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White Spruce Heritage Farm Navajo-Churro - Bulky (limited edition)

$36.00 CAD

We have a limited amount of extra Navajo-Churro skeins from our September box for the Beyond Merino Yarn Club. which are now available for everyone.

The yarn for this box is a wonderful Navajo-Churro bulky weight, sourced directly from White Spruce Heritage Farm in Manitoba, Canada and spun at Austin Woollen Mill (also in Manitoba).

Navajo-Churro sheep are a rare and endangered breed with a rich history. They are the oldest sheep breed in North America, developed from Churra sheep that were introduced by Spanish conquistadors starting in the 16th century. Some of these sheep were acquired by the Diné (Navajo) through raids and trading, and by the 1800s herding was an established part of Diné culture. Navajo-Churro are most often associated with the Diné people and woven blankets and rugs.

This yarn is a single-ply lopi-style bulky weight. While the yardage per skein is consistent with a bulky wool, due to the density of the yarn it could be treated as an Aran weight, or even a heavy worsted depending on the project. This yarn is quite strong and is feltable. We found there was some variation in the yardage per skein, so have listed the yardage on the lower end to be on the safe side when planning projects.

This is not a soft yarn and it won’t be suitable for next-to-skin wear for most people, but it presents us with an opportunity to expand our ideas of what we can make with wool! Some ideas would be to use it for bowls, baskets or bags, pin cushions or tea cozies. It could also be used for mittens (with a softer inner lining if needed), or felted slippers. And of course if you’re a weaver, you’re in for a real treat!

Notes

"Chrysanthemum" was this month's warm colour option, "Corolla" was the cool option, "Fallen Leaves" was the bright option, and "Chestnut" was the neutral option. The "Speckled Leaves" batch is the same colour as the "Fallen Leaves but has some slight orange speckles.

The yardage for these skeins is somewhat variable, depending on which sheep the fleeces are from. The skeins from Tarwyn & Enid are approximately 181m/100g, the skeins from Jera & Kenaz are approximately 150m/100g, and the skeins from Eibhlin and Oona are approximately 161m/100g.

For more information on working with hand-dyed yarns, please see our FAQs page.