The weather’s finally warming up here in New England so I’m looking at my warm-weather knits and trying to figure out what to wear. One of the key components of knitwear for summer is picking a yarn that will be lightweight and comfortable against the skin, and cotton blend yarns such as Berroco Fiora® fit that bill perfectly.
Fiora is made up of cotton, viscose, alpaca, nylon, and wool—this blend of plant, animal, and synthetic fibers lends itself nicely to knitting for warmer climates. The cotton, viscose, and nylon keep the yarn on the lighter side, and with the addition of the wool, the yarn has a nice structure to it. The alpaca content gives the fabric some fluidity and drape. This smooth DK-weight yarn, made up of three two-ply strands, knits up quite nicely on US size 5 needles. Knitting with Fiora felt similar to knitting with Berroco Cosma®, though the two yarns have different fiber constructions.
But what makes Fiora especially lovely is that it can be used in a wide range of patterns. Courtney Spainhower’s Interplait Vest from Holla Knits shows off how great Fiora looks in a textured stitch pattern in this drapey stockinette vest with an plaited I-cord up the back; Elizabeth Smith’s Passing Showers is an open-front short-sleeve cardigan with a little bit of eyelet lace at the back yoke and bottom hems; the Breezy Mesh Cowl by Angelia Robinson (published in I Like Crochet August 2015) demonstrates how great this yarn can look in an open crochet stitch; finally our own Alison Green designed a swingy cardigan for Knitty, called Lorinda, with a wavy stitch pattern at the yoke and hems.
What would you knit with Berroco Fiora? Or what have you already knit with this great yarn? Let us know in the comments below!
-AP