Skip to main content

Yarn Review: American Lamb from Made in America Yarns

One of the yarns I discovered at TNNA earlier this month was American Lamb Bulky, a 100% merino yarn from Made in America yarns. They were kind enough to let me take home a sample of yarn to review on my blog.

I'm sure you won't be surprised to find out that this yarns is 100% grown and processed in the USA, a trend which continues on the American knitting scene. Quoting directly from their Ravelry page:
Our sheep are raised out west of the Missouri river. Their sheared wool comes to South Carolina for carding and cleaning. The cleaned wool is sent to Rhode Island where it becomes our roving and singles. It then comes to our mill in Philadelphia where we twist and dye it. From here we distribute it to local yarn stores around the United States where you can purchase it.
What's interesting about this yarn is its texture: it is described as a soft wrapped 22-micron merino wool, meaning that it consists of a fat, lofty ply of yarn wrapped with a thinner ply which is almost thread-like. This creates a charming, almost hand-spun effect (minus the thick-and-think inconsistencies):
Surprisingly, the knitted fabric produced is quite uniform and provides excellent stitch definition. Cables are especially lovely in this yarn (click here to view the projects page on Ravelry to see what I mean!).
Rather than knit a swatch, I decided to see how this yarn would perform when used to make a small toy from Rebecca Danger's 50 Yards of Fun. If you're not into knitting toys, you may not be aware that it's best to use needles which are at least 2 sizes smaller than what is recommended for the yarn; this can often mean knitting a tight gauge which can hurt your hands in the process, especially if the yarn you're working with is stiff to begin with.
© Made in America Yarns
I'm happy to report that knitting this yarn on US#8 needles (the recommended size is US#10) was a dream; the fabric created is soft and snuggly, too. I would definitely use this again to make another toy project, though it would also be fantastic for accessories and sweaters. I used destash yarn scraps for the contrast colors, and it played quite well with them. I think American Lamb would also be an excellent choice for a colorwork or striped project.

Yarn Stats:

American Lamb Bulky from Made in America Yarns

Yardage: 146 yards in a 99g hank

Gauge: 14 sts = 4 inches

Recommended needle size: US#10

Recommended hook size: 6.5mm (K)

Care: Hand wash in cold water; dry flat.
Labels:

Comments

  1. AliciaMay 19, 2014 at 11:04 AM

    That yarn reminds me of a non-acrylic version of the Lion Brand Homespun in structure. Cute toy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Handmade by StefanieMay 19, 2014 at 5:49 PM

      Yes...only it's easy to work with! I tried knitting with homespun once and the larger ply kept bunching up - very frustrating!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

App Review & Giveaway: Stash 2 Go

The developers for a paid Ravelry app for iPad and iPhone called Stash 2 Go contacted me earlier this year to see if I was interested in writing a review or their app on their blog. While I don't own an iPad or iPhone, I was able to gift a download to a knitting friend who had an iPad and was willing to let me play around with it for the purposes of this review! This is the first time I've ever accessed Ravelry via an app (on my Android phone, I typically use the m.ravelry.com site), and I found most of it to be easy to use. Some of the features weren’t intuitive to me at first, but once I got the hang of the idiosyncracies, it was smooth sailing. Stash 2 Go makes the most of API functions Ravelry has opened up to developers (there are still several areas which have yet to be completed in the Ravelry programming interface, so developers can only implement what is available through www.ravelry.com/api ). Most of the app's functionality allows the user to view the ...
1 comment
Read more

Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...
68 comments
Read more

A Finished Sweater, With Cat Hair

After losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she was someone's cat until I realized how skittish she was around humans, plus she had a tipped ear, which is a universal sign that a feral/stray cat has been spayed. Neighbors confirmed that she was a feral kitty (descended from several generations of feral cats, in fact), and that she has survived on her wits and whatever food various residents put out for her.  We had some bitterly cold days over the winter, and I just felt so sorry for this poor kitty! I started offering her treats and slowly gained her trust. She didn't even want to come inside our apartment at first, much le...
Post a Comment
Read more