When I first started out knitting, I only knew wool exist in one form. That wool was cheap ass acrylic Double Knitting (DK) yarn. Of course, it has it’s benefits in that a)it is cheap b)it is affordable (200g for less than £2 generally) c)it comes in a wide array of colours d)it is generally widely available. Of those four points, d) was the main attraction for me. I have an LYS (if you can call it that, it’s a stall at an indoor market not much bigger than a public toilet) that sells cheap DK and Aran weight wool by the bucket load, so that did for all my early projects. It’s great to start with, as if you split the wool, or get tangled or knotted, you can cut the wool and start again with little expense spared.
As time has gone by, I have explored other weights, thicknesses and types of yarn. It hasn’t always been pretty! I freely admit that I have had ‘fun fur’ in my yarn stash at one point! I’ve bought sock yarn, then struggled to make the socks. I’ve bought chunky yarn to make that chunky scarf, only to realise I haven’t bought anywhere near enough chunky yarn. Truth is, I don’t know enough about the variety of yarns to really think about what I should be using for each product. Time to learn!
Merino is a type of sheep raised for their fine, soft wool, which makes merino 100% quality wool. No man made fibres here! Merino is good for thermoregulation too, and has anti-bacterial qualities (you see, the coat of wool protects the sheepies from all sorts). The yarn is generally stretchy. This type of yarn can also be washed without shrinkage and reshapes easily (apparently, the proof is always in the pudding so they say!).
So in preparation for 2010, I have bought some lovely merino to investigate! I bought three balls, all made by different companies, in great spring colours.
1 – Patons Merino Deluxe DK 50g – In a shade of orange. This yarn is a product of Australia
1 – Patons Merino Deluxe DK 50g – In a shade of orange. This yarn is a product of Australia
2 – Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 ply 100g – In green. 100% Italian Merino
3 – Rowan Pure Wool 4ply 50g – In a shade of lemony yellow. Product of Romania. OK, this strictly isn’t merino, it is however 100% wool from some other kinda sheep, and the colour worked well with the others!
The prices were quite varied for the merinos. Is one ball more expensive than the other because it’s a better quality? Are you paying for the name of the company that produced it? I dunno, but I will keep an eye on it over the next few months and blog about my findings!
Now I know a bit about merino, and I know what it looks like. More importantly I know how it feels – and it feels good! I really need to look more at the terms of weight used in knitting. And this is where it goes a little mad! Europe uses different terms than those used in America for some. As said above, I am used to knitting with DK weight, which is also known light worsted, and sometimes referred to as 8 ply. Pfft . I know this yarn as being of ‘average’ thickness, it keeps kids warm and makes good toys.
I have bought the merino in 4ply or ‘fingering’ yarn. What does this mean? Well, my understanding is that once the sheep has been shaved, and the wool has been washed and brushed and spinned to look more like wool as we know it, they (the spinners – I don’t personally know any spinners yet) then twist 4 ‘strands’ of the spun wool together to make the yarn thicker and stronger.
What do I plan to make? I plan to make a lace scarf fit for spring, and won’t be starting the project until the New Year is here. For once I am going to pick the pattern based on the yarn and ensure I use the correct size of needles.
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