YARN INFO: Weight: Super Chunky – Needle/Hook: 10.00mm (US 15) – Composition: 100% Merino Wool – Ball Weight: 100g (3.5oz) – Yarn Length: 50m (55yds) – Tension: 8 stitches, 12 rows to 10cm/4″ .
I don’t like summer, I’m just going to put that out there. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy longer evenings, having a glass of wine (or seven) in a beer garden with friends, all of that, but I really can’t stand the heat. Yes, I am aware that I’m in the minority here.
Luckily, we now live in a part of Spain where the temperatures rarely get higher than 25º in the summer months. We lived for four years in the hottest city in Spain – Córdoba – where temperatures exceeding 40° are the absolute norm, so it’s nice to be somewhere fresher now. A sunny Spanish city with 40° probably sounds nice in theory if you’re marching through sheets of rain at 7.30am on the way to work in Ipswich, but trust me when I say that working in it, being pregnant in it and putting one foot in front of the other in those kind of temperatures is not the same as lying on a beach. God, I really should write a seperate blog entry about all that one day…
Anyways, I’m digressing, because what I really want to do here is review some stunning yarn I was kindly sent to review a few months ago. On a little rummage around my stash the other day I came across these two balls of MillaMia Naturally Soft Super Chunky, 100g of fine 100% merino wool. Even though it’s been tropical outside, I’ve been dying to knit something chunky out of wool, and these was the perfect choice of yarn to get started on some early winter knits. I always make a new hat every winter for Alex, and now she’s old enough to have her own colour preferences (pink, pink and even more bloody pink), the wonderful shade “Sugar Pink (413)” was ideal. I threw a curveball in and added some cute Fair Isle scallops by combining it with the second sample shade of “Katarina Blue (412)” to add interest. I have to admit that I don’t normally like combining pastels as they can make the project look a bit washed out, but these two look really good together.
To touch, this yarn is unbeatable. Powder soft, bouncy, full and with incredible stitch definition, it really is the ideal chunky winter wool. I’m impressed with their colour selection, too. If you’re like me and obsess over greys and modern brights, you won’t be disappointed. To boot, the 100g (50m) ball weight is generous and more than enough to create a kid’s hat or scarf, with a ball-and-a-half being all you need to work up an adult sized hat, pom-pom included.
However, here’s the crappy bit. I must tell you that I wasn’t best pleased to see a few knots in the ball, including a huuuuuge one right at the beginning of the ball of “Katarina Blue (412)“. If you’re spending €2 on a big ball of acrylic this is to be expected (although it’s yet to happen to me with the better acrylic brands), but if you’re paying into double-figures for a luxury yarn, it’s disappointing to say the least. Hmm. If I’d paid for this instead of it being a sample I’d have left a bad review.
Fancy a fabulous project to use with this yarn? Check out my pattern for the Cloud Friends Hat, a cute, quick and fun knit for kids age 4-6 years and adults.
The Positives:
- Knits up quickly.
- So soft! It’s incredible!
- It would make a beautiful yarn gift for a fellow maker.
- Pretty ball band.
- Small but varied colour palette.
The Negatives:
- There were a few knots. Not so good for the price. Bleh!
- At over €11/£9 a ball, it’s pricey and would be quite expensive to make a larger item (cardie or jumper) using this wool if you’re watching your pennies.
You can check out other yarn reviews by following my “Yarn Reviews” tag.
Emmaknitty 