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Valhalla Cowl in Mauch Chunky Yarn from Kraemer Yarns

After spending most of last month working on a top secret test knitting project, it feels like forever since I've gotten to share a finished knit on here. I have an uncomfortable (for me) amount of WIPs currently on the needles at the moment, and my hope is to spend November fixing that problem so that I can start some new & exciting projects over the holiday break next month.

Back in September, I was sent some yarn for review from the generous folks at Kraemer Yarns, who have provided yarn and fiber for several reviews over the past few years, such as July's needle felted ornament tutorial, the Knit for Baby sweater kit review from this past Spring, and a solar yarn dyeing tutorial from 2016.

Each time, I've been impressed with the products they send me, which are all beautifully made at their mill in Nazareth, Pennsylvania using domestically-sourced fibers. After working with the Mauch Roving for the needle felting tutorial (and also carding the leftover fiber into batts and spinning with them!), I was excited to try the yarny counterpart to the Mauch line, and the idea of an instant-gratification project was pretty irresistible.

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Mauch Chunky is a single ply using 100% domestic wool; each 100g skein has approximately 120 yards, and there are a ton of colors to choose from (I have a feeling this yarn would also take dye beautifully!). Most chunky weight yarns I've encountered usually have less than 100 yards to the skein, so at $8.50 per skein that makes Mauch Chunky a really good deal, especially for bigger projects such as sweaters or blankets! I chose 3 skeins of Blueberry Ice to make the Valhalla Cowl from Jen Geigley's book, Weekend: Simple, Modern Knits.

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The yarn is spun tightly enough that it is smooth and doesn't start felting with use, yet it is still plenty soft; I am hoping that means that it also doesn't pill much with wear, but I'll have to report back on that after wearing my finished project through the winter. There were a few kempy fibers mixed in, but they were very easy to remove as I knit. I should also mention that the resulting fabric is very soft and squishy, and because the cowl is a knitted tube that is then seamed together, it is extremely warm!

I would definitely use this yarn for another project. If you are looking for an affordable chunky yarn that's made in the USA and doesn't skimp on quality, put Mauch Chunky from Kraemer Yarns at the top of your list!

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You may like to know: I was gifted 3 skeins of yarn in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

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Comments

  1. You can't go wrong with a classic cozy cowl, I love it!

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