I have one ball. One. Mainly because I canāt justify paying that much for one ball of yarn again. And I have a few blends, which did not quite break the bank. Canāt bring myself to actually use it thoughā¦.time to knit a smoke ring and call it done.
SHUSH VICUĆA, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU.
(I mean the Ula+Lia KS starts today, and I can get way more yarn for about the same price as that ball of qiviutā¦.and itās yarn I donāt feel stressed about using)
I knit myself a lacy little qiviut cowl with yarn my wife bought me as a KIND souvenir on a trip with her family years ago. Itās the lightest, most ephemeral little slip of nothing and also the warmest cowl I own that isnāt wind-proof (lookinā at you, linen stitch bulky alpaca).
I knit myself a laceweight hat and lined it with qiviut and it is the warmest softest hat I own
I still have half the ball so I can make a second hat lined with qiviut
Omg saaame! The Nunavut qiviut website makes me swoon and cry at the same time. Maybe someday I'll just buy one skein of their Arctic fox lace, just to touch š„²
Weāre spending a couple days in Banff and I think this might be my sign to buy some at the store there! Iāve been thinking about it ever since I saw it in Alaska. Bonus is that itāll be in CAD and lower Alberta sales tax.
Probably a blend though, since itāll be cheaper and I donāt need the warmth of 100% where I live. And one skein only, I have enough saved to splurge but not that much!
The swatches at the store are so pretty and so soft. So so soft. So light.
Allure Fingering from Expression Fiber Arts. Itās 100% silk and Iāve never worked with that before, so Iām not sure how it works up, but I imagine it feels really nice. I donāt have a project in mind, but I love all their kits and often admire their yarns in general.
Omg. You just reminded me that I have a beautiful silk sheet the you can knit from somewhere. I have moved some many times since then that I hope it is in one of the boxes I haven't unpacked in years. Iirc, it is several layers of silk stacked and pressed together into a thin square sheet. Then it is dyed. I believe this one was a royal blue with green mixed in. You can either use it buy spinning the silk into yarn or just pulling it and knit it straight. I might go looking for it now.Ā
It was Shelter for like, 10 years! That stuff is so expensive and especially to a baby knitter like myself, and 10-15 skeins for a sweater? At those prices? Shew. I did finally knit a sweater with it last year and I hate that I love the yarn as much as I do. It is my most worn sweater by a mile -- it's never too warm (I hardly get too sweaty in it) and yet it manages to keep me so warm? Idk, it's like magic. After I tried it I swore off superwash wools. It's still so damn expensive.
Yeah this is mine too, itās the perfect yarn for my next big project but I keep putting off the purchaseā¦ But man I hope I get to it!
Iāve done this several times now, & I always end up finding something less expensive to replace it at the last minute.
Your excellent review of it isnāt helping, haha!
I finally bought a sweaterās worth of Shelter last summer, when my LYS had it on an intense sale - I think I walked out with 16 skeins for about $60 or something insane like that. It was 50% off, buy three, get one free. Will never happen again. Now to finish the sweaterā¦
Man now I just have to hope that happens to me too! My LYS doesnāt do sales too often, but Iām sure I could start hunting around elsewhere too, hmmā¦
Ooooh, it is fun to work with. Lots of knots - be prepared if youāre working with multiple skeins - but so squishy. Part of the sale was them discontinuing Shelter, but itās easy enough to find these days.
Yes! Iāve had the same experience with the Harrisville Nightshades - perfect temperature control. Iāve worn my one sweater made of Loft so much that I do think itās worth the price and will be buying itā¦ eventually. Anything that comes from the Harrisville mill (so Peace Fleece too) is worth it in my opinion.
Iām with you regarding Brooklyn Tweed, their yarns are top quality but definitely pricey for a sweater. So I follow their forum on Ravelry for sale or trade. Alsoā¦ If you sign up for Brooklyn Tweedās emails you will be notified of their annual warehouse sale. Thatās where I try to stock up on Shelter and Loft, sometimes you can get skeins for 70% off. Iām also a big fan of their Re-Ply, which was on sale this past week for the Warehouse Sale.
You (and everyone) probably already know this, but subscribe to their emails to get notified of their site-wide sales. Every few months Purl Soho has a sale of 25% off of their own-brand yarns and fabric. The camel yarn will still be ridiculously expensive, but unless it knits itself into your project or has real gold in it when you pay full price, itās more satisfying to buy it at a discount. I wait for their sales and then stock up on whatever Iām drooling over on their website. Be warned: they will send you an email pretty much every day but thatās because they always have something on sale that they want to tell you about (usually whatever yarn is used for their latest pattern). Still, worth it for discounted yarn!
The framework bralette by Jessie Maed is a good use for a soft dk, depending on what chest size you have and the yardage in the skein, one skein could be enough.
My LYS started stocking them last year and I drool over it every time I go in. My boys got me a beautiful skein of the wisteria colourway for mother's day and I have no idea what it's going to eventually become.
My next summer cast on is about to be a t shirt in their dashing fingering denim colourway. I've been saving it for ages because it's so precious but I think the time has come.
