Auchen has been woollen spun to give an airy, lofty, lightweight and adaptable yarn. It is three plied (i.e. three singles plied together) and is Light DK weight at approximately 260m/100g. Haar, the undyed shade, is a soft, light grey.
Auchen is the yarn used throughout the Perspectives collection designs , the designs are knit in Auchen Sport, which is currently out of stock, but Light DK will work for many of the designs (with additional skeins). I will be providing more information about Light DK for use with the Perspectives designes including suggested needle sizes and the resulting fabric for each design shortly.
As with all Black Isle Yarns the wool is sourced locally and all the fleece has been hand picked and the skirted by myself. This blog post tells you more about the first Auchen batch including farms (complete with a map showing their locations), plus where and how the yarn was scoured and spun – Auchen – a wool journey
Auchen Sport was thoroughly road tested by a wonderful group of reviewers. Their reviews can be found via this blog post and I hope will give a good feel for what this special yarn is like and what it is best suited to – Auchen – the yarn details . Light DK, with three plies rather than two, is a more plump version of Sport but still has the same light and airy character and, once again, is soft and comfortable next to the skin for most people.
In summary, Auchen will give lightweight, slightly drapey, and airy finished items. The handle feels slightly woolly but it is proving very comfortable for next-to-the-skin wear. Soft and sheepy but gentle and wearable.
I wear my Humulus Sweater regularly and with a great deal of pleasure (Ravelry link). This design by Isabell Kraemer is easy to wear, comfortable and flattering. My version was sample knit for me by my lovely friend, and superb sample knitter, Clare Shaw. Clare’s Ravelry notes for my sweater can be found here. My Humulus is size 2, worn with approximately 6″ positive ease, and knit with just under 3 1/2 skeins Undyed Haar and less than half a skein of Harvest Gold for the colourwork yoke.
The Lilias Day Sweater by Kate Davies (Ravelry Link) is perfect for Auchen Light DK (you may well need to drop needle size to get gauge). I dye mini skein sets (6 x 50g) for the beautiful coloured yoke and, when available, they can be found here. You will need to add the appropriate number of skeins of Auchen Light DK Haar (or similar) for the MC/body.
The Sophie Shawl by Petite Knit (Ravelry link) is a fun, quick and clever design. I knit the large size using 2 skeins of Auchen Light DK.
