What a lovely sock yarn this is! It combines soft merino, softer yak down, and a touch of nylon. It is tightly plied which also helps it stand up to the abrasion socks get. The result is a soft, squishy yarn with great stitch definition. But don't think that this yarn is limited to socks. It is perfect for light lacy shawls, sweaters, or and garment you want to be light weight while surprisingly warm.

Hannah was inspired by native Australian birds when she created these colorways. We love that! What a great opportunity to learn a bit about nature as you work with a beautiful yarn.

Yak down can be white or brown; the fiber used in this yarn is brown giving the yarn a lovely mottled base color to build gorgeous color upon. And gorgeous colors they are! We have 20 delicious shades that blend smoothly from color to color. The fade possibilities are endless!

Yaks are native to higher altitudes of central Asia from the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, up to Mongolia and adjacent areas of Russia. They have been domesticated for thousands of years providing milk and fiber. Yaks have a dual coat, a rough long coat to shed water covering a short downy coat next to the skin. It is the soft, downy coat we use in yarn. It is a very fine fiber measuring 15-20 microns similar to the range for Cashmere which is up to 19 microns. Each yak yields just two pounds of down a year and that down must be separated from the rough outer coat by a process called dehairing.  Yak is also hypoallergenic and warmer than wool. 

70% Superwash Merino / 20% Brown Yak Down / 10% Nylon
Fingering Weight / 3-ply
100g / 437 yards

Looking for a good free sock pattern? We have several .

Hannah Ginn is based near Adelaide, Australia. She is a lapsed molecular geneticist who now dyes beautiful yarns inspired by Australian native birds and the natural world around her. She has a delightful way with color.

Images © Black Squirrel Yarns