Yarns to Love
Announcing: Lana Plantae Yarn
Sometimes we just have to be patient.
Today, our patience is rewarded with the arrival of a limited edition of yarn that we’ve been eager to see.
Cochineal, Sumac, Osage, Indigo. the colors of nature, caught in a yarn.
Marcia McDonald’s Lana Plantae Rambouillet DK took our breath away when we first saw it. When yarn is dyed with plants and insects, it has an inherent gentleness to it. That’s not to say that the color cannot be vibrant—check out the astonishing pink at the top!—but it’s a special sort of color. It’s really, really lovely.
This is wool that feels wonderful—spun to Marcia’s specifications, this Rambouillet wool is unusual for its loft and softness. It is a joy to work with, and in these shades that shift subtly as you go, Marcia’s yarn makes for a truly special knitting experience.
Lana Plantae (Latin for wool and plant kingdom) is straight outta Buxton, Maine, where Marcia lives and works on her family farm raising alpacas and many of the plants that she uses in her dyeing. If yarn has a terroir—a character determined by the environment in which it’s created—Marcia’s Lana Plantae is rich stuff indeed.
What to Make with This Gorgeous Yarn?
Our minds instantly turn to MDK March Mayhem patterns. (As they do all the time these days.) Here are a few of the shawls and cowls that seem especially suited for a DK yarn of a tender Rambouillet nature. (In some cases, the gauge of these patterns, worked in Lana Plantae, may be smaller or larger than the original gauge. But that’s what we love about shawls: fit is not as crucial an issue.)
Enjoy the search for your favorite pattern to make with this glorious yarn! And we hope you’ll act soon if you’re curious about Lana Plantae Rambouillet DK. We have a limited quantity.
Kune Kune by Olga Burayan-Kefelian
We gasped at the originality of this dramatic pleated fabric.
Naos by Hilary Smith Callis
Stripes of texture created from suprisingly simple stitch patterns. We like the visual heft of this triangular shawl/scarf.
Sølv by Cecelia Campochiaro
We are constantly surprised by the possibilities of sequence knitting—the complex fabrics that are possible using only knit and purl stitches. This lush parallelogram showcases your most beautiful yarns.
Fantoosh! by Kate Davies
A top-down triangular shawl that that dispenses with a fussy border or edging. We want the larger size, for maximum swoop factor.
Assembler by Grace Anna Farrow
The unconventional way this pattern works makes us madly curious to try it. And the mesh/garter bias fabric is stunning.
Abys by Carol Feller
Deeply sculpted all-over cable fabric with maximum air and cushiness.
Kite Runner by Jana Huck
Intarsia + simple shadow knitting create a wrap with graphic pop.
Harjo by Bristol Ivy
Off-kilter wedges of texture. Fun to knit and a stunning garment.
Amalgamation by Kirsten Kapur
Two-color garter stripes in the center, framed by generous borders with all-over mosaic patterning.
Tracie by Joji Locatelli
A perfectly proportioned and simple mesh shawl with asymmetric shaping and a deep V. We would wear this all the time.
Sonder by Justyna Lorkowska
Reversible cables separated by columns of garter stitch for a cozy textured shawl.
Some Time Alone by Sylvia McFadden
Allover lace that goes in two directions in this clean-edged triangle.
Dohne by Gretha Mensen
Texture all the way, or half texture and half garter? Either way, you end up with a clean-edged and cozy wrap.
Oh my God, this yarn and patterns are to die fore. Great for wish list…
Nice yarn but at $40 a skein I would die eBay me knit on
OH NO,more shawls………………..said me, NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
another shawl that would be wonderful in this yarn is the PHI Shawl done in the blue and green.
That blue is so beautiful! I usually go straight to the pink/red shades, but I might need to do Dohne in the blue……
Beautiful. How do the color dyes from plants hold up under normal wear ‘n tear.
I love all the colors and the shawls blew my mine awesome!
My fingers etch just looking at the Beautiful colors and texture
Oh this yarn slayed me at VKLive–the cochineal especially. You choose the BEST STUFF. xox
I love knitting even though I’m a novice. I’m I the gulf coast area of the u.s. I’m not fast,but, efficient. I would love to have the opportunity to introduce good quality products to my area.
Terrific looking yarn
So would this yarn not be approprate for kids’ hats?
I ordered two skeins of the blue and it is to die for! Love the feel, love the rusticky look of it and it is so SQUISHY.. Casted on a shawl this morning and am loving the look of it. One HUGE downside though…all the die is coming off in my hands! Started a garter tab shawl and only 15 rows in and my hands are indigo as well. Is this an anomaly or a trait of the natural dyes? I will keep going because I love the look, but will onlly knit on it when I am home and can wash my hands before touching other things. Hopefully, the excess dye will come out in blocking and not turn my face, neck and clothing blue once the shawl is completed. I would also NOT RECOMMEND this yarn for colowork.