About our Yarns

 
Woolen yarn has been spun in Harrisville every year since 1790 and this tradition of quality textiles has shaped the life in our community. The distinctive look of our yarns is a result of care and attention to detail at every step of the spinning process. We have always used Merino Cross wools from New Zealand and now we have added a much softer wool from Australia to create a better 'hand' for knitters. This fleece is dyed-in-the-wool to maximize brightness and fastness and then several colors are blended together. Our Color Consultant, Nell Znamierowski, carefully chooses the right combinations to give the yarns depth and interest without sacrificing brightness and variation.

The woolen system of yarn making is much like the process of handspinning in which the wool is picked, carded, and spun as three distinct steps. Softness and strength are the two qualities that we are careful to balance as the yarns are spun. We want our yarns to be as soft as possible, but they must also have sufficient twist to make them strong. Our standards are very high because our yarns are important to the quality of the products that our customers produce. 

These color samples are taken from our actual yarn sample card - samples woven with our 56 colors of yarn. Note: these "web colors" are not 100% accurate. You can order our Resource Guide containing our entire line of yarns plus our Knitting Pattern, Loom, and Friendly Loom® Catalogs and Price Lists all in a convenient 3-ring binder. Price:only $15.00. Order Line: 1-800-338-9415.

 

Harrisville's Classic Line
New England Shetland or New England Highland
100% Pure Wool - 56 luscious colors - 2 weights

(cone photo courtesy of Camilla Valley Farm)

For Knitters: New England Knitters Shetland (fingering weight 2-ply, approx. 197 yds, per 50 gr. skein) and New England Knitters Highland (worsted weight 2-ply, approx. 200 yds. per 100 gr. skein) in washed skeins.

Price New England Shetland: $5.90 per 50 gr. sk.
Price New England Highland: $8.80 per 100 gr. sk.

For Weavers: Shetland Style (lightweight 2-ply, approx. 1800 yards per pound). Highland Style (heavyweight 2-ply, approx. 900 yards per pound) on cones - unwashed.

Price Shetland: $17 per 1/2 lb cone.
Price Highland: $16 per 1/2 lb cone.

The following color samples are taken from our actual yarn sample card - samples woven with our 56 colors of yarn. Note: these "web colors" are not 100% accurate. You can order our Resource Guide containing our entire line of yarns plus our Knitting Pattern, Loom, and Friendly Loom® Catalogs and Price Lists all in a convenient 3-ring binder. Price:only $15.00. Order Line: 1-800-338-9415.

Flax & Wool Blend
Soft Spun 20% Flax, 80%Fine Wool
Our Flax and Wool yarns are created by blending natural flax with our own fine wool and then spinning it with a lofty soft-spun twist. It is a delight to knit and wear because Flax and Wool yarns have the texture of flax, the warmth of wool, and are wonderfully soft and lightweight.

Both our Flax & Wool Blend and Orchid Line knit at the same gauge so they can be easily combined or interchanged for even more variety and, with an incredible 245 yards per skein, they are also a great value.

Note: These yarns are softly spun and require a gentle hand!

Fiber Content:
20% Flax & 80% Pure Wool

Approximate Yards per Skein:
245 yards per 100 gram skein (3.5 oz.)
Recommended Needle Range: 5 - 8
Recommended Gauge: 4 - 4-1/2 sts. per inch
Price: $8.80 per 100 gr. sk.

Silk and Wool Blend
50% Silk, 50% Fine Wool
This fine gauge 2-ply combines a pebbly silk with a luscious, soft wool. It is a great choice for a fine gauge sweater. It is the ideal weight for indoor garments or for spring or summer use on a chilly evening. This yarn also dyes beautifully!

201.......... Bluebell 202...... Dusty Pink 203............... Fern 204... Pale Daffodil 205............. Peach 206........... Seamist 207......... Veronica 208......Cappuccino 209............... Linen 210................ Coal

Silk Blend Specifications

Fiber Content:
50% Silk and 50% Pure Wool

Approximate Yards per Skein:
175 yards per 50 gram skein (1.75 oz)

Recommended Needle Range: 3 - 5

Recommended Gauge: 5 - 51/2 sts. per inch

Price: $7.80 per 50 gr. sk.

Harrisville Fleece for Spinning & Felting
Click Here For Details

Knitting With Harrisville's Classic Yarns

Our New England Knitters Shetland and New England Knitters Highland yarns are available as washed skeins and were developed especially for knitters. The majority of knitting yarns on the market today are spun first and then skein dyed. During the dyeing process they achieve a degree of fulling or fluffing up that our dyed-in-the-wool yarns on cones do not have. We skein our New England Knitters Shetland and New England Highland yarns and then wash them to give them that special, softer knitting finish.

Basic Woman's Sweater	New England Knitters Shetland	New England Knitters Highland
Approximate Yards	1500 - 1700	1100 - 1500
Amount to Purchase	8 - 9 Skeins	6 - 8 Skeins

Basic Man's Sweater	New England Knitters Shetland	New England Knitters Highland
Approximate Yards	1800 - 2300	1500 - 1800
Amount to Purchase	9 - 12 Skeins	8 - 9 Skeins

Be sure to add an extra skein(s) if knitting oversized or longer than normal garments, very fancy Aran designs, a turtleneck, or other collars, etc. Weaving with Our Yarns

Our yarns have been used by weavers for over 30 years. In the past few years, we have worked to make our yarns much softer and loftier by adding a much finer and softer wool. After you weave with them be sure to see our finishing instructions because once they have been washed they full becoming more dense with a downy nap.

	Shetland Yarns - Cones Available on 1/2 pound (8oz.) cones of approximately 900 yards. Suggested setts: 10, 12, 15 e.p.i.
Sett #	Fabric Characteristics
10	Creates light and lofty fabrics after being fulled. Great for baby blanket weight fabrics and color blankets.
12	A good overall sett for this yarn for weaving many types of fabrics. Good for general clothing weight fabrics. Creates a light yet firmly constructed fabric.
15	Ideal for sturdy twill weight fabrics. Can be hard to achieve a true 50/50 plain weave without a very hard beat unless you use a finer weight weft yarn. Good for upholstery type fabric structures.

	Highland Yarns - Cones Available on 1/2 pound (8oz.) cones of approximately 450 yards. Suggested setts: 8, 10, 12 e.p.i.
Sett #	Fabric Characteristics
8	Ideal for light and lofty fabrics, suitable for blankets and garment fabrics for jackets and sweaters. Works well in plain weaves. For denser fabrics, try twill.
10	Produces a firm and thicker fabric. Ideal for twills and closely constructed weaves. Good for blankets and outerwear garment fabrics.
12	Produces a very firm fabric that could be considered for pillow covers, and some upholstery fabrics. When offset with lighter weight yarns it can make ideal garment fabrics or blankets.