Unsung Hero: All about Acadia

Let us, for a moment, imagine ourselves in the land which inspired Acadia.

For that we travel to the sweeping, rugged coastline of New England, where the wool, along with its fittingly rustic colour scheme, gets its name.

And there I am, standing upon the balcony of one of those old, colonial homes that dot the shoreline. 

I stare out to the ocean, a desolate expression upon my face. 

Perhaps I await the return of the sailor, yearning for a glimpse of his ship upon the sea.
 
The wind blows wildly through my hair. 

Storm clouds threaten on the horizon. 

Waves crash onto the untamed and rocky beaches before me. 

Somewhere in the wilderness, a wolf howls.

And as I pace along that widow’s walk I clutch around my shoulders a hand knit shawl made of an incredibly luxurious blend of silk, baby Alpaca and Merino wool. 

That, my friends, is what Acadia is all about. 

Now, let’s pull ourselves from those stunning vistas and rugged coastlines and look at some of the facts around our Unsung Hero of the Month. 

Acadia is a blend of 60% Merino, 20% Alpaca and 20% silk. That combo makes it a cosy fibre for the shawls and sweaters we all love to knit during the long winter months.

One surprising fact about Acadia? It’s also great for stranded knitting or Fair Isle work. Unfortunately it’s often overlooked for those projects because it’s so soft and feels a bit slippery-most of us prefer our colour work wool to be a bit on the sticky side.

But the silk in Acadia is Silk Noil, a fancy term which means the silk threads are shorter than a straight silk blend. That gives it some of that sticky factor, without making it as rough as a fibre like Lopi.

It’s also a really versatile, multi-season wool. 

Acadia’s fibre blend also makes it a great choice for warm-weather knitwear.

Acadia is a go-to yarn for light cardigans, knit t-shirts and tank tops. When we first brought Acadia into the shop I made Marie Greene’s Beekeeper cardigan. It’s perfect for one of those early, cool summer evenings.

One final fact about Acadia - it also has some great weight to it. Of all the  DK wools we carry at Needles in the Hay, Acadia has, hands down, the best drape. It's a great option when you’re looking to make something that won’t be too clingy. 

Icart Point Hat by Fiona Alice
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/icart-point-hat

The rugged cliffs and smooth white sand that adornIcart Point in Guernsey compliment The Fibre Company’s rustic blend, Acadia, to a tee. Icart Point Hat shows off Acadia’s texture and subtle sheen through simple stitches such as ribbing and linen stitch. Two colours are blended together to create a gradient look that echo the tonal changes of the Guernsey cliffs.

Lucinda by Carrie Bostick Hoge
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lucinda-5

This simple scoop neck top shows off the excellent drape and texture of Acadia. We love the fitted drop sleeves paired with the swingy, relaxed bodice. Perfect for those spring days on the horizon

Hygge Cowl by Kristen TenDyke
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hygge-cowl-2

Wrap yourself up in Acadia with this Hygge Cowl. knit in the round, with slight shaping created by changing needle sizes, this is a great project for lace lovers, or anyone just learning how to knit yarn overs and decreases. Only two skeins of Acadia required.