Today’s yarn review investigates Best of Nature Organic Cotton from Misti Alpaca. This organic pima cotton is grown in Peru and dyed with vegetables and minerals!
Gauge:
The ball band recommends a US 7/ 4.5mm needle. After swatching using US 6 – US 9, my test swatches confirmed that US 7 is the needle size which best limited the natural stitch shape change that happens on untreated cotton once washed. For me, both unwashed and washed / blocked gauge is 18 sts and 26 rows over 4″/ 10cm, which was the upper end of the ball band range. Additionally all four sample gauge areas resulted in the same stitch and row number. But what made me happiest was the fact the stitches stayed put!
Stitches:
Great stitch definition! Stockinette, Seed stitch, Garter, cables, and lace all show beautifully on this yarn.
Pros:
* Organic cotton dyed with vegetables and minerals – good for you and good for the earth! Even the ball band was printed on recycled paper.
* Grown and produced in Peru benefits the local fiber community.
* Soft to work with. Good durability wash after wash making it great for babies, kids, as well as adult accessories.
Cons:
* Color stability – some of the colour washed out in the initial wash, lightening the skein significantly. If you are concerned, but don’t want to pre-wash, snip a piece off and throw it in with your similarly coloured laundry to see what to expect on your FO. On the upside, after the initial wash, subsequent washes didn’t affect the “new” colour.
* Skein weight – both skeins pre-wash weight was 92 grams rather than the 100 grams on the yarn label. Since each dye lot is different, be sure to add a second skein to your order if you’re worried about running short.
*Some surface nattering around the stitches after washing. The FO may need a bit of picking after blocking, especially if you knit lace.
Overall Rating:
7 out of 10. I love the eco principles of this yarn and it is a good work-house organic cotton. Check out my Instagram for a quick “knitting backwards” while swatching Best of Nature Organic Cotton on US 9/ 5.5mm video!
Special thanks to my friends at www.loveknitting.com who provided the yarn sample for this blog review. Find your skein here: loveknitting.com. The package arrived beautifully wrapped in an opaque bag, making it like opening a gift!