Cormo 2.0 Spirit Trail Solace
$ 28.00
Having watched Spirit Trail Fiberworks' Jennifer Heverly dye Lot 3 of the Great White Bale, and having coveted her work with this yarn's 1.0 predecessor (Sapphire and Wisteria), I made a point of setting aside a small batch of Cormo 2.0 to see what she would do here. Specifically, I wanted to see how Cormo 2.0's looser, loftier construction would respond to Jennifer's intensely physical hands-on dyeing technique.
Interestingly enough, there was less of a textural/behavioral change between the undyed and dyed yarns than in the previous yarns. While the plies did wobble slightly, the canvas stayed relatively smooth, absorbing the colors beautifully and reflecting them back in a richness that almost glows.
In Solace you have a calm and comforting seascape of faded blues that shift in and out of saturation. Depending on where your skeins get pulled from the lot, they may even have a splash of sunshine in them.
A Note about Color: These are hand-dyed in the true sense of the word. Color is massaged into each skein by hand, and the hues can shift during steaming. Which is to say, there is some variation in color saturation from skein to skein, even within the same dyelot. We'll pick the very best color matches we can, but I also recommend you alternate skeins every other row. 'Tis the very nature of dye work done by hand in small batches.
Quick Facts about Cormo 1.0
Gauge: This tender, three-ply, combed American Cormo yarn has a secret. While its gauge needs to stay tight for sweaters--in the 6 stitch-per-inch range--it doesn't mind being relaxed on larger needles for low-wear projects like shawls and cowls. Generally speaking, expect a range of 4.5 to 6 stitches per inch (or even more, if you're so inclined) on US 4-6 (3.5-4mm) needles. It performs equally well on blunt and pointy needles, slick and grabby alike. Choose the ones that feel right in your hands.
Put-up: 268 yards (245m)
Skein weight: 94g (Note that the skein weight varies slightly though the yardage does not. I'm guessing this is a factor of Cormo's crazy jumbled crimp, which is very difficult to manage on the spinning frame.)
Source: Wool from purebred American Cormo sheep raised in Montana. Scoured at Bollman's in San Angelo, Texas. Combed, spun, and twisted at Kraemer Yarns in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Skeined and scoured at Saco River Dyehouse in Biddeford, Maine, and then hand-dyed in Virginia by Spirit Trail Fiberworks.
Read more about the making of Clara Yarn Cormo 2.0 in Knitter's Review