Buffalo Wool

My grandmother is 90 this year and because of her sore hands, she is no longer knitting.

The sweet thing gave me all of her yarn and wool collection.
OMG, DH is going to crap when he sees how much I have accumulated in ONE day.

The question I have…
In the mix of great product is bag loads of buffalo wool.
Now is looks like a chunky, but I have no idea on what to knit or what size of needles.
Do remember that my grandmother is 90, so I think that this wool was bought in the 70’s. Good thing she is a storage expert!!!

Anyone have any ideas???
Love to hear them.

What did your grandmother use it for, I wonder?

What I know about it.

Back in the day, White Buffalo yarn, was used for making Indian Jackets. They are completely water proof.

It is more a Canadian thing from what I have read but I do know that it is really hard to find patterns for this product. I thought maybe someone has used it before.

My grandma made toques and scarves and sweaters with it.

Green with envy:mrgreen: they let me touch the buffalo wool at the LYS and it was love at first touch — softest thing I’ve ever felt, but definitely out my budget at $70.00+ a hank!

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Knitters Review here and here has recently had some posts regarding buffalo yarn - may interest you to read those for some general info…

Lucky, lucky you!!! Too bad your grandmother can no longer knit, but it was so kind of her to pass her goods on to you!

K I have a question, (don’t shoot me guys) Are you talking about the brand “Buffalo Wool” or are you talking about actual "bison wool"
Buffalo wool was ( I think) discontinued in the nineties when Patons bought out the company. It’s very hard to find it now. It was basically used for the Cowichen style sweaters and was spun in a very unique way. Making pancakes of yarn instead of balls or skeins or hanks.

Now on the other hand, bison wool, is sorta new on the market, unless your grandma was a savvy woman (which all granma’s are BTW) and was somehow able to acquire some bison wool back in the day. Well and it’s actually from bison or buffalo. This stuff only comes in natural colors (beiges, browns, almost blacks) and from what I hear is very hard to dye. But, also from what I hear, is just to die for when knitting with.

This is what the cover says…

Carded 100% Pure Virgin Wool
for White Buffalo Canadian Sweater
6 strands
Made in Brandon, Manitoba Canada

So this is the discontinued product.
This is the wool that is used for the Cowichan Sweaters.
I searched online. My Nana gave me a pattern for 2 different sweaters, but each bag only contains 227 g (8 bags, 3 black/ brown and 4 white.) Not enough to make a sweater, I am thinking about maybe a hat and scarf set.

I was reading on this product, 100% water proof. The wool actually repels water. I can not tell you how soft this wool is, I can’t believe it is being discontinued.

It’s made in the same town that my parents live in! That’s so cool!
Sorry- I have no info for you, I just thought that was really neat.

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The patterns I have for that yarn calls for multiple colors in a sweater. If I understand you correctly you have over 1800g of yarn total. Is that enough for a sweater?
I’m jealous, I never found the yarn locally and am not sure how I ended up with a pamphlet of patterns. I think I also have some sweater patterns for that yarn in some old knitting magazines from the 80’s.

I think I would have enough for a small sweater, but I would hate to run out and not be able to finish.

I am still pretty new at knitting, my start date is the join date for knitting help.

I would hate to ruin a beautiful sweater. Man do I need some knitting confidence.

This must come from my first sweater I made in Dec of 2006. My first project, a cable running down the front and basic everywhere else.

Well, if the cast from Flash dance were ever cold they would fight for this sweater as it was a half top.

Arms were for a monkey and well if you were able to get it over your head, you would feel like you just got a chemical peel. :teehee:

Maybe I should practice… :knitting:

The company name is METEV WOLLEN MILLS LTD.

Maybe your parents remember it and might have a story or two for you.

I was searching for ideas on what do to with Buffalo Wool when I came across your post. On a trip to British Columbia I stayed at an inn that had slippers made from this wool. The owner put me in touch with the knitter, who sent me a shop in Victoria. I didn’t want to lug the big round “cakes” of it so I ordered it online when I came home. They were trying to get rid of their old stock so I (foolishly) bought it all. If you are still looking for some, I still have quite a lot of it in quite a few colors. The only things I’ve made with it are mittens and slippers.

What is it they say about only taking 7 people to know everyone in the world- I think that number shrinks when in Canada!!! I am from Vancouver island and have family in Brandon too!! Sorry for the hijack…just a weird coincidence! Maybe you could make a toque and slippers?

Hah! I wrote a post the same time as the person above…I am from Victoria…What inn did you stay at?

I stayed in a B&B in Sooke. I’d have to look up the name. But I think the wool came from a shop called the Beehive (or something like that) in Victoria.

Is buffalo wool similar to quiviut? I saw cakes of quiviut at the Banff Springs when I was in Banff earlier this spring and it was to die for, but like $90CAD per teeeeeeeny tiny cake. I wish I could’ve afforded enough for a scarf or a toque!

HEhe yes I know exactly where you are talking about! Well if *ginger needs to get more to make a bigger project maybe they know where to get more?! ( sry i didn’t remember you full handle :S)

If it’s a bulky yarn and you have 1800 yds, you have way more than you need for a sweater. The largest size of standard Lopi sweater patterns only call for 1200 yds!

This isn’t the quiviut from buffalo. I think it was a brand name of sheep wool. It’s very chuncky, 6-ply, and comes in really big round cakes(8-10 inch diameter).as thick as anything I’ve run across. It seems to be used in Cowichan-type sweaters.

What a coincidence - I have just found 9 balls of this yarn in Goodwill and was searching for information when I found this post.

I paid $1.99 per ball, so am very pleased with it!

Yeah really…Hm…