Quantum Tea

All Things Knitting

Yarn Reviews

This is a list of yarns I have used, and what I thought of them. If I've insulted your favourite yarn, I'm sorry, but I just didn't like it. I'll keep adding to this as I use new yarns.

Updated May 2008.

Apple Laine's Apple Pie
bellamoden sport weight
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock yarn
Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted hand dyed
Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted
Cascade 220
Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids
Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
Classic Elite Bazic Wool
Crystal Palace Maizy
Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille
Crystal Palace Panda Cotton
Dale Falk
Dale Heilo
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
DZined sport weight wool, hemp, and mohair yarn
Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool
Fiesta Baby Boom
Fortissima Colori Mexiko
KnitPicks Essential
KnitPicks Simple Stripes
KnitPicks Sock Landscape
KnitPicks Wool of the Andes
Koigu Painter's Palette Pure Merino
Lana Grossa Meilenweit Maya
Lily Sugar n Cream
Lisa Souza Sock!
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
Magic Garden Buttons
Mission Falls 1824 Cotton
Morehouse Merino three strand natural
Mountain Colors Bearfoot
Noro Kureyon
Opal Owl
Plymouth Sockotta
Regia sock yarn
Reynolds Lopi
Reynolds Swizzle
Rowan Cocoon
ShibuiKnits Sock
South West Trading Company Karaoke
South West Trading Company Tofutsies
Sweet Georgia superwash sock
Trampoline Stretch
Twisted Fiber Arts Arial Yarn
Urban GypZ Twisted
Wooly Wonka Superwash BFL sock yarn

Apple Laine's Apple Pie (machine wash cold, 50% wool, 20% mohair, 20% silk, 10% nylon, 190yds/2oz)
Used for Martha's Orchard Socks, completed May 2007. This is wonderful yarn. Shiny, a bit fuzzy, bright colours, and kitten-soft. The thickness wasn't totally consistent, there were a few slubs and thinner parts, but barely noticeable when knitted up. It withstood being ripped out at least twice. Slightly splitty if you're not paying attention and going too fast, but there are only two plies to mess with. Definitely one to get again.

bellamoden sport (machine wash, 100% merino, 250yds/100g)
Used for Doomed to Comfort socks made in December 2007. Beautifully dyed yarn. Knit on 3.25mm needles, the fabric was firm and squishy. Very warm and comfortable socks. Can be knit without looking at it. No knots in the skein, and it didn't split. Love this yarn!

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock yarn (machine wash, 100% wool, 360yds/4oz)
Used for Harvest Rock socks (Harvest Moon colour), completed January 2005. This yarn was my reward for finishing NaNoWriMo 2005. The colours are gorgeous, but after three washes, the colour on the sole is fading. Also there was a knot join in the skein, followed by an over-twisted section of about a yard that was unusable. The vendor I bought it from (The Fold) provided another skein as a replacement which I'm hoping will be better. The socks feel good, but I was surprised by the quality of the yarn. It's possible I just got a bad skein, but I will probably not buy this again.

Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted hand dyed (hand wash, 50% wool, 50% alpaca, 100yds/100g)
Used for the Prairie Shawl from Folk Shawls, completed October 2005. The yarn is made up of lots of thin strands, very soft and very warm. It was occasionally splitty, but it's good to work with. The shawl looks good, still soft after a wash. Drapes well, gave the shawl to Anna as a Christmas gift (2005).

Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted (hand wash, 85% wool, 15% mohair, 190yds/100g)
Used for Coronet hat (October 2004) and catnip mice (December 2004). I had enough yarn in one skein to make the hat and two catnip mice, which are being killed daily by my two cats. Thickness varied some, but the cable showed up well and I liked working with it. The finished hat felt warm. I'd like to try felting this yarn. Continual play from cats for over a year and the mice are still doing well, though yarn got very fuzzy.

Cascade 220 (hand wash, 100% wool, 220yds/100g)
Used for a Good Ole Cable Scarf that I sent to my Dad for Christmas 2004. The yarn was warm and soft, a little splitty if it was abused, but I liked it. It also refused to snap, even when I tried. No idea about how well it wears because the scarf is in England, but it knit up well. Definitely one to get again.

