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Yet-to-be-appreciated Yarns, Part 2

Yet-to-be-appreciated Yarns, Part 2

Some great but yet-to-be-appreciated yarns
This season there have been a lot of changes in the yarns available for knitters. There have been a lot of yarns discontinued, and a lot of new introductions.  In times of economic uncertainty, it’s no surprise that crocheters and knitters return to their favorites.  But there are some that I have tried, and deserve a closer look.

Aiko Garments

Lang Aiko

Mohair is coming back into style, but not the ultra big fuzz-ball look.  What is important now is a light halo and a soft hand.  Enter Aiko.  This yarn is incredibly soft, but it takes up a lot of space.  The yarn itself it made up from a tiny boucle of the fibers stitched into a small tape.  When it is knit, there isn’t a lot of surface halo (fuzz), but it knits to a bigger gauge than it looks.  The Aiko styles in the Lang books are mostly used for snuggly knits, but I think it would also make a great yarn for openwork styles–a lacy scarf or wrap would be very sophisticated in this yarn.

Yet-to-be-appreciated Yarns, Part 1

Yet-to-be-appreciated Yarns, Part 1

Some great but yet-to-be-appreciated yarns
This season there have been a lot of changes in the yarns available for knitters. There have been a lot of yarns discontinued, and a lot of new introductions.  In times of economic uncertainty, it’s no surprise that crocheters and knitters return to their favorites.  But there are some that I have tried, and deserve a closer look.

Lang Donegal     

Lang Donegal

Tweed is a trend, and this yarn is much more than a rehashed version of other tweeds.  Donegal has a DK gauge, but it is thick and thin (sometimes very thin).  If you are an intermediate knitter who hasn’t worked with thick and thin yarns, you will have to pay attention.  Donegal fulls on blocking, meaning that what looks like holes as you knit will fill in more solidly after blocking.  This quality makes Donegal an interesting choice for crochet, too!  A big plus–This is a yarn that is a man magnet!  I have a pullover OTN for John, and when our two sons were home for Christmas they both immediately snatched it up saying “this is nice!” (and they live in CA & AZ–not sweater country)  Just be sure to stick to the darker, neutral colors.  After showing off the patterns in the Lang Vintage book, they were all judged to be winners by my houseful of men.  The 50g skein has over 200 yards, so it goes a long way.