No photos today. No interesting stories, even. Not even any boring ones.
I spent my entire day browsing the KnitPicks and PatternWorks catalogs to pick out what to get with my gift certificates.
So here is a yarn review. Sorry. S’all I got.
Today’s review:
Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted, 100% merino wool, worsted weight. 210 yd per 100g ball.
Rating: ●●●●○
I’ve used this yarn twice now, and seen/felt/fondled/drooled over it in person many many times. I used it for a hat and cowl; both are still in great shape.
Pros:
- Soft, soft, softsoftsoft. Awesomely soft, for being wool and naught else.
- Not terribly expensive. About $10-13 per ball.
- Good yardage- comparable to Cascade 220.
- Lots of gorgeous, rich, kettle dyed colors in solids, semisolids, and variegated colorways.
- Felts superbly (though why would you want to?!)
Cons:
- Not machine washable- hand wash only, and gently at that. This felts VERY WELL, however, as mentioned above.
- Not plied. This can cause breakage if you use particular cast-on or knitting methods that have a tendency to untwist yarn.
- Likes to stick to itself- a poor choice for drop-stitch projects or anything you need to frog multiple times.
- Pills, of course, as it’s unplied. However a once-over with a sweater shaver takes care of the issue.
Me? I adore this yarn. LOVE it. However, I probably wouldn’t use it for anything that would take lots of wear- gloves, mittens, definitely not socks. A definite no for baby garments, as well, regardless of softness. I might use it for a sweater, keeping in mind that it does pill and will probably felt at the underarms. Perfect for next-to-the-skin wear like cowls, scarves, and fingerless mitts, though, and if you do make a sweater… oh the decadence.
