Knitting Love, my top 10 yarns

February 10, 2013

With all the love in the air this week and in honor of St. Valentine, all week long and starting today I'll be posting the top 10 lists of my knitting loves, such as yarns and patterns and designers and even top 10 movies to knit by.   It's a combination of all the above that keep me knitting day after day and year after year.  So much beauty and talent out there and I want to share my favs with you.

First up is a list of my top 10 yarns.  I am super fussy about my yarn and to make this list it must have an easy hand (fun to knit) and make a beautiful fabric that has staying power to wear and wear.   Links take you to shopping sites.


1.  Rowan Kidsilk Haze tops my list.  A lace weight confection of silk and kid mohair, it's glossy and gorgeous and makes a heavenly and warm lightweight fabric.  This yarn does take some getting use to, but once you get into the rhythm you might get hooked!  Tip:  use it doubled as a dk weight, oh just heaven!  KSH has some lovely sisters too, Night, Stripe, Glamor, Aura and Trio.  I've used them all and loved them all. Very versatile and excellent pattern support.
Chihuly Scarf in Kidsilk Stripe.

2.  Rowan Kid Classic.  Magnificent is the word here.  Luxurious worsted weight lambswool and kid mohair blend that is a workhorse of a yarn yet still maintains it's elegance wear after wear after wear.  Rowan calls it an aran, I knit it at as a light worsted.  Excellent pattern support.
Bronze by Kim Hargreaves in Rowan Kid Classic.

3.  Rowan All Seasons Cotton, an aran weight, machine wash blend of cotton and acrylic.  Super soft and easy hand.  I like to knit this as a worsted weight.
St. James by Tonya Wagner in All Seasons Cotton.

4.  Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.  My favorite sport weight yarn, a blend of merino, cashmere and microfiber.  Possibly the softest yarn on the planet and machine washable.
A trio of baby cardis knit in Baby Cashmerino.

5.  Rowan Felted Tweed DK, can knit up as a sport weight too.  A beautiful tweed in lovely colors with perfect amount of tiny tweedy bits.  Excellent pattern support.
Salina by Kim Hargreaves in Rowan Felted Tweed DK.

6.  Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, American grown and produced worsted weight tweed.  Gorgeous!!!  Designers love this yarn and lots of great patterns have showcased this.  Beautiful colors!
 Tea with Jam and Bread by Heidi Kirrmaier in Shelter.

7.  Rowan Handknit Cotton.  Knits for me as a light worsted weight cotton that is soooo easy on the hands, very soft, it's my favorite cotton.  Washes well.
Garter Yoke Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre.

8.  Shelridge Farm Soft Touch DKW.  I've only used this once but I loved the hand, and the stitches were only too happy to step into place, lining up perfectly.  I found it at Stitches West and was impressed with the large color selection.
Genevieve by Cecily Glowik MacDonald in Shelridge Farm Soft Touch DK.

9.  Isager Strik Spinni (Wool 1).  I loved working with this lace weight yarn, gorgeous colors and surprisingly soft.  Has a rustic but elegant look.
Volt by Grace Anna Farrow in Isager Strik Spinni.


10.  Madeline Tosh Sock.  You need to watch the dyes, even the same dye lot ( if they have any) can be untrustworthy, but if you can handle that issue, you are rewarded with a beautiful experience!  I am not a sock knitter, but this would be it if I were!  I wear this shawl around my neck without wincing!
Damson by Ysolde Teague in Madeline Tosh Sock.

And now I need to take a little time to lament the passing of some of my favorite yarns:  Rowan Calmer, Rowan 4-ply Cotton, Rowan 4-ply Soft, Rowan Yorkshire Tweed, Rowan Aura, Rowan Pure Cashmere and Rowanspun.  Sniff.

Did I miss any of your favorite yarns?  I'd love to know what they are, please tell!  And yes, I know my list is heavily weighted with Rowan!  What can I say except Rowan Love exists here at Knitionary.

PS...I'm roasting a turkey today, you should smell my house, yum.  Good fragrance to knit to!








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13 Comments

  1. Rowan needs you on their payroll! (did you see that Summer Tweed is coming back? did you like it?) I'm currently loving Shibui and Fibre Company... really looking forward to the rest of the series - what a great idea, Kristen!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know Summer Tweed left! I love the garments I've seen made from this, but it hurts my hands to knit with this. Too bad, because I love their colors.

      Delete
  2. Lots of Rowan in there! They tend to be my favorites too. I'm still mourning the loss of Rowan DK Soft some 10 years later. And I was shocked to discover only a couple of weeks ago that Calmer has been discontinued. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know Calmer, of all the yarns? Who knows why they discontinue a yarn.

      Delete
  3. Spoken like a true Rowan Ambassador. I wish Rowan was found here locally.

    It seems like I have been knitting a lot with Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK because that is what my local yarn shop carries.

    They used to carry Debbie Baby Cashmerino and I loved it. At the moment, I'll knit anything with Alpaca in it! It is my fave fiber.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I am lucky that my LYS is heavily stocked with Rowan. I also love Sublime yarns, they have beautiful colors and all the ones I know have been very soft.

      Delete
  4. One of my favourite yarns to knit with, and to wear, is Green Mountain Spinnery's Mountain Mohair. It is a blend of 100% north American fibre in 30% yearly mohair and 70% wool. Green Mountain Spinnery is a worker owned cooperative based in Vermont. This particular yarn comes in 2 oz hanks (58 grams) and has 140 yards (128m) in a hank. The label says it comes to 4.5 sts/inch on a US 7/4.5mm needle. I've made mittens, scarves, and shawls with this lovely yarn. I've my eye on a fab cardigan as well. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous - knits into a beautiful fabric, lightweight to wear, warm and not bulky or scratchy, stunning in stocking stitch and also holds up well in lace or cables, and so many great colourways. Depending on the colourway the mohair is either dark (blackish or charcoal) or white. I have used three colourways so far and just adore this yarn. I'm like a walking billboard! I am DivaDar on Ravelry and projects I've made with this yarn can be found on my project page.
    Happy Knitting!
    Sometimes I use a strand of KSH with another yarn, for example Cascade 220. With Mountain Mohair there is no need to work with two skeins as the mohair is spun right in to the yarn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sold! I am on the hunt for this yarn and I know if you love it, I'll love it too!

      Delete
  5. Love your lists! What a great idea! In addition to the yarns you mentioned, (I, too, am a Rowan lover!) I would include Fibre Company's Terra and Acadia. Also, Quince and Co's Tern, Sparrow, and Lark. I really enjoy your blog! Very inspirational!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue, I also love Quince and Co. but haven't used it often enough. I've never seen it in a shop. I will check out your Fibre Company, I love learning about new yarns.

      Delete
  6. What a great idea for a V-Day theme! I look forward to reading the rest of the lists. Of course, your projects totally sell all of your yarn choices! I love me some Rowan, too. :)

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  7. Such a great collection of yarns!! What is the name of the Debbie Bliss book that has the little cardigan, the one in the back. So precious!
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's so cute. It's Debbie Bliss book number one and has booties and a hat to match!

      Delete

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