| Aslan Trends Los Andes |
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| Written by Barbara Rottman | |||
 Yarn Name: Los AndesReview Date: 10/6/2009 Date Introduced to Market: Fall 2009
The Look
The Feel This super chunky blend of 85% merino and 15% nylon is velvety soft, with the silky smoothness of unspun singles. Los Andes rates a 9 on the softness scale.
The Patterns Big needle knits continue to dominate the fashion scene for their dramatic impact. Knitting with a super bulky yarn is an easy, quick way to add something new to your Fall wardrobe. Many designers, books and magazines feature super bulky yarns in their new books, but you can find an abundance of free patterns for scarves, hats, ponchos, slippers, and pet beds.
Color Range Los Andes is available in 11 colorways that are coordinated with Bariloche and Santa Fe. The vibrant colors are a jumble of deeply saturated dyes bouncing off the faint sheen of the wool singles. The hand made nature of the yarn means there's no dye lots, but be aware that each skein of hand dyed yarn is unique in color, even in the same dye lot, so be sure to buy enough yarn to avoid running out. Before starting your project, examine the skeins in natural light for any variations in dye absorption. If there is a noticeable difference, arrange the skeins so that the color transitions subtly and evenly through your garment.
Working It Los Andes knits quickly at a gauge of 2 to 3 stitches per inch on US size 13 to 15 needles. It’s easy to be spellbound as you knit this silky soft yarn by the play of color changes as the texture varies between thick and thin. All super bulky yarns knit up quickly, but it’s hard to pull yourself away from this yarn; chances are your project will fly off the needles. Despite its super bulky gauge, Los Andes is light, springy, and drapes well. The thick and thin yarn knits into a fabric with a rustic, hand spun look just right for garments knit at this gauge.
What I’d Like to Make with It With a choice of the same colorway in different yarn weights, you can finish off a dramatically bulky garment with I-cord in medium weight Bariloche, or add a lace edging in fingering weight Santa Fe. Alternatively, you can add a beautifully textured collar and cuffs in super bulky Los Andes to a sweater knit in medium weight Bariloche. As a test, I knit a garter stitch swatch 22 stitches wide on size 15 needles, throwing in a picot row ever 7 rows. After binding off, I joined the cast on and bound off edges, leaving the bottom third open. With the slit worn in either front or back, and at the top or bottom, this little swatch converts into a cozy cowl to wear inside a coat or jacket.
Knitting Outside the Box Don’t be tempted to felt Los Andes; felting requires 100% wool fiber for consistent results. Los Andes, with 15% nylon blended with 85% merino, is not suitable for felting despite its tempting texture and color.
Blocking It Dry flat.
Washing It Hand wash in cold water using a mild soap. May be dry cleaned .
Wearability Very soft singles yarn with loose fibers may be subject to pilling, especially on abrasion points like sleeves and underarms or palms of mittens. Overall Recommendation Los Andes stands out for its superb dyes and lush texture. Knit it alone or with its sister yarns in worsted and fingering weight, this family of beautifully hand dyed yarns is worthy of a #9 recommendation.
Where to buy Aslan Trends Los Andes yarn: Yarnmarket.com
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Los Andes is an appealing blend of thick and thin yarn richly hand-dyed in the lush tones Victorian velvet. The contrast between dyes and texture creates a swirl of color that draws the eye into this striking yarn. The creative yarn artisans of AslanTrends developed this bulky yarn in colorways that blend with medium weight 
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