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The relationship between the Navajo people (who call themselves the Diné) and Navajo-Churro sheep has lasted for centuries, with the wool primarily used to create beautiful woven items. Our sweater adaption, the “Diné Motif Design,” brings traditional Diné weaving motifs into a new realm — sweater knitting — while maintaining traditional materials and centering the design of a contemporary Diné weaver.

The design is an adaption of of the “Rug” sweater, a beloved pattern by knitwear designer Junko Okamoto. The “Diné Motif Design” is the latest in a longline of adaptations and a collaboration between Gothfarm Yarn and Kevin Aspaas, a Diné weaver.

The adaption changes the original design in two ways:
– It replaces the colorwork sections with an original design by Aspaas.
– And it replaces the suggested yarn with 100% Navajo-Churro yarn from Gothfarm Yarn. Like all our yarn, the Churro yarn is made from naturally colored, undyed wool.

Navajo-Churro is a rugged, hardwearing wool! It’s not your typical garment yarn — especially in our age of superwash Merino and acrylic blends. But wearing it is easy if you just keep a couple things in mind.

-Wear a thick, long-sleeved shirt under the sweater.
-Remember that the Rug pattern has a wide neck, which keeps the wool clear from sensitive neck skin.

That’s it!

The “Diné Motif Design” adaption pattern is available as a FREE download on our website. The “Rug” pattern by Junko Okamoto must be downloaded to knit this adaption. It is currently free on Ravelry.

The kit — which includes the yarn and a high-quality hard copy of the adaption — is also available on our website.

Get some Churro on those needles!

Gothfarm Yarn

Check Out Our Churro Yarn + Support Navajo Weavers

November 19, 2020

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Navajo-Churro sheep are a distinct and beautiful breed. They come in an array of natural colors; have a heavy dual-coated fleece made up of a hairy overcoat and downy undercoat; and heads crowned with impressive, curved horns.

While most other domestic sheep breeds have been selected for white and soft fleeces, the Churro is valued for its diversity. There are breed standards. But they make room for diversity in fleece color and fleece texture. This is largely due to the influence of the Navajo/Diné people, who developed the breed over centuries and continue to do so to this day, prizing the hardy colored wool for weaving.

We’re big fans of color and texture, too, at Gothfarm Yarn. That’s why we are so excited to have 100% Navajo-Churro wool yarn in four natural and undyed colors.

Bone – a natural white, DK-weight yarn

Slate – a natural gray, DK-weight yarn

Apricot – a natural beige, worsted-weight yarn

Walnut – a natural brown, worsted-weight yarn (also available as a roving)

Each yarn is spun up in single-ply that blends both coats together.

The yarn and roving are “Shave ‘em to Save ‘em” eligible. Plus, for all of November, we’re donating 10% of each Navajo-Churro skein and roving sale to Diné be’ iiná, a non-profit that supports Navajo shepherds, weavers and wool workers.

On another note, “National Knit Your Own Sweater Month” is still going strong! Get 25% your entire order of six skeins or more (excluding the Churro yarn) with the checkout code “STOCKUP.” The offer expires midnight on Nov. 30.

Gothfarm Yarn

Socktober Special: Buy One Sock Yarn, Get Another 40% Off

October 28, 2020

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The days are getting shorter. The nights are getting cooler. The couch is getting cozier. It must be… SOCKTOBER!

We want to help you get some wool socks on those needles before the month is done!

For all of October, we’ve been offering a sock special: Buy one sock yarn, get another skein 40% off! Just enter the coupon code “sockz” at checkout.

Like all our yarns, our sock yarns are made from blends of undyed, naturally colored fibers. They are as follows:

MUSKEG: A soil brown yarn made from a blend of naturally colored Rambouillet Merino wool mixed with amber mohair hair locks. Sport weight.

ARKOSE: A blushing white yarn made from a blend of Rambouillet Merino wool, mohair locks and just a hint of cinnamon red Huacaya Alpaca fleece. Sport weight.

NEBELUNG: A matte gray yarn with warm undertones. The yarn owes its hue to colored Coopworth sheep wool blended with carbonized bamboo, a processed plant fiber with a natural steel gray hue. Fingering weight.

The socks pictured here are Woolfield’s Terracotta Socks knitted up from two skeins of Arkose.

