Category: yarn review

yarn review

CONE Yarn Review: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport

elyknits

It’s fall, y’all! …well, it is autumn according to the calendar.

Sweater weather hasn’t fully arrived yet in Northeast Oklahoma, but I am here for you with a seasonally appropriate review of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport 100% wool yarn ON CONES!

Before we get into my knitting experience, here are

The Details

Fiber Content100% Wool
Yardage/Meters1682 yards / 1598 m
Ounces/Grams16 oz / (1 lb) / 452 g
Yarn Weight/SizeCYC 2 / Sport
Made InMitchell, NE, USA
AvailabilityBrownSheep.com, Brick-and-Mortar Local Yarn Shops
Construction3 plies
Put UpCone
Hand WashYes
Machine WashNO
Flat DryYes
Machine DryNO
MSRP$55.80
Price Per Yard$0.03

Additional Info
•This yarn will felt if you do not follow proper care instructions.
•NatureSpun is treated with a moth proofing agent at the time of dyeing that makes the wool “unpalatable to the wool moth larvae.” (See their FAQ page for more details.)
•The main wool breeds used are Corriedale, Rambouillet, and Columbian.
•This construction is available in fingering, sport, worsted, and chunky yarn weights.
•Sport and Fingering are the only options that come in cones.

mid-work on a standard gauge knitting machine

Machine compatibility

4.5mm StandardYes
6.5mm Mid-GaugeYes
8mm / 9mm BulkyYes

Mid to high tensions felt best on a standard gauge machine. Low-mid tensions felt appropriate for the mid-gauge machine. Low tensions are appropriate on a bulky machine unless you plan on using specific techniques that require looser gauge.

(If you’re wondering, I knitted the pictured sweater at Tension 5/5 for the ribbing and Tension 10 for the colorwork.)

What I’m Looking For

I’ve laid out what I’m looking for in a book in recent reviews, but I haven’t really talked about what I want in a yarn. The completely unhelpful answer is “It depends.”

It’s about purpose.

Am I indulging myself in a luxurious, expensive specialty garment, or am I making a jacket I am going to wear every single day? Is the item for someone who will take the time to properly wash it, or is it for a busy new mom who barely has time to think, let alone check the care label on some knitting she got from Auntie Em?

I want to say I’m a bit of a yarn snob because the yarns I end up choosing for personal projects tend to be hand dyed from indie dyers that are specific wool breeds. I want that handmade, one-of-a-kind element to be there from start to finish.

But I can also appreciate acrylic and will argue that has its place in your stash alongside your finest, rarest fibers.

My considerations boil down to
•Will this work on my machine(s)?
•What is its purpose (everyday workhorse vs luxury) and does it meet it?
•How does it feel on my skin?
•Is it easy to care for as a gift?
•What are the color options?
•Is it sustainable/renewable? (This can be difficult to answer depending on the amount of information available)
•How does it block?
•Does it match the claims it makes? (i.e,. “just like silk!”)
•Is this going to be discontinued just because I like it?

I’m kind of kidding with that last one, but I’ll admit I’ve started to stay away from brands that are always introducing new yarns and then discontinuing them after a year. If it’s gone by the time I get to knit with it and I can’t find more, why bother even trying it? That’s a major yarn peeve!

Speaking of yarn peeves, you may not mind these things, but I sure do!

•Knots in low yardage skeins
•Knots in general
•Donut put-up
•Quickly discontinued
•Splitty construction
•Loose/easily lost labels (especially those wrapped but unsecured labels on those dang donuts)

sweater on a wildflower bed of saltmarsh asters

Knitting It Up

I bought this yarn to knit the Sweet and Simple Block Jumper by Kandy Diamond from her new book, Discovering Machine Knitting. (Check out my review here!)

Nature Spun has a great selection of colors. The two colors I used, Autumn Leaves, an olivey chartreuse, and Pomegranate, an autumn red, had very nice depth of color due to a tiny bit of added black. It really made the colors pop.

