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Luxurious Silk Yarns
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Welcome to the 3rd issue of the new Yarnmarket Just Your Type newsletter. Each month we’re featuring a different Yarn Types category from our store and showcasing many of the sensational fibers & fiber blends in stock and just right for your favorite knitting & crochet projects. With over 700 yarns now available in our store, you’re sure to find the right choice for your next creative endeavor no matter what it is. Having trouble reading this issue? Then please enjoy the online version.
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Silk -- The Ultimate in Luxury from Ancient Times to Today
With warmer weather on the way but still some cool temperatures in the evenings, what better choice of multi-seasonal, transitional fiber is there than silk?
No wonder yarn guru Iris Schreier identifies silk as her favorite fiber because as she puts it, “Silk has this amazing characteristic of taking on your body temperature so that almost immediately you’re so comfortable, you forget you’re wearing it.” These features make Luxury Silk Yarns ideal to showcase for the changeable weather so common each spring.
But exactly where does silk fiber come from and how does it get transformed into some of the most luxurious yarns available today?
Throughout the ages, silk fiber has been highly prized and once was available only to royalty and the aristocracy. From the beginnings of silk production in China around 2600 B.C., the mysteries of this wondrous process were carefully guarded for centuries until some early industrial espionage took place. The secrets gradually spread to Japan, then India and finally to the West.
The basic source of silk fiber is in the cocoon covering of the silkworm, actually not a worm at all but a caterpillar. The highest grade of silk and what is often called “true” silk or “cultivated” silk is from the cocoons of the mulberry silkworm, so named because it is fed only chopped mulberry leaves. Because mulberry leaves contain no tannin or vegetable dyes, this silk fiber is a pure, brilliant white and is used most often in the most expensive textiles and fabrics.
Other types of silkworms are raised in wild or semi-cultivated environments where they can eat a variety of plant leaves and vegetation. Such leaves as cherry, oak and castor-oil are often provided to create this “Tussah” silk, and since these types of plants have tannin, the resulting fiber is usually various shades of ecru, off-white, beige and even tan.
Then for the silk fibers to be transformed from the cocoons to lovely yarns, the long strands or threads are removed (sometimes in the highest grade all as one long filament per cocoon) and then cut into standard long lengths and spun as with other natural fibers. The main difference between silk and cotton or wool fibers, for instance, is how long the threads can be crafted before spinning. This extra stability is the main reason silk is one of the strongest natural fibers available today.
Yarns crafted of 100% high-grade silk are, of course, the most expensive and are easily identified by their luster or sheen as explained so eloquently by Linda Morse in her informative book Luxury Knitting: Ultimate Guide to Exquisite Yarns. Raw or Tussah silk fiber creations have a less smooth appearance without much if any sheen and are usually the least expensive silk yarn options.
Another way yarn aficionados have enhanced silk’s wonderful features is by blending various types of silk with other natural and even synthetic fibers. Combining high-grade silk with cashmere gives you the ultimate in luxurious fibers, while mixing spun silk with natural fibers like wool, cotton, bamboo or mohair creates texture and makes your garments more versatile. Then adding synthetic options such as nylon, polyester and rayon is another way to enhance specific features like elasticity and durability.
And with 66 Luxury Silk Yarns currently in stock at Yarnmarket.com, you have plenty of 100% silk and silk blend fiber gems from which to choose. Select any of the following special yarn options so that you can enjoy the supple drape, sophisticated elegance and lightweight softness of wondrous silk year round.
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For a 100% high-quality silk yarn that's beautifully hand-dyed, you must experience Regal Silk from the yarn masters at Artyarns. Perfect for any worsted-weight project, "Regal Silk" knits up into such feathery light, velvety soft, ultra smooth garments you'll relish their caress against your skin. It's perfect in all seasons because "Regal Silk" will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer no matter what the weather has in store.
But the Yarnmarket "Regal Silk" collection doesn't stop there. Next we added fabulous Impressionist Regal Silk and Impressionist Beaded Silk in our eight Yarnmarket-exclusive color combos. Then most recently we enhanced the collection with yarn maven Iris Schreier's ultimate fiber gem for eveningwear -- Beaded Silk & Sequins. So as you pour over all of these lovely combinations, give your creativity free rein and consider all the ways you can mix and blend these beauties.
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Silk Reversible
Lace Shrug
Cap Sleeved Top
Regal Silk T-Shirt
Posh Boxy Cardigan
Palace Strawberry
Hill Sweater
Silk Blend
Torshavn Shawl
Palace Loppem Cardigan
Feathery
Lace Stole
Silk Garden
Circle Vest
Kidsilk Aura
Bacall Bolero
Panda Silk DK
Baby Cardigan
Silk Garden
Sock Cardigan
Sublime
Cheeky Beret
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Next, for another 100% silk yarn but this time in machine-dyed solid colors & a lighter gauge, explore fantastic Pure Silk from knitwear aficionado Debbie Bliss.