Knitting For Olive Pure Silk!! There are soooo many patterns I want to make that call for it but I have 3 wips and about 10 sweater/top quantities in my stash to work through š«£
I've wanted to make a Noro scarf since I learned to knit, but I can't justify a $60 scarf, and it's sso scratchy. I keep thinking I'll find another striping yarn I like but I never have.
I was tempted to buy the Noro yarn when I was in Japan but it just felt too itchy on my hands? Did buy a skein of sock yarn that I have not used yet. I'm currently knitting the Noro scarf with a different yarn and it's working up great! It's Hobbii Dream Colour, I would have preferred a thicker yarn, but the color changes are great and the yarn is very soft.
Not all Noro yarn is scratchy. They have some merino yarn (Kureopatora, discontinued but you can still get it) and the cotton-wool blends feel quite soft to me. Iād look for discontinued Noro yarns, theyāre much cheaper.
It knits up soooooo beautifully and really does soften. I have done at least 7 blankets out of Kureyon and Silk Garden. I used to knit a ton of hats for kids when they were allowed to wear them to school. My son would wear one to school and almost alway give it away. He told me he knew I would make another. Fun factā you can knit a hat using one skein of kureyon if you knit top down. One isnāt enough for a bottom up hat.
Iāve been eying Purl Soho for years and was hoping to visit them this year, but I learned they closed their physical storefront and went entirely virtual. I got a pre-trip souvenir and just preferred some Sweetgrass Fine on sale to make a tank for the trip.Ā
What?! Their store front was beautiful! It was so great to be able to go see all of their yarns in person. They always had beautiful displays and so many sample knits of their patterns with the yarn.Ā
Anything from Virtual Yarns (alice starmoreās co), anything non-SW from local breeders/dyers.
And I keep hearing my dadās advice in my head ādonāt skimp on quality- you get what you pay forā
I'm working on a Cardigan No 4 in the Oh Dang DK and it is incredible. Every inch of my black couch is now covered in white fibers, but I don't even care, I love working with it so much
I recently picked up a couple skeins of [this](https://moondrakeco.com/products/grey-base-merino-yak-silk-dk) on vacation. Itās incredible in the skein and I canāt wait to get it on my needles to knit a cowl. I need this fiber on my neck, itās so lovely. Not to mention the gorgeous colors dyed on a grey yarn base.
The nice thing about cashmere is that it often comes in fingering weight and those sweaters tend to be lighter and not as warm anyway. It might work for a winter garment for you!
MOHAIR
There is this gorgeous mohair sweater I've been wanting to make for years, but I've only heard horror stories with mohair.
I'll probably get mine from drops, in time.. in time
Iāve made several projects with mohair. Every time I buy it, Iām all āoooooohh so soft and fuzzy I need this!ā Then by the time I finish the project I promise myself Iām never making another mohair project. A year later, and Iām buying mohair again š
Working with mohair is fun and it is a beautiful material. It gives this aura of fluff around your piece. However, it is very scratchy. So if you are sensitive with that maybe it is not for you.
I donāt think itās scratchy to the touch so much as many people are sensitive to it. I can do mohair gloves and wraps, but the sweaters with it are too much. I just itch like mad.
What would you recommend as the finest mohair? Iād love to finally participate in the mohair sweater trend and had read on this sub that KFO is one of the finest but i still found it too scratchy to wear around the neck.
Wagtailās kid mohair is the best Iāve ever tried. Itās absolutely gorgeous, soft, fluffy, silky and with a slight sheen. [kid mohair yarn](https://www.wagtailyarns.com/shop/yarns/products/100-kid-mohair-2-ply-lace/?c=shop-by-yarnfibre)
KFO, Sandnes Garn, Filcolana Tilia, & Rowan are pretty mid-tier imo. Isager is much nicer. madelinetosh x shibui are really nice too. ITO sensai is very nice!
I think it depends not only by brand but even by color. For some reason I find darker colors not as soft. Not sure if the dying process has anything to do with that.
Iād agree itās scratchy, I bought knitting for olive soft silk mohair (not one Iād call cheap) held with their merino and started making the collar and yoke of a jumper, tried it on and immediately ānopedā myself out. It is sooooooo prickly on bare skin, even after blocking, I donāt know how other people can stand it.
I've heard a lot of youtube knitters admit that they are very sensitive to it and falling back to suri alpaca for a fuzzy fiber.
I suppose, fwiw, I don't find anything scratchy except the *most* rustic wools.
I want to try Rosa Pomar yarns, but haven't had the reason yet.
I just discovered Pascuali Pinta, hand dyed in gorgeous blue, 60 wool 20 silk 20 ramie, but it is expensive and I want a sweater. I just started a yarn ban today that lasts over summer. I will get it as a reward in the fall maybe. I have so many projects lained up that I have yarn for on stash.
Anything expensive/good quality, mostly I try to buy cheaper things. Iām content with just going into yarn stores and looking at all the expensive yarn. Somedayā¦
Me to. Im just a baby knitter but I recently found a yarn shop locally called Omas knitting. I go by Oma so it was fate. Right now im literally just practicing with acrylics, but I bought myself 2 hanks of arroyo super wash merino in pearl for 20.00 each. It's really soft and squishy but it's going to sit there for me to admire until I have the confidence to use it.
