Bring on the Fuzz

Bring on the Fuzz

There is a flurry of fuzz happening in the yarn world these days.  Mohair and it’s fuzzy brothers are coming back big time, and we’re similarly obsessed at Wool & Grace.  It’s not just the knitting world.  In fashion we’re seeing much more of that subtle (or not so subtle) halo in the knits that show up on the runway.  Expect to see much more of this trend as Fall rolls around, as we’re going to have lots of new yarns coming in that will give your knitted and crocheted fabrics a gorgeous halo – in all weights.

For now, there is an easy way to add that luscious halo of silky goodness to your knitting: double up your yarns with the likes of Shibui’s Silk Cloud or Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze.  These incredible yarns add a depth of color, a richness and a loftiness to your fabrics.  Patty’s Mayu pullover is an excellent example of this – this tweedy poncho is taken to the next level with the addition of Silk Cloud.  During the NJ Wool Walk, we had a gorgeous kit for a Bias Loop cowl, made with Madeline Tosh Pashmina and Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze.  I’ve just started working on Cornice, a Shibui pattern that doubles Shibui’s Dune with Silk Cloud.  It’s so lush I can barely put it down, and the resulting fabric is so ridiculously soft and silky that I’m on Cloud 9 while knitting it.  Spectrum, a gorgeous scarf and shawl pattern that calls for Shibui’s Rain (a smooth cotton) with Silk Cloud, and shows off Silk Cloud’s magic when it’s held double and single – all in one piece.  (PS – you’ll be able to see this beauty at the Shibui Trunk Show at Wool & Grace from June 13 – July 1!)

These yarns are gorgeous when mixed with other yarns, but they’re also so lovely and light on their own.  Julia Farwell Clay’s graphic wrap Palindrome makes modern use these delicate yarns.  While the Polka Dot Scarf from Churchmouse whips up a light-as-air scarf with a simple dotted texture.

We still have some Cascade El Cielo on hand, and these ginormous hanks of yarn made up of 579 yards of alpaca that has been spun to resemble mohair.  So it looks gorgeously fuzzy like mohair, but is soft as can be.  Whether you knit with this lovely yarn on its own or mix it with something else (I’m thinking of mixing it with some lace-weight Findley from Juniper Moon), it’s going to give you a warm-yet-light-as-a-feather fabric that is a joy to wear as a shawl, scarf or sweater.

As mentioned, there’s more to see in the world of fuzzy yarns, but these knits are great ways to add some fuzz to your work right now, or to whip up some light projects that are perfect for warm-weather knitting and crochet projects.  Stay tuned for more fuzzy goodness!