Inspired by rugged rocky coastlines, Acadia is a rustic blend of fine Merino wool (providing warmth) and baby alpaca and silk noil (adding drape and lustre as well as an interesting knobbly texture). The heathered appearance of this DK weight yarn is achieved from a kettle dyeing process that creates the subtle duotones for which The Fibre Co. has become known.
Beginnings
The story of every yarn we have at The Fibre Co. today came out of the experiments our founder Daphne did with creating unique blends of fibre. This process involved extensive yarn dyeing experiments when she was collecting fleeces, carding and spinning every yarn herself at her micro mill in Maine, on the East Coast of the United States.
These experiments gave Daphne an appreciation of fibres such as super soft baby alpaca and the finest Merino wool, both for the feel of the fibre and for the different ways they take dye. Taking her queue from fibre artists like hand spinners, Daphne added texture to her formative yarn experiments with silk noil—technically a waste product from the manufacture of fine silk threads–to further enhance her original fibre mixture, which became The Fibre Co.’s first yarn: Terra, an aran-weight single ply yarn consisting of Merino wool, alpaca and silk noil, a very unique combination at the time.
As the founding yarn of The Fibre Co.’s luxury blends, Terra is the original hank that all other yarn lines grew from.
Terra drew together our greatest loves—colours inspired by nature’s palette and fibres selected for their natural beauty. Knitters were very fond of Terra, and keen to have a similar yarn in a lighter weight.
Acadia was born out of that request: beginning with the blend of fibres in Terra, we increased the merino content just enough to give items knit in Acadia a little deeper ‘bounce’.
Palette
Daphne created her first colour experiments by blending dyed fibres in the carding machine. This blending of ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ fibre is still used for yarns such as the tweed yarn Arranmore Light, and our woollen spun Lore. She also experimented with dyeing mixed fibres in various natural colours in pursuit of the softest and most luxurious feeling yarn. These early experiments in hand blending and dye work have informed our process at The Fibre Co. ever since.
Acadia is made with a combination of silk, creamy white Merino wool and multiple natural shades of alpaca. Brown, grey and cream, are combined together creating richly nuanced dyed shades.
Layering fibres allows us to build colour upon colour and the resulting Acadia range offers a wealth of choices for shawls, sweaters and accessories. The process of hand-dyeing the yarn also adds to the complexity of colour. Rinsing the dye over the yarn in different washes, beautiful duotones are created that are almost iridescent in appearance.
The beauty of Acadia
Acadia is one of our most versatile yarns in The Fibre Co. collection. The rustic blend of fine fibres in this DK-weight (also known as ‘8-ply’) yarn is ideal for creating a handmade wardrobe that can be worn almost all year round. Wery wearable sweaters and shawls can be enjoyed both in the cool evenings of summer as well as the big chill of winter.
Named after the great Acadia National park in the state of Maine, it seems fitting this yarn has a rustic appearance, but an exceptionally luxurious feel.
These items work up a little faster than their fingering weight counterparts but enjoy a lovely lightweight fabric thanks to the silk and alpaca. Acadia is the perfect option for the year-round knitter.
Knitting Acadia
As one of our first yarns, there are many beautiful examples of patterns designed for Acadia, as well as an abundance of wonderful projects made in this yarn.
Acadia works well for garments and accessories with lots of plain stocking stitch which let the beauty of the yarn shine such as the One Sweater DK pattern.
Acadia also works well with textured stitches, as you can see in Wythop below, designed by Sari Nordlund.
Wythop is a pretty twist on a traditional yoke sweater, featuring a rosebud bobble and lace stitch pattern. It is knitted seamlessly from the bottom up and features short row shaping at the neck for an improved fit. Acadia gives the garment a beautiful depth of colour and texture as well as an exceptional drape.
Colourwork
The palette of Acadia is exceptional, and designs such as District by Norah Gaughan give knitters a chance to play with colour combinations. The sweater is worked in one piece from the bottom of the front to the bottom of the back. Sleeve ribbing is added after & there are 2 seams, the underarm/sleeve seams.
The Almanac Series
Star Anise is the seventh pattern from our new collection The Almanac Series, a seasonal guide to knitting with The Fibre Co. yarns. This collection will feature a new design every month, and each in a different yarn according to the qualities of the yarn to match the season. Star Anise is our design for March’s Yarn of the Month; Acadia.
Based on the original farmer’s Almanac guide to the seasons, this collection acts as a guide to knitting with The Fibre Co. Each month of the year is celebrated by giving knitters the chance to sample our Yarn of the Month, with a new design launch.
This year The Almanac Series has a theme of herbalism to recognise the importance and heightened appreciation of maintaining health.
In the second half of our first Almanac Series collection, we embrace the Spring-Summer season. Each month’s yarn has been specifically chosen for its qualities to compliment colder conditions. February was the month of Cirro, March is Acadia, April is Canopy Fingering, May is Luma, June is Amble and July is Meadow.
Star Anise by Emma Wright is a stunning example of how colourwork shines in Acadia, with 5 shades in a contemporary take on the traditional Fairisle sweater.
If you have enjoyed knitting with Acadia, please don’t forget to share it with us! Please use the #TheFibreCoAcadia when you post about it on social media and tag us with @thefibrecompany on Instagram and @TheFibreCo on Facebook when you post so we can admire your beautiful projects!
