.

Spinning is done in Canada and hand-dyeing by me in my 100 year old studio near Glacier National Park, Montana, where I was raised and have returned to live with my children. I work in the studio about 6 days a week. Even if I'm out of a color, I can usually fill your order within 3 days. You can assume that I'll ship your order within 1 or 2 days of receiving it; I'll always let you know if it will be longer.

I create colors that reflect the natural world--stones, cliffs, rolling hills, quiet lakes and the plants and animals that live here. I strive for earthy, natural colors that are difficult to describe and not likely to be found anywhere else. If a colorway is unnamed, you can buy the stock on hand, but I can't replicate the color well enough to be able to supply an extra skein at the end of a project, so it's very important to buy an extra skein for your project and alternate skeins throughout the work. If a colorway is named, like "Many Glacier" for example, it means that I'm continually making this colorway and you probably can order more in the future. However, even with the named colorways, results are better if you order all of the yarn at once.

I triple-wash and rinse the yarn BEFORE I dye it, then soak and rinse twice again after dyeing. Your Homegrown shouldn't bleed, but I recommend washing the skeins again before knitting if this is a particular concern.

Some skeins have a bit of hay, I usually pick this out before I send it to you, you could give each skein a once-over before knitting. I haven't noticed any hay in my finished garments and I don't pick much if any out before I knit. The yarn is stored in my smoke- and pet-free home in sealed boxes in which a bit of potpourri has been added. If scents are a concern, just let me know.

I love this yarn, it's a high-quality, general purpose wool yarn, grown by small farmers, spun by an old mill and dyed with care and skill. I hope you love it too. As always, your satisfaction is guaranteed. You may return unused skeins for a full refund within 2 weeks of purchase.

You can send me your photos of Homegrown projects and I'll post them in a Reader's Gallery.

Enjoy!

Shelly

shelly at butternutwoolens dot com