Yarn Profile: Tregellys 2-Ply

First Impressions
I first came across Tregellys Fiber Farm at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival. Their booth was overflowing with neatly bundled yarns in all colors imaginable. Unable to resist, I picked up a skein in Persian Rose to review here.

At first glance, this yarn looks like your standard scratchy wool. But two things make it stand out. First, the yarns are all hand-dyed using natural botanical dyes, producing results that larger commercial manufacturers simply cannot offer. And second, and the yarn is actually 55% mohair and 45% wool. What appears scratchy is really soft and resilient.

This yarn would make a lovely gansey or aran, with its two-ply spin and medium drape. You could also take advantage of all the colors available and do colorwork instead.

Knitting Up
Using #8 (5mm) needles, I knitted up my swatches quickly and easily. My stitches appeared relatively even. The yarn has a nice, consistent spin, resulting in an even texture and fast knitting. There were just a few flecks of organic matter in the yarn.

Color saturation is deep and true, but as with most hand-dyed yarns, I noticed subtle color variations from row to row. I personally think this makes projects more interesting to the eye. Any fiber-loving friend will know you used good yarn.

Blocking / Washing
The difference between the unwashed and washed swatches was striking, proving once again how helpful it can be to make test swatches before beginning a project.

The unwashed swatches were tight and slightly rough in texture, with strong, distinct stitches and edges that wanted to curl. Once washed, they flattened beautifully into a soft fabric of even, consistent stitches with a pleasantly fuzzy coating.

The yarn bled slightly when I washed it, but I could see hardly any fading in the resulting swatches. One important note: The gauge expanded from 18 sts/inch prewashed to 16 sts/inch washed and blocked. Keep this in mind when planning for your own projects.

Wearing
The swatches definitely softened with wear, but I was unable to make them pill despite my most vigorous attempts. Even the mohair behaved itself, not coming loose from the main body of the yarn as many other mohair/wool blends do.

I suspect this yarn would survive some pretty hefty wear and tear, as long as you wash it at least once per season and keep it away from moths.

Conclusion
Tregellys yarn is on par with Nanney Kennedy's Seacolors and Green Mountain Spinnery's Mountain Mohair, although it's drier and more loosely spun than Seacolors and tighter than Mountain Mohair.

You'll pay more for this than for a skein of more readily available wool/mohair yarn, such as Lamb's Pride from Brown Sheep. But you get much more for your money.

First, you get a higher blend of mohair (55% mohair compared to 15% in Lamb's Pride) from animals raised and cared for on the Tregellys Fiber Farm.

Second, each skein is hand-dyed using botanical dye extracts, instead of being dyed by machine using commercial dyes. And third, each skein holds a hefty 250 yards, compared to 190 yards in Lamb's Pride.

My only regret is that Tregellys has yet to offer online ordering. If you email or call (413-625-9492), you can get full color cards and order from there. Be sure to ask about their other yarns, too.