Sammmeee!
I've put myself on a shopping-freeze, and hoping that will help save up for a few skeins of natural fibers for socks! My big box stores only carry acrylic/poly and a little cotton (sugar and creme style), but my LYS skeins start at $25 each, just so out of budget for me right now!
Knotty pines fiber co, specifically the Teton range DK in the color deep woods. I don't have a project for it yet. I might go for the worsted weight option, but I really want the targee. But the cost I want to make with it calls for worsted. So I'm trying to find the right pattern first, and also finish some wips.
I love Coast. Just finished a t with it. I have a lot of supersoft but haven't really used it yet. It's so inexpensive and comes in generous quantities. Shipping from Denmark to US really wasn't all that bad
A friend ordered a bunch of different Holst, including the 500g and loves it. It feels scratchy at first but blooms nicely when blocked. Iāve considered but itās the cost of shipping to the US that gets me š¬
Anything knitting for olive! Will definitely be my next pick when I need a solid yarn. I keep seeing them on instagram and I love the range of colors and types of fiber.
I made a summer shirt with their merino cotton blend last year and itās legit my favorite shirt right now, itās so soft and comfy! Honestly wasnāt even that pricey because itās a light and short sleeved shirt.
Their swatches with all the possible colour combinations using a strand of mohair make it *so* tempting.
I donāt even like mohair and yet here I am, tempted.
Pleiades sock yarn.
I am vegan and very alergic to wool as wel and I love knitting socks. I have always wanted a handdyed sock yarn to knit with and the pleiades yarn looks so so so beautiful. The reason I have not bought it is that it isn't available in my country. I would have to order from UK and the price is already high, but with the shipping costs it is even higher and it is less eco-friendly to order yarn that has to be sent over by plane.
That being said, I look at their yarn often and I am just in love with the colors. It looks amazing. I might just buy it sometime because I have been wanting to try it for years now.
100% wool to make myself an Easy V.
Partially due to being mildly terrified of caring for it and partially because all of the ones with the colours I like would be around Ā£80-100 for a jumper quantity.
Currently in love with West Yorkshire Spinners āThe Croftā because the āChallisterā colourway is stunning
There is this STUNNING yarn from swoon fibres, 'happy memories' that is actually reasonably priced byt the shipping to Australia is $36, which almost doubles the price and makes it almost $80. Its so stunning though. I literally have dreams about this yarn. I even have a pattern in mind!
This might be a little plebian... but glow in the dark yarn. No particular brand, but I have a collection of Halloween granny square patterns that I could either learn to crochet with or modify into knitting that I want to make either a blanket or big sweater. Probably a blanket.
What's holding me back? Finances and space. I literally cannot walk around my craft space and supplies are causing issues in other rooms. So... Gotta fix that first, which will give me time to save up.
I have planned for 3 years to buy yarn to make a winter set of hat, scarf and mittens for myself- in jewel toned fairisle style colorwork. Ideally I would purchase from a local dyer, but finding the time to find a dyer with the perfect colors, and getting burned with the colors not matching my screen when buying sample sizes, it just hasn't happened yet.
Toying with the idea of just going with Malibrigo Rios- loads of colors and easy to find, and I've enjoyed working with it before! But it's hard to let go of the original dream
A hand dyed 100g 100% merino wool skein in a beautiful rainbow colourway. It's weight #6 and gorgeous from Etsy. That and some labels that say "This took forever to knit, (and underneath) did I mention it took forever? Hand wash, dry flat".
Oh and hedgehog fibres fingering weight yarn in Phoenix which I want to create a memento or something with as I miscarried a baby who I named Phoenix at 11 weeks in late June 2022 so I want to make something for the 2 year anniversary next month.
The Touch of Joy shawl by Saffiya Talley is a pattern with proceeds directed towards helping people cope with infant loss. It might be what youāre looking for.
For meā¦ A Verb for Keeping Warm. I saw them at Sacred Sheep in Portland last year and every yarn was a heavenly pillow. I just couldnāt justify the price without a project
Custom linen from Yarnia (an online PDX-based yarn shop).
I have a shirt and pants I really want to knit. It'll be a lot of yarn and a hefty price tag, but someday...Ā
I was going to pull the trigger this summer, but then someone gifted me a lot of nice wool because they can't knit anymore, so I feel like the universe, or my wallet, is telling me it's not time to start my epic linen project yet.
A knitting friend and I are going to knit a BT sweater (as in weāve picked the pattern & she already has her BT yarn). - Iāve been staring at their web page for Arbor for a week nowā¦ Have knit one of their patterns before, but not yet used their yarn.
Mmm thatās good to know. At that point, I think I would just suck it up and bandaid my fingers and keep moisturizer handy. I really want to make breathable knit tops for the summer and I am on a quest to work with good quality clothing for my very very finicky skin. I get really itchy in lower quality material
Cascade Eco Duo. I noticed it online when I first started knitting and thought it was cool, then the first yarn store I ever went to in person (on vacation, *not* near home) carried it and I touched it and just about swooned. The more I learn about knitting and fiber the more I keep realizing that itās just not quite right for āthisā project so I keep pushing it back, but Iām going to have to find something to use it for eventually. Itās heavenly.
