Knitch Magazine

Yarn Name: Rowan Savannah
Review Date: April, 2011
Date Introduced to Market: Spring, 2011

The Look

Rowan has found a way to capture a breezy summer day in a skein of yarn. Savannah is made up of several thin cotton strands wrapped together by a single thread of silk. There is some variation in the yarn’s thickness, adding a bit of texture to the knit fabric it produces. As you knit with Savannah the thin strand of silk becomes more noticeable, providing a lovely subtle sheen against the matte surface of the cotton.

The Feel

You don’t truly appreciate the texture of Savannah until you begin to knit with it. The multiple strands begin to take shape, showing off the plush yet breathable quality of the yarn. Savannah has a good amount of softness to it, but it also has a wonderful gauzy texture reminiscent of linen. Cotton and silk both stay cool to the touch, making the combination in Savannah a perfect fiber for your warm weather projects. While this yarn is soft, I wouldn’t call it the softest yarn I’ve ever worked with. The softness and texture will make it a pleasure to wear against your skin. I give Savannah a 7 on the softness scale.

Softness Scale

The Patterns

As always, Rowan has produced a wonderful selection of patterns to use with their new Savannah yarn. You can find patterns for beautiful tops, comfortable and relaxed cardigans, casual beach cover-ups and more. Several of the patterns use openwork and textural stitches, producing garments that will be excellent additions to your spring and summer wardrobe.

Color Range

Savannah is available in 8 colors that Rowan describes as “desert” colors. You can choose from muted, dusty shades of blues, purple, pink, green, gray and naturals. The colors are quiet and subtle, a perfect complement to the texture of the yarn.

Working It

Knitting with Savannah is a very enjoyable experience. If you are a tactile person, as most knitters and fiber enthusiasts are, you will really like how this yarn feels in your hands. Rowan recommends using size 8 needles, which give a gauge of about 4.5 stitches per inch. One of the best qualities of this yarn is how different it feels when you knit it with different size needles. Going down to a size 7 needle produces a slightly more structured, yet still soft fabric. The yarn doesn’t have much spring or resiliency to it, so ribbing type stitches may loose their shape over time. You should be a careful not to snag that binding thread as you knit, it may become a little loose as you work with the yarn. My favorite use for Savannah is with lacey, openwork stitches because they produce a lovely gauzy fabric with a beautiful drape.

What I’d Like to Make with It

I want to feel this yarn around my shoulders. It would make an amazing summertime wrap for those cool evenings. I also have an idea in mind for a simple light scarf pattern that I would like to design.

Knitting Outside the Box

Try doubling or even tripling Savannah and using size 11 or larger needles. The result will be a luscious, thick fabric that stays surprisingly soft and flexible! You can knit a lovely mesh fabric if you knit a single strand of Savannah on a size 10 or larger. You could also have a lot of fun working with stitches like seed, moss, linen, or bramble to highlight the textural qualities of the yarn. Experiment with using a smaller size needle, like a 6 or 7 for a more structured fabric.

Blocking It

You should take care when blocking a garment made of cotton or silk yarn. Cotton has a tendency to lose some of its strength when wet. Spray blocking is an easy and gentle way to block a delicate fabric. To spray block an item, all you have to do is pin it in place and lightly spray it with water. The surface should be damp, not saturated. Allow the garment to completely dry and remove the pins.

Washing It

Hand wash in cold water. Dry cleaning is also recommended. Do not tumble dry. Lay garment flat in shade to dry. You may iron if using a low heat setting.

Wearability

Savannah will be extremely cool and comfortable to wear in the warmer spring and summer months. The breathable quality of this yarn will make it possible to use for layering in the colder months. My only concern is that the silk thread holding the individual strands together may loosen up over time easily snag. But overall, I think this yarn will wear well.

Overall Recommendation:

Cotton, silk, cool, comfortable. This yarn has great subtle texture and comes in a lovely palate of muted dusty colors. Savannah is a nice yarn to work with for the spring and summer. I give it an overall rating of 8.