For a bit now, I have had this great inspiration to gaze at while I have been writing the books. It is Vickie Howell and Caron Yarns newest collaboration, Sheep(ish). I LOVE the name. The yarn is a little bit wool and a little bit acrylic, like a little bit country and a little bit rock n roll, hence Sheep (ISH). The yarn you can get directly at buy.Caron.com or in Joann stores (to find exactly where check out this app); which means it is affordable and who doesn't love that?
Details
Weight:
Worsted Roving Yarn
Content:
70% Acrylic, 30% Wool
Yardage:
167 yds, 153 m in a 3oz (85g) ball
Suggested
Hook size:
H-8 US
Care:
Machine wash cold on gentle cycle. Dry flat
The yarn is a single ply of soft halo yarn. In crocheting a
number of swatches it had not split once. I would recommend trying a larger hook size if you are a tight crocheter like me. I have been using a J/10 (6 mm) hook for the
swatches (to the right). For blocking, I would try machine or hand washing in cold water, the full immersion is wh
at the yarn wants. It will behave very well for you after a cold bath.
Project Ideas
It is a bulky yarn for crochet. It would make quick and fun accessories, toys, or afghans.
But that is my take, Vickie was nice enough to sit down and answer come questions I had about the yarn. Here's our chat:
RC: The first thing I noticed with Sheep(ish) was the colors. What was your color inspiration when designing the yarn? VH: I worked really hard on getting the palette just right, so it makes me happy when people notice the colors. Thanks for mentioning it! First and foremost, I wanted to be ab
le to bring some of the amazing colors you find in higher-end yarns to the mass market. Affordable doesn't have to look cheap. It was really important to me that the grays and browns in the line looked rich and luscious. I'm inspired by shades from the 5
0's, 60's & 70's, so in the line I went for super-saturated, retro-chic colors. Each Sheep(ish) color is meant to bring some pop to otherwise plain outfit or room, giving your existing wardrobe or home furnishing pieces more milage.
RC: You live in TX and this is a worsted weight wool blend yarn. For me, I love it but I am in Pittsburgh; for you how did you decide on a wool medium weight?
VH: I live much of my knitting & crochet life in denial, really. Just kidding. Honestly though, we don't wear much of the stuff I make because it's so hot here a good portion of the year. That's a drag, but certainly doesn't stop me from loving working with wool blends. I love 'em!
RC: The yarn has this great halo while having this really shiny sheen. What projects would you be drawn to making from it?
VH: Thanks--the halo is from the wool and the sheen from the acrylic--they work like Wonder Twins together! Because of the aforementioned combo,
Sheep(ish) works great for kids items, comfy hats, gloves & sweaters, and home decor items. It's pretty versatile.
RC: The yarn is also silly soft, much softer then you think of when you think wool. Was that a key item for you?
VH: Absolutely. Kids won't wear things that aren't soft, so as a mother of 3 that factor was important to me. Also, softer yarn is more enjoyable to stitch with--I want people to love working with it as much as they dig their finished projects!
To hear what others have to say, here is the full tour schedule:
