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Yarns We Love
Space isn’t a concern in an online magazine, so we have asked each designer to provide a review of the yarn they used for their projects. When designers submit a proposal for a design, we try to accommodate their yarn choice. They are the best judge of what yarn will work best for their projects.
29 Bridges Studio Linen Wool Single
400yds/366m, 100g/3.5oz
90% Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Linen
https://29-bridges-studio.myshopify.com/
Designing a shawl for summer led me to explore light and airy yarn blends, and Linen Wool Single from 29 Bridges Studio proved to be a perfect match. It has a pleasant stiffness and an occasional halo, the tell-tale signs of a linen blend. The shawl features knit-purl textures worked at a slightly loose gauge, and this speckled single-ply yarn enhances the fabric beautifully.
Once blocked, it became breathable, drapey, and rustic with a touch of luxury. This yarn is available in a wide range of colorways, including variegated, tonal, speckled, and solid. If you’ve been hesitant to try 100% linen, a blend like this offers a gentle and rewarding introduction.
by Kavitha Raman—Scatter Scarf
Baah Yarn Shasta
200yds/183m, 100g/3.53oz
100% Superwash Merino Wool
https://baahyarn.com/
I first discovered Baah Yarn during the pandemic. My Mom and I decided to take part in a “Mystery Knit Along” with kits containing the fingering weight base, La Jolla. Receiving my kit in the mail was just the lift I needed at that time. The joy and love of color practically jumped off the skeins and into my worn spirit. I loved knitting with it and was thrilled to have a chance to use it for this design in the worsted weight base.
The best word I can think of to describe these yarns is scrumptious! Knitting with the worsted weight was almost therapeutic; the yarn is soft, squishy, and has gorgeous color saturation. The twist and ply of this yarn work together well to create stitch definition, and the wool gives just the right amount of stickiness to make it easy to correct mistakes or pull out individual rounds or rows. It’s a good choice for slip-stitch patterns, since its elasticity creates even tension around the slipped stitches. I found the hat to be next-to-skin soft, and I typically cannot wear wool hats right next to my forehead. The smooth yarn gives a refined look to the finished project.
There are so many gorgeous color combinations that could work for this design. Other combinations that I think would be fantastic would be Seduction/Crystal Ball, Sky’s The Limit/Oh Fudge, Heirloom/Mountain Meadow, or Georgia Peach/Scarlet Letter. As with any hand-dyed yarns, especially variegated, it is difficult to predict from online photos exactly what the skein will look like when it arrives. A tip when choosing yarns for this pattern is to make sure that all the colors in both skeins go well with each other. For example, Moroccan Nights has both hot pink and purple in the photo, and I knew both of those would work well with the neon green of Tequila Lime.
by Jennifer Ferrence—Slipstream
Barn Yarn Bulky Weight 3 Ply
105yds/96m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Superwash Merino Wool
https://barnyarn.com/
Small projects call for fun yarns and colors. A bulky weight yarn gives extra emphasis to textured patterns, creating extra layering for warmth. Here, Barn Yarn’s Bulky Weight is a perfect fit. The softness of the Merino wool and the texture of the plies are a great combo for a quick knit that you won’t want to put down. With colors ranging from semi-solids to delicate hand-painted combinations to exuberant bold and bright colors, the hardest part might just be choosing your favorite.
by Therese Chynoweth—Forester
Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky
131yds/120m, 100g/3.5oz
50% Super Fine Alpaca, 50% Peruvian Wool
https://www.berroco.com
Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca Chunky is a lovely blend of Alpaca and Peruvian wool. Available in 31 intense, vivid colors, this reasonably priced yarn provides clear stitch definition without splitting. The resulting fabric is soft and luxurious. Worked on larger needles, this chunky weight yarn means any project is quick and easy.
by Charles Gandy—Cabled Cowl
Berroco Ultra Wool DK
292yds/267m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Superwash Wool
https://berroco.com/
Berroco Ultra Wool DK is the lighter-weight version of Berroco’s worsted-weight Ultra Wool. Like its thicker counterpart, Ultra Wool DK is a superwash wool that behaves much like untreated wool. It has good loft and can be worked at a tighter gauge than recommended to produce a dense, warm, wind-resistant fabric—ideal for projects like the Scrimshaw hat.
