Yarn reviews
When winter calls we turn to the warmest yarns we can find – check out our selection of the newest knitting squishes!
Winter yarns take centre stage
HOBBYCRAFT HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
Inspired by light flu y clouds, this super-soft yarn delivers an abundance of bounce in every stitch. Once knitted your fabric will be filled with a wonderful texture that you will love squishing between your fingers and wearing next to your skin. Manufactured with an 18% twist of wool, the feel to this yarn is lightweight but floaty, knitting up into a fabric with a feathery drape that’ll add a touch of luxury to your garments and accessories. The colour (above) is Light Grey, but a quick look at the shade range will also deliver the other options – Cobalt, Mustard, Magenta and Coral.
RRP £3 WEIGHT DK
BALL 50g/315m NEEDLE 3mm CONTENT 52% acrylic, 30% nylon, 18% wool CARE Machine wash at 30°C Visit www.hobbycraft.co.uk or call 0330 026 1400
SIRDAR GIRLFRIEND
Cast on with this plush yarn and you’ll soon realise your knit is going to be perfect for winter! As its soft, DK weight moves through your hands, words like ‘warm’, ‘cosy’ and ‘snuggly’ will come to mind. With up to 100m per 50g ball, this is a wonderful o ering from Sirdar, all possible because of this yarn’s mohair-style feel. This makes knitting particularly satisfying for coldweather garments, where a single ball is all you need to make a straightforward cowl. As for shades, choose from a range of eight, dark colour options – the classic complement to your winter wardrobe.
RRP £4.50 WEIGHT DK
BALL 50g/100m NEEDLE 6mm CONTENT 48% acrylic, 34% wool, 18% nylon CARE Machine wash at 40°C Visit www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk or call 01795 570303
ROWAN ALPACA CLASSIC
At first touch you’ll notice this yarn is really something special, and all in one 25g ball. It makes you want to plan a selection of gorgeous floaty knits immediately, so it’s no surprise that its light weight and wonderful shade range is incredibly tempting. Alpaca Classic is the latest addition to the everpopular Rowan range and comes with a gentle, halo e ect that guarantees to deliver a sumptuousness to your knits you’ll adore. We love Soft Satin (above) and Vermillion, but there are 30 inspiring shades to choose from in this range. When you’re done hand wash your knits and dry flat in the shade.
RRP £5.35 WEIGHT DK
BALL 25g/120m NEEDLE 3.75mm CONTENT 57% alpaca, 43% cotton CARE Hand wash Visit www.blacksheepwools.com or call 01925 764231
SCHEEPJES METROPOLIS
Are you in the mood for something very versatile? Metropolis yarn is not just a sock yarn, thanks to its composition, it comes with exceptional softness and strength and is perfect for many uses. Its 75% merino extra fine wool and 25% nylon mix delivers a wonderfully robust knit with delightfully neat stitches. The huge 80-colour shade range includes pale pink Almaty (seen here), burgundy Bogata and rich blue Washington and makes the perfect yarn for knitting Fair Isle socks or textured cables. Check out the colour pack – a full 80-ball set of 10g balls which you can dip into every now and then.
RRP £5.99 WEIGHT 4ply
BALL 50g/200m NEEDLE 2.5-3mm CONTENT 75% wool, 25% nylon CARE Machine wash 40°C Visit www.deramores.co.uk or call 0845 519 4573
DROPS ANDES
This amazingly soft yarn is spun from a combination of 65% wool and 35% alpaca. Lovely to squish and knit with, DROPS Andes has a silky surface that you’ll thoroughly enjoy. As you knit, the yarn slips easily through your fingers and you may notice that the fibres have been left untreated by any chemicals, prior to being dyed. This allows the yarn to deliver great shape and texture to your knitted fabric. Andes’ super-chunky weight is a great option for homewares, which you can knit in 35 varied colours, with subtle names such as Amythyst, Minty Rose Mix and Ice Blue.
RRP £3 WEIGHT Super chunky BALL 100g/90m NEEDLE 9mm CONTENT 65% wool, 35% alpaca CARE Hand wash only Visit www.woolwarehouse.co.uk or call 0800 505 3300
KING COLE NATURAL ALPACA DK
Natural Alpaca DK, with its 100% Peruvian alpaca composition, is the epitome of luxury. Soft and stretchy in the hand, it knits up into a bouncy texture that’s soft enough to wear next to the skin. Garments knitted in this gorgeous yarn look luxurious and have a gentle drape. Tension-wise this yarn is a smooth, lightweight DK and flies easily o the needles, which is perfect when knitting quick and easy patterns. Its fabulous natural shade range has eight winter-inspired hues, including greys, browns and creams – each one perfect for casting on warm winter knits for the whole family.
RRP £7.99 WEIGHT DK
BALL 50g/100m NEEDLE 4mm CONTENT 100% superfine alpaca CARE Hand wash only Visit www.www.lovecrafts.com or call 01409 404 010