We adore Harrisville and its beautiful, thoughtfully and sustainably produced yarns. Shetland, a 2ply Fingering weight (similar to an 8/4) heathered woolen spun yarn, is one of their most versatile, workhorse yarns and available in oh-so-many colors perfect for weaving, knitting, crochet, and felting! The fiber for Shetland is dyed and then blended and carded, creating well-designed colors that are then spun with special care at their water-powered woolen mill in the tiny town of Harrisville, NH. Harrisville's Shetland is not actually made from Shetland wool; Shetland refers to the size of the yarn and not the fiber content. Shetland is a blend of an Australian fine wool and a hearty New Zealand wool that gives the yarn its luster. Spun more tightly on the spinning frames (higher turns per inch), Shetland is highly durable and will wear better and better every year.
These hefty 1/2 lb. cones (unwashed) have 900 yards of fingering weight yarn. Harrisville Shetland cones are unwashed, which means that the yarn did not have an extra wash after being spun. While it can feel slightly rustic or "crunchy" on the cone, the 100% virgin wool relaxes, expands, and becomes much softer, fuller, and loftier after washing, especially when using a wool wash to remove spinning oil. Wool is just so magical!
Woolen yarn has been spun in the water powered, brick mill town of Harrisville since 1794. This small village is nestled in the Monadnock Highlands of southwestern New Hampshire and is the only industrial community of the early 19th Century that still survives in America in its original form!