This yarn is excellent for stranded colorwork due to its crisp stitch definition; and with 40 shades in a wide-ranging palette, there’s plenty of room for creative expression. Its structure also makes it great for textured and plain stitch patterns. Fabrics knit with Ultra Wool DK maintain their shape well, and the stitches remain uniform even with regular wear. The yarn feels smooth in the hand and flows easily from the skein, offering an enjoyable knitting experience.
by Leslie Gonzalez—Scrimshaw
Cascade Yarns Cascade 220
220yds/200m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Peruvian Highland Wool Mulesing-Free
https://www.cascadeyarns.com/
Cascade 220 is one of my favorite yarns. It’s my comfort yarn… just the right texture and hand, over 150 colors, and long-wearing. It just makes me feel good. I know my gauge in it, and I know how it responds. It has excellent stitch definition, and its smoothness lets me knit with good speed. A hybrid of Corriedale and Merino, Cascade 220 isn’t too soft, too crunchy, too grabby… just right and very pleasing. The dye has never bled or run; it really doesn’t pill. Well-loved, highly worn sweaters that I made 10 years ago are still in great condition. It was the base I used for my Master Hand Knitter submissions.
One addition of note to Cascade 220 is the addition of the phrase “Mulesing-Free.” Mulesing is a practice primarily found in Australia where six to twelve-week-old lambs have large strips of their wool producing flesh at their hind quarters cut off, typically with no pain killers. As the deep wounds heal, the skin that grows in no longer produces wool. This is done to prevent parasitic infection from flystrike in which waste gets trapped in the wool, providing an ideal breeding ground for flystrike. Flystrike is serious and results in an often long and painfully slow death. There are many conflicting views about mulesing lamb, with many considering it to be cruel and inhumane, while those who practice it believe it to be necessary to save the sheep from flystrike. No one disagrees that it is very painful. Other methods for preventing flystrike do exist. I encourage you to do your own research. As knitters we are often taken away by the gorgeous hank in front of us and perhaps do not think about the beautiful animal that made it possible.
by Mary E. Jacobs— Philmont
cowgirlblues Proper Sock
400yds/366m, 100g/3.5oz
75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon
https://cowgirlblues.co.za/
The first booth I visited at the h + h show last May was cowgirlblues. I had proposed a pair of socks using a fairly complicated Bavarian stitch. I had used a skein I picked the year before to design socks for a friend, so I was well aware of the wonderful properties of this yarn. It is surprisingly soft, and the 25% Nylon guaranteed that the socks would last a long time.
cowgirlblues is located in South Africa and specializes in South African Merino and mohair, and their colors are amazing. Their website states “Let our colours spark your creativity and infuse your projects with the sunshine and spirit of South Africa.” Mission accomplished. I used Ruby Grapefruit for these socks, but I have used Karoo Gold and African Violet for past projects. All are wonderful.
The best part is that you don’t have to wait long for your yarn to arrive. They ship promptly.
by Arenda Holladay—Oktoberfest
Hazel Knits Lyric
600yds/549m, 115g/4oz
100% Superwash Merino
https://www.hazelknits.com
When looking for a yarn depicting the colors of autumn, I was drawn to the deep, saturated colors of Hazel Knits Lyric. The yarn did not disappoint. This 6-ply yarn offers 32 tonal colors ranging from soft pastels to deep, saturated jewel tones. The colors have just enough variation to give them depth, but not enough to obscure any lace patterns. Right off the skein, the yarn is a little coarser than you would expect from 100% Merino, but when washed, it has a lovely bloom that is next-to-the-skin soft. It blocks well and shows off the lace stitches beautifully. Although it is machine washable, I would recommend hand washing for any lace project. With 600 yards in one skein, there is enough yardage for a good-sized scarf or cowl.
by Dorothy Waite—Falling Leaves Scarf
HiKoo Rylie
274yds/250m, 100g/3.5oz
50% Baby Alpaca, 25% Mulberry Silk, 25% Linen
https://www.skacelknitting.com
Since I live in Texas, even cool-weather knits need to be fairly lightweight as it doesn’t generally get bitterly cold here. Rylie is a perfect solution! It’s lightweight, drapes beautifully, is easy on the hands (at least mine), and I believe will be a dream to wear. The alpaca, silk, and linen blend is just perfect for my needs. I chose the Natural color so that my contrast color could be the star of the show.