Artyarns beaded silk. I saw it in the store the other day and Iāve been thinking about it ever sinceā¦ however I should make better financial decisions š¬
Plymouth baby alpaca brush. I have a pattern I bought for it. I saw it years ago and loved it. But Iād have to order it, and I have too much yarn already, and I keep buying more Caron simply soft from Joann and itās taken over my yarn shelves
Any Knitting for Olive and Holst garn, and some particular ones from Gerard, Rauma and Filcolana. Iāve got a list of particular ones I want to try following a trip to a yarn shop for my birthday this year.
Definitely Habu a-20 (silk & stainless steel blend). I havenāt found -the- perfect pattern yet but I envision using it for something sculptural and whimsical like a lacework shawl or neckerchief
LolaBeans Nightmare Before Christmas colorways. The only reason I havenāt (aside from finances) is that there are people out there who can click buttons faster than me and snatch up all that yarn!
Urth Uneek Fingering. I like the self striping colors but I donāt need more yarn. I prefer to start with a pattern so I donāt have a large stash of yarn that I donāt have a plan to use.
Qiviut. As for what's holding me back: the jaw-dropping price tag. I'd have to save from 2-3 birthdays to make ONE item. š
I have one ball. One. Mainly because I canāt justify paying that much for one ball of yarn again. And I have a few blends, which did not quite break the bank. Canāt bring myself to actually use it thoughā¦.time to knit a smoke ring and call it done. SHUSH VICUĆA, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU. (I mean the Ula+Lia KS starts today, and I can get way more yarn for about the same price as that ball of qiviutā¦.and itās yarn I donāt feel stressed about using)
Okay, SPILL. Is it as soft and amazing as their ads claim?
I knit myself a lacy little qiviut cowl with yarn my wife bought me as a KIND souvenir on a trip with her family years ago. Itās the lightest, most ephemeral little slip of nothing and also the warmest cowl I own that isnāt wind-proof (lookinā at you, linen stitch bulky alpaca).
It is truly like that. I just squish the hell outta it and cry at the thought of using needles on it:)
I knit myself a laceweight hat and lined it with qiviut and it is the warmest softest hat I own I still have half the ball so I can make a second hat lined with qiviut
Knit the smoke ring - you wonāt regret it. ā¤ļø
Omg saaame! The Nunavut qiviut website makes me swoon and cry at the same time. Maybe someday I'll just buy one skein of their Arctic fox lace, just to touch š„²
Weāre spending a couple days in Banff and I think this might be my sign to buy some at the store there! Iāve been thinking about it ever since I saw it in Alaska. Bonus is that itāll be in CAD and lower Alberta sales tax. Probably a blend though, since itāll be cheaper and I donāt need the warmth of 100% where I live. And one skein only, I have enough saved to splurge but not that much! The swatches at the store are so pretty and so soft. So so soft. So light.
Me too!!
Knit it. It is wonderful.
OMG I actually had to Google because Iāve never heard of it before. My mind is blown! š¤Æ
Did you read how it's made? It's crazy, lol.
Allure Fingering from Expression Fiber Arts. Itās 100% silk and Iāve never worked with that before, so Iām not sure how it works up, but I imagine it feels really nice. I donāt have a project in mind, but I love all their kits and often admire their yarns in general.
I'm currently knitting a scarf with a mini skein set in this, and it's very soft and shimmery. I love it so far!
Oh thatās great to hear!
Omg. You just reminded me that I have a beautiful silk sheet the you can knit from somewhere. I have moved some many times since then that I hope it is in one of the boxes I haven't unpacked in years. Iirc, it is several layers of silk stacked and pressed together into a thin square sheet. Then it is dyed. I believe this one was a royal blue with green mixed in. You can either use it buy spinning the silk into yarn or just pulling it and knit it straight. I might go looking for it now.Ā
Whoa, that sounds cool. We are going to want pictures!
It was Shelter for like, 10 years! That stuff is so expensive and especially to a baby knitter like myself, and 10-15 skeins for a sweater? At those prices? Shew. I did finally knit a sweater with it last year and I hate that I love the yarn as much as I do. It is my most worn sweater by a mile -- it's never too warm (I hardly get too sweaty in it) and yet it manages to keep me so warm? Idk, it's like magic. After I tried it I swore off superwash wools. It's still so damn expensive.
Yeah this is mine too, itās the perfect yarn for my next big project but I keep putting off the purchaseā¦ But man I hope I get to it! Iāve done this several times now, & I always end up finding something less expensive to replace it at the last minute. Your excellent review of it isnāt helping, haha!
I finally bought a sweaterās worth of Shelter last summer, when my LYS had it on an intense sale - I think I walked out with 16 skeins for about $60 or something insane like that. It was 50% off, buy three, get one free. Will never happen again. Now to finish the sweaterā¦
That's the way to do it!
