Wanting to support Organic, Certified Predator-Friendly wool, I purchased a plant-dyed hank of THIRTEEN MILE LAMB AND WOOL yarn. Here’s my review
CONS:
Expensive
Initially scratchy for sensitive skin
Inconsistency in diameter of yarn
Bleeds dye
PROS:
Fast and friendly customer service
Supports sustainable agriculture
Thick-and-thin is not severe. Gauge is obtainable and yarn is strong.
Beautiful to look at
Good for market bags, placemats, rugs, etc.
My one hank of plant-dyed worsted 100g /220 yds in the color Roma was $25.50 plus shipping.
I had the idea that I was going to substitute the yarn for a Lopi sweater, but by the time I knit half-way through the swatch, I knew this wasn’t going to happen.
The yarn is initially very scratchy. I knew it wasn’t going to be Mohair soft, but this was much scratchier than I expected. It felt like rope in my hand. It also had a great deal of vegetable matter spun in, and a lot of that shed onto my working surface while I knit my swatch. That visual definitely added to the psychological irritation.
I had emailed TML&W previous to purchase to inquire about the yarn, and they were very kind to email me back with information on the yarn. To quote, “Our worsted yarns are typically a blend of Romney, Corriedale, and sometimes some other crosses. It’s a blend of medium grade, soft fibers […] all the yarns are Semi-worsted, meaning that the roving is pin-drafted after carding, yielding a stronger, smoother, softer yarn than if it was woolen spun (spun without pin-drafting).” From their description, I really didn’t think it would be so itchy.
I also noticed while I was knitting that there was actually a thick-and-thin dynamic that I hadn’t expected. Of course, with artisanal yarn this is common. Fortunately, I found that it wasn’t significant enough to warrant concern, and can be desirable in certain patterns.
As I was wondering what alternate item I could knit with this yarn, I saw that my fingers were orange with dye. I had not yet knit one inch’s worth of swatch when my fingers were completely hennaed. At that point, I realized I should have tested for color fastness before winding the yarn.
Now I had to abandon the swatch, re-swift the yarn, and vinegar-bath the hank. At $25.50 a hank, I prefer my yarn to be dye-fixed before it arrives. Especially if used in an Icelandic Fair Isle pattern, I must have yarn that won’t bleed. I could see that a simple washing and rinsing wouldn’t be enough. It would need to be vinegar-bathed before knitting.
All that said, I did vinegar-bath it and then soak it in Eucalan. It came out beautifully fixed and just a tad softer, but still too scratchy for me to wear as a sweater. (But apparently just purr-fect for Cali Catstotnik, even when still damp.)
But after experimenting with this yarn and getting to know it more, I have some positive thoughts about it. I have decided that the yarn is very appealing for its own artisanal and earthy characteristics. I definitely want to use it for a Fair Isle market bag. I have vinegar-bathed the plant-dyed hank, and will supplement it with the $18.00/hank undyed colors available from TML&W.
Second, since this producer is worth supporting, I recommend a couple strategies for purchasing their yarn. First, if the yarn is out of your price-range, try using just one hank in concert with other yarns, or choose a small project like boot cuffs as opposed to an entire sweater. You could also decide to make an entire sweater, but put money away for it over time, and make sure you’ve swatched, washed, blocked and tested it for irritation.
Third, if you do not wish to go through the process of fixing the dye yourself, purchase their undyed yarn which comes in several natural colors from Dark Chocolate to White.
I am a “Project Knitter”, but when I accidentally became in “Process” with this yarn, I allowed for the adventure, and found myself none the “worsted” for wear.
“FUR”-THER PERTINENTS:
-XB
No comments:
Post a Comment