GALAWOOL THE ART OF NATURAL DYES
 
NATURALLY DYED YARNS
 
RAIN WATER DYED
 

We dye the softest merino wool and a rustic durable wool

 

MERINO WOOL YARN

Our skin soft merino yarn, with a beautiful handspun look, comes from Prairie Fiber Mill, a small merino sheep farm and spinning mill in Saskatchewan,

Prairie Fibre Mill Inc. is a small "off the grid" family run mill perched on the edge of the Bear Hills in rural Saskatchewan. A flock of sheep, merino, rambouillet and romney grazes the native pastures with guardian llamas nearby.

 
 
RUSTIC DURABLE WOOL YARN

For warp yarn and for outerwear garments we buy our rustic yarn from the MacAusland's woolen mill in Prince Edward Island. The same family has run the mill in Bloomfield since 1870. Dale and Henry are now the fourth generation of MacAuslands managing the mill and producing their famous traditional virgin wool blankets and the yarn that we dye for you.

 

Our 4 ounces/113 grams skeins are approximately 220 yards long and we sell them for : 16 Canadian dollars a skein

 

check our colour palette here

our sample card is free, it holds yarn samples in every colour

request our sample card here

 
Gauge and needle size for knitting MacAusland yarn

The gauge will vary depending on the needle size used.  I chose to knit my cardigan firmly so that it would hold up well as a cardigan.  The gauge I got by using 4 mm needles was 19 stitches to 4" washed.  The wool relaxes and softens up during washing, and I knew that from swatching, before I started my project, so knit with that in mind, knitting at a tighter gauge, so that the relaxed result would be just right.  However, the yarn is really versatile.  Francesca at three bags full has recently knit up a hoodie on a bigger needle, looser gauge (not sure of the details) and it looks amazing as well.  Swatching is critical, but I think your customer will find that a variety of fabrics can be knit with your Galawool. Last Thursday night I began a top down and seamless program here at the studio, and the students love love love your yarn!

by Venessa Bentley

 
The MacAusland yarn is a perfect warp yarn
 
                                                                     
                 
A gallery of your work
                       
 

 

                

The yarn that we buy from MacAusland is still rich in lanolin; most washes out as we dye the wool, however the yarn still maintains the wonderful feel of traditional wool and knits and weaves beautifully.

Francesca fitting her grandson

Yellow ducky knitted with Mustard Field by Francesca Pagliotti the owner of Three Bags Full in Vancouver

   
                                                         
                 
                                                         
 

The Girl and Boy have matching Duck Soup Hoodies (Raveled here) knit with the warm and hard-wearing Plant-dyed Gala Wool–perfect over-garments for outdoor living. We’re back home now and both jackets passed the test for “best camping sweater ever”!  A couple of soaks in Eucalan and the “Duck Soups” look  bright and lovely with hardly a sign of wear.

From the three bags full knitshop blog (here)
                                                         

"Careful swatching was critical for this project. I knit it really firm because it relaxed, and bloomed just the right amount when washed. Gala Wool is spun tight enough to give it durability and body. It feels like a coarse rustic wool so I chose it for its ability to last in a well worn cardigan. The amazing palette of natural dyes that Gala Wool produces, makes choosing a colour really hard! This wool transitioned into a beautiful fabric as it was handled, washed and blocked. It is a perfect red cardigan! "

Venessa Bentley

Working Hands Fibres Studio

   
               
                                                         

             

 

  

JoAnne knits these beautiful socks:

Would you like socks knitted to perfection? write: JoAnne Thompson, Box 312, Whaletown BC, V0P1Z0
         
 
Geraldine Ysselstein in Calgary, used Rose Madder for the beautifully and expertly knitted socks that her fortunate husband is wearing
     
Mica checks out the stars in her adorable indigo star sweater knitted by her Oma, Pauline Kendall in Vancouver
   
 
               
   
                             
                           
 

This is the 3rd hat Amy Bockner knitted . Two weeks prior to this hat, she did not not now how to knit. Passion rules

Star indigo, a cool looking yarn

                           
                                                     

 

 

  

 

celtic knot in a custom colour

                   
                                     
 

Our yarn is a favorite of weavers. Here are Raspberry and Nootka Rose

 
                                   
we keep adding your photographs please email us pics of your work