A question that comes through the info@berroco.com email inbox at least once every week or so is which yarns does Berroco make without any wool? This week I’ve got a round up of the current Berroco yarns that are great for all seasons but made without any animal fibers and a few pattern suggestions as well.
I know that choosing a favorite yarn is like choosing a favorite child, but if we’re limiting the selection to non-wool fibers only, Remix is my hands down favorite. This is a delightful casual tweed made from fibers recycled from the garment industry. Garments knit in this yarn have a soft, sweatshirt-like feel. I have an Astilbe Cardigan on the needles in this yarn now and it is lovely to knit with.
Indigo is another recycled yarn, this time all recycled denim. As with Remix, because the fibers are recycled, the yarns are easy to care for—we throw these in the washer and never worry about shrinking. Indigo has a smooth surface and a soft hand.
Fuji is another machine-washable blend—this time cotton, silk and rayon. This light worsted weight yarn has that almost crunchy silk character that softens with washing and wearing. This yarn makes beautiful garments and accessories like Bougainvillea from our Booklet #360 Folk Art from the spring ’15 collection.
The Weekend yarn family features a DK and a Worsted weight blend of cotton and acrylic. The worsted is great for cables that pop as in the Woodrush pattern from booklet #374 Picnic. The DK is a versatile workhorse yarn—I think its especially great for babies and kids projects.
The Comfort family of easy-care yarns (machine wash and dry) are an affordably priced nylon/acrylic. Comfort is available in a staggering range of solids, heathers, and print shades. This yarn has been so popular that over the years we’ve added Berroco Comfort DK, Berroco Comfort Sock, and Berroco Comfort Chunky. We especially love it for blankets and afghans like the Ivy blanket from #357 Berroco Comfort Baby.
The last yarn I’ll mention is Marmot, a nylon plush yarn with a snuggly fleece texture. This yarn is super soft and warm- perfect for winter accessories for those who can’t wear wool. Projects like Burwash from the pattern collection #335 Berroco Marmot.
If you have wool sensitivities or are looking to create easy-care items, be sure to try out one of these great yarns!
My issue with non wool yarn is the lack of “memory”. This lack of holding power dooms hats and sweaters and anything else requiring a good fit.
That said, I do love your non wool options, it just needs to be used for the right project.
Good points! Some non-wool yarns, because of the way they’re made, have better holding power than others—Remix, for example, doesn’t stretch out the way some others might. Also, this is why seaming sweaters can be a good thing. 😀