FO Friday: Maize Hat in Prairie Spun DK Yarn

When I first started knitting, yarns from Brown Sheep were my first experience of non-big box retail yarns. Well-made, affordable, and available in a huge range of colors, their yarn is just as appealing me to now as it was 10+ years ago. I knit the Arwen cardigan back in 2007 in one of their now-discontinued yarns, Prairie Silk, and it is probably the best-wearing yarn I've ever used for a sweater (it still has yet to pill). So of course I jumped at a chance to try out their newest yarn, Prairie Spun DK.

First, if you aren't familiar with Brown Sheep, they are a family owned and operated mill located in Mitchell, Nebraska that focuses on sustainably-produced wool and wool blend yarns. They source their fleece and fibers from US sources whenever possible, buying the majority of their wool directly from US growers; breeds include Corriedale, Rambouillet, and Columbian. You can find out more about them here on their website.

I knit the child-sized version of the Maize Hat using the Lost Lake and Gray Owl colors, and because I have a teeny tiny head, it kinda sorta fit on me, at least well enough to get the above modeled shot. I'd recommend this pattern to adventurous beginners or intermediate knitters who are looking for a simple stranded colorwork project. The pattern is easy to follow and included a chart for the colorwork portion. The yarn has a nice twist to it, so I suspect it will lend itself well to textured stitches, cables, and perhaps even lace, in addition to being a nice choice for colorwork. Each skein has plenty of yardage (approx. 256 yards), so I have plenty left over of each color to play around with. I'm even thinking of starting a weaving project with it!

Pattern: Maize Hat by Jesie Ostermiller

Prairie Spun DK Yarn Specs: 100% U.S. wool (3-ply yarn); Approximately 256 yards per skein 9100 gram twisted hank). Hand wash & lay flat to dry.

You may like to know: I was given this yarn and pattern for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

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