New yarn is hanging on the hand dyed wall of the shop and that is always an exciting moment. Not only because I get so tempted to cast on a completely new project but it looks great. It’s calling to me from across the shop as I sit here and write this, ‘knit me, knit me’. That new yarn is Corriedale Aran from Black Elephant.

More and more indie dyers are turning towards British sourced wools and this is great news. As knitters become more and more curious about the different fibres, textures and combinations that are out there. It’s also interesting to see how different fibres respond to the hand dyeing process. Take Black Elephant’s Wensleydale for example that we have been stocking since Autumn 2022. It has such a vivid range of tonal solids which totally stands on its own against the more widely seen speckled merinos and has proven just as popular.

The Corriedale sheep breed originated in New Zealand where it was created by cross breeding Merino with Lincoln Longwool. The Merino known for its softness and the Lincoln Longwool know for its strength and lustre, both imparting qualities to the Corriedale’s fleece. The resulting yarn is soft, plump and still has a woolly character to it. It has a cosy bounce that I really like. Black Elephant Corriedale is an Aran weight, non superwash yarn at 100g – 200m with a good smooth 4ply twist. This has created a strong, sturdy yarn that hasn’t compromised on any of the fibres natural qualities. It looks like it would be superb in cables, I’m thinking those classic Aran jumpers but reimagined in poppy bright colours.

Petra the dyer behind Black Elephant has a great eye for creating a deep, rich and exciting range of colours that we have enjoyed on her Merino Singles and Suri Cloud bases as well as the Wensleydale. Corriedale Aran is no exception, just look at the colour Shockwave, please save me from myself and get it before it ends up coming home with me! There are also some really delicate shades like Dolce and Sage which go together to create a range of 10 light and dark colours that would also be ideal for colourwork.

Chrysalis Hat (link to Ravelry) by Petra Black.
Petra of Black Elephant has designed this colourwork hat to use a clever combination of Corriedale Aran alongside some stash diving for leftovers. Inspired by garment embroidery from a village in Slovakia the contrast colour used in the motifs is made up of multiple strands of any leftover yarn you might have. Small quantities of yarn are held together to get an approximate aran weight and create a fun marled contrast against the solid Corriedale Aran. This is the kind of project I like, you can indulge in getting some new yarn while also feeling proud for using up some stash.

Single Malt (link to designers website) by Maxim Cyr.
This one has long been on my knit list as you can never have enough classic raglan jumpers. This one is knit from the top down with a simple textural stitch that I think would look great knit in Corriedale Aran. Also knitting aran weight jumpers, 5mm needles!

Móinéar (ink to ravelry) by Ailbíona McLochlainn.
This striking yoked jumper features a corrugated rib that flows directly into the colourwork flower pattern. Knit from the top down I really like that the ribbing is drawn into the design as well and that is also echoed at the cuffs.

Open Sky (link to designers website) by Andrea Mowry.
I’ve knit a couple of DK shawls but never an aran one and now I’m really taken with the idea. Squishy and warm it sounds perfect. This one is dotted with textural stitches amongst simple stocking stitch. Simple but engaging.

Dornie Sweater (link to Ravelry) by Rebecca Clow.
Of course I had to feature a cabled jumper. This one has a simple repeated cable motif but because it is done all over the jumper it creates a very striking design. Worked from the top down and in the round with raglan increases.