Lavandula

At a wide, worn table beside wide copper kettles, no longer in use, the guide had gestured over strands of dried flowers, neatly labeled. The British varietal, naturally, was posed for dramatic effect: meager and crumbly. Beside them: long, scalloped fronds plucked fresh from the field. Lavandula dentata. The guide pointed to two bowls of buds and motioned for us to smell. Compare. Take notes. I dipped my nose down. English lavender was a soft cup of tea, a cousin of the rosemary in my garden jars back home in Boston. And then, the French. Comment-dit on? How would one say? That even now, I can sit at my kitchen counter, full of dirty and sour dishes, and conjure the piney tang of that workshop? I breathe in the camphor in a souvenir candle, a nubbin of soap by the sink, and feel the heat of a faraway field, the orange dust in my sandals. I spritz lavender oil on my wrists, strong as morning espresso, and recall cafes in Arles, eating almond cake under olive trees. I inhale, deep and slow.

Words by Caitlin Ghegan

For more information about our yarn bases and spinning fibers, including care instructions, please visit our Yarn Bases page.

Please note that, due to the nature of hand-dyed yarn, no two skeins of yarn will be exactly alike. I recommend alternating skeins every few rows for projects using multiple skeins of the same colorway. If you order multiple skeins of the same colorway, I will do my best to select skeins that are the closest match.

I dye each skein with professional acid dyes and leave the yarn in the dye bath until the dye has exhausted before rinsing and soaking in wool wash. Minor color bleeding may occur on the first wash, especially with extremely dark colors.

Although I do my best to accurately represent each colorway in product photos, please note that the colors may vary depending on monitor and/or device settings.