Breed: Norfolk Horn
Category: Fine
Brand: Blacker Breeds
Form: 50g ball, Aran weight
Preparation: Woollen Spun

Skein Squish: It feels crisp and bouncy but also firm. There’s a medium softness to it. I love the colour - a rustic off-white with the tiniest of dark brown fibres in it.

What It Is Like to Knit With: Very pleasant to knit with, strong, smooth, no shedding, no irritability.

Breakability: Can break with your hands with a solid tug. Still feels very strong.

The Unwashed Swatch: I cast on with 4mm needles and knit a square in the round with 20 rounds of stockinette and then 16 rounds of garter. Unblocked, the swatch measures 8.5 inches x 8.5 inches. It looks very firm and substantial. Both stitches are crisp and well defined. No halo, bit of curling at the corners due to the increases. Will be interesting to see if these smooth out in the blocking.

After the First Wash and Block: No difference as far as I could tell in softness. Stitches stayed crisp, very little halo or fuzziness. No real visible sign of blooming. I wore the swatch against my hip for about six hours including a two mile walk. I mostly forgot it was there. No itchy factor at all and no reaction to bare skin. Have rubbed it hard and a miniscule amount of fibres rose to the surface. I think this is a wool that would be fairly pill-resistent.

After the Second Wash and Block:
The final swatch measures 9 inches by 9 inches. It has smoothed out wonderfully. It feels slightly softer, miniscule halo, both garter and stockinette stitches look even and crisp.

Final Notes:
I really loved knitting with this wool. It’s sturdy and strong and yet not itchy at all. I can see this working wonderfully for aran cabled sweaters, cozy cardigans, warm mittens and hats, and also blankets.