The Socktober special ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on Oct. 31 — less than a week away! To be the first in the know about offers like this, sign up for our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/dPulFf

That’s all for now! We hope you have a happy Halloween with tricks, treats & warm, cozy feet.

Gothfarm Yarn

Palettes for Making Undyed Yarns Pop!

September 27, 2020

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At Gothfarm Yarn, we love our neutral shades. After all, our last Indie Untangled blog post showcased our array of gray yarn and roving!

But working with our undyed yarn doesn’t have to mean projects in muted colors. Check out four color palette ideas to make striking knits with our undyed, naturally-colored fibers! Each palette photo is posted in the same order as the list below.

#1. Harmonious
This palette uses three yarns in earthy hues. The colors work together; one doesn’t dominate over another. Our two brown yarns — Aswan and Ultisol — form a marled background. The gray yarn — Gabbro –creates a solid foreground shape. Aswan’s subtle gray tweed helps strengthen the color harmony.

Yarn guide:
Light brown: Aswan
Dark brown: Ultisol
Gray: Gabbro

#2. Dye Collider
There’s no reason why undyed yarns and indie-dyed yarns should live in different worlds!* In fact, undyed yarns can create a neutral canvas that can make indie-dyed yarns pop! In this palette, our white yarn — Bone — is combined with hand-spun dyed yarn from Hedgehog Fibres. An added bonus: Bone’s fuzzy halo helps blend it all together.

*as long as the dye is well-set, and the finished product is gently hand washed in cool water.

Yarn guide:
White: Bone
Colored yarn: Hedgehog Fibres hand-spun (personal stash)

#3 Marled Metallics
Our golden, lace-weight yarn – Aten – can add shine and class to any project. Simply hold it together with your main yarn to create a marled metallic look. We paired it here with our matte-gray yarn Nebelung.

Yarn guide:
Gold: Aten
Gray: Nebelung

#4 High contrast
Undyed yarn is known for complex, rich neutrals. You can make neutrals pop by choosing a high-contrast colorwork motif. A classic example of that is Houndstooth. We did our own take on it based on the tooth shape of the Crab eater seal. The pattern chart is free on Ravelry! https://www.ravelry.com/projects/GothfarmYarn/crabeater-seal-teeth-motif

Yarn guide:
Black: Carbonado
White: Kaolin
Gray: Gabbro

Gothfarm Yarn

Shades of Gray at Gothfarm Yarn

August 14, 2020

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We love gray at Gothfarm Yarn.

It’s one of the most common fleece colors; sheep, goats and alpacas all come in shades of gray. Since all our yarn is made from undyed, naturally colored fibers, that means a great, gray color palette that we blend to produce some of our most popular yarns.

There’s Gabbro, a mottled, tweedy blend of Jacob Sheep wool and black mohair; Nebelung, a matte-steel blend of carbonized bamboo and Coopworth sheep locks; and Carbonado, a tri-blend yarn with silver gray halo from Gotland sheep fleece. (The yarn’s primary black hue comes from a blend of true black alpaca and East Friesian wool.)

The different fibers give each yarn a different look and feel, so make sure to visit our website for more information on each one. Our mini-skein set, pictured here in the aptly named Grayscale, is also a great way to sample the yarn.

Our gray fibers extend to roving, too. Handspinners, needle felters, weavers and fiber artists: Check out out Jacob Sheep wool roving and Coopworth sheep wool roving to add some great, gray raw materials to your stash.

Gothfarm Yarn

Blush & Brown: Meet Arkose and Muskeg

June 27, 2020

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The last few months have been big for us in terms of new yarns. Last month we debuted Aswan, our golden Muga silk, lace weight yarn (pictured here in the last two images). This month we introduced two more yarns into the mix: Arkose and Muskeg.

Like all our yarns, Arkose and Muskeg are made from blends of undyed, naturally colored fibers. Arkose is a blushing sport-weight yarn — white with just a hint of warmth. This hue comes from blending white Rambouillet Merino and shiny white mohair locks with just a hint of red Huacaya alpaca fleece. The yarn gets its name from Arkose sandstone, a variety of rock known for its range of red tints.

Muskeg is a rich natural brown, DK-weight yarn. It’s made from a mix of amber mohair locks and dark brown Rambouillet Merino wool. The yarn is the color of soil, with a soft feel and full body.

