Corn fibre and wool/milk fibre samples

These are the samples for the other 2 new yarns I mentioned in my post a couple of weeks ago. This yellow sample is knitted in 100% corn fibre. The ball band suggests a needle size of 6 to 6.5mm but I felt this was much to big as the yarn looed to me like a DK weight so I knitted the sample on 4.5mm needles. (The little eyelets at the bottom of the stocking stitch section are a shorthand to indicate the needle size)

The sample knitted up to a very nice smooth stocking stitch fabric giving a tension gauge of 23 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm (4 inches) - fairly close to the standard DK tension. the knitting feels smooth and soft but seems to have more spring than cotton yarn. It produces a good stitch definition although the 'print' colour makes the knit and purl pattern more difficult to see. The yarn does come in solid colours as well.

The brown sample is 30% milk fibre and 70% Australian wool. Again the needle size given on the ball band is 7mm but the yarn looks like a DK weight so I started the sample on 4.5mm needles but after the moss stitch section I changed to 5mm needles. The tension gauge on 4.5mm needles was 19.5 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm (4 inches).

The knitted fabric feels like a good quality wool with a slightly silky feel. It has the body and elasticity you would expect from a wool yarn. The stocking stitch produced using the 4.5mm needles is good but slightly firmer than I personally like so I went up a needle size to see what that was like. After the second section of stocking stitch there are 8 rows of blackberry stitch followed by star stitch leaning to the right and then leaning to the left. The star stitch makes an interesting pattern even in the 'print' yarn. This yarn is available in solid colours as well.

The 4 yarns I have been trying out are all produced by Rosarios 4 and made in Portugal. I understand from my student who supplied the yarns that they are imported by Moral-Fibre

New Yarns

One of my City and Guilds students opened a new yarn shop last autumn. The shop is called Wa Waas Wool n'Bits in Bexhill on Sea. I haven't been to the shop as I live about 90 miles away from Bexhill but at the first class back this year I asked Fran to bring along some yarns from her shop.

She brought along a variety of new fibre yarns for me to knit samples with. These yarns are all made in Portugal.

Sole Latte is a yarn made from 100% milk fibre. It looks and feels very much like a soft cotton yarn. The sample in the picture was knitted on 4mm Addi Turbo needles. It knitted very easily to make a nice even fabric in stocking stitch and good stitch definition when knitting a knit and purl pattern. The sample I knitted gave a stocking stitch tension of 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm (normal DK tension). The sample I had is multi-shapes of brown but I think they also produce the yarn in solid colours.

The next yarn Capuccino is 30% milk fibre and 70% Australian Wool. Again it is multi-shades of brown but may also come in solid colours. It looks like a wool yarn and is slightly thicker than the Sole Latte. I haven't knitted a sample in this yarn yet but will post more information when I have.

The 3rd yarn is Bio Bamboo which is 100% Bamboo yarn rather than a banboo tape. It has a silky feel and the sample is knitted on 4mm Denise interchangable needles. As the yarn is silky it is a bit more difficult to knit when using Addi Turbos as they are very smooth. The Denise needles provide a bit of 'grip' on the yarn making the knitting easier. As you can see from the picture the knitting is still on the needles but it produces a good even stocking stitch and I think it should also give good definition when worked ina aknit purl pattern. the stocking stitch tension on my sample is 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm, the same tension as the Sole Latte sample. the bamboo drapes more than the Sole Latte as it is more like silk or soya bean yarn.

Pop Corn is the 4th yarn Fran brought along. It is made from 100% corn fibre. The yarn feels soft and the way it has been plyed gives it a slightly textured look. Again I haven't knitted a sample in this yarn yet but will post more information when I have.