Add to your stash

Words by Claire Montgomerie

Artesano Baby Alpaca DK
This yarn is incredibly soft and squooshy due to the delicate baby alpaca fibre. It is also surprisingly lightweight with a gentle drape, making it comfortable to wear. The yarn is quick and smooth to hook up with well-defined stitches, and it comes in the most gorgeous heathered shades. We tried Agate, which is laced with subtle colours from lilac to red that are a joy to behold.

Three Bears Yarn Rosie’s Acrylic Slub DK
This is a great quality value yarn made in Lancashire. It’s hard to believe this is a pure acrylic, as it works up like a lightweight cotton with the sheen of viscose. The highly twisted lengths and soft, fluffy nupps create
a pretty slub yarn that creates an uneven but pretty fabric that is not unlike raw silk.

Rico Design Creative Paper
Creative Paper has a handle similar to raffia but with a lovely matt sheen. It can be a little hard going as it has no stretch, but the fabric has a satisfying crispness and rustle and is still quite soft and pliable. You can
even hand wash it! There’s a great range of shades available and the yarn is perfect for accessories such as summery bags and hats or contemporary homewares.

Patons Summer Cotton
The stuffed tape construction of this yarn makes it lightweight and yet voluminous and easy to hook with a strong stitch definition. It has a crisp handle but is soft against the skin. The cotton fibres are dyed in bright shades, while the acrylic fibres are left undyed, creating a slightly sunbleached look, perfect for evoking summer.

Erika Knight Studio Linen
Studio Linen is a great choice if you are environmentally conscious, as linen