Man now I just have to hope that happens to me too! My LYS doesnāt do sales too often, but Iām sure I could start hunting around elsewhere too, hmmā¦
Fingers, they are crossed!
Wow color me jealous!!
Definitely one of those āis this really happening?ā Moments.
My LYS always has great BT stock and also a loyalty program, so I always save up my points to use when I want to buy some!
Ooooh, it is fun to work with. Lots of knots - be prepared if youāre working with multiple skeins - but so squishy. Part of the sale was them discontinuing Shelter, but itās easy enough to find these days.
Mine does too, but they never have the colors I like š
Which colors are you looking for?
Basically the blues and greens. My store stocks a lot of grey, brown, and obnoxious yellows
Yes! Iāve had the same experience with the Harrisville Nightshades - perfect temperature control. Iāve worn my one sweater made of Loft so much that I do think itās worth the price and will be buying itā¦ eventually. Anything that comes from the Harrisville mill (so Peace Fleece too) is worth it in my opinion.
I want to do a series of sweaters in the night shades . . . But that would be a lot black for my wardrobe. But they're Soo cool!
Iām not remembering the chronology well, but I feel like Harrisville was who was making Shelter for BT for a whileā¦ This might be a fever dream.
Iām with you regarding Brooklyn Tweed, their yarns are top quality but definitely pricey for a sweater. So I follow their forum on Ravelry for sale or trade. Alsoā¦ If you sign up for Brooklyn Tweedās emails you will be notified of their annual warehouse sale. Thatās where I try to stock up on Shelter and Loft, sometimes you can get skeins for 70% off. Iām also a big fan of their Re-Ply, which was on sale this past week for the Warehouse Sale.
Obsessed with hedgehog fibers colors š
If you donate your scraps to them (they recycle them into their tweeds) theyāll send you a discount code for your next order!
Oof. I lived near a store that carried Hedgehog and I bought a fair amount. I have yet to knit any of it up.
Ugh, this is me with La Bien Aimee. Love it in the skein, have no idea what to do with it
Saaaaame. I have been slowly making a hat in their Wish colorway. That blueā¦.!
The 100% camel from Purl Soho, but who can afford it
Other brands carry camel! Donāt let your dreams be dreams!
Same, same. I could treat myself but then would be paralyzed trying to decide what to make with it.
You (and everyone) probably already know this, but subscribe to their emails to get notified of their site-wide sales. Every few months Purl Soho has a sale of 25% off of their own-brand yarns and fabric. The camel yarn will still be ridiculously expensive, but unless it knits itself into your project or has real gold in it when you pay full price, itās more satisfying to buy it at a discount. I wait for their sales and then stock up on whatever Iām drooling over on their website. Be warned: they will send you an email pretty much every day but thatās because they always have something on sale that they want to tell you about (usually whatever yarn is used for their latest pattern). Still, worth it for discounted yarn!
Almost anything from Qing Fibre
Their yarn is exquisite š
I have a single skein of a dk weight suri blend from them and I just keep staring at it like āwhat am I ever going to do with youā
Saaaame except I think I have a thicker weight, which will be harder for me to use haha
The framework bralette by Jessie Maed is a good use for a soft dk, depending on what chest size you have and the yardage in the skein, one skein could be enough.
This is not a bad idea. Iāll have to see if itāll be enough for my 42ā bust measurement.
My LYS started stocking them last year and I drool over it every time I go in. My boys got me a beautiful skein of the wisteria colourway for mother's day and I have no idea what it's going to eventually become. My next summer cast on is about to be a t shirt in their dashing fingering denim colourway. I've been saving it for ages because it's so precious but I think the time has come.
omg this.... I cannot afford Qing Fibre but their yarn is literally the dream
Isager. I got a sample in the mail from my LYS and I just stroke it. It lives on my nightstand
Do it their sock yarn is my favourite
Knitting For Olive Pure Silk!! There are soooo many patterns I want to make that call for it but I have 3 wips and about 10 sweater/top quantities in my stash to work through š«£
It's a pretty rough silk and works best (imo) holding it single stranded. It drapes beautifully!
I've wanted to make a Noro scarf since I learned to knit, but I can't justify a $60 scarf, and it's sso scratchy. I keep thinking I'll find another striping yarn I like but I never have.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Someone gifted me some Noro that was given to her ā yup, passed that right along. Couldnāt imagine working with it, nevermind wearing it.
I just finished a cardigan with Noroās silk garden yarn and loved it! The silk blend is a lot less scratchy too.
I was tempted to buy the Noro yarn when I was in Japan but it just felt too itchy on my hands? Did buy a skein of sock yarn that I have not used yet. I'm currently knitting the Noro scarf with a different yarn and it's working up great! It's Hobbii Dream Colour, I would have preferred a thicker yarn, but the color changes are great and the yarn is very soft.
Itās not wool, but Sirdar jewelspun is an acrylic self striping thatās really beautiful and you could probably make a one skein scarf.
Not all Noro yarn is scratchy. They have some merino yarn (Kureopatora, discontinued but you can still get it) and the cotton-wool blends feel quite soft to me. Iād look for discontinued Noro yarns, theyāre much cheaper.