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solid (machine wash cold, 100% merino, 420yds/100g)
Used for Vinnland Hill socks for Elaine, completed March 2008. Yarn is tightly plied and a little thin, but it stood up to a rip out well. Feels soft and strong, good stitch definition. Skein has thick fuzzy splices I'm unhappy with, six in total. Will not get this yarn again. Cherry Tree Hill offered to send a credit to the store I got it from so I could get a replacement skein.

Classic Elite Alpaca Sox (hand wash, 60% Alpaca, 20% Merino Wool, 20% Nylon, 450 yds/100g.)
Attempted to use for Penny's socks. Horrible to knit with! Seems a lot thinner than other sock yarns, used size 0 needle (2mm) instead of usual size 1 (2.25mm). Yarn appears to be made up of two barely plied strands that split very easily. It's really soft and the colours are great, but I ripped out the sock and went stash diving for an alternative, I'm not knitting with this. Maybe it would be OK doubled...

Classic Elite Bazic Wool (machine wash, 100% wool, 65yds/50g)
Used for Leftovers Blanket, strip two, completed November 2005. Found a fantastic orange sherbet colour. This is a cheap yarn with an interesting texture. It is very twisty to use, caught a few stray strands while knitting, but it feels thick and warm. It looks shiny when knit up. Quite soft, comes in lots of colours. I like this yarn. Found a knot in my fifth ball.

Crystal Palace Maizy (machine wash, 82% corn fibre, 18% elastic nylon, 204yds/50g)
Used for Maizy Monkey socks, May 2008. Doesn't feel anything like cotton or wool, it feels soft and dry, like thirsty paper on dry hands, almost velvety. Made of eight plies with a loose twist, be careful of splitting. The finished fabric is worth the splitting. Stretchier than I was expecting, feels cool, light, and airy to wear.

Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille (hand wash, 100% cotton, 98yds/50g)
Used for a Cuddle Toy, October 2005. The yarn comes with a warning on the label to knit loose as it is not an elastic yarn. It knits up velvety soft and cuddly and heavy, perfect for a toy or a luxurious scarf. Can hurt your hands if you knit too tight. Comes in all kinds of colours, this is definitely a yarn I'll buy again. Doesn't shed while knitting, or when made up.

Crystal Palace Panda Cotton (machine wash 55% bamboo, 24% cotton, 21% elastic nylon, 170yds/50g)
Used for Panda Monkey socks, May 2007. Four ply yarn that splits at every opportunity, pay attention when knitting. Does not rip out well. There are some nice colours but the yardage is low. Having said that, the fabric is nice when knit tight and it shows up the lace pattern well.

Dale Falk (machine wash, 100% wool, 116 yds/50g)
Used for a Fair Isle experiment, and two baby hats, October 2005. Sturdy sport weight yarn, can't snap it by hand, knits up evenly and barely splits at all. It's warm, it's washable, what's not to like? Great for colourwork, inexpensive, jolly good yarn. Goes very soft when washed (in cold water, and not tumble-dried). Might try it for socks one day.

Dale Heilo (handwash, 100% Norwegian wool, 109yds/50g)
Used for Pirate Mittens, completed mid 2008. Sportweight yarn, feels sturdy rather than soft, feels better when knitted up. Plies unravelled somewhat after two rip outs but this is good yarn, not expensive and comes a great range of colours.

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (machine wash, 55% merino wool, 33% microfibre, 12% cashmere, 98 yds/50g)
Used for SnB Nation hair bands and Leftovers blanket, March 2005. My first cashmere yarn, I made two hair bands with it and had plenty left over. Got 2 more balls for other projects. Expensive, but it did survive the washer and dryer mostly intact (I think it shrunk a little in the dryer), got a bit fuzzy but nothing major.

DZined hemp yarn (hand wash, 43% wool, 43% hemp, and 14% mohair)
Used for hemp socks. Do not put this yarn in the washing machine! Made a pair of warm socks with this yarn and have lots left over. Not good for machine-washing, it felts a little and shrinks. Colours are stunning, would be great for a lace scarf. Snaps if you pull it too hard, and it does contain a little plant matter, doesn't stretch like wool, or retain shape as well, but still good yarn. DZined is no longer selling yarn as of 2008

Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool (hand wash, 65% wool, 35% silk, 192yds/50g )
Used for Faina's scarf, completed December 2005. This yarn looks a little thin for sport weight, and it does have bits of plant matter still in there, but I'll forgive a lot for the soft feel and beautiful look of this yarn. It has a tweedy look which is wonderful knitted up, the lace looks great. Yarn has split a few times, but overall it's great. Blocked well, stitch definition is good.

Fiesta Baby Boom (machine wash, 100% merino wool, 220yds/50g)
Used for Penny's socks, completed February 2008. Gorgeous, velvety-soft yarn! Wish it came in solids too. Knit at 9st/in on 2.5mm needles. This yarn is the fingering weight version of Fiesta Boomerang. It's a six ply yarn made from three two-ply strands. No knots in the skein, yarn rarely split, feels cushy when knit with good stitch definition, though patterns are a little lost in the variegated colours. Would definitely use this again.

Fortissima Colori Mexiko (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon, 460yds/100g)
Used for Susan's socks, completed July 2006. Feels thinner than some sock yarns, colours are good but the printing quality could use some work, colours overlapped and it didn't look as good as I'd hoped. My two balls were wound in opposite directions, requiring a rewinding session before I could start sock #2. Found a knot join in ball #2 which had to be cut out. Quite rough before washing, much improved afterwards.

KnitPicks Essential (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon, 231yds/50g)
Used for Hubby's socks, pair #2, May 2006. Felt thin, a little splitty at times, and rough. Softened up after a wash, slightly heathered look to the yarn. It's hard to wear wool socks in summer, so I don't know how well they'll hold up, but other KnitPicks sock yarn has been good. Knit the rest in strip 4 of the leftovers blanket.

KnitPicks Simple Stripes (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon, 231yds/50g)
Used for Vineyard socks, May 2005. Made my first Magic Loop socks with this, worked on the second sock at the Vineyard National Conference, using the Vineyard colour. This yarn got a lot softer after I washed it, shows no signs of wear yet (May 2008) and looks great. I bought more to make socks for my mother. Discontinued.

KnitPicks Sock Landscape (hand wash, 100% merino wool, 192yds/50g)
Used for mother in law socks, February 2006. Yarn is very soft, and the colours are bright and bold. It is a bit splitty, had to pay attention so as not to hook the strands apart. No problems winding this yarn. Got 9st/in on my Addi size 1 sock needle. I'm hoping these socks last as I'm sending them to my mother-in-law in England. They feel warm and cozy. Discontinued.

KnitPicks Wool of the Andes (hand wash, 100% wool, 110yds/50g)
Used for Jayne Cobb hat #1 in August 2005. Solid and sturdy yarn, couldn't snap it, knitted up well, good results. Made a warm hat that looked great. Stitch definition is good, yarn is very cheap.

Koigu Painter's Palette Pure Merino (hand wash, 100% wool, 175yds/50g)
Used for Koigu neckscarf (free pattern from Patternworks), March 2005. Very nice yarn! Got a pink skein instead of the red I was expecting, but the colours are amazing, they have depth to them. Would love to get more. Very soft, tightly spun, definitely one to get again.

Lana Grossa Meilenweit Maya (machine wash, 45% cotton, 42% wool, 13% nylon, 418yds/100g)
Used for cotton lace socks, August 2006. Got this yarn in Beth's Unloved Sock Yarn Swap, it came from France. Yarn was a little splitty, but not as bad I was expecting. Colours are good and the yarn feels soft. Held up to making lace well, and the socks feel good.

Lily Sugar n Cream (machine wash, 100% cotton, 95yds/56g)
Used for Summer purse, July 2005. This yarn feels indestructible, I've also used it for coasters. No give whatsoever, and it made my hands ache if I knit too long with it, but I like the results. Inexpensive and comes in lots of different colours.

