Today’s Yarns for You selection is a novel classic, Vickie Howell’s Sheep(ish).

Yarn Facts: Vickie Howell’s Sheep(ish) is a blend of 30% wool and 70% acrylic spun into a versatile, single-ply, workhorse yarn that is soft to the touch but is suitable for projects for the whole family. A true medium worsted weight yarn, it’s machine washable in cold water and should be laid flat to dry. It’s best not to iron this yarn. A size H/8 (5 mm) hook is recommended to achieve a 4″x4″ (10 cm x 10 cm) gauge swatch at 17 sc across and 22 rows up. The yarn comes in a very fresh palette of 19 saturated colors that just draw you in and work together very well. I should also mention that there is a related yarn line called Sheep(ish) Stripes that comes in 6 different colorways.

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Today we continue our series of yarn chats with an elegant but hardworking powerhouse yarn, Merino wool. Our previous chats include Focus on Fiber: Acrylic Yarn, What’s in Your Stash?, and Yarn Obsession.

Known for its soft durability, Merino wool is a favorite among crocheters. It is quite popular among yarn crafters (and yarn hoarders 😉 ) in general, with over 1.6 million skeins stashed on Ravelry! Merino wool gets its name from the adorable Merino sheep. Originally a Spanish breed, the Merino sheep can now be found all over the world, including South America, Australia, North America, and Africa.
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I absolutely despised peas growing up and had more fun mashing them on my plate than anything else. However, when I discovered what they tasted like fresh out of the pod, I changed my mind. They are the perfect garden snack, wrapped in a little pod package. This week I crocheted my own peas in a pod. I used wool yarn, which can easily be felted too. This project would make a great pin. However, your children or grandchildren might claim them for their play food collection. I’m thinking of felting a few of these pods onto a wool purse too!

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I fell in love with sheep, spinning and crochet at a very young age. Every year my parents and I made it a goal to attend a fiber festival that gloried in all things handmade and homespun. With these cherished experiences in my young memory I came to treasure craft skills just like heirlooms worthy of great value.

It became my goal to raise my own sheep, spin the yarn and crochet this handspun fiber into a finished project. Years later I have my own small flock of shetland sheep, the wool is waiting to be cleaned and processed and I now know how to spin. I can’t wait to get my crochet projects going this winter with yarn that found its start in my own backyard.

Do you enjoy crocheting with natural fiber? Do you have your own flock? Please share!

When planning out a crochet project, in addition to choosing yarn colors, you have to take into account the texture and functionality of different yarn fibers. Even if they are both worsted weight, for instance, using a bamboo cotton compared to an acrylic will change how your project turns out. What kind of yarn fibers are out there? What are the differences? Here is a general breakdown:

My acrylic stash, and some acrylic projects