Masham Wool

One of the surprise hits at our Stitches East booth in October 2014 was the Lorna's Laces Masham Worsted. This is a blend of 70% English wool and 30% Masham. Masham sheep have been bred for over a century on the hill farms in the Northern Counties of England. Unfortunately Masham (pronounced massam) wool is difficult to find here in North America as there is rarely enough produced for export.

Masham (pronounced "massem") is a British sheep breed that originated in the hills of northern England. It absorbs dye more intensely than the other fibers, enhancing this tweedy effect. Each fiber absorbs the dye differently, resulting in a marled look with a wonderful depth of color. Superb effects can be created without loss of luster. Masham is known for its special effects and handle in knitting and crochet.

A warm and classically appealing yarn, Masham is an ideal choice for cold-weather garments like sweaters and cardigans. Because of its similarity, it is regularly used to blend with mohair. We find Masham fiber to be silky, have a nice luster, slightly crispy and with just a bit of prickle.

Masham has a nice texture that is reminiscent of merino and blue face Leicester. The natural color of this roving is a soft cream. Lorna's Lace Masham takes advantage of the characteristics of the fiber in selecting their dye colors. Glen Ellyn and Buffalo Grove are lovely lighter pastels with just a hint of the natural cream color showing through. Naperville, Galena and Du Page are dark enough to allow the marled effect to be striking, giving each skein have that wonderful look of stone washed jeans. Take a look that these colors here.

I think if you try this yarn you will love it. Try Masham with this Free Cowl Pattern.