Meet the Yarn Monday: Cottonwood DK
Ever since I began Say! Little Hen (almost 5 years ago!) I have loved discovering more about different yarns and fibres. There is so much to learn about how they are constructed, how different fibres and blends behave and what project they are best suited to.
I love sharing this information and a few years ago I started sharing some extra info about the yarns I stock using on Instagram. I would post these on Mondays with the tag #MeetTheYarnMonday and it was a lot of fun.
I’ve also shared a Meet the Yarn Monday newsletter series and as Say! Little Hen will be celebrating her 5th anniversary this year I’ve decided to revive the series. By posting on the blog I hope you’ll find it easy to refer back to Meet the Yarn Monday whenever you’d like to learn a little more about a particular yarn.
As we’re in the middle of summer in Australia, today I’m sharing one of my favourite summer yarns - Cottonwood.
When I learned to knit I was living in a hot, humid tropical climate. I’ve always been drawn to natural fibres and have used many different cottons over the years. I quickly discovered I love organic cotton best, for many reasons shared below, and I’ve tried many over the years. Cottonwood was one of my first choices when opening Say! Little Hen as it’s one I’d already used and fallen in love with.
Fibra Natura Cottonwood DK is a great all-rounder. It has excellent drape and stitch definition, washes and wears wonderfully and is very soft. This yarn is made from 100% organic cotton - certified with GOTS.
About the Fibre
Organically grown cotton is softer than other cotton and it's a lot kinder on the environment. Aside from not using nasty pesticides that impact the environment and the farmers, organically grown cotton also takes less water to grow.
When Cottonwood is being dyed no non-organic yarn is allowed into the dye house, to ensure its organic purity. To top it all off, it arrives here in recycled cardboard boxes, which I then also recycle.
This is definitely a yarn you can feel good about!
Working with Cottonwood
I've used this yarn for a variety of projects - from summer tops to homewares, and I've loved using it every time. The colour range is very broad - from neutrals to pastels, brights to darks - it has all the colours you could ever need!
It’s soft underhand and washes and wear well.
I have machine washed garments in this yarn, protecting them in a garment bag and using a cold cycle. I actually find machine washing garments knit in Cottonwood can help them retain their shape, as the cotton springs back into form after washing.
Just like linen, cotton can feel a little stiff after washing and drying but you’ll find it softens up again within a few minutes of wearing.
Ideal for both knitting & crochet, think of this yarn for summer tops and accessories, blankets and other homewares.
Here is one of my favourite summer tops, knit in Cottonwood - the Daybreak Tee.
I wrote more about this top (and shared some tips for knitting summer tops!) on the blog here.
Another project I've loved using Cottonwood for are my Tea Mice - there is endless fun to be had knitting pretty Mice in different colours.
I designed and knit this colourful bunting using Cottonwood. The range of colours allowed me to create the look I was after and the finished flags sit really well in this yarn.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about this delightful yarn.
I’ll be back next week with another yarn for you to meet!
Until then, happy making!
Sarah