Yarn Reviews
From luxurious cosiness to lighter-weight fabrics for the spring days ahead, our favourite new yarns have lots to offer
Luxurious and lightweight yarns for your spring projects, tested and rated
DROPS Flora
Shade pictured Pistachio (16) Ball weight/length 50g/210m Needle size 3mm (UK 11/US 2-3) Tension 24 sts and 32 rows to 10cm Fibre content 65% wool, 35% alpaca Care Hand wash 30°C RRP £2.00 Contact 0800 505 3300 www.garnstudio.com & www.woolwarehouse.co.uk A brand-new yarn from DROPS, Flora is a fantastic all-rounder, with the added luxury of soft alpaca. The balanced spin and high wool content add just the right amount of spring and bounce, creating a fabric with even stitches and lovely drape. There are 21 shades to choose from, with a great selection of solids and heathers.
ROOSTER Alpaca 4ply
Shade pictured Sunset (310) Skein weight/length 100g/367m Needle size 3.25mm (UK 10/US 3) Tension 28 sts and 36 rows to 10cm Fibre content 100% superfine alpaca Care Hand wash RRP £13.50 Contact For stockist details, call 01829 740903 or visit www.roosteryarns.com Incredibly sumptuous, this new yarn from Rooster is an indulgent treat to knit with. Kitten-soft and with a halo that just begs to be stroked, the knitted fabric is lightweight and warming. The mouthwatering colour palette features 20 shades that run from rich, jewelled colours to lovely neutrals, as well as five deep heathered shades.
AMANO Mamacha Shade pictured Olive Green (8007) Skein weight/length 100g/54m Needle size 10mm (UK 000/US 15) Tension 8 sts and 12 rows to 10cm Fibre content 70% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool Care Hand wash RRP £18.95 Contact 01535 664222 www.designeryarns.uk.com If it’s unbridled luxury you’re looking for, then you’ve found it here! One squish of this new Peruvian yarn and you’ll be hooked. Two chunky, lightly spun plies entwine into something beautiful that will knit up into warming accessories to ward off the last of the winter’s winds. The shade card is full of juicy mélange brights and soft neutrals. STYLECRAFT Jeanie Denim Look Shade pictured Memphis (9350) Ball weight/length 100g/210m Needle size 5mm (UK 6/US 8) Tension 18 sts and 24 rows to 10cm Fibre content 60% cotton, 40% acrylic Care Machine wash 30°C RRP £4.75 Contact 01484 848435 www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk Stylecraft’s new cotton blend will take you from winter to spring in style with its four classic denim shades - choose from intense indigos and lighter stonewashed blues. Jeanie is roundly spun to create plump, even stitches and a smooth fabric. The fibre mix ensures soft garments that are easy-care, and the aran weight means they’ll knit up in no time. NAVIA Silkiull Shade pictured Raspberry (614) Ball weight/length 50g/190m Needle size 3.5-4mm (UK 10-8/US 4-6) Tension 24 sts and 32 rows to 10cm Fibre content 75% wool, 25% silk Care Machine wash 30°C RRP £5.40 Contact 0845 2001162 www.islandwool.co.uk Navia’s new sport-weight yarn is a pleasing fibre blend that knits up into a classically woolly-looking fabric softened by its silk content. It’s perfect for garments for the transition from winter to spring. The two fibres take the dye differently, creating a very subtle semi-solid look to the fabric, and the colours in the palette are a lovely range of powdered shades. BLACKER YARNS Blue-Faced Leicester Lace Shade pictured Pale Grey Ball weight/length 50g/350m Needle size 2.25mm (UK 13/US 1) Tension 34 sts and 42 rows to 10cm Fibre content 100% wool Care Hand wash RRP £7.80 Contact 01566 777 635 www.blackeryarns.co.uk This is a lusciously lovely new lace yarn from Blacker. The palette has six shades: four dyed colours, alongside a natural creamy white and the elegant pale grey of our sample. It’s spun from two plies, and is fine and silky-feeling, flowing through the fingers as you knit. The worsted-spun BFL wool holds such a warm glow, giving the knitted fabric a subtle sheen.