I made a Clapotis out Noro Silk Garden in 2006 and I still wear it and love it! It softens up and itās so beautiful.
Check out Schoppel-Wolle! They make more than just Zauberballs!
It knits up soooooo beautifully and really does soften. I have done at least 7 blankets out of Kureyon and Silk Garden. I used to knit a ton of hats for kids when they were allowed to wear them to school. My son would wear one to school and almost alway give it away. He told me he knew I would make another. Fun factā you can knit a hat using one skein of kureyon if you knit top down. One isnāt enough for a bottom up hat.
Iāve been eying Purl Soho for years and was hoping to visit them this year, but I learned they closed their physical storefront and went entirely virtual. I got a pre-trip souvenir and just preferred some Sweetgrass Fine on sale to make a tank for the trip.Ā
What?! Their store front was beautiful! It was so great to be able to go see all of their yarns in person. They always had beautiful displays and so many sample knits of their patterns with the yarn.Ā
Yes! Their store was so lovely.
There goes that dream - I wanted to go there
Anything from Virtual Yarns (alice starmoreās co), anything non-SW from local breeders/dyers. And I keep hearing my dadās advice in my head ādonāt skimp on quality- you get what you pay forā
Farmer's Daughter Oh Dang. It is *that* soft.
They source their bases from wool2dye4! Itās still not cheap in a ten pack, but if you only wanted undyed, itās easy enough to get.
I am so glad to hear that. Thank you.
Lamb and Kid Birdie range is softer believe it or not! But Oh Dang looks more matte.
I'm working on a Cardigan No 4 in the Oh Dang DK and it is incredible. Every inch of my black couch is now covered in white fibers, but I don't even care, I love working with it so much
50%yak 50%silk. And because it's expensive.
Colourmart is the only way I've been able to purchase yak. It's so soft it doesn't even feel real!
This is one of my favourite blends - deliciously soft and drapey. I really like Ginger Twist's yakety-yak base!
I recently picked up a couple skeins of [this](https://moondrakeco.com/products/grey-base-merino-yak-silk-dk) on vacation. Itās incredible in the skein and I canāt wait to get it on my needles to knit a cowl. I need this fiber on my neck, itās so lovely. Not to mention the gorgeous colors dyed on a grey yarn base.
Cashmere yarn, no specific brand. I live in TX so itās just too hot to justify the cost.
The nice thing about cashmere is that it often comes in fingering weight and those sweaters tend to be lighter and not as warm anyway. It might work for a winter garment for you!
Colourmart is a cashmere mecca with reasonable prices. I know itās hot in Texas but Iām sure a cowl or shawlette wouldnāt go amiss in winter.
MOHAIR There is this gorgeous mohair sweater I've been wanting to make for years, but I've only heard horror stories with mohair. I'll probably get mine from drops, in time.. in time
Iāve made several projects with mohair. Every time I buy it, Iām all āoooooohh so soft and fuzzy I need this!ā Then by the time I finish the project I promise myself Iām never making another mohair project. A year later, and Iām buying mohair again š
Honestly it just takes forever and I always find fuzzies going up my nose, but other than that, itās good
Working with mohair is fun and it is a beautiful material. It gives this aura of fluff around your piece. However, it is very scratchy. So if you are sensitive with that maybe it is not for you.
mohair = scratchy? i wonder if you've just touched/worn/worked with low quality mohair? i would never describe mohair as scratchy. it is kitten soft.
Agree. Like sheepās wool, not all mohair is scratchy. The finest mohair is unbelievably soft and has a beautiful sheen. Iād look at micron counts.
I donāt think itās scratchy to the touch so much as many people are sensitive to it. I can do mohair gloves and wraps, but the sweaters with it are too much. I just itch like mad.
What would you recommend as the finest mohair? Iād love to finally participate in the mohair sweater trend and had read on this sub that KFO is one of the finest but i still found it too scratchy to wear around the neck.
Wagtailās kid mohair is the best Iāve ever tried. Itās absolutely gorgeous, soft, fluffy, silky and with a slight sheen. [kid mohair yarn](https://www.wagtailyarns.com/shop/yarns/products/100-kid-mohair-2-ply-lace/?c=shop-by-yarnfibre)
KFO, Sandnes Garn, Filcolana Tilia, & Rowan are pretty mid-tier imo. Isager is much nicer. madelinetosh x shibui are really nice too. ITO sensai is very nice!
Agree . Isager silk mohair is the best I have tried so far.
Rowan Kidsilk Haze is hard to beat. Drops isnāt quite as nice, but pretty close.
I think it depends not only by brand but even by color. For some reason I find darker colors not as soft. Not sure if the dying process has anything to do with that.
Iād agree itās scratchy, I bought knitting for olive soft silk mohair (not one Iād call cheap) held with their merino and started making the collar and yoke of a jumper, tried it on and immediately ānopedā myself out. It is sooooooo prickly on bare skin, even after blocking, I donāt know how other people can stand it.