Lisa Souza Sock! (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon, 450yds/100g)
[Not used] Skein arrived with a hefty visible knot join in. Emailed Lisa Souza with a picture asking for a replacement, she replied saying I was being "harsh" and gave a refund. Then she emailed again, saying she'd seen the picture and was horrified, and sent a replacement skein which did not have knots in. It looks like nice yarn and feels soft, but I'm put off by the fact that she didn't look at the photo before her initial reply.

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (machine wash, 80% superwash wool, 20% nylon, 215yds/50g)
Used for socks for Rox (December 2006) and Seraphim shawl (September 2007). This is wonderful yarn and I would definitely get it again. It's tightly spun, rarely splits, and the colours are beautiful. And there was plenty leftover from a pair of socks. Lace definition was fantastic and the shawl is warm and light.

Magic Garden Buttons (machine wash, 83% New Zealand wool, 17% nylon, 135yds/50g)
Used for Comfort socks. Sport weight wool with nylon slubs, warm and soft. One casualty where the wool was ripped away from the nylon wrapper but still one of my best pairs of socks, the first toe-up Sherman heel pair I made. I wear these after a lousy day to make me feel better.

Mission Falls 1824 Cotton (hand wash, 100% cotton, 85yds/50g)
Used for Fiona bag. This was my first knitalong, and I flunked. The bag languished in my yarn closet for months and I finally threw it away. The yarn pills horribly, I ended up not liking the pattern at all. The colours are good, but the yarn felt far too fragile to make a bag and didn't look good knitted up. Maybe it was all the purling, but I won't get it again. Gave away what yarn I had left.

Morehouse Merino three strand natural (hand wash, 100% merino wool, 140yds/2oz)
Used for a bowknot scarf. The yarn I used is undyed, the colour comes from blending black and white fleeces. It's wonderfully soft, very warm, and something I really want to use again. The yarn is a little "sticky" in that it sticks to itself. That came in very handy when I found a moth hole, nothing had unravelled around the hole. This is a gorgeous yarn, go out and get some! I also made the green variegated snake scarf.

Mountain Colors Bearfoot (machine wash, 60% wool, 25% mohair, and 15% nylon, 350yds/100g)
Used for Hubby's socks, July 2005. I love this yarn! It was silky soft, very warm and had a slight shine to it as I knitted. I dropped more stitches than average while working with it, but that could just be me. The socks look fantastic, I used the Pheasant color. I wasn't sure the skein would make it through two man-size socks but it did, and I even had a little spare for my leftovers blanket. Definitely something to use again. Socks have survived several trips through the machine and one through the dryer, there is some pilling on the heel and the mohair has come out as a halo all over the sock. No obvious other signs of wear.

Noro Kureyon (hand wash, 100% wool)
Used for SnB Nation's Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers. I wanted to like this yarn, I really did. But the thickness varied wildly, it snapped several times on the fingering weight sections in really awkward places, it's rough, it smelled horrible when I washed the armwarmers, I'm never using this yarn again. The colours are gorgeous, but I hated working with the yarn and I'm not fond of wearing it either. There were lots of bits of vegetable matter in it I had to pick out. I learned to spit-splice with this yarn, to repair when it snapped and to weed out the boring colours, so something good came of it.

Opal Rainforest Owl (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon)
Used for my socks. This seemed thinner than other sock yarns, and a little splitty. Felt rough until it went through the laundry. Great pattern, no knots or breaks, and lots of yarn left over. Seems indestructible, no signs of wear yet.

Plymouth Sockotta (machine wash, 45% cotton, 40% wool, 15% nylon)
Used for Sehlat's socks. I like the idea of a cotton sock yarn, but this just didn't feel soft enough for me. The colours are great, but it felt like knitting with string. Sehlat is still wearing them a couple of years later and she likes them.

Regia sock yarn (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% acrylic)
Used for Sarah's socks. Really softened up after the first wash. They are still being worn a year later, so I guess they're wearing well.

Reynolds Lopi (hand wash, 100% Icelandic wool)
Used for Jayne Cobb hat #2. Well, that was different! I didn't like the feel of the yarn to start with but it grew on me. Thickness varies slightly and the end product looked like it was covered in cat hair even when it wasn't. Not a smooth yarn, and it can be snapped if you pull hard. Very warm to wear, and a little prickly. Good colour selection, and not expensive.

Reynolds Swizzle sock yarn (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon)
Used for my first pair of socks. Hardwearing yarn, no sign of wear after two years service. Got a lot softer after washing. Makes thin stripes separated by a thick band of colour.

Rowan Cocoon (hand wash, 80% Merino Wool 20% Kid Mohair)
Used for Greek Spiral hat, completed January 2008. Single ply yarn, slight variation in thickness, and a little fuzzy. Wonderfully soft and warm! You can split the yarn by poking a needle through it, but it's nice to work with. 126 yds/100g.

ShibuiKnits Sock (machine wash, 100% superwash merino wool)
Used for Janice's Shibui Hedgerow socks, completed January 2008. Nice yarn, it doesn't split, no knots in either skein, and it feels very warm and sturdy. Very soft when washed, good stitch definition. Some pooling at the heel but not unattractive. Bright colours. 191 yds/50g.

South West Trading Company Karaoke (hand wash, 50% wool, 50% soy silk)
Used for Karaoke scarf. Thickness varies from sportweight through chunky. It is soft and shiny but splitty, the yarn isn't plied and you can leave some of the fibres behind if you're not careful. It is easier to rip the whole thing than drop one stitch to fix it, the loose fibres get stuck together. The colours are wonderful, but it's not a cheap yarn. Ball #1 had a knot join that fell apart in my hands, resulting in a monster blue section.

South West Trading Company Tofutsies (50% wool, 25% soy silk, 22.5% cotton, 2.5% chitin, machine wash and dry)
Used for Elfine socks for me, completed Feb 2007. Chitin is fibre from shrimp and crab shells. The yarn is splitty, you have to pay attention to catch all the plies. It is also very slippery, metal needles may not be best for this yarn. It can be snapped if you pull quite hard. Colours are good and bright, and it's softer than I expected. 425m of yarn (464yds) in each 100g ball, I think the yarn is thinner than average sock yarn. Has a slight dusty smell to the yarn. Can be ripped out a couple of times before showing wear. Knitted fabric is floppy and thin, good for summer socks. Worked up with a narrow stripe pattern.

Sweet Georgia Superwash Sock (machine wash, 100% superwash merino wool) 185yds/50g
[Socks in progress] Used for Slayer Cable socks. This is wonderful yarn! The colours are amazing, and the knitted fabric is soft and squishy. The yarn is tightly spun, the plies stay together, I love it!

Trampoline Stretch sock yarn (machine wash, 70% wool, 23% nylon, 7% stretch)
Used for Tiger socks. Didn't come out with the nifty tiger stripes like I was hoping for, but there is a definite pattern in the socks. Had a few splits in the yarn but it looks like a sturdy sock yarn and I'm happy with the feel. Would use again. Not the cheapest yarn but decent.

Twisted Fiber Arts Arial yarn (machine wash, 75% wool, 25% nylon)
Twisted is an Etsy store, and this yarn was a special order because I wanted a wool/nylon blend. I noticed a little splitting, but not enough to be annoyed with. The yarn is very soft, and the colours are bright. After one wash, there is no sign of wear, and this may be my favourite pair of socks. Definitely one to get again.

Urban GypZ Twisted (hand wash, 100% merino, 208 yds/100g)
Used for Immigrant socks, April 2008. This is a sport weight three ply yarn where one ply takes dye differently. The cast on end felted from being inside the sock as it was knitted, which makes me wary of how they'll hold up to wear. Yarn is soft, but I'm not buying it again, I much prefer superwash and I don't like how it pooled on the sock cuff.

Wooly Wonka Superwash BFL sock yarn
Used for Boudica socks. Colour is fantastic, knit fabric looks great, and yarn smelled of sheep (this is a good thing in my opinion). Yarn stood up to a couple of rip outs before the three strands began separating. Has a few thick patches, and a knot where one ply had snapped and been joined. Will get this again.