by Debi Maige—Gum Drop II
Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus
251yds/230m, 100g/3.52oz
94% cotton, 6% nylon
https://junipermoonfarmyarn.com/
This yarn is aptly named—it is as light as a cloud. I don’t tend to like knitting with cotton yarns, but this yarn is one exception. It is easier on the hands than most other cotton yarns, and its construction helps to avoid the dreaded highlighted tension problems that other cotton yarns can show. The chain-ply structure allows it to be light and lofty. I would use it in a heartbeat for baby sweaters and blankets!
by Heather Storta—Whisper Cloud
Kelbourne Woolens Camper
200yds/183m, 50g/1.7oz
100% Wool
https://kelbournewoolens.com/
Last year I knit hats for my sister’s family using Kelbourne Woolens Scout. I loved knitting with it, and I loved the resulting hats even more. I wanted to knit myself a shawl-collar hoodie with an all-over cable pattern. I thought momentarily about using Scout, but I felt the sweater might be too heavy. After visiting Kelbourne’s booth at h + h, I learned Scout has a cousin, Camper, which was perfect for the project. The resulting hoodie is dense but not heavy. I’m anxiously waiting for cooler weather to try it out.
Like Scout, Camper is heathered, but it does not have as many colors. Scout has 40 while Camper has 34. I had my heart set on Scarlet Heather, but it was not available, so I chose Strawberry Heather and am glad I did. It is a very complex color.
by Arenda Holladay—Knotty Cables
Knit Picks High Desert Sport
298yds/272m, 100g/3.53oz
100% USA-Grown Shaniko Wool
https://www.knitpicks.com/
High Desert is 100% American grown, spun, and dyed. It is a blend of Merino and Merino-Rambouillet fiber, so is very soft and will work well for next-to-the-skin garments. The yarn is a 3-ply, with a very tight twist, so pilling should be reduced. Cables and other textured stitches show to great advantage with this yarn. A range of neutrals plus jewel-toned solids are available, with some heathers. It was a pleasure knitting with this yarn, and I will not hesitate to reach for it again in future projects!
by Heather Storta—Tweed and Chains
Knit Picks High Desert Sport
298yds/272m, 100g/3.53oz
100% USA-Grown Shaniko Wool
https://www.knitpicks.com/
Here I go again. Obviously High Desert is my favorite yarn, especially for Austrian/Bavarian designs due to the amazing stitch definition since I’ve used it quite a few times. I designed a child’s jacket worked in garter stitch, and I ended my review with, “Maybe there is an adult version of this jacket in my future.” I didn’t do a jacket, but I recreated a boiled wool vest I had purchased on a trip to Austria. (Alas, moths really loved that vest.)
As a reminder, it is a blend of Merino and Merino-Rambouillet and is 100% American Wool, milled in North Carolina so you can feel virtuous purchasing it. Knit Picks continues to add colors, and one of these days I’m definitely going to get out of my comfort zone and use Snakeweed or Pink Yarrow.
by Arenda Holladay—Kohlmarkt
Knit Picks Twill
149yds/136m, 100g/3.53oz
100% Superwash Merino Wool
https://www.knitpicks.com/
Twill is a 100% Superwash Merino wool yarn, made up of 3 plies with a good twist. It is super soft and bouncy. This yarn allows for very good stitch definition since it is a very round yarn that holds its shape. It is a pleasure to knit with, being very light and soft in the hands as you work. Larger garments can tend to be a bit heavy when using this yarn, so keep that in mind. There is a fingering weight version of this yarn as well. The range of colors is a bit sparse at the moment, but there are some lovely shades available, including some great neutrals, as well as some deeper jewel tones. I’ve used this yarn for a cozy winter cardigan, plus the pillow in this issue, and I can’t wait to use this yarn again!
by Heather Storta—Butterflies and Cables
Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light
421yds/385m, 107g/3.77oz
100% Superwash Merino Wool
https://madelinetosh.com/
Tosh Merino Light is a single-ply, fingering weight yarn. It is hand dyed in Texas and ethically sourced from Peru. It has a generous 421 yards in 107 grams. It is incredibly soft with a slight fuzzy halo. The yarn comes in a staggering 174 colors, so the hardest part is choosing your favorite.
I used this yarn held together with Tosh Silk Cloud. I had originally used another yarn that wasn’t fuzzy, held together with mohair. I was aiming for a DK weight with a fuzzy warm halo. Well, I got double fuzzy goodness with this combination! The only downside was the fuzziness of both yarns caused a bit of stickiness, especially when I had to frog a couple of times.
by Betsy Hoenes—Peeps and Paper Dolls
Madelinetosh Tosh Silk Cloud
330yds/300m, 25g/0.88oz
60% Kid Mohair, 40% Silk
https://madelinetosh.com/
Once upon a time, there was a lovely yarn company called Shibui. Sadly, the company decided to close down, and I was very sad. But wait, Madelinetosh has brought back some of those fantastic yarns, including Silk Cloud. Spun to the same specifications at the same Japanese mill as the original, it has been “Toshed” up with their dazzling hand-dyed recipes.