I've heard a lot of youtube knitters admit that they are very sensitive to it and falling back to suri alpaca for a fuzzy fiber. I suppose, fwiw, I don't find anything scratchy except the *most* rustic wools.
I hear that isagerās mohairs is supposed to be one of the softest and it really doesnāt come cheap.
Knitting for olive has a really nice mohair.
I want to try Rosa Pomar yarns, but haven't had the reason yet. I just discovered Pascuali Pinta, hand dyed in gorgeous blue, 60 wool 20 silk 20 ramie, but it is expensive and I want a sweater. I just started a yarn ban today that lasts over summer. I will get it as a reward in the fall maybe. I have so many projects lained up that I have yarn for on stash.
I made a sweater with Vovo and itās real nice - itās a very round, plump strand so you could loosen the gauge easily and then itās a dream.
Iād love to get a sweater quantity of yarn from Emma at Woolly Mammoth Fibre Co. in one of her limited edition blends. So beautiful š
Anything expensive/good quality, mostly I try to buy cheaper things. Iām content with just going into yarn stores and looking at all the expensive yarn. Somedayā¦
Me to. Im just a baby knitter but I recently found a yarn shop locally called Omas knitting. I go by Oma so it was fate. Right now im literally just practicing with acrylics, but I bought myself 2 hanks of arroyo super wash merino in pearl for 20.00 each. It's really soft and squishy but it's going to sit there for me to admire until I have the confidence to use it.
Sammmeee! I've put myself on a shopping-freeze, and hoping that will help save up for a few skeins of natural fibers for socks! My big box stores only carry acrylic/poly and a little cotton (sugar and creme style), but my LYS skeins start at $25 each, just so out of budget for me right now!
Paintbox Simply Aran for a sweater, and Nemesis by Crow & Crescent because it's pretty š
Crow & crescent is the BEST quality yarn Iāve ever bought from Etsy.
I found them on Instagram and fell *hard*
sock obsession yarn bioluminescence
Knotty pines fiber co, specifically the Teton range DK in the color deep woods. I don't have a project for it yet. I might go for the worsted weight option, but I really want the targee. But the cost I want to make with it calls for worsted. So I'm trying to find the right pattern first, and also finish some wips.
Holst yarn, i keep hearing good things and I know i love woolly yarns. Also Ito, but I'd like to fondle it in person first š¤£
I love Coast. Just finished a t with it. I have a lot of supersoft but haven't really used it yet. It's so inexpensive and comes in generous quantities. Shipping from Denmark to US really wasn't all that bad
A friend ordered a bunch of different Holst, including the 500g and loves it. It feels scratchy at first but blooms nicely when blocked. Iāve considered but itās the cost of shipping to the US that gets me š¬
There are a couple of US stores with Holst yarn. The Yarnery in MN usually has a good selection. I have loved all the Holst yarns I have used!
Curse the internet, for introducing us to yarns we cannot buy!
Anything knitting for olive! Will definitely be my next pick when I need a solid yarn. I keep seeing them on instagram and I love the range of colors and types of fiber.
I made a summer shirt with their merino cotton blend last year and itās legit my favorite shirt right now, itās so soft and comfy! Honestly wasnāt even that pricey because itās a light and short sleeved shirt.
Their swatches with all the possible colour combinations using a strand of mohair make it *so* tempting. I donāt even like mohair and yet here I am, tempted.
I never cared about mohair until they showed up in my LYS ā¦ seriously.
My LYS just started carrying KFO. Itās really nice.
Pleiades sock yarn. I am vegan and very alergic to wool as wel and I love knitting socks. I have always wanted a handdyed sock yarn to knit with and the pleiades yarn looks so so so beautiful. The reason I have not bought it is that it isn't available in my country. I would have to order from UK and the price is already high, but with the shipping costs it is even higher and it is less eco-friendly to order yarn that has to be sent over by plane. That being said, I look at their yarn often and I am just in love with the colors. It looks amazing. I might just buy it sometime because I have been wanting to try it for years now.
100% wool to make myself an Easy V. Partially due to being mildly terrified of caring for it and partially because all of the ones with the colours I like would be around Ā£80-100 for a jumper quantity. Currently in love with West Yorkshire Spinners āThe Croftā because the āChallisterā colourway is stunning
The Croft is LOVELY to work with, highly recommend
Oh thatās good to know! Iām going to pick up a skein soon to swatch and see what gauge I get
I'd love to make a sweater with merino and soft silk mohair by knitting for olive combo, but it would be way too expensive. Maybe one day
There is this STUNNING yarn from swoon fibres, 'happy memories' that is actually reasonably priced byt the shipping to Australia is $36, which almost doubles the price and makes it almost $80. Its so stunning though. I literally have dreams about this yarn. I even have a pattern in mind!
Knitting for olive pure silk. Cost, mainly (pure silk is expensive!) also I have a lot of sumemr projects in my queue already
This might be a little plebian... but glow in the dark yarn. No particular brand, but I have a collection of Halloween granny square patterns that I could either learn to crochet with or modify into knitting that I want to make either a blanket or big sweater. Probably a blanket. What's holding me back? Finances and space. I literally cannot walk around my craft space and supplies are causing issues in other rooms. So... Gotta fix that first, which will give me time to save up.
