I’m very excited to release our newest breed specific yarn. Polypay Chunky - a beautiful full bodied yarn that is both fine and durable made from Polypay wool. Polypay was created by cross breeding targhee, Dorset, Rambouillet and Finn sheep. It is a perfect dual purpose sheep. The wool is soft and insulating, but also durable. We have spun it as a 3-ply chunky weight yarn 115m/100g.
The talented Rebecca Gunderson knit up this dreamy sweater in our Polypay Chunky. The pattern by Canadian designer Standard knits is called the Pender Cardigan.
Our Polypay wool is purchased from Silverbend Ranch in Western Manitoba, Brian Greaves and Karen Hill are the stewards of 1600 acres of farm land and have made massive strides in sustainable and regenerative livestock farming in Manitoba. They utilize farming practices such as no-till seeding, polycropping and winter bale grazing. They re-established hay land from severely nutrient deficient crop land by adding shelter belts and adding piped water to allow for rotational grazing, they restored the wetland with fencing to keep out livestock and utilized solar water pumps. In 2018 they were recognized as Farm Family of the Year in Manitoba.
Picture from Pembina Valley Online
They are also committed to producing a healthy dual purpose flock, focusing on a top-quality wool and improved fertility in their sheep. Brian has also been a strong advocate for the Canadian sheep and wool industry.
When you use this wool you are contributing to the livelihood of a farm that is actively working to sequester more carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. A truly climate beneficial wool.
We will be releasing a small amount of it during our pop-up shops in February in Edmonton and Calgary, and then we will have a whole bunch during Knit City in Montreal.