With beautiful sheen & shimmer plus an exquisite color palette, "Pure Silk" from Debbie Bliss is a perfect choice for your spring & summer wardrobe. The sheen enhances stitch patterns from simple to advanced and adds glamour & sophistication to anything you create. "Pure Silk" is a terrific choice for sweaters, tops, jackets, shrugs, scarves, really any DK-weight project.
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Then when you crave the ultimate in luxury fibers, experience silk blended fantastically with cashmere in one-of-kind Posh beautifully created by Classic Elite.
After just one touch we bet you'll understand perfectly why "posh" is the perfect description of this upscale, high-quality fiber gem. Because of its wonderful Italian craftsmanship, you'll marvel at the sensational texture & lovely drape of this stunning yarn.
Also we know that "Posh" will soon be your favorite transitional yarn for year-round comfort. With its versatile worsted weight, "Posh" knits up & crochets beautifully into sweaters, jackets, shawls, hats & accessories.
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Or when you need a 50/50 blend to enhance your wardrobe, one of the most beautiful machine-dyed choices is supple Palace yarn from Berroco.
When you experience this magnificent mix of merino & silk for yourself, you'll definitely see why we think Berroco has chosen the right name because "Palace" so reminds us of elite royalty & the splendors of a royal court. This sumptuous blend of silk & merino gives you the ultimate in softness plus wonderful wearability. With terrific drape & superb stitch definition, "Palace" is perfect for all your worsted-weight knitting & crochet projects like pullovers, jackets, hats, gloves, cardigans, shawls & much more.
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Next you can count on Manos del Uruguay for splendid kettle-dyed, silk/merino blends in just a bit lighter gauge. In velvety soft Manos Silk Blend Semi-Solid yarn, you'll enjoy the subtle heathering effect for shifts of tone-on-tone color.
Then add the fabulous variegated hues of Manos Silk Blend Space-Dyed yarn, and you have a wonderful DK/sport-weight option to mix & match with the tone-on-tone shades. The result? A wide range of beautiful lightweight garments & accessories. No wonder the Manos website refers to this wonderful yarn as "nube" (meaning "cloud") because of its terrific properties.
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For those who love the feel of silk blended with mohair against their skin, the yarn geniuses at Rowan developed & continue to update the preeminent silk/mohair blend aptly named Kidsilk Haze. Much like the softness of a cloud, this combination of super kid mohair with lustrous silk in a DK-weight fiber gem is terrific for various knitting & crochet projects from airy shawls & scarves to lightweight tops & jackets.
Then the yarn designers at Rowan created additional versions of this ever-popular fiber combo when they developed a multi-hued, tone-on-tone version in Kidsilk Spray that's totally interchangeable in all "Kidsilk Haze" patterns. Last but certainly not least, Rowan has developed the worsted-weight option of Kidsilk Aura with the same sensuous blend of kid mohair & silk but now available for a wider range of garments.
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Another silk/mohair blend comes from superb color master Eisaku Noro in his auto-striping creation -- Silk Garden. By mixing equal amounts of silk & kid mohair with just a touch of wool, Noro has been able to lay the foundation for a yarn dynasty in his "Silk Garden" family of related yarns.
Noro has crafted his lovely blend into a variety of weights to complete his yarn collection: From quick-to-create Silk Garden Chunky to DK-weight Silk Garden Lite to even his latest traditional lightweight Silk Garden Sock, you can enjoy the same self-striping splendor in all your knitting & crochet projects no matter what the gauge.
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Now no review of yarns would be complete without checking in with Crystal Palace, and seeing what innovative silk fiber blends they have developed.
A fantastic mix of bamboo & superwash merino plus a touch of luxurious combed silk gives Panda Silk DK Solid yarn fabulous machine washability with a touch of indulgence for your favorite relatives & friends. Ideal for even precious wee ones, this lovely blend also comes in variegated Panda Silk DK Print along with two fingering-weight styles -- Panda Silk Solid and coordinating Panda Silk Print.
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And last but certainly not least comes another great yarn option for creating baby & children's items to pass on to future generations but not break the bank. From the yarn mavens at Sublime, we recommend the lovely Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK. Luxuriously soft with a lovely sheen because of its 20% silk content & a touch of cashmere, "Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK" is available in 21 lovely baby pastels and children's crayon brights. We know you'll love the way this great machine washable combo knits up & crochets beautifully.
Then when you're ready to enjoy the same terrific fiber blend in even a wider range of solid shades, check out sensational Cashmere Merino Silk DK available in 28 more single hues.
And just as a little preview of what's to come, our 4th issue of the Just Your Type newsletter will be emailed to you on Wednesday, May 27th, so get ready to update your warm-weather wardrobe with one of our most popular spring/summer yarn categories -- Classic Cotton Yarns. Think of all the things you've already created with cottons & cotton blends plus all the things you plan to knit & crochet with these wonderful yarns, and we'll compare notes the end of next month, OK?
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Orginally published by Yarnmarket.com in 4/2009. Please note
that yarns and links may change over time.
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