Yarn Enabling: Himalayan Trail from Bijou Basin Ranch

Last month, I shared a new-to-me yarn which I'm using for an design appearing in an upcoming Holla Knits collection. Today, I want to share a not-so-new-to-me yarn which has long been on my list of favorites, Himalayan Trail.

I first used this yarn in 2012, when I knit a scarf which I gave to a friend for Christmas that year. I immediately fell in love with the fluffy softness! At the time, this yarn was only available in two color options, Natural Brown and Natural Cream.

Dun Bonnet, just one of 24 color options from the Outlandish collection.

A little over a year ago, Bijou Basin Ranch introduced the Outlandish series of colorways which are inspired by the Outlander series. I admit, I haven't read the books, nor have I watched the TV show (which is just about to make its return to Starz) - but I am most definitely a sucker for beautiful semi-solid hand-dyed yarn! Last fall, I designed a hat and fingerless mitt pattern using Himalayan Trail, and I am just finishing up a brand-new design which will be released next month as an exclusive kit at bijoubasinranch.com.

Why do I love this yarn so much? For starters, I love the fiber content: a luxurious blend of 75% yak and 25% merino. The resulting 2-ply yarn is lofty, without being too loose or too overspun:

It also has excellent stitch definition, lending itself to a variety of stitch patterns, though I'm partial to cables:

...and it even looks great when you weave with it on the Zoom Loom:

I haven't tried crocheting with Himalayan Trail, but the resulting knitted fabric is super-soft without feeling fragile. Not only that, but the scarf I knit for myself last fall has yet to pill, and I've worn it quite a bit this winter.

Bonus: you can probably find a colorway which matches your favorite teacup!

The price tag might seem a little cost-prohibitive for a larger project such as a sweater, but it's a worthy splurge, and there are plenty of projects you can make with just 2-3 skeins. You can either purchase skeins individually or choose from a variety of discounted project kits (including mine!) featuring this yarn.

Happy Knitting!

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