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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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Yak Yarn!

May 6, 2015 2 Comments

Yak Yarn! Bijou Basin Ranch Yarn Review

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried yarn made with yak fibers before, but I highly recommend it. I mean, we all know that getting our hands on some new-to-us yarn is fun, but yak yarn isn’t something you see every day. I wasn’t sure what to expect when these pretty colored yarns showed up in my mailbox. The yak fiber turned out to be smooth and warm, and it provides a great alternative to wool if you’re looking for something new and different to work with.

Yak Yarn! Bijou Basin Ranch Yarn Review

Himalayan Trail is Bijou Basin Ranch’s yak/wool yarn. It’s got a little bit of nice roughness from the 25% merino wool content, but the 75% yak adds some smoothness as a counterpoint. Despite the smoothness, the yak fiber is a lot warmer than fibers like cashmere that are often used to make a smooth yarn. That plus the wool make this toasty, wearable yarn ideal for winter accessories.

Yak Yarn! Bijou Basin Ranch Yarn Review

This is what Bijou Basin Ranch’s Himalayan Trail (left) and Lhasa Wilderness (right) look like swatched & blocked. The stitch definition and subtle color variety is really nice in both yarns, don’t you think? :)

Yak Yarn! Bijou Basin Ranch Yarn Review

As I said above, yak yarn is a good alternative to wool, and this yarn is completely wool free if you or someone you’re knitting for has a wool allergy. Bijou Basin’s Lhasa Wilderness yarn is a sport weight yarn that combines yak and bamboo fibers to form a light, cotton-like yarn. I designed the Outlander Chevron Shawl earlier this year using Lhasa Wilderness, and it was lovely to work with. Soft and not too springy, this yarn could easily take the place of cotton yarns for a silkier version of a simple cotton project. I think in particular, baby blankets would be well suited to this yarn.

Bonus: Bijou Basin Ranch has relationships with yak ranchers in Nepal, and currently has Lhasa Wilderness on special. All profits of Lhasa Wilderness are currently going to AmeriCares to help earthquake victims in Nepal. Learn more and order yarn to help the cause here. 

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The yarn pictured was provided by Bijou Basin Ranch. Opinions are my own. 

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: bijou basin, bijou basin ranch, himalayan trail, Knitting, lhasa wilderness, nepal support, yak yarn, yarn, yarn review

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

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Comments

  1. Julie

    May 6, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    I just got a skein of the Himalayan Trail, and am excited to knit with it! It feels so soft.

    Reply
  2. Sky Turtle

    May 11, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    It looks great! Never tried yak fibers and pretty much not anything else than wool, cotton and acrylic, which makes me want to up my game this fall and try some new things!

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

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Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how to knit the Little Butterfly Stitch (aka Bowknot Stitch). It adds so much cute character to simple stockinette. Only a little funky to knit, and it packs a huge visual punch! 🦋 
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Find the video & written stitch pattern on the blog and YouTube, links are in bio. 
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#kpambassadorsfeb21 #sponsored
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Yarn: @kelbournewoolens Germantown in Baby Blue via @knit_picks. Needles: Prism Interchangeables, also from Knit Picks. 
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Pictured: a light blue swatch of Little Butterfly Stitch knitting on a pink background. A skein of yarn and a few stitches of knitting are nearby.
“You’re telling me words can be pronounced in “You’re telling me words can be pronounced in different ways and mean the same things?!” 👀 Posting this here, just to make it clear: when anyone says skayne, skeen, or skyne, it can be safely assumed we’re talking about a bundle o’ yarn,  a SKEIN. It’s not necessary to shame someone for using a word that is known to have MULTIPLE common pronunciations. 🧶
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Can you plz comment sharing how you say SKEIN and where you learned it? The OED happens to say SKAYNE, but it’s not a personal attack if someone says SKEEN and you say SKYNE or even Saskatoon. I’m legitimately curious. We don’t all knit or crochet the same way, and craft evolves a bit like language - it is passed on. There is so much value in having conversations about & embracing these variations! ✌🏻
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Pictured: A blond woman holds a skein of mustard yellow yarn up to her head like a phone, looking shocked. She’s wearing glasses & a knit sweater. 
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#handsoccupied #heidigustad #skein #yarn #yarncraft #knit #crochet #yarnaddict #knitincolor #soldotnacrop #language #englishisweird #oed #oxfordenglishdictionary
Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather than yarn. Here’s the latest mediocre-but-improving result of my slow quest to learn to set vintage inspired curls. 💇🏼‍♀️ I’m hoping to be able to wash my hair less using a regular vintage set, but we’ll see if it ends up being practical. 😆 Hair frustrates me so much more than crafts! 
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Do you also style your hair using vintage methods? If you have any tips for vintage hair styling or good resources to share, please do!
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Pictured: A medium sized, brown, senior dog asleep on a green bed. For some reason a donut ball of navy wool yarn sits on his head.
The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live on YouTube! Diamond Brocade is a great knit+purl only stitch for beginners or anyone wanting a classic look for their knitting project. Find the video with a written stitch pattern on the blog or head directly to the video on YouTube. Both are linked in bio. ✌🏻 
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