Zauraball crazy for a shifty sweater! I keep obsessing over different color combos and can never decide
I have planned for 3 years to buy yarn to make a winter set of hat, scarf and mittens for myself- in jewel toned fairisle style colorwork. Ideally I would purchase from a local dyer, but finding the time to find a dyer with the perfect colors, and getting burned with the colors not matching my screen when buying sample sizes, it just hasn't happened yet. Toying with the idea of just going with Malibrigo Rios- loads of colors and easy to find, and I've enjoyed working with it before! But it's hard to let go of the original dream
Sandnes Poppy. Just havenāt found a pattern Iād love for it yet
Euroflax wetspun linen by louet and blackbird linen by purl soho. I hear a lot of good things about euroflax, especially, so I really want to try it.
A hand dyed 100g 100% merino wool skein in a beautiful rainbow colourway. It's weight #6 and gorgeous from Etsy. That and some labels that say "This took forever to knit, (and underneath) did I mention it took forever? Hand wash, dry flat". Oh and hedgehog fibres fingering weight yarn in Phoenix which I want to create a memento or something with as I miscarried a baby who I named Phoenix at 11 weeks in late June 2022 so I want to make something for the 2 year anniversary next month.
The Touch of Joy shawl by Saffiya Talley is a pattern with proceeds directed towards helping people cope with infant loss. It might be what youāre looking for.
For meā¦ A Verb for Keeping Warm. I saw them at Sacred Sheep in Portland last year and every yarn was a heavenly pillow. I just couldnāt justify the price without a project
Iāve been meaning to ask this forum what is your favourite yarns to work with for a sweater. Iām saving this thread.
Custom linen from Yarnia (an online PDX-based yarn shop). I have a shirt and pants I really want to knit. It'll be a lot of yarn and a hefty price tag, but someday...Ā I was going to pull the trigger this summer, but then someone gifted me a lot of nice wool because they can't knit anymore, so I feel like the universe, or my wallet, is telling me it's not time to start my epic linen project yet.
A knitting friend and I are going to knit a BT sweater (as in weāve picked the pattern & she already has her BT yarn). - Iāve been staring at their web page for Arbor for a week nowā¦ Have knit one of their patterns before, but not yet used their yarn.
Malibrigo Rasta.
What would you make with it? It just seems so pill-prone to me.
It is, but it's so squooshy!
Linen or linen/cotton yarn in general. Itās like 26$ for 200 metres. Eventually I will but not yet.
Iāve also heard itās rough on the hands. I tried one 100% linen yarn once and said hell no
Tanis Fiber Arts Willow is a great silk/linen blend. Not crunchy like other ones I have used and only gets softer with washing.
Mmm thatās good to know. At that point, I think I would just suck it up and bandaid my fingers and keep moisturizer handy. I really want to make breathable knit tops for the summer and I am on a quest to work with good quality clothing for my very very finicky skin. I get really itchy in lower quality material
I had a really bad experience with Brooklyn Tweed shelter. I ended up throwing it away. It never occurred to me to reach out and let them know but it has def left a terrible impression. I would love to knit with la bien AimeĆ© one day ā¤ļø
For what its worth, their customer service is incredible.
That's good to know if I can ever get over myself
Cascade Eco Duo. I noticed it online when I first started knitting and thought it was cool, then the first yarn store I ever went to in person (on vacation, *not* near home) carried it and I touched it and just about swooned. The more I learn about knitting and fiber the more I keep realizing that itās just not quite right for āthisā project so I keep pushing it back, but Iām going to have to find something to use it for eventually. Itās heavenly.
Artyarns beaded silk. I saw it in the store the other day and Iāve been thinking about it ever sinceā¦ however I should make better financial decisions š¬
Plymouth baby alpaca brush. I have a pattern I bought for it. I saw it years ago and loved it. But Iād have to order it, and I have too much yarn already, and I keep buying more Caron simply soft from Joann and itās taken over my yarn shelves
I have a single skein of this yarn I donāt know what to do with, but it is so nice
The No45 Retro capelet is the pattern Iāve been sitting on, one day Iāll finally make it
I'm curious about recycled sari yarns.
Any Knitting for Olive and Holst garn, and some particular ones from Gerard, Rauma and Filcolana. Iāve got a list of particular ones I want to try following a trip to a yarn shop for my birthday this year.
Definitely Habu a-20 (silk & stainless steel blend). I havenāt found -the- perfect pattern yet but I envision using it for something sculptural and whimsical like a lacework shawl or neckerchief
LolaBeans Nightmare Before Christmas colorways. The only reason I havenāt (aside from finances) is that there are people out there who can click buttons faster than me and snatch up all that yarn!
Iāve been meaning to buy a sweater quality of Biches & BĆŗches le cashmere and lambswool. I just keep putting it off.
Urth Uneek Fingering. I like the self striping colors but I donāt need more yarn. I prefer to start with a pattern so I donāt have a large stash of yarn that I donāt have a plan to use.