Tosh Silk Cloud is a lace-weight yarn that beautifully blends 60% kid mohair and 40% silk with ethereal softness and a delicate halo. Each 25-gram skein offers a generous 330 yards and comes in 39 colors to match Madelinetosh’s hand–dyed palette.
by Betsy Hoenes—Peeps and Paper Dolls
Magpie Fibers Nest Sport
350yds/320m, 100g/3.53 oz
100% Corriedale Wool
https://www.magpiefibers.com/
Nest Sport is a lovely 3-ply, sport-weight yarn with a very light halo. It knits up into a thin but warm fabric with a delightful crepe-like texture. Because the yarn is not superwash, blocking does not alter the gauge very much but dramatically opens up lace patterns. The great stitch definition allows novelty stitches, like smocking, to really pop. This yarn comes in a variety of colors, some of them in hard-to-find shades. The Linger colorway I used for my Forsythia sweater falls on the cusp of purple and grey, which was exactly the color I had envisioned. The wide range of colors and versatility in showing off stitch patterns make this yarn suitable for a variety of lightweight projects.
by Ashwini Jambhekar—Forsythia
Malabrigo Arroyo
335yds/306m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Superwash Merino Wool
https://malabrigoyarn.com
Malabrigo is a family-owned yarn company located in Uruguay and Peru that produces a broad range of Merino wool yarns, some Merino/silk blends, and one 100% silk yarn. All of them are hand-dyed in extraordinarily rich, mostly mottled, colors. Arroyo is listed as a DK/sport weight, and I found that working it on Size 3 needles at 26 stitches per 4” produced a lovely fabric with good drape, so I would say it is clearly a true sport weight yarn. The vibrant, saturated colors of the yarn, with high contrast between all the colorways, made this an ideal choice for playing with a new method of fading from one colorway to the next.
by Frank H. Jernigan—Playful Fades
Mountain Meadow Wool Alpine
255yds/233m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Mountain Merino Targhee Wool
https://mountainmeadowwool.com
This Targhee wool from Mountain Meadow Mill is a treat. It’s soft and springy, has no itch factor, and the 3-ply construction gives nice stitch definition. If you love the feel of a good yarn running through your fingers, you should try it. This was my first time working with Alpine, but it won’t be the last. Neither too heavy nor too light, it is perfect for so many projects.
Mountain Meadow Mill is a family-owned spinning mill located in Buffalo, WY. Being a Wyoming girl, I’m thrilled to support a Wyoming business. From the label that gave sourcing information for the area ranch that supplied it, I can tell that this wool traveled about an hour from ranch to mill. Then, after being spun into yarn, it came over the Big Horn mountains to me—only about 300 miles from start to finish. That’s about as local as you can get out west. Be sure to stop by and enjoy a nice tour if you’re ever in that area.
by Kim Lundvall—Side Step
North Bay Fiber Elemental Fingering
465yds/425m, 100g/3.53oz
100% Cormo Wool
https://www.northbayfiber.com/
While labeled as a fingering weight yarn, this yarn is slightly thick and thin and is on the light fingering end (so possibly labeled as a lace weight). It feels a bit stiff while knitting, but it blooms quite nicely when blocked. It is a 2-ply, non-superwash wool, worsted spun. The yarn has a fine twist which should reduce pilling. North Bay Elemental Fingering is a 100% sourced, milled, and dyed-in-the-USA yarn. A wide range of naturals and jewel tones are available, all solids.
by Heather Storta—Block Weave
Quince & Co. Owl
23yds/112m, 50g/1.75oz
50% Superfine Alpaca, 50% Wool
https://quinceandco.com/
How can you not love a yarn named after a bird? Owl, a soft and airy 2-ply yarn by Quince & Co., lives up to its name. It’s as soft as an owl’s feather, a pleasure to knit with, and comes in a palette of muted earthy colors that soften and harmonize together when washed and blocked. The finished project is light, lofty, and comfortable to wear. Because it is sold in 50g skeins, it is ideal for colorwork that does not require a large amount of any one color. This yarn is spun and dyed in New England from a blend of soft American wool and alpaca fiber.
