Advice needed for non-wool yarn

#1

My friend asked me to knit her a scarf but she is very allergic to wool and the final product therefore has to be wool-free.

I want it to be reasonably insulating but for that I can only think of silk, but with silk, I’m not sure if I can knit anything that has a lot of texture since silk is known for its drape but not stitch definition.

If I want to knit a scarf made of non-wool fibers that has good warmth retention, what’d be the kind of yarn that I should choose?

Also has anyone knitted with bamboo yarn? Is it only good for summer wear?

Any comments or advice is welcome. Thanks!

#2

How about
Simply Soft (soft but stronger)
Worsted weight yarns -there are all different brand names for them
Are you making a sturdy scarf or a lacy simple one for looks not use? Just depends on what she is wanting to use it for on which types of yarns to use.:wink:

#3

Yes, there are quite a few acrylic yarns that are very soft and comfy. Use knitting worsted weight - if warmth is a huge factor, double-strand it.

Also, knitting a scarf with larger-sized needles results in a softer scarf.

Dot

PS - It’s a whole lot easier to care for most of the non-wool yarns.

#4

Is it just wool, or all animal fibers? Alpaca is lovely and insulating if she can stand it. Pretty much any animal fiber… mohair, cashmere, angora, camel, yak, buffalo, llama is insulating in nature. Oftentimes it’s the processing chemicals that people are allergic to and not the wool itself, in which case you’d probably need to find organics.

You can get stitch definition with silk, it all depends on the yarn. If it’s a smooth silk yarn, you’ll get decent stitch definition. If it’s a boucle, thick-n-thin or other textured yarn, you will of course not get such good stitch definition.

None of your plant fibers will be very insulating. Insulating enough for a mild winter, but probably not for snow. Beyond that there’s always man made fibers, which are insulating, but do not breath like natural fibers… it’s a trade-off.

#5

Thanks for all of your comments.

I guess I’ll just avoid any animal fibers to be safe. My friend told me wool, alpaca or even cashmere made her skin itch!

I was thinking about silk and bamboo because I have been told by many yarn snobs that synthetics are just evil :slight_smile: (just kidding of course!).

But yes I do want the scarf to be warm - she lives in NYC!! So maybe I’ll look around for good acrylic or nylon or polyester yarn then.

#6

I was thinking, what about Debbie Bliss yarns. They have a mix and her cashmarino yarn for baby projects are beautiful and soft. But would also make sturdy scarves!! Worth looking into as well

#7

Silk and bamboo aren’t very warm, better to go with acrylic and there’s quite a few soft ones.

#8

Thanks again everyone for your comments.

I am basically narrowing down to Sirdar Snuggly or Berroco Comfort. I googled and both seem to have a lot of good reviews.

#9

Lion Brand Jiffy makes very worm fuzzy looking scarves,hats sweaters of any thing you want to make. I last used it on a baby sweater. I can’t remember the needle size… It is reallysoft and easy care yarn.

#10

Jiffy’s probably best knit on 11s.