Garnet

New for 2023 is our Gemstones series! Is this a long term goal of everyone making birthday socks with their birthstones and astrological signs? Probably! Regardless, we're excited to introduce the first in our series: Garnet! 

Garnets can come in virtually any color (although blue is the rarest), but they are known for their deep, warm red color. People have used garnets for jewelry and decorative objects for millennia. It's one of the oldest known gemstones. Archeologists have recovered garnet necklaces and talismans from Egyptian tombs and mummies.

The word garnet comes from the Middle English word gernet, meaning 'dark red'. It is borrowed from Old French grenate from Latin granatus, from granum ('grain, seed'). It likely is derived from what became the word for "pomegranate", with garnets looking like pomegranate arils. 

Other than its importance as a gemstone, garnet's hardness allows it to be used as a sand as a common replacement for silica sand in sand blasting. Mixed with very high pressure water, garnet is used to cut steel and other materials in water jets. 

Garnet is the official gemstone of New York, the state gemstone of Connecticut. Idaho has a star garnet as its state gemstone and Vermont has a grossular garnet.  

Our suggested pairings for this yarn include Capricorn and Aquarius (obviously), Yule, Samhain, Loveland Frogman, Mothman, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pink Drink (and really, any of our tonals). 

Our garnet is a deep, tonal garnet! It is red with warm undertones and a true variegated tonal rather than a semi-solid. 

BASES:

Chester Mini Skein: 20g, 87 yards, 75% superwash merino/25% nylon
Hattie Floof: 50g, 437 yards, 70% Superkid mohair/30% silk (lace weight)
Chester Sock: 100g, 437 yards, blend of 75% superwash merino/25% nylon
Gladys Shawl: 100g, 438 yards, single ply blend of 70% superwash merino/30% silk
Tortie Sport: 100g, 287 yards, 80% alpaca/20% silk
Minnie DK: 100g, 246 yards, 100% superwash merino wool 
Genny Worsted: 100g, 191 yards, 80% superwash merino/20% alpaca
Chubby Trevor: 115g, 136 yards, 100% superwash merino
Chunky Trevor: 100g, 82 yards, 100% superwash merino, single ply