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Vintage No. 3 comprises fleeces from my own Shetland flock, blended with CVM fleeces, prime alpaca, and cultivated silk. The yarn offers a buttery soft handle, with exceptional loft and integrity. No. 3 is spun more smoothly and consistently than previous Vintage yarns, resulting in an even, warm and airy fabric with crisp stitch definition that is perfect for cables.

Natural Brown comes from blending my mioget (caramel brown) Shetland, Roobie, with a black CVM fleece. Prime black alpaca and white silk round out the colors to produce a warm milk chocolate brown.

Natural Grey comes from blending my two black Shetlands, Poppy and Quin, with cream CVM roving, along with a prime silver alpaca fleece and white silk.

Natural White is a blend of cream CVM roving and a white Shetland fleece from Oregon, mixed with prime silver alpaca and white silk.

As with all Vintage yarns, fleeces and rovings are hand-selected as the best of its kind and for the unique qualities it contributes to the final blend. I look for fibers that are are extremely soft but resistant to pilling. Minimal processing means there may be the occasional bit of vegetable matter, but it also means that the yarn retains its sheepy characteristics and feels full of life.

Gauge: 16 – 20 sts = 4″ (10 cm) Needles: 6 – 8 (4 – 5 mm)
Weight / Yardage: 3.5 oz /220 yds (100 gr/ 201 m)

Available at the Indie Untangled Trunk Show, and online starting Friday, October 20, at 5 p.m. EDT at middlebrookfiberworks.com

Sophistication assumes the slightest touch of rustic.

Vintage No. 2 contains deluxe long-staple fibers from a few hand-selected fleeces with an added touch of cultured silk. The resulting blend balances a shimmering-soft hand with surprising strength. The yarn is loosely spun with a subtle thick-and-thin texture, yet it knits up into a durable fabric with crisp stitch definition and lovely drape. It is perfect for both cables and lace work.

This blend comprises 40% Cormo x Merino lamb’s wool, 35% superfine Shetland, 15% prime alpaca, and 10% cultivated silk. The Cormo x Merino superfine lamb’s wool comes from Marshall, a lamb hand-raised in the Hudson Valley. As with all Vintage fleeces, it was hand-selected as the best of its kind and for the unique qualities it contributes to the final blend of fibers. Marshall’s wool is sleek but sturdy, with long fibers that are extremely soft but resistant to pilling. The Shetland fleeces are even softer, providing phenomenally light and warm fiber that assures both body and drape. The prime alpaca fleece comes from Angel, and won Best in Show at the 2016 Garden State Sheep Breeders Fleece Show.

Small quantities of Vintage No. 2 have been hand-dyed in soft, complementary colors. It is pre-washed, but swatching and blocking are always recommended.

From left to right:
CIRRUS (variegated) – charcoal and blue grey
BRACKEN (variegated) moss green with tints of rust
PERSIMMON* (semi-solid) – cool orange
POOL (semi-solid) – clear pale blue
APPLE WOOD* (solid) – muted chartreuse
*PERSIMMON and APPLE WOOD derive their base colors from botanical natural dyes (brazilwood and apple bark, respectively), and the final colors are achieved with tints of primary acid dyes. As with all natural dyes, minimal amounts of dye run-off may occur when washed.

Gauge: 20 – 23 sts = 4″ (10 cm)
Weight / Yardage: 2 oz /140 yds (56 g / 128 m)

Middle Brook Fiberworks presents Vintage No. 1. This artisanal yarn is a sumptuous blend of hand-selected fleeces from Shetland and CVM (California Variegated Mutant) sheep, raised by small independent farmers. The natural brown, warm grey, and ivory tones of the wool are enhanced by a glimmer of silk: golden muga for the Chestnut and Beech, and creamy tussah for the Almond. The colors evoke winter landscapes, sharp cold days warmed by afternoon light.

Vintage No. 1 embodies the characteristics of a woolen spun yarn with its airy and lightweight handle and minor variation in thickness. It retains all the bounce, loft, and crispness of the highest quality wool fleeces and yields an elegant fabric with excellent body and refined finish.

Farms of origin: Marushka Farms in Danville, PA and Ewe Can Do It Farm in Ottsville, PA. Processed by Gurdy Run Mill in Halifax, PA.