As a knitter “down south”, people ask me this all the time! What are your favorite plant based yarns? Believe me, the list is constantly swelling and shifting as I try new products and new blends. Here are my Top 5 at the moment.
1. DAPPLE
Dapple is the magical new product from Brooklyn Tweed. It’s a blend of merino wool and Texas-grown cotton that is woolen-spun into a soft, airy DK weight yarn. This stuff is seriously fabulous! I’m swatching with it now for some fall projects specially designed for wear during a Southern winter. Because woolen-spun yarn is twisted while the fibers are all jumbled up together, it traps a lot of air during spinning. That’s why the woolen-spun method creates yarns that are super dry and airy. I’ve used lots of woolen-spun yarns that are made specifically of wool fibers, but never one that included cotton. This method of blending and spinning avoids the heavy and dead quality that unblended cotton can often have in the hand. It also adds a fair bit of stretch which makes Dapple my new favorite plant based yarn.
The dyeing process is a little different with woolen-spun yarns too. They are generally dyed in the fleece, allowing for some spectacular gradations, heathers and tonal colors to emerge. Each skein is unique, encouraging creative color mixing and grading. Prices for Dapple are right there with other BT products.
2. YASHI
Yashi is an unusual yarn that could easily fall into the “novelty” category if not for its natural raffia fiber content. It is flat and papery in texture and creates a straw-like fabric when knitted. Perfect for hats and bags, Yashi is strong, dries quickly and can be shaped and formed like sculpture. I enjoyed using Yashi for my Fais Do-Do hat. I added heavy floral wire to the brim for extra flexibility. Yashi is available in solid shades and hand painted colorways.
3. SPARROW
Sparrow by Quince and Co. is my go-to 100% linen yarn because of its crisp hand and smooth finish. The color range is broad and heavenly! Sparrow is organically grown and scoured in Belgium, then spun and dyed in Italy. Just like your favorite linen shirt, Sparrow creates knits that soften with time and mellow with washing. Sparrow is probably a few cents more per yard than something like Euroflax, but sometimes, you get what you pay for. Sparrow is one of my all-time favorite plant based yarns.
Maizie, my seamless yoke sweater, is worked in Sparrow in the “Pigeon” colorway. The square-ish profile of this yarn lends a pleasant rustic quality to knitted stitches. They appear fresh and organic and never look overworked or labored.
4. ROWAN COTTON CASHMERE
What a gorgeous blend! Adding cashmere to organic cotton lends lightness and loft and a charming nubbly quality to Rowan Cotton Cashmere. It is quite chalky and soft to knit and boasts a squishy roundness that, for a cotton, gives great stitch definition. Blending also produces a lovely tonal quality in this yarn.
I chose “Pearly Pink” for my Martha Pullover. Palest ballet pink is blended with natural ivory cotton to produce an organic pastel shade. Prepare to pay, though, with skeins running about $16 for 137 yards.
5. COTLIN
Last but not least, Cotlin by Knit Picks is probably my favorite plant based yarn. A blend of Tanguis cotton and linen, this yarn is as beautiful as it is durable. It boasts a very round profile, giving Cotlin great stitch definition and strength. This blend is a great choice for high traffic items like bags and blankets. Cotlin comes in tons of great colors and is very affordable.
I just ordered a big bag in a variety of colors to finish my Fair Haven Picnic Blanket. It is distinctly possible that one or two skeins may be diverted into another Fused Market Tote, however! Perhaps that vibrant shade of Moroccan Red?!?
