Malabrigo's three bases — Rios, Arroyo, and Ultimate Sock — cover worsted, sport, and fingering weight respectively and suit quite different projects. Rios is the versatile workhorse in 100% superwash merino at 210 yards per skein. Arroyo is a lighter sport weight at 335 yards per skein, ideal for drapey garments and fine colourwork. Ultimate Sock adds 25% nylon for durability at 420 yards per skein. This post compares all three clearly, covers what each is best suited to, and helps you decide which to start with. All at £14.95 per skein at Craft and Canvas.

Few yarn brands inspire the devotion that Malabrigo does — and understanding why requires understanding the story behind it. Founded in 2005 in Montevideo, Uruguay, by two brothers-in-law dyeing wool in a kitchen pot, Malabrigo has grown into one of the world's most recognised artisan yarn companies while retaining the hand-dyed quality, colour complexity, and almost unreasonable softness that made knitters fall in love with it in the first place. This post covers the full brand story — the founding, the kettle-dyeing process, the Uruguayan merino wool and free-range sheep, the ethical production practices, and why we stock it at Craft and Canvas. Rios, Arroyo, and Ultimate Sock all at £14.95 per skein.

Blue Sky Fibres Woolstok Light occupies a particular and valued position in the fingering weight market — a single-ply yarn from 100% Fine Highland Wool that delivers real stitch definition, a soft and lofty character, a notable bloom when washed and blocked, and a palette of rich, modern colours developed specifically for combination and colourwork. In this post we cover the Blue Sky Fibres brand and the Highland wool that forms the basis of the Woolstok range, why single-ply construction gives the yarn its particular drape and bloom, what it is best suited to (colourwork in particular, but also lace shawls, lightweight garments, and fine accessories), how to care for a non-superwash wool correctly, and how the 50g, 218-yard skeins make it a practical choice for building a colourwork palette over time. We also cover the most common questions including suitability for socks, substitution for sport weight patterns, and the difference between Woolstok Light and Woolstok Worsted. Stocked at Craft and Canvas in Hebden Bridge and online at craftandcanvas.co.uk.