Diane Tessaglia-Hymes—Flagstone Path
Schoppel Zauberball Crazy Cotton
230yds/210m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Cotton
https://www.skacelknitting.com
I loved working with the Zauberball Crazy for my Gum Drop pullover, so what would make more sense than to turn to it again for the cardigan? But this time I went for the cotton, which was equally fun to work with. The color possibilities are so intriguing, and with a slightly heavier weight, the gum drops really pop!
by Debi Maige—Gum Drop II
Sweet Georgia BFL+Silk DK
247yds/226m, 100g/3.5oz
75% Bluefaced Leicester, 25% Silk
https://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/
Sweet Georgia’s BFL+Silk DK yarn is a beautiful yarn to knit with (it’s also available in a fingering-weight version). It’s very soft but has a slight sheen from the silk, and the 3-ply structure provides great stitch definition. The 66 hand-dyed colors have such a beautiful depth; it’s obvious that the dye colors were chosen and layered with care to create such gorgeous colorways. It’s a great yarn for both small accessories or larger projects, like sweaters. For larger projects, it’s best to alternate skeins to avoid any potential striping from the hand-dyed colors.
by Tonia Lyons—Crested Ridge
Sweet Georgia Silk Mist
325yds/297m, 25g/0.88oz
60% Fine Kid Mohair, 40% Cultivated Silk
https://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/
Sweet Georgia’s Silk Mist is a dream to knit with! It’s so soft and luxurious and creates the perfect fuzzy, airy halo. This cobweb lace yarn could be used on its own for a beautifully delicate shawl or paired with another yarn to add that fuzzy halo to your sweater or other project. With such a wide range of color choices (88 in total), you’ll find them easy to pair with a solid color yarn. For the Spring Blooms beanie, it was held together with Sweet Georgia’s Tough Love Sock in the same color (Crushed Berry).
by Tonia Lyons—Spring Blooms
Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock
425yds/388m, 115g/4oz
80% Superwash Merino Wool, 20% Nylon
https://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/
Tough Love Sock from Sweet Georgia is a perfect go-to sock yarn in a wide range of beautiful, hand-dyed colors (114 colors in total!). It’s great for socks as well as fine-gauge sweaters and accessories. The 3-ply structure knit at a firm gauge works well for sturdy socks, but it’s also a great yarn at a looser gauge for lightweight shawls and accessories. For the Spring Blooms Beanie, it was held together with Sweet Georgia’s Silk Mist yarn in the same color (Crushed Berry) to give the beanie a soft, fuzzy halo.
by Tonia Lyons—Spring Blooms
Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted
220yds/200m, 100g/3.5oz
100% Wool
https://universalyarn.com/
Universal’s Deluxe Worsted is a non-superwash, pure wool that is durable and made for withstanding wear. It comes in 90 colors that includes brights, pastels, and neutrals, with many shades within the same color group, which allows more options with colorwork. The colors are consistent, and the yarn provides good stitch definition. It handles cables beautifully, bouncing back after manipulation. It’s put up in generous 220-yard hanks and is priced reasonably, making this a good value. It is OEKO-TEX Certified, which keeps you as the knitter and the wearer safe from harmful substances. The blocked measurements stay very close to the pre-blocked measurements, which makes knitting to designated body and sleeve lengths more accurate.
by Donna Estin—Hudson
Universal Yarn Wool Pop
284yds/260m, 100g/3.5oz
50% Bamboo, 35% Superwash Wool, 15% Polyamide
https://universalyarn.com/
Originally, I chose a lightweight wool/silk blend to use for my Early Frost beanie and was disappointed to discover it was not available. However, my disappointment faded rather quickly once I received Wool Pop. This lightweight yarn has a lovely tonal heathered appearance due to the fibers taking the dye differently. The mix of fibers also gives the yarn a captivating sheen. And while the bamboo and wool provide a soft and springy hand feel, the polyamide gives the yarn just enough strength for it to hold its shape and not stretch out with use. I think it would be a great choice for virtually any season on any number of projects. I am already thinking about whipping up a matching pair of socks!
Wool Pop can be machine washed but should be dried flat, making it a great yarn for garments and accessories that might require frequent laundering. It is currently available in 30 beautiful colors, ranging from soft pastels to deep rich darks. I highly recommend giving it a try for your next lightweight project.
by Jennifer Kent—Early Frost
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