Best Materials

When I began designing, oh so many years ago, children’s patterns were knit on tiny needles in soft color palettes. Often the yarns were synthetic, as they were meant to be washed. I have always counseled knitters to use the very best materials available and there are wonderful yarns available today. When developing my MinnowMerino® we searched high and low for a yarn that could be machine washed, but one that was also lovely to knit. We finally sourced the pure merino in Peru. Most “super wash” yarns, as they are called, are made by spinning and dyeing the yarns, and then they are treated with chemical products that result in yarns that are slippery, without a lovely hand. They also can come apart in the wash, a very distressing result. My yarn, however, washes the shorn wool before spinning and dyeing; the result in a beautiful yarn with a micron count one point away from cashmere, yet it is definitely machine washable. Hope you’ll try it out if you haven’t already!