County Cumbria
Cumbria is a County in the far Northwest of England bordering Scotland. It is comprised of the pre-1974 counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, plus a part of Lancashire. Cumbria is known to tourists for the Lakes District, and has excellent hiking.
Masham Wool
More importantly for knitters, it is home to the hardy Masham sheep. I'd never heard of Masham until I began stocking wool from the Fibre Co. "Masham" is a cross-breed; Swaledale or Dalesbred ewes are crossed to Teeswater or Wensleydale (cheese please) rams. They're a hardy breed, producing a medium-fine demi-luster fleece. The staple length is not quite as long as the father's, but with the characteristic curl, rather than crimp, of long-wool sheep.
Blended for Better Knitting
On its own, it's difficult to add loft when spinning 100% Masham fiber. This is due to the combination of long staple length plus low crimp. To make a beautiful yarn for knitting, the Fibre Co has taken this local wool and blended it with merino and mohair. The merino provides loft, while the mohair gives the finished yarn a soft halo.
Yarn Details
Cumbria is available in both worsted and fingering weights. The fingering weight yarn works well for colorwork, and intarsia in particular (the halo helps to soften the edges between colors). I've used the worsted in both basic and textured sweaters, and found the stitch definition to be excellent.
This is a "wooly" yarn; it holds up very well over time, but if you, like me, have sensitive skin, I would not recommend wearing it without a camisole or tee underneath. I knit the basic sweater on the left three or four years ago on size US 8 needles and still looks as good as new (though it probably needs its yearly washing!). The one on the right was worked on US size 6 needles, made for a friend of mine, and is also holding up very well.
There is a wide range of colors to choose from -- several new colors are added every fall. View all of the colors we have in stock, as well as extra yarn information, on our Cumbria Product Page.
If you have a pattern in mind, and are unsure whether Cumbria would be a good choice, you can always reach me with questions at my email: hello@sweetmeadowknits.com.
Enjoy!
