Baskerville DARK – darker and more Gotland-esque!
I am introducing a darker version of my small-batch British yarn Baskerville this week – Baskerville DARK.
This new Gotland-rich Baskerville inverts dark British Gotland and light, fluffy Exmoor Blueface of the original blend, creating a darker, denser version of Baskerville with the same subtle silk glimmer.
Slightly more rustic and less lofty than the original Baskerville this version plays up Gotland’s unique velvet handle.
I couldn’t help but cast on with this as soon as the first batch arrived and chose something in my queue that I’ve been wanting to knit since it came out, Yoko Hatta’s stunning Natsumi from Brooklyn Tweed’s Wool People 7.
The jumper ended up being my summer holiday knit and I really enjoyed the unique construction which was simple enough to follow along without much thought, but interesting enough to keep me occupied on planes.
In hindsight am really glad I waited for the perfect yarn for this design as the Gotland creates the most beautifully rustic cables!
It is hard to describe the difference in this fibre for those who’ve not yet worked with Gotland. It has a unique mix of crisp softness that is unlike any other fibre I’ve seen thus far. Unspun it has a cotton-candy velvet-like handle that creates air pockets and sticks together to create the long wearing warmth this blend is prized for. Shorn from the softest British Gotland, this fibre is soft enough to be worn again delicate skin, and much more ‘next-to-skin’ handy than the blend the design is originally knit in.
I made the smallest size and followed the pattern in the flat as written for the body. For the sleeves I knit these in round two at a time, as per my usual way of working. Much quicker. I also added the rib at the cuff and made them full length for winter. i was a little unsure about the sizing as normally make a medium, but am glad I went with the small as the fit is perfect. Roomy without swimming.
The shaped hem detail is perfect and makes the top act a bit as a tunic for those of us that might be a bit bottom-baring shy. ;-P
The first batch of this light, airy yarn is now available in shop. I hope you all love it as much as I do!
