New Yarn - Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk Forgarn

Light and airy, delicate but hardwearing, squishy and fun to knit, this intriguing yarn from Hillesvåg has arrived and I'm in love.

These giant round 'cakes' of yarn are Forgarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. A 'pre-yarn' which means it has been carded (combed) but no twist has been added like with more traditional yarns. This creates a delicate strand of unspun, roving like yarn. Made from 100% Pure New Norwegian Wool. In Norway, the sheep are usually shorn twice a year. The Spring Wool is short and fine, while the Autumn Wool is longer and stronger. Forgarn is made in Autumn Wool and we have four natural shades ranging from white to charcoal grey. They are wound double stranded giving this delicate yarn more strength. Due to the nature of the production process the Forgarn yarn cakes vary in weight between 150g and 250g but the lightness of this yarn means a 200g cake gives a generous meterage. A lot of projects can be achieved in just two cakes, even jumpers. This woolly yarn has a softness I really like but it is still woolly. I would say it feels similar but slightly softer than the other Hillesvåg yarns we stock, the big difference is the bounce it has in your hands. Its lightness and bouncy quality makes it really special and adds to the softness. Due to this delicate nature it does need a gentle touch but I will talk about that below. The resulting fabric is not delicate though and knits together creating a sturdy, hardwearing result.

I knit this swatch in 5mm needles holding two strands together as the ball was wound. The resulting fabric has a drapey airiness that feels like it could be effortless to wear but oh so warm. My resulting gauge after blocking is 16sts x 24rows. I knit a swatch that came out 18.5cm x 16cm and it weighs just 12g. I have never knit with an unspun yarn before and I actually really enjoyed it. You have to be really mindful of your tension but not in an annoying way. Its delicate nature means it can break easily but the more you work with it the better it you get at managing your tension. By unwinding from the cake by hand as you go and being careful not to knit too tightly. However if it does break just overlap the broken ends and continue knitting. The grippy nature of the wool will hold the broken ends together and you will never see it. Believe me I broke it a few times when knitting my swatch and you would never know. The more you knit though the better it will become and you will relax into this low tension style of knitting.

It has a very similar structure to Plötulopi, Manchelopis or Nutiden if you use it either single stranded or double stranded. It would be a great substitute for any of these yarns. So with that in mind lets take a look at some potential projects:

Groningen Pullover (link to Ravelry) by MJ Wilms. This top is knit in pieces with drop shoulders. The fetching collar is added after the pieces are sewn together. I like the simple texture that runs over the body and it would be very smart knit in the Lys Grå shade.

Laneus shawl (link to Ravelry) by Teti Lutsak. This crescent shawl holds a strand of mohair with the unspun. Fyberspates Cumulus would be a good choice here. A contrast colour is used for the inlay colourwork bands.

Miles Shirt Jacket (link to Ravelry) by Ozetta : Hailey Smedley. This oversized jacket would be a great layer to throw on for that extra warmth in winter. Knitting it in an unspun yarn would make it super light as well. Worked from the top down with fold over collar, curved hem and pockets.

Wild Posy { Flora & Luna} (link to Ravelry) by Melody Hoffmann. This top down jumper has a textural yoke that can also feature lace. A simple shape with pleasing details. I've also seen on Melody's instagram that she is working on a new design using Forgarn.

Brume (link to Ravelry) by Melody Hoffmann. This hat is knit holding a strand of mohair with the unspun. This will give the yarn a bit more strength making it easier to work over a smaller project. A simple hat done in two interesting fibres will be a joy to knit.