For Aran knitting, you want a firmly twisted yarn that keeps the cables and other pattern elements from sinking into the garment.
Beware the extreme longwool fleeces - they have so little crimp that they produce yarn that has no "bounce" which a sweater needs. The resulting yarn feels nice in the skein, but is limp and lifeless knitted up. I prefer European breeds that are seldom available here for such yarn - Frisian Milk Sheep, Texel sheep, white-faced dike sheep from N. Germany, Bleu de maine, possibly Romney or Coopworth or Border Leicester - you need medium crimp, hearty longish staple, crispness and bounce to pack into the yarn for an Aran. Or fleece from Ireland if you could find any. Reason? The damp, chilly sea climate makes the wool ideal for the fisherman's sweater that those regions are famous for. Sara von Tresckow Fond du Lac, WI [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit our Web Site: http://woolgatherers.com DutchMaster Loom / Spinning Chairs To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
