Monday 14 October 2013

Yarns part two: Wool

Welcome to Wool Week! Here in the UK, the Campaign for Real Wool kicks off with a celebration of real wool, and I can't wait to sing its praises. It's a wonderous thing really. Spun from a sheep's fleece into something so tactile, soft, warm and colourful- is this natural textile a miracle? I love working with wool, and buy the best I can afford. Here is my little yarn review of my favourite wool and wool-blend yarns. I know that you can buy much more expensive yarn than this, but these are the ones I come back to over and over, and won't cost more than around £6 a ball. 
1. King Cole Merino Blend DK- this is so thick and warm, and amazingly soft for a budget wool. I love the selection of colours and the drape is gorgeous-this would be perfect for knitting winter garments.

2. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino- This is an old favourite, thanks to its softness and the incredible depth of colour. It can split if overworked but washes up well and has a nice softness and sheen.

3. Jeanette Sloan Baby Alpaca- OMG, this is the softest yarn I've ever worked with. It's amazing, and this chartreuse colour is flippin' amazin'...

4. Rowan Pure Wool DK- the King of wool, in my eyes. I love rowan yarns, particularly this and Cashsoft.

5. Sublime Baby Cashmere Silk Merino- Deliciously soft, so light and perfect for baby gifts. Colour range is better than most baby yarns, but it doesn't have such fashion-oriented colours as, say, Debbie Bliss.

This week I'm enjoying working with Sublime Extra Fine Merino DK, King Cole Merino Blend DK and a melee of colours from my stash- more on that later. I can't wait to share with you my love for knitting later on during Wool Week. 

Hope you have fun playing with natural fibres this week. 

Happy Hooking!
xxx

4 comments:

  1. Ooh thank you for this xox Penny

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  2. Ooo... I haven't heard of the Jeanette Sloan wool - thank you! Look dreamy...

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  3. Had no idea there was a National Campaign for Real Wool week in the UK.

    I have used both the Debbie Bliss and the Sublime Cashmerino's and love how easy they are to crochet with plus the snuggle feel when made. Have always wanted to work with alpaca but the cost has always put me off when I have worked out how many balls would be needed for a decent sized blanket. One day I will save all those pennies up

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  4. what a wonderful informative post, thanks I have never used Jeanette Sloan yarn ,I will defo try it .

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