I received 5 new yarns from Berroco for this review. As always, they were lovely – great colors, but still mature-enough to be used for adults.

Read on for our thoughts on each yarn, as well as the needles we used and both pre- and post-blocking photos!

Working the Swatches

I did the same thing for all the swatches:

CO 19. 4 rows garter, 16 rows St st,  4 rows garter (not worked for the Gingham) and I used a regular BO

Farro

Specs

164 yards/150 meters

80% Cotton, 20% Nylon

5.25 sts and 30 rows = 4″

Needles

US 6/4.0 mm

My thoughts

• Became easier after 2 rows
• NOT for beginners or knitting without looking
• A crochet hook would be easier because it wouldn’t split the yarn

Difficulty

Intermediate: thecable plies make it interesting but also a bit more challenging to get with a knitting needle

Liana

Specs

140 yards/128 meters

81% Linen, 19% Nylon

5.25 sts and 29 rows = 4″

Needles

US 6/4.0 mm

My thoughts

• Very pretty dyeing!
• Doesn’t split while knitting, but it was also harder to make it curve around the needle and become a stitch
• Challenging to make consistent gauge. 
• It’s best to choose simple projects with limited decreases to reduce needing to manipulate the yarn that way
• It looked dark in the hank, but it reads lighter when knitted up. I’d recommend looking at projects on berroco.com, Ravelry, knitting paradise and others. Know what you’re buying beforehand!
• It’s thick and thin
• I found it harder to make my bind off not be binding. This isn’t an issue i usually grapple with but I did with this yarn. 

Difficulty

Intermediate to maybe advanced – the inflexible nature of the yarn makes it more challenging to knit. I also suspect that a needle material that’s more grabby than my steel might help too.

Gingham

Specs

219 yards/200 meters

82% Cotton, 1% Nylon

5.25 sts and 30 rows = 4″

Needles

US 11/8.0 mm

My thoughts

• Interesting yarn!
• Thin strip of gingham fabric with 2 rows of sewing so it doesn’t fray apart
• Harder to knit because needle kept getting snagged in it
• Better to knit at tips because I could get to a stitch more easily
• St st was MUCH easier to knit than garter stitch (hence, I didn’t even work the second set of garter stitch at the end)
• Very hard to count stitches. I wouldn’t make something where you need to count in order to match. 
• I found it easier to move each stitch after knitting it to be further up the needle where it’s the full diameter. 

Difficulty

Advanced – while the gauge is quite large (read – quicker to knit), the ribbons of fabric can make it difficult to work.

Cambria

Specs

137 yards/125 meters

60% Alpaca, 20% Linen, 20% Lyocell

5.25 sts and 28 rows = 4″

Needles

US 6/4.0 mm

My thoughts

• easily knit up!
• the yarn did do that thing where it created vertical stripes with the yarn (I think it’s related to the spin, fiber and knitting style – but I’m not sure – do you guys know?)
• did flatten and become a bit more well-behaved with a wet-block
• I regret that I didn’t wash this swatch given how much I like the way that linen behaves when washed.

Difficulty

Beginner/Intermediate – I’d only go to intermediate because the linen should be treated well/more gingerly

Mantra Stonewash

Specs

182 yards/167 meters

100% Silk

5.5 sts and 30 rows = 4″

Needles

US 4/3.5 mm – I used a 3.5 mm even though the recommended was the 4.0 because the work just seemed too loose for my taste.

My thoughts

• easy to knit up!
• almost no difference between the pre- and post-blocking
• if you want to try a new Berroco yarn this spring, this is an easy one to add to the mix

Difficulty

Beginner – The yarn behaved and was easy to knit. And since the dappled effect doesn’t pool or do other odd things, people won’t need to alter the projects or needle sizes.

Enjoy these yarns if you can

And get more info about the Berroco drop-ship program as well. It’s a great way to use their yarns in a safe and healthy way!