We debuted both Arkose and Muskeg at the Virtu-Wool Fiber Festival earlier this month, a fiber fest where vendors shared their wares entirely on Facebook Live. Announcing a new yarn over Facebook Live was a new experience for us. But it was fun to connect with a whole new audience of fiber enthusiasts! We’re taking part in another fiber fest this weekend, the virtual edition of the Houston Fiber Fest. To make the whole occasion feel a bit more normal, we’re offering free U.S. shipping this entire weekend, June 27-29. There are no coupon codes and no minimums. Just select free shipping at checkout.

We know it’s not the same thing as walking away from a booth with an armful of yarn… but just give it a good squeeze when it shows up in your mailbox. 🙂

Gothfarm Yarn

Shine On! Golden Silk Yarn is in the Online Shop

May 24, 2020

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I’m pleased to present our latest yarn, Aten. It hit the online shop just last week.

Aten is a golden yarn with a brilliant shine, especially under sunlight.

Like all our yarn and fiber, Aten does not contain any dyes. It’s made from 100% Muga silk, a naturally golden variety of silk.

The raw silk is produced by Muga silkworms, which have been raised by people in the Indian state of Assam for thousands of years. (Learn more on the Fauna section of our website.)

Aten is a lace weight, slightly textured yarn, with noils at some parts. It is dense and feels soft without being slippery – giving it a great drape. Each cone contains about 1.2 oz of yarn, or about 370 yards.

One of the things I like most about Aten is its versatility. You can, of course, break out the tiny lace-knitting needles, but it also works wonderfully as a carry-along yarn, creating a beautiful marled effect. I used the yarn both ways when knitting the Diaphanous Raglan — a cute, cropped sweater with fluttery lace sleeves. (I went full drama with the bell sleeve, but the pattern also offers short-sleeved options!)

The raglan pictured here was made with Aten and our yarn Nebelung, which gets its steel gray color from carbonized bamboo and Coopworth sheep wool.

I can’t wait to see how others use Aten to add a bit of glamour and shine to their fiber art projects!

Gothfarm Yarn

Meet Gothfarm Yarn: Undyed yarn, natural colors, unique fiber blends

April 26, 2020

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Hi everyone! This is Gothfarm Yarn’s first post on Indie Untangled. We’re a small yarn business based in Austin, Texas. Let me tell you more about us.

1. We don’t use dyes or synthetic fibers.

We embrace the black sheep at Gothfarm — and all the other colors too! All of our yarns are made from blends of naturally-colored fibers. That means the colors you see come directly from the animals or plants that produced it. We love the earthy color palettes the fibers create. Using natural hues also means that you don’t have to worry about colors fading or bleeding.

2. We depend on rare and uncommon sheep breeds — and other animals, too.

Most commercially produced wool is white. To create our yarns, we depend on a wide range of sheep breeds that produce colored fleeces. We also use fiber from other unique fiber fauna, including Angora goats, Huacaya alpacas, and muga silkworms. Check out the Fauna page on our website to learn more!

3. We’re all about texture.

Different fibers have different feels. Each of our yarns has a different texture, as well as color, that relates back to its unique fiber blend. Interested in trying something out? Send us an email for a free sample.

4. We buy fiber from small producers, and work with small mills.

Small farms make what we do possible. They are the drivers of preserving the rare and uncommon breeds that we use in our yarn. We rely on small mills to process our custom blends.

5. We’re more than just yarn.

We have roving, patterns, and cool accessories like vegetable ivory buttons and logo-branded tees. Check out our shop to see it all!

That’s it for now! Check back next month for our next post!

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Navajo-Churro sweater kit

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Gothfarm Yarn

Check Out Our Churro Yarn + Support Navajo Weavers

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Gothfarm Yarn

Socktober Special: Buy One Sock Yarn, Get Another 40% Off

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Gothfarm Yarn

Palettes for Making Undyed Yarns Pop!

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Gothfarm Yarn

Shades of Gray at Gothfarm Yarn

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Gothfarm Yarn

Blush & Brown: Meet Arkose and Muskeg

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Gothfarm Yarn

Shine On! Golden Silk Yarn is in the Online Shop

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Gothfarm Yarn

Meet Gothfarm Yarn: Undyed yarn, natural colors, unique fiber blends

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