Yarn Information

Microns

Micron count is a measure of the thickness of the fibres in a yarn. The lower the micron count, the softer the fibres will feel. So a 19.5 micron Merino will feel softer than a 27 micron Highland wool.

Yardage

This is the length of yarn, per weight (usually 100g). The longer the yarn, the thinner it will be. Yarns are supplied as 100g skeins unless otherwise stated in the yardage information.

WPI

Wraps per inch gives an indication of the thickness of the yarn.

Plies

This is how many strands are used in the construction of the yarn.

Count

We use the nm system for yarn count. The first number tells you how many strands of yarn are used and the second number tells you the thickness of those strands. The thickness is measured as the number of 1km strands of yarn you get in 1kg. The higher the number, the thinner the strand.

Needle size

These are a suggestion based on our swatching.

Gauge

This is measured on swatches that have been blocked, but the measurements are taken once the swatch has relaxed. Gauges are measured over 10cm. Please take the gauge information and needle sizes as a suggestion — everyone’s tension is different.

Superwash stretch

Superwash yarns tend to stretch more than their non-superwash equivalents. This can be accommodated by knitting these yarns on a smaller needle. It is especially important to take account of this when making a garment, where any extra ease will be magnified. Some non-superwash yarns are also prone to stretch and this is noted in the description where appropriate.

Fancy yarns

These are yarns that don’t have a standard, smooth texture. Examples include boucle or brushed yarns. We tend to use larger needle sizes so that their textures don’t get lost. In some cases 4ply weight, fluffy or boucle yarns can knit close to DK gauges. Fancy yarns can be knitted alone or toned down by stranding with a fluffy yarn. Stranding is also a great technique to give more body and shape in the fabric. It’s really fun to play about with this and combine dyeing styles and textures.