As a New England spinning mill, we always have an ear to the ground for new and interesting fiber sources, particularly those raised here in the US. In 2020, our Shear line was launched from the desire to work with all-natural wools, sourced close to home and spun into a beautifully accessible yarn. Each return of the Fall season since then has brought with it a new iteration, showcasing a specific breed in its simplest, undyed state, letting the characteristics of the wool speak for itself. It's become one of our most beloved yarns over the years.

This year, our dreaming takes us a step beyond the wonderful world of wool. We asked ourselves: what makes a fiber blend special? It would take a natural fiber whose unique characteristics would combine to elevate the qualities of our wools – softness, durability, luster, and loft – and amplify the defining characteristics of our woolen-spun yarns in a new way. And thus, HD Naturals was born.

Much like Shear, Naturals celebrates the beauty of minimally-processed fibers, in carefully blended formulas to create a balanced yarn in a range of heathered shades derived from the natural colors of the fiber animals.

When we learned of a wonderful pool of alpaca available here in the States, we knew immediately that this was an opportunity to make a yarn that we've been dreaming of for a while: a wool/alpaca blend, one that makes the most of alpaca's most compelling qualities: warmth, strength, and drape, spun together with domestically-sourced fine wool.

Together, the two fibers create a woolen-spun yarn that is soft and silky, yet remains lofty. Our mix of 60% wool and 40% alpaca achieves its three heathered shades from the undyed natural colors of the alpaca mixed with soft white wool to create a heathered brown, natural white, and warm grey in this first spin.