A new yarn has appeared on the walls of our new shop and that is an exciting feeling. That new yarn adds to our expanding collection from Hey Mama Wolf. It is the Irish Wool and UK Alpaca blend that is Beara.
Beara is 70% wool and 30% alpaca, 100g – 212m, DK weight yarn. The name Beara comes from “Cailleach Bhéarra” or the “Hag of Beara,” and is a figure from Irish mythology and folklore. She is often depicted as an ancient, powerful goddess or wise woman, deeply connected to the Irish landscape and the cycles of nature. Beara is spun in Ireland at the historic Donegal Yarns mill from Irish wool and UK alpaca. By using Irish wool the transport from farm to mill is kept at a minimum. Beara supports Irish sheep farms and blends wool from different sheep breeds. This allows smaller farms a steady demand for their wool, whereas they might struggle to produce enough to make market profitably.
The yarn has a pleasing range of marled and tweedy colours. Exactly what you would expect from a Donegal spun yarn. Some have colourful neps twisted within the yarn creating a subtle confetti of colour. This can be seen most notably in the Draighean Konfetti, Fen carr Grau and Trom colourways. Others are more marled using the qualities of this two ply yarn to twist two colours together. Like the orange and pink of Dair and the purple and cream of Trom.
I’ve not knit with it yet but I am dying to! In the hank it feels crisp and woolly and slightly rustic. It has a bouncy twist that I think will plump up and bloom wonderfully with blocking. I also think because of this plump nature you could get away with this yarn for slightly thicker worsted weight projects. The alpaca adds a touch of softness but will also add other qualities to the knitted fabric, like flow and drape. I think this yarn will be really warm and hard wearing and will reward you the more you wear it. It will be ideal for garments, I’m defiantly thinking cabled jumpers and textured stitches. It would also perform really well in colourwork projects. Also I think accessories like gloves and hats would be great where you want a bit more strength.
Now let’s look at some inspiration for what you could do with Hey Mama Wolf Beara.
Whelk Cowl (link to designers website) by Ruthemann Design. Incorporating twisted rib and cable twists this large spiralling cowl fans out around the shoulders. Knit from the top down the long neck means the cowl can be pulled up for extra warmth. Increasing to a yoke like construction that extends over the shoulders. Perfect for trucking under your coat and keeping the wind out. With four different size options this cowl is designed in Beara and takes two hanks for any size.
Islet Stripes Sweater (link to Ravelry) by Ronja Hakalehto. This stranded colourwork jumper has enough colourwork going on to make it interesting to knit but not too much to make it overwhelming. Only two colours are ever worked at a time minimising the potential for tangled yarns. Bands of stocking stitch break up the colourwork sections. Knit from the top down with raglan shaping. I think Beara would be a great choice for colourwork.
Boddingtons (link to designers website) by Thea Colman. I love the crazy cables on this tank top. They loop and twist seemingly randomly into each other. I like the details in this design, like the way the cables flow up from the hem ribbing and instead of having a blunt jump from reverse stocking stitch to stocking stitch there are cables that frame the central panel. Knit from the bottom up in the round and then worked flat from the underarms. I think the bouncy twist of Beara would lend well to cables.
Field Cardigan (link to designers website) by Camilla Vad. This seamless cardigan is knit from the top down with a pleasing textured yoke. Using the textured stitches to create a wheatsheaf motif. There are a few designs in the Field collection and there are all done in a DK perfect for Beara.
Mökki Beanie (link to Ravelry) by Jean-Philippe Cliche. I like that this hat is knit side to side, it creates fun directional stripes with the knit and purl rows. It is knit in a few strands of a tweedy yarn held together but I think Beara on its own would be ideal.
Mochi Cat (link to designers website) by Mou Mou Knits. Yes I’m a little obsessed with knitting stuffed animals at the moment and this cat is so cute. Especially its little embroidered on paws. Knit in the round the pieces are made separately, stuffed and then joined together. The soft tweedy colours of Beara would give this a fun vintage vibe.
Leave a Reply