When
Coats & Clark approached me last month about reviewing a new line of yarn, immediately I was in! But it was a complete shock when I received the package and realized that
Red Heart teamed up with the one and only
Debbie Stoller (of
Stitch 'n Bitch fame)! Before I describe the yarn for you, let me just say a few things about this line. Because honestly, there is so much to love about it.
- All three yarns in the Stitch Nation Yarn line are 100% NATURAL fibers. This line is not another line of worsted weight acryllic.
- Each of the three yarn types of yarn come in gorgeous, vibrant, popping colors. This is not your granny's Red Heart. The colors are so rich and amazing, they beg to be touched and knitted/crocheted with.
- All three yarns are worsted weight yarns with corresponding patterns available and more to come. So for knitters like myself who like quick knits, these yarns are just the fix!
- The Stitch Nation yarn is AFFORDABLE! Now you can walk into JoAnn's and pick up a 100% NATURAL yarn for UNDER $5/skein! Believe it!
Now onto the yarns:
Full o' Sheep is a GORGEOUS 100% Peruvian Wool yarn. If I had to compare it to a yarn I already know well, I'd compare it to Lamb's Pride Worsted. As you can see in the bottom pic - it comes in some GREAT colors. My favorite happens to be the color Coats & Clark sent to me, Passionfruit. The yarn has a great ply and similar stitch definition & halo to the Lamb's Pride. It would make a terrific yarn for felting. One could easily whip up a cute little bag very quickly in this worsted and felt it! (I'm thinking a nifty little felt bag in Fibonacci striping.) Full o' Sheep is available in 12 colors and comes 100g, 155 yds/skein.
Colors pictured above from Left to Right: Poppy, Clementine, Peony, Passionfruit, Plummy, Honeycomb, Meadow, Thyme, Aquamarine, Mediterranean, Little Lamb, and Black Sheep.
Bamboo Ewe is an amazingly soft yarn comprised of 55% Viscose from Bamboo and 45% Wool. It has a beautiful sheen that I doubt my picture can demonstrate. Having only worked with 100% bamboo and never a bamboo/wool mix, I was pleasantly surprised to find this yarn was super soft and not only had good stitch definition, but also knits easily. The added wool helps this yarn by giving it a little more stretch (although it is not a stretchy yarn) and is not as inflexible as say 100% bamboo. This yarn has a very minor halo due to the wool content, but maintains good stitch definition in the sample I knit. Again a worsted weight yarn, Bamboo Ewe is available in 10 fab colors and comes 100g, 177 yds/skein.
Colors pictured above from Left to Right: Geranium, Snapdragon, Lipstick, Beach Glass, Sprout, Mermaid, Eucalyptus, Periwinkle, Twilight, and Mercury.
Alpaca Love is a good all-purpose Wool/Alpaca blend yarn. As with the other two yarns, it is a worsted weight yarn. It provides for good stitch definition and has a nice tight ply. I did find this yarn to be less soft then the other two with less of a halo, (although it is not a scratchy yarn such as an acryllic would be) but it seems to provide a little more stretch, making it a good choice for hats. Again, this yarn is available is amazing colors. And I personally loved the color they sent me, Fern. This yarn would be terrific in hats, scarves, and mittens and being worsted weight, would knit up in a jif! Alpaca Love is 80% Wool/20% Alpaca, is available in 8 colors, and comes 85g, 132 yds/skein!
Colors pictured above from Left to Right: Ruby, Lotus, Dusk, Fern, Lake, Peacock Feather, Espresso Bean, and Cobblestone.
The only drawback I can see to this line of yarns is that all three are handwash as they are natural fibers. Many consumers who regularly use the
Red Heart label will undoubtedly not like this aspect of the yarn line. Having said that, I think it's absolutely amazing that these natural fibers are coming to our local discount craft retailers.
Red Heart (
Coats & Clark) has recognized the need for quality yarns that are both affordable and accessible to the every day knitter/crocheter. And who better to create a new, fun, and hip yarn line for the yarn mainstay than
Debbie Stoller?! I think the pairing was ingenious and I look forward to knitting up some of the available patterns.
So pop on over to
JoAnn's and fondle these yarns. If you're not used to working with natural fibers, give them a chance. The feel, versatility, and breathable quality of these yarns will convert you.
A sneak peak at patterns coming in February:
I was fortunate to review 3 skeins of Stitch Nation Yarn courtesy of Coats & Clark. KnitPurlGurl Disclosure Policy applies.
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