I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice or words of wisdom? I am a fairly novice knitter who has completed a few projects using either acrylic and washable wool yarns for scarfs and potholders using a variety of stitches and cabling techniques. I found a gorgeous fishtail-cabled scarf pattern that calls for 100% cashmere, and I was hoping someone might be able to offer me some guidance.
Here are my questions: Is 100% cashmere worth the money and a smart investment for a novice? The pattern calls for 3, 50g, skeins. Is it a forgiving yarn for someone who might still be learning to stay completely consistent on gauge? If not, has anyone found a blend that they are happy with? One that doesn’t pill too easily with a decent cashmere content?
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Cashmere is as wonderful to work with as it is to wear. I’ve not tried the cashmere blendfrom Knit Picks but it’s very affordable and comes in a good renge of colors. It may be more forgiving than 100% cashmere if you have to rip out and re-knit, too.
I don’t think that I would ever use a 100% cashmere fiber. It’s too delicate and won’t hold it’s shape very well. I usually use a cashmere/merino wool blend so that it has some more stability but still gets the softness of the cashmere.
It’s a lovely fiber, but may be more of a problem for a beginner. The fuzziness makes it harder to frog if necessary and frogging is hard on the fiber. I also wouldn’t recommend it for an everyday wear item. It may pill, has to be hand washed.