With more than eighty vibrant colors spun in four different weights, the possibilities are unlimited for creating something beautiful with Nature Spun.

BrownSheep.com

When I think of 100% wool yarns, I think “scratchy,” but that isn’t the case with Nature Spun. It is a bit more textured than a chemically treated superwash wool yarn version, but that is normal.

Nature Spun is pleasantly soft and squishy with a bit of a size bloom in the twist as it comes off of the cone. Brown Sheep Company classifies Nature Spun Sport as a CYC 2 yarn weight, but I wouldn’t call you wrong if you said it was a light DK or CYC 3 weight, as it is on the heavier end of “fingering” weight yarns.

in bright sunlight, true to color
colorwork and ribbing stitch definition

This yarn flowed very nicely through my machines. I didn’t encounter any breakage or splitting, and when I needed to un-knit a few rows due to a punch card mispatterning, it didn’t cling to itself or create fiber halos around the strand of yarn as I unraveled it. It did shed a slight bit of fuzz as it went through the knit carriage, but others wools I have worked with shed the same amount.

having a soak



I lightly steam blocked the sweater pieces before putting the sweater together. After a bath in some Eucalan, I wet blocked the finished sweater.

The yarn bloomed a tiny bit more after a steam and a soak, but the stitch definition is still nice and clear.

This wool is WARM. Much too warm for Oklahoma in general, but I had to try it on even if it was 82F outside when I finished. If you’re at higher latitudes, this should keep you very warm in the winter.

If you’re picky about your yarn’s sourcing, Brown Sheep Company says it sources its wool from local growers, and the entire process save wool scouring, carding, and combing is done at their Nebraska location. Plus, they are family owned.

Final Thoughts

This yarn is much nicer than I expected it to be, especially as a nonspecific wool blend at $0.03 per yard. Brown Sheep Company’s product listing claims “breathability, resilience, vibrancy, and warmth,” and I haven’t experienced anything to contradict that.

I joked with my husband that we needed to buy a building downtown and open up a yarn shop just so I can get a wholesale account with Brown Sheep Company. I really enjoyed working with this yarn, and I plan to purchase more of it. I personally don’t mind its care requirements, but if you plan to gift an item made from this, make sure your recipient knows how to wash it. It’s basically a one-season/winter only garment yarn in Oklahoma, but I think it’s worth it. I give it a solid

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport on Cones is a workhorse yarn you’ll want to add to your stash.

Thanks for joining me on my machine knitting journey! I hope you’ve enjoyed my review. What factors do you consider when judging yarns? What do you want to see next on the blog? Let me know in the comments or contact me through my site form.

Disclaimer
I purchased this yarn myself. All opinions are honest and my own.
Amazon product links may be affiliate links. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to use my link. If you don’t have a local place to support, please consider supporting the site and using my link.

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yarn review

Yarn Review: Lion Brand Touch of Yak

elyknits

I bought this yarn in 2020 to review, and, well, 2020 (and now most of 2021) happened. Now it’s on clearance, but if this yarn seems like it’s for you, you might find a good deal on

Lion Brand Touch of Yak

Touch of Yak in Water Lily

All opinions are honest and my own. I am not affiliated with any company or individual mentioned or linked unless otherwise noted. I purchased this yarn myself and did not receive compensation for this review.

About

Fiber Content90-% Acrylic / 10 % Yak
Yardage/Meterage219 / 200
Ounces / Grams3.5 / 100
Yarn Weight4 / Medium / Worsted
Made inChina
AvailabilityLocal Yarn Store, Online
Put upSkein

This yarn is on clearance for $6.99 at the time of this post, so if it’s something you’re interested in, grab it while you can. The clearance price brings the price per yard down from $0.06 per yard to $0.03 per yard.

Originally retailing for 13.99, Touch of Yak is part of Lion Brand’s “Touch of Luxe” collection. The listing mentions “Yak fiber is as soft and warm as cashmere, with wonderful drape,” but with 90% of this yarn being acrylic, any drape you achieve will be from steam blocking or “killing” the acrylic.

Colors are soft, muted, and generally neutral. Now that it’s on clearance, three colorways remain.

Care Guide

Hand WashYes
Machine WashYes
Flat DryYes
Machine DryNo

I machine washed and dried this yarn with no problems. To be honest, I couldn’t tell any difference made by the minimal presence of yak fibers compared to any other decent machine washable and dry-able acrylic.

Knitting Machine Compatibility

4.5mm Standard GaugeNo
6.5mm Mid-GaugeYes
8mm / 9mm Bulky GaugeYes

This is a worsted weight yarn. I wouldn’t put it through any standard gauge machine, but it worked fine on other gauges.

Touch of Yak in Waterlily in a warm light
Pattern: Mirror Cable Mitts on ravelry

Performance

This yarn knitted up fine. It wasn’t anything special, but it wasn’t terrible to work with. When I transferred stitches to form cables, the yarn was annoyingly splitty, but plain knitting was fine. The stitch definition was fine for cables and the finished project looked nice.

There’s really nothing to point out if you treat this like any decent acrylic. The yak is nowhere to be found, especially if you’ve worked with 100% yak fiber before. If you haven’t, you might be able to convince yourself this yarn is softer than another mid-range acrylic, but really, it’s not anything special. There is a slight halo of potential yak fiber if you squint. Maybe?

Blocking

This yarn is 90% acrylic, so block it as such. Too much heat will “kill” the acrylic and freeze it in place. “Killing” acrylic is literally melting the plastic it is made of. You’ll achieve a great drape with this but lose any other properties acrylic might offer.

Careful steam blocking is my blocking method of choice for all yarns, even acrylics, but you should make sure you do not leave your steamer in one location for too long.

Touch of Yak in Water Lily wound into a cake

Final Thoughts

This yarn is fine. That’s it. It’s fine. The “touch” of yak is barely noticeable. It feels like almost any other mid-range acrylic. It’s soft, it works, it’s machine washable, and even though it says not to, it really is machine dry-able. The color range is limited, and the yarn is now on clearance. If you like a slightly softer than normal acrylic and you snatch it up, this could be a good yarn for you provided you aren’t picky about colors. Just don’t expect anything that actually touched a yak when you purchase this.

I give Lion Brand LB Collection Touch of Yak a 2 out of 5 score.

Have you used Lion Brand Touch of Yak before in your machine knitting? What about in your hand knitting? What kind of projects did you use it for, and what did you think of its performance?

Are there other properties you think I should include in my yarn reviews? What yarn should I review next? Let me know in the comments!

Uncategorized, yarn review

Complete Yarn Review: Jody Long Coastline

elyknits

It’s time for another yarn review! I’ve been sitting on this one a while and really testing how it washes and wears, so I hope you enjoy all of the yarn data I’ve collected for you.

Like past yarn reviews, I’m covering fiber content, color options, ease of care, knitting machine compatibility, wear, and much more. If there’s a category you don’t see covered, let me know! I’ll add it to my list.

If you’re interested in learning more about the UK-based designer Jody Long, his designs, and the other yarn in his line, check out his website.

Today, we’re focusing on his fun fiber blend of

Jody Long Coastline

All opinions are honest and my own. I am not affiliated with any company or individual mentioned or linked unless otherwise noted. I purchased this yarn myself and did not receive compensation for this review.

About

Fiber Content33% Cotton / 28% Viscose / 27% Nylon Polyamide / 12% Linen
Yardage/Meterage218 yd / 200
Ounces / Grams3.5 / 100 g
Yarn Weight4 / Medium / Worsted
Made inItaly
AvailabilityLocal Yarn Store, Online
Put upDonut

Although retail listings might state Jody Long Coastline is a worsted weight yarn, its ravelry page and recommended needle/hook size place it closer to a heavy worsted or Aran weight yarn.

Coastline is distributed by Knitting Fever and has 18 colorways. The core of the yarn is made of natural fibers while the other fibers, which contain the dye, create a spiral chain around it.

The chain surrounding the core of the yarn occasionally allows the natural-colored core to show through, giving the yarn a heathered or marled look.

I untwisted the yarn in the image below to give you a better look at the chain and core construction.

Because Coastline is a heavy worsted/Aran weight, its low yardage count isn’t too much of a surprise. Coastline checks in at around $0.08 a yard.

Coastline retails for about $16.49 a ball at your Local Yarn Store but can be found at slightly lower prices online at WEBS yarn store.

I will always recommend shopping at your LYS since you won’t have to pay shipping and you’ll benefit from their years of experience at the shop. Feeling the yarn and seeing the colors in person is well worth it considering you’d only save a couple bucks by buying online.

As for how this yarn is presented, the donut put up is my least favorite way to obtain yarn. Yes, they look tiny and tidy on the shelves at the LYS, but once you use 50-60% of the ball, the donut starts to fall apart and tangle. It is one of the worst ways to present yarn in my opinion. It’s just asking for added headache, especially in slippery plant fiber yarns.

Care Guide

Hand WashYes
Machine WashYes, Warm
Flat DryYes
Machine DryOfficially: No. Unofficially: Maybe

Coastline handles a washing machine cycle with ease. If you’d like to be extra cautious, wash your project in a mesh bag or in a cycle of only knits to avoid snagging.

Don’t plan on washing your Coastline project one day and wearing it the next, though. Coastline takes a long time to dry.

The front of my Coastline tank top can be nearly dry while the back underneath it is still very damp. I recommend flipping any project after a few hours to assist in the drying process.

I believe this is due to the natural fibers at the core of Coastline. The cotton really soaks up moisture and doesn’t seem to want to let go of it easily.

While it isn’t recommended by the care label, I did send one of my swatches through a machine drying cycle. It was still damp after one cycle on low. The low heat of the dryer did not seem to affect any of the synthetic fibers, as the swatch held its shape but was not permanently melted into that shape.

That said, machine dry at your own risk.

Knitting Machine Compatibility

4.5mm Standard GaugeNo
6.5mm Mid-GaugeYes
8mm / 9mm Bulky GaugeYes

Coastline is too large to try on a standard gauge machine, even if you were to attempt using every other needle. The small chained threads around the core would catch on the small needles of the standard gauge machine. I do not recommend this yarn for a 4.5mm machine.

Mid-gauge machines can handle this yarn at medium and upper tension numbers with ease. You might run into some difficulty if you attempted to use this yarn at a lower tension, though, as it is on the stiffer side as far as yarns go.

Bulky machines should handle Coastline well.

Swatches and Performance

If you’re interested in how I swatch yarn, please check out this post.

This yarn knits into a lovely but slightly heavy-feeling fabric at medium to high tensions on the SilverReed LK 150 mid gauge machine. Lower tensions produce a stiff, dense fabric that might work for a bag or utility project but would be uncomfortable in a garment.

Jody Long Coastline in Deep Ocean

This swatch was washed on warm, dried flat, and gently steam blocked. I did not stretch it or force it, merely smoothed it out flat.

There wasn’t any discernible shrinking in the swatch since it was dried flat. To add to that, the Desert Queen tank top that I knitted with Coastline still measures true to gauge after over a year of wear and washes.

SilverReed LK-150 Tension 7

BeforeAfter
20 stitches4.25″4.25″
30 rows4.25″4.25″

When I machine dried a swatch, however, I did notice some shrinkage.

SilverReed LK-150 Tension 5

BeforeAfter
20 stitches4″3.875″
30 rows4.125″3.5″

Stitch gauge shrank about 3% and row gauge shrank about 15%.

*The row gauge shrink could be due to the number of weights on my swatch as I knitted them. I formerly used two claw small weights on my cast-on comb, but now I use one.

Blocking

Since just over half of Coastline’s fiber content is synthetic, be careful when steam blocking this yarn. That being said, the natural core structure will hold the yarn’s shape well, so gentle steam blocking is not out of the question with this yarn. In fact, that’s my go-to blocking method, and I used it with this yarn just like I do with other yarns. I was just a little more cautious about than I normally would be until I learned how it blocked with steam.

That’s another reason it’s important to swatch! Practice your blocking method on your swatch and you won’t be surprised when you’re blocking your finished project.

If you are unfamiliar with steam blocking, wet blocking any project is still a great choice for this yarn, but be aware of lengthy drying times.

Projects

Back in February and March of 2020, I used Jody Long Coastline to make the Desert Queen tank top by Meghan Kelly.

I had to adjust the DK weight pattern to fit the larger Aran weight Coastline yarn, but it knit up beautifully.

I wear my Desert Queen tank top about two times a month, so at this point the garment has been through around 30 wash cycles.

close-up of the Desert Queen top neckline after 30+ washes

And it still looks wonderful!

The stitch definition is still as strong as it can be with the heathered effect, and harder use areas like the underarm are strong with no signs of pilling whatsoever. The denim-like look of the fabric has not faded, and the eyelet elements at the neckline and bust of the top are still well-defined.

I’ll admit, I initially HATED working with this yarn. Amid all the stress of March 2020, this yarn presented my ULTIMATE yarn pet peeve: knots in low-yardage skeins. And I purchased six skeins to treat myself to this top that I had fallen in love with.

Here are my initial thoughts from my ravelry project page

I’m NOT happy with this yarn. It looks good, but EVERY SKEIN had MULTIPLE knots in it. For a low-yardage, cotton/linen NYLON/VISCOSE blend, that is unacceptable. This yarn retails for $16.99 a skein. Yes, it’s machine washable and looks very nice once knitted up, but you can find similar blends at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s for under $5.00 that perform just as well or better.

I even wrote comments in my swatch binder about the knots. “Hated” was underlined twice.

Hmm.

Desert Queen by Meghan Kelly in Jody Long Coastline Deep Ocean

Final Thoughts

I’m still a bit torn when I remember the knots. Each skein had a knot joining the last 50 yards to the rest of the ball. Some skeins had knots every 50-75 yards.

I had six skeins of this yarn.

Considering the cost-per-ball and only 218 yards in a knot-filled ball, I felt really ripped off, especially as this was supposed to be me treating myself to a fancy yarn. Jody Long is a prolific designer, and it felt a bit like I was paying a premium for his name while getting an entirely mediocre product.

But after living with this gorgeous tank top that has held up beautifully through one of the most stressful times any of us may live through, I have to think my initial reaction could have been a little harsh. After all, a knot just means another end to weave in, and that’s not as bad as I make it out to be, even if I hate doing it.

I don’t know if I just got a bad batch or if the knot issue is persistent throughout all Coastline colors. I’ll admit, it has made me reluctant to try another yarn from Jody Long’s yarn lines, and I’ve seen some lovely cottons that really tempt me.

The durability after over a year and a half of wearing and washing is nothing short of impressive, and without the knot issue, I’d give Jody Long Coastline a 4.5 out of 5, but because of it, I’m only giving it a 3 of 5.

It’s a good yarn, but buyers shouldn’t have to fight knots when the skeins are so small.

Have you used Jody Long Coastline before in your machine knitting? What about in your hand knitting? What kind of projects did you use it for, and what did you think of its performance?

What’s your yarny pet peeve?

Are there other properties you think I should include in my yarn reviews? What yarn should I review next? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for coming along with me in my knitting machine journey! See you next time!