Yarn reviews

We check out the latest releases

Why not start autumn with a luxuriousfeeling, moderate-budget yarn that’s super sensitive on your skin? Merino Baby is a delicate 5ply that definitely isn’t just for babies (although babies will love it!), it’s super-softness brings a touch of luxury to your own wardrobe too. This 100% Merino wool comes in a whopping 54 shades, and can be machine washed and tumble dried without compromising the delicate nature of your knitted item or garment. We recommend it highly for dresses, booties and winter jumpers for babies and kids (and lovely fine knits for you too!).

RRP £4.95 WEIGHT 5ply

BALL 50g/165m NEEDLE 3-3.5mm CONTENT 100% Merino extrafine wool CARE Machine wash at 30°C Are you looking for a touch of decadence? Whirligigette, which comes in seven cool tones, is made up of cosy alpaca and virgin wool and knits into a lovely soft, squishy fabric that’s perfect for thick winter jumpers, cardigans and homewares. This yarn unwinds from the ball with plenty of bounce, filling your needles quickly and creating a truly enjoyable crafting experience. The results are a nice, airy fabric, with a pleasing softness, which promises warmth and lots of it. As it’s a pretty yarn cake, Whirligigette makes a brilliant, luxurious gift for favourite crafty friends and family too!

RRP £13 WEIGHT DK

BALL 100g/215m NEEDLE 3.5-4mm CONTENT 80% virgin wool, 20% alpaca CARE Hand wash only One of three products in the new Novita x Moomin family, Muumit is presented in six rich shades inspired by the illustrated children’s books by Tove Jansson. It’s a pleasing mix of 55% wool and 45% cotton, and delivers neat definition with generous flexibility to your knitted fabric. Moomin Muumit is especially good for embossed stitch patterns, such as moss stitch and cables, because of its rewarding tight twist and neat finish. This versatile, mid-weight DK comes with a varied Moomin-inspired pattern collection, which is filled with the whimsical essence of childhood.

RRP £4.90 WEIGHT DK

BALL 50g/112m NEEDLE 4mm CONTENT 55% Merino wool, 45% cotton CARE Machine washable at 30°C

Nifty Cotton Splash comes with a tight twist, which creates strong, defined stitches you can rely on. With its smooth surface, the aran-weight yarn slips through your fingers easily, knitting up into a fabric that is soft and pliable, yet hardwearing. Despite its robust qualities, this thick cotton fabric produced a surprisingly good stretch in the stitch pattern we chose. Nifty Cotton Splash would make great homewares and items such as bags, headbands and tablet covers, not to mention fun accessories such as colourful beach bags and totes. Pop it in the washing machine on cold when it gets grubby.

RRP £6.85 WEIGHT Aran

BALL 100g/169.5m NEEDLE 4.5mm CONTENT 100% cotton

CARE Machine wash cold Believe it or not, this exciting new yarn really does feel as soft as butter, and is fast attracting the admiration of knitters everywhere. Squishy but strong, knitting with Feels Like Butta is a little like knitting with cotton buds, or plush velvet, so it’s no surprise that it’s truly lovely to hold in your hand – it remains silky soft as it runs through your fingers and knits up into your desired fabric. Surprisingly thick, the resulting aran knit is ideally suited to oversized cardigans and jumpers, cushions and blankets, which will come with plenty of stretch. Find it in 18 colours to suit your wardrobe, or decor.

RRP £5.49 WEIGHT Aran

BALL 100g/199m NEEDLE 4.5mm CONTENT 100% polyester

CARE Machine wash on gentle Launched this August, Merino Plus is made from soft, bouncy virgin wool and reliable acrylic. Its fine-twisted ply produces a consistant, compact stitch which makes knitting at speed easy. Once worked up into a fabric swatch we fell in love with its durable look and strong-but-stretchy feel. Merino Plus also comes with a range of irresistible patterns – from contoured cable jumpers and cardis, loose-style tunics and a duo of intarsia jumpers for kids who love pandas and bunnies. Scoop it up in one of four colours, or mix them together successfully, for the ultimate combo this winter.

RRP £3.99 WEIGHT DK

BALL 50g/125m NEEDLE 4mm CONTENT 50% Merino wool, 50% acrylic CARE Machine wash at 30°C