| Special Yarn Preview: Berroco's Fall Lineup |  | |
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Berroco has just unveiled six new yarns for the fall/winter season. They aren't yet in stores, but you can still start planning ahead for your winter projects. Until we can conduct our normal in-depth review of these yarns, here's a quick overview of what's new. |
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| Duo |
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| The duo in question consists of a bulky, seemingly unspun fiber that is loosely plied with a fine nylon thread. This technique produces a yarn with the look of two true plies but the body of only one. The yarn has been intentionally dyed to knit up in a striped pattern, with several solid-colored yards alternating with several multicolored ones. Whereas other multicolored yarns are often dyed after the yarn has been spun, Duo takes the opposite approach with pre-dyed fibers that are blended together prior to spinning. This gives much greater depth and subtlety of color. Made in Italy, the yarn comes in 54-yard skeins and knits up at 12 stitches and 18 rows per 4 inch square on US 8mm needles. For its first season, the yarn is available in seven bold color schemes. | ||
| Glitz |
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| Although the yarn is almost identical in composition to Great Adirondack Fluff, its shimmery look is more comparable to GGH Alida or Prism Super Dazzle. The yarn features a light, almost metallic color set against a darker background color in a matte fiber.
This produces a shimmery effect that sparkles like "snowflakes in the moonlight," as Berroco describes it. From a touch perspective, the yarn is slightly rougher than the super-soft fluff yarns, but far softer than the comparable metallics. This makes it a wise choice for scarves if you're looking for that metallic effect. It will pair well with Berroco's sequined FX yarns. The 100% nylon yarn comes in 70-yard skeins. The recommended gauge is 3 stitches per inch on US 15 needles. It's available in six strong, elegant evening colors that feature shades of red, orange, pink, blue, brown, and green. | ||
| Medley |
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| By far my favorite of the bunch, Medley is a slubby, textured yarn composed of 75% wool, 15% acrylic, and 10% nylon. Berroco has chosen seven vibrant color schemes, each of which combines multiple colors in a dramatic but harmonious blending. The yarn consists of a wool strand that varies in thickness, and two superfine threads, all of which are then plied tightly with another superfine thread to give a rippled effect. The yarn is lofty yet lightweight, with the wool providing good warmth in the winter without being overwhelmingly stifling. Medley would work beautifully for a cozy colorful weekend sweater or a fast-knitting hat or scarf. It is similar to Artful Yarns Circus, but with greater sheen and brighter coloring. Medley is available in 73-yard skeins that knit up at 3.5 stitches to the inch on US 10 needles. | ||
| Pleasure |
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| Finally, a fast-knitting luxury yarn for knitters with limited budgets! Pleasure is remarkably similar to Jaeger Chamonix, one of my all-time favorite yarns. It blends angora and merino fibers that are spun in ropelike fashion to give a lightweight loft and bulk that remains strong and durable. Berroco recommends knitting it on a US 10 needle. The gauge is 4 stitches and 6 rows per inch. Available in 10 colors that err on the unassuming side - no bright pinks or greens here. | ||
| Quest |
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| This is an intriguing yarn that blends a shimmering metallic-colored nylon tube with a fuzzy brushed nylon that seems to emerge from the yarn's core as if by magic. Such a mix is risky, because sleek shimmer and fuzzy fur don't normally blend harmoniously. My guess is that you'll either love Quest or hate it. The more I handled the yarn, the more I wanted to try knitting with it. The timing of this preview didn't permit me to conduct an in-depth review, but Quest is now on my short list for a follow-up look. The yarn would look most intriguing in scarves or well-draping evening sweaters, aided by a soft texture that won't irritate most skin. It knits to 4 stitches and 6 rows per inch on a US 10 needle and is available in 10 metallic-themed shades. | ||
| Softwist Bulky |
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| Feeding on the success of its worsted-weight Softwist, Berroco has added a bulky version to the lineup. The yarn's 59% rayon content helps give a lovely sheen and relaxed drape to the yarn, something that is normally lost in bulky wool-blend yarns. Spun in Peru, Softwist Bulky knits up at a gauge of 4 stitches and 6 rows per inch on US 10 needles. There are 14 shades total, and each skein holds 136 yards. | ||
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