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Spring has sprung! We’re welcoming happy tulips, cheery daffodils and perfumed hyacinths underneath softly fragrant cherry and apple trees. But those breezes are definitely cool. It’s still “sweater weather” or at least cowl, shawl, or vest weather.

Naturally dyed Farmstead Worsted makes beautiful spring projects. The naturally-dyed colors sing spring: soft pinks and yellows, purple and lavender, fresh green. It’s lightweight due to its woolen-spun construction. And due to that construction, it works up more like an Aran or bulky weight yarn, giving you a finished project in no time.

Add an extra layer of warmth to your spring with one of these projects:
Cappuccino Cowl, April’s Vest, Vest No 42, Nordic Bloom, Cassandra Vest Adult, Brookdale vest.

Feeling down because it feels like everyone but you is visiting this weekend’s Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival?

Cheer Up! This collection of naturally dyed, farm-sourced yarn is a mini fiber festival all on its own! And it’s only available online from Flora Adora Fibers.

Sourced from small farms in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the fleeces were custom spun at small mills in MI, PA, IL, & VT by people who really know wool.

There’s rare-breed yarn (Kelly’s Tunis), bouncy Rambouillet (Mountain Sport), woolen spun skeins (Farmstead Fingering and Worsted), single-breed yarns (Kelly’s Tunis and Coopworth DK), and luxurious Targhee Polypay with silk DK.

Some skeins are undyed, but most are botanically dyed with foraged, home-grown or sustainably produced materials including goldenrod, indigo, madder and Lac.

Everything is non-Superwash, meaning it hasn’t been chemically or mechanically treated to prevent felting.

What does non-Superwash mean for you?
• Better structure & grip
• Warmer & more breathable
• More elastic & resilient
• Felting ability (if you want it to)
• More natural / less processed

What you see listed in the Flora Adora Fibers shop is all there is. Some of these yarns are nearly out of stock-and on sale, so take advantage of super prices on these uncommon yarns.

And all that money you would have spent on travel and hotels? You can spend it on something really special and memorable, like beautiful yarn.

Brand new Farmstead Fingering is the little sister of Farmstead Worsted. Like sisters, they share the same roots and character, but each has her own personality. Farmstead Fingering is the lighter and more playful of the pair: similar at heart, but with her own spunky ideas.

The wool comes from the sheep of my former Ohio neighbor, Debbie. I skirted and washed the raw fleeces before sending them off to Vermont’s Green Mountain Spinnery to be woolen spun.
Because I ended up with considerably fewer skeins than expected, Farmstead Fingering is a one-batch wonder. When it’s gone, it’s truly gone.

Botanically dyed, these unique and vibrant colors are derived from plants and other natural materials. This yarn is minimally processed and non-Superwash so you’ll experience that real wool feel.

What will you make with this bouncy 2-ply? How about a cushy pair of socks, a fun mini scarf, or an eye-catching multicolor shawl?

Available online, or shop in person at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (Barn 3).

When you’re a natural dyer, it’s so easy to get swept up by all the possibilities. What color will this plant make? How about this bark? Next thing you know, there’s been a yarn takeover!

That explains how I ended up with 52 different colors of naturally-dyed Meadow Rustic Sport — WAY too many to manage. So it’s time to free up some space.

Every color was created with natural materials. Some foraged on my property, including black walnut and chestnut hulls (see Red Splash Black Walnut). Some homegrown, such as coreopsis flowers (summery Orange Sherbert). Soft corals and pinks from new Madder techniques.

And a handful of One-of-a-Kind Wonders you won’t see again.

You definitely won’t find these colors at your LYS.

Meadow Rustic Sport is Flora Adora Fiber’s best-selling yarn and almost never goes on sale. Here’s your chance for a great price combined with special colors on a magical yarn.

Wondering what to make? Just a few of so many possibilities are: Tearmann Shawl, Mapledown Vest, Missoni Accomplished Pullover, Pines and Needles Shawl.

Why is a natural dyer promoting undyed yarn?

Sometimes, we’re so focused on all the gorgeous yarn colors, the inherent beauty of the original wool color gets overshadowed. The different shades of cream, gray and brown that make up a yarn base become muted. And you lose some sense of the fiber’s characteristics, too.

Enter exhibit A: Corriedale Gotland DK. This undyed blend of two different wools has a soft beauty that doesn’t need dye to shine.

White Corriedale wool has a long staple and lovely crimp, giving the yarn a natural springiness. Gray Gotland is an old, long-haired breed originating in Sweden. Long, lustrous locks produce wonderful drape and subtle sheen. Blended together, the yarn is slightly heathered with a light halo.

Wondering what to make with fantastic Corriedale Gotland DK? One suggestion is the striking Braids of Grass pullover by Ailbíona McLochlainn. Cables at the neckline, wrist and hem add textural interest and keep the edges from curling. Per the designer: “The result is a sweater that looks exuberant but is simple to knit. No purling required!”

Enjoy the calming experience of making your next project with a yarn that’s truly naturally dyed-the sheep’s very own wool color.

Not surprisingly, inspiration for my naturally-dyed yarn is almost always nature related: flowers, trees, and weather all find their way into my color creations.

During the summer of 2024, I wanted to duplicate chicory blue. Chicory is an invasive plant you see along roadsides, railroad tracks and in abandoned fields. The scraggly plant with pretty, soft blue flowers.

It’s been way more difficult to capture the color accurately than I thought it’d be. See the photos of some of my attempts. Let’s just say Chicory is still a work in progress. And its current version is actually named Cornflower!

Lovely Cornflower is offered on Donegal Tweed DK. It pairs beautifully with Navy Purple and Raspberry for a three-color shawl, hat or sweater. All botanically dyed.

In the meantime, chicory blue keeps calling to me…

Two balls of contrary yarns piled in a basket inspired this sweater.

The richness of the colors looked so perfect, but would such different yarns work together? I knit up a swatch. Hmm, definite possibilities.

Colors were mixed and matched for the winning combination. Then more swatching.

The resulting sweater is Hortik, designed by Teti Lutsak. This version combines Meadow Rustic Sport in Golden Maple and Dark Raspberry Donegal Tweed DK. These rich, naturally-dyed colors really glow!

Surprisingly, these two quite different yarns play well together, united by the miracle of blocking. And the Donegal Tweed adds a little playfulness to the otherwise quiet Meadow Rustic Sport.

Hortik is a great project for Spring. It adds extra warmth for chilly mornings, but the short sleeves prevent you overheating as the day warms up.

In addition to the rich Golden Maple/Dark Raspberry combination, consider Meadow Rustic Sport in Cherry Bark with Madder 4 Tweed, or double dyed Black Walnut sport and Cool Water tweed. Or design your own combo.

You can see this Hortik sweater sample in person at my upcoming shows, including this weekend’s Fiber Expo in Ann Arbor, Michigan.