Hi! Heather The Hand-dyer here! 
Beth and I have, for ages now, talked about truly getting our blog up and running, all regular like… We thought that a good way to get it going would be to do a Yarn of the Month series to highlight one of our yarn lines each month. This month, we’ve picked Halo, our brushed suri line.
I am often asked about our Halo line, comprised of Halo Solids and Halo Watercolors (the hand dyed colors). “What can I make with it?” “Is it as fragile as it looks?”
Or we hear statements such as: “I hate fuzzy yarn.” “Fuzzy yarn is scratchy.”
So, I am here today to hopefully dispel some of the myths about fuzzy yarn, at least OUR fuzzy yarn and hopefully turn you on to the allure of Halo. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this yarn too! There is a LOT of yardage on each ball or skein.
First, some facts about Halo:
— While it is technically considered a “lace” weight yarn, its fuzz factor allows it to be worked at a variety of gauges with lovely effects.
— It is comprised of brushed Suri alpaca with a nylon thread to hold it together. Unlike mohair, Suri alpaca has ZERO scratch. It is renowned for its silky luxurious feel, being compared to cashmere in its softness and warmth, but with more durability.
— The fuzzy nature of Halo does require gentle handling, just like mohair. Hand washing gently with lukewarm water and a wool wash, such as Soak or Eucalan, and drying flat is recommended.
Why do I, personally, love Halo? 🙂 I love how it feels like fairy breath in your hands, running through your fingers. I love how the hand dyes melt into a slurry of color like a watercolor vapor. I love how you can knit, or crochet it, at a variety of gauges and get wildly different results. I love how you can hold it with other yarn and create this glorious ploof of a project that feels like kitten snuggles.
Now, for the question of “what can I make with it?”
Aside from all the patterns we currently offer in Halo, the short answer, anything you want. For the longer answer, let’s look at some of the wonderful projects that have been created using our Halo yarn.
HERE you can find a lovely shawl made by Raveler IraRott. Ira, who is an amazing designer, used a stitch from a popular stitch dictionary and our Halo Watercolors in color 767 Carnival to create a whisper soft shawl that adds a layer of delicate warmth. I love how she chose a undulating stitch that pushes the colors to and fro.
Next up, we have a pretty little ditty of a pattern named Ruffles Halo Scarf by designer Lynette Meeks. Lynette, a prolific designer, used our Halo Watercolors in 701 Di Vinci, to design and knit this scarf that has a adorable button detail to keep it in place! This would wear like kisses!
For our crocheters, I found this version of Orisons Shawl by Sara Kay Hartmann, crocheted by Raveler Rosenator. Rose used our Halo Watercolors in color #703 Rivera (Color 703 is being discontinued, however, color 769 Hibiscus is a great substitute if you want this warm glow.) I adore how this is big enough to cuddle into without a lot of bulk!
For those that would prefer not to work with such a fine yarn, you will find that holding Halo together with other yarns yields amazing results!
Just look at the sweater our friend Reenie created with yarn leftovers and Halo! Be sure to follow her on Instagram to see all the amazing things she creates!
Beth, our Fearless Leader, has just finished Schwaan by Norah Gaughan, using Halo with a tweed yarn that she had processed from her own alpacas. (Our Classic Tweed would work great here!)
As for me, your GirlGoneLoopy…
I am busy writing and knitting a #sizeinclusive sweater pattern that combines Halo and Classic Alpaca for a lush softness that knits up quickly in a bulky gauge! I don’t want to give too much away, so here is a tiny peek!!!
For all of you that read to the end… I thank you. I will also say, if you head on over to our Facebook page, there is a little give-away going on. The winner will be randomly chosen on April 1st, and will receive either two skeins of the Watercolor Hand-Dyed or one ball of the Halo Solid (either option totals 514 yards of floofy goodness) in the color of their choice!!
Okay… Enough chit-chat… Time for me to get my needles clacking! I got a sweater to finish!
Happy Stitches,
Heather
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