I’m a sock knitter. I have a million socks going at the same time, so I know what sock yarn I like - but I’m not very familiar with worsted weight yarn.
I made a sweater a couple of years ago from what-was-to-me-expensive yarn purchased at a local yarn store. The sweater turned out fine, tho the yarn seemed to catch on things. (The wool was wound with a fine nylon thread, and that nylon thread was the culprit.)
Anyhow, I think I want to try another sweater, and I was wondering if any of you have plain worsted weight yarn that you like, yarn that washes in the machine and doesn’t pill at at all?
I’d appreciate your help. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Carol LaForet
[I][U]Successful Sock Knitting for Beginners at flutesonline.com [/U][/I]
Carol, visited your flutes online web, and couldn’t find anything about sock knitting for beginners.
I’ve almost knitted a sweater in Knitpicks Andean Silk alpaca, merino & silk). It feels wonderful! Now if I could just stop knitting socks and get back to the sweater.
I’m working on a sweater using Cascade 220 Quatro, which is really nice to work with. I had the yarn a long time before I found the right pattern to go with it.
I’m trying to remember the other sweaters I have which I’ve knit. I have a cardigan I knit eons ago that has held up well - it was done in a very soft merino wool (name long forgotten). I knit (and then unravelled) a jacket in a ribbon yarn. Very cute, but I didn’t care for the way the pattern hung on me (note - Takhi patterns are super cute but are designed for someone with wider shoulders than I have). I’ve used a Rowan cotton/wool bend (I think it was Calmer) and enjoyed working with that, too. I did not enjoy working with a Cascade yarn called Rio as much as with the smoother yarns - it has lots of bumps in it (a “slub” texture is what Yarndex calls it). It was also another Takhi pattern which was super cute but didn’t hang right on me.
I have 3 sweaters I’ve knit and the one I wear the most (which also pills the least) is made from Cascade 220. Mine is NOT superwash, but it’s a cardigan so I don’t wash it that often anyway. I really like the yarn after it’s in the sweater. I didn’t really like knitting with it all that much. It was a tad splitty (but then again I have the SUPER pointy KP Options needles so that could be part of it). I’m already planning another sweater in it.
I really think there are very few if any no pill yarns. I have made a few things with Patons Classic Wool Merino - the latest is a long ribbed cardigan in red tweed that I am getting ready to finish blocking and sew up. However I made a hat out of that yarn that I wear all the time and hand wash (it is not machine washable wool) and it is fuzzy with pills. But I love it. When the outside is wet, the inside is dry and warm. For a machine washable yarn that wears well and washes well at a reasonable price I recommend Encore Worsted by Plymouth yarns. I like their DK too. I have knitted with it a lot and have a cranberry roll raglan pullover I wear and wash a lot. It is still nice looking and does pill a little but nothing you can’ pick off!
For a truly machine wash/dry sweater, I’ve used Plymouth Encore. I’ve washed and dried them many times and they look as good as new.
My wool sweaters that are labeled superwash, as well as my hand-wash sweaters get thrown in the machine in the delicate cycle where they just soak, get a bit of agitation and spin. Sometimes I let them soak longer and skip the agitation.
Sadly, I have sensitive skin and can’t wear wool. At least all the ones I’ve tried so far. :pout: So I have a sweater I made with acrylic, but I love it anyway.
I ‘second’ what Ingrid said. Plymouth Encore!
I made a pullover with it years ago…and it still looks nice!
I’ve used it lots of times for grandchildren! They’re the sweaters that keep on ticking!
A not too expensive but not totally offensive acrylic/wool (75/25 if I remember correctly) blend would be Patons Decor. It works up quite decently and it can be machine washed. I believe it says to hand wash…but really, at 75 acrylic…it should be fine!
I also like Patons Decor and have used it several times for socks, slippers, most recently for a child’s hat. I also made her a sweater with it. It has minimum pill and wears well. The only thing I don’t like about it is the shine to the yarn. Encore doesn’t shine as much and they are both 75/25. Is it the oil ?!
Art Lady, that is an absolutely beautiful sweater.
Thanks, Ingrid. That is good to know. I use my own handspun yarn 99.9% of the time. But when I do baby items, I use synthetics. Babies have a way of getting things soiled… really, really soiled. Plus the harried moms deserve a break, not having to careful hand wash & block the little knit items.
