Tag Archives: superwash

Crisp Has a Bit of Spring

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It is always amazing how a different yarn can greatly affect the outcome of a project. I find that this weekly exploration into the qualities of different fibers and yarn has really helped me to understand what can work with various ideas.

Looking for a springy yarn, I find that Crisp by Sugarbush is a fine example. This yarn is made up of 100% extra fine superwash merino. Essentially it is a very fine wool, meaning it is a thin diameter fiber of a wool that is already known to be thin. This “thinness” makes it soft. Then superwash means that the wool has been treated so that it does not felt. Making this s yarn that is of a nice quality and yet has a practical application.

Crisp by Sugarbush Yarns

When playing with the yarn I found that it was quite springy, or having a lot of bounce back. This is great for items that need some stretch, like a hat or gloves, but I don’t think I would enjoy it as much as in things that I want a bit of drape in such as a shawl.

This yarn is four ply, which seems to be worked with a bit of extra twist. This extra twist places the plies close together allowing for its spring back quality but also giving the yarn a nice tubular feel as well. This round nature allows for the parts of any particular stitch to be readily visible, thus giving definition. This yarn will really help any pattern with texture to shine, so pull out the cables, the popcorns the bobbles and such, but consider leaving the lace and open stitch work patterns aside. The spring of the yarn will not allow these open stitches to open as great as they should, making your lace work seem less defined.

The ball is only 1.75 oz/95 yrd (50g/87m) so it does not take you far, one ball may complete a hat, but I would pick up a second ball just to be safe. I think you will be pleased with this yarn, it does not tend to split when being worked and glides through the hand. It does create a soft fabric that is pleasant to the touch.

Big Squeeze by Ancient Arts- A Lofty Experience

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I have played with a lot of yarn over the years, but I do not think that I have ever found a yarn that is so forgiving, or as “squishy” as Ancient Arts Big Squeeze.

This yarn is 100% Superwash Merino, as a result it will not felt or shrink but has a very soft feel. The way this yarn is spun it has a great loft to it, and this has a couple of benefits. Not only is it forgiving in the stitches, and adjusting well for uneven tension, but it also holds more air making it warmer.

Ancient Arts Yarn www.lindadeancrochet.com

Ancient Arts Yarn Big Squeeze color Frolic

This bulky weight yarn comes in a skein size of 127 yards (116 meters), which is comparable to other skeins of this weight, and one skein can easily complete a scarf or hat project. With the larger yarn, it garners a need for a larger hook a J/10/6.00mm will give you a pretty dense fabric, and you may prefer working with a hook size of at least K/10 ½ /6.5mm or greater.

The smooth even ply of this yarn also gives great stitch definition so it makes your stitches the star of the show, even though it comes in over 125 brilliant colors.

I feel this yarn will work up nicely in any home décor, simple accessory, or outer wear garment project. Due to the weight and lofty, it is obviously not the choice for small delicate items (in either look or feel). I also would not necessarily recommend it for projects that have a lot of fine detail, as the large bulk and hook make the details almost disappear.

My overall impression of this yarn is that I could just wrap myself in it and it would be a pillow and a blanket, maybe an all in one cocoon, which I could happily go about my day. It is a dream to work with.

Springy Superwash Yarn!

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ScannedImageYarn with a little spring can keep things interesting; Mountain Colors Crazyfoot is just such a yarn.

Crazyfoot is a 90% superwash merino, 10% nylon, light weight, 4 ply yarn that offers a bit of bounce in the stitches, while having a surprisingly round yarn that gives good stitch definition.

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Mountain Colors Crazyfoot yarn

The superwash indicates that the wool has been chemically treated so that it will not felt. In this processes essentially what happens is that the “scales” on each individual fiber are smoothed or relaxed so that they do not catch on the “scales” of the adjacent individual fibers. It is these “scales” (much like the pictures that hair conditioner commercials have used as a before photo) that join together and attract to each other that causes felting.

The process does not change the other properties of wool, as it is still fire resistant, still warm when wet, still takes dye well, still resists odor absorption, still has great stretch, and still able to wick moisture from the body keeping the body at a neutral body temperature.

When paired with a nylon this becomes a very stable and resilient yarn, that can offer a yarn that will stretch and readily spring back into its original shape. It is great for socks, gloves, hats, any garment with a negative fitting ease (where is stretches over the body and hugs the skin), it could even serve as a good outer garment, yet the weight of the yarn may limit its use in this area.

The yarn has a nice twist that does not readily split and holds its shape nicely. This allows for nice stitch definition, creating stand out for texture stitches. The only deterrent is the dependent upon the color way selected. Some of the short color repeats may cause distractions to more complicated stitch work, but overall it is a yarn that I go back to time and again.