I’ve always got my antenna up and tuned into “organic cotton,” so when I came across this brand on Webs, it hopped in my cart for a yarn review!
From the Lana Grossa Website translated English shop page:
Classics made from biological cotton (organic cotton)
100 % Cotton
Yardage: approx 90 m (98 yd) / 50 g
Needle size: 5 – 5,5
Currently available in 41 shades (including discontinued shades, 104 colors).
Gauge Summary:
US 7 and US 8 had nominal changes between the washed and unwashed, less than 5%. US 9 and US 10 had greater change, ranging from 5% to 14%. The rate of change across all sampled sizes was stretching stitch width and shrinking row length.
Stitches:
The design idea I had in mind utilized Stockinette, so I swatched that in as many sizes as I could and skipped the textured stitches in exchange.
Pros:
-Organic cotton
-Widely available
-Color fast
Cons:
-Splitting
-Rough
-Small skeins (50g)
-Missing information – the English translated site doesn’t give a yarn weight. Sites across the web give different yarn weights, some calling it Worsted and others Aran.
Eco Value:
Beyond the organic cotton nature, I found no other eco attribute to this yarn. On the English translation store page, they have a “Sustainability Wool for a Good Feeling” issuu flipbook, but it isn’t translated into English. Furthermore, it put a really weird taste in my mouth when knitting with it, despite my standard pre-wash sequence. I know, I know, I should just stay away from yarns milled in Italy… this isn’t the first to cause a problem despite being organic. At least this time, it was mild in comparison to massive migraines other “milled in Italy” yarns have caused.
Overall Rating:
6 out of 10. This is the second Lana Grossa yarn that I’ve come across. Mom picked up a Lana Grossa speckled blend in the hopes of knitting a summer top. However, the speckles washed out on the first pre-use wash. The company has since discontinued this line. For me, both experiences were disappointing.
Comments 3
With the 6 of 10 rating, small skeins, and milled-in-Italy-causing-health-issues factor, will you go on to use this yarn for your design idea, or look for another yarn to use instead?
Author
Thanks for asking, Lisa. Yes, I did use it in a design, but picked a design that would work well in a variety of yarns rather than creating a yarn dependent piece. Puddles and I are sure that the sample cowl will wrap someone in lots of warmth this winter at our local shelter (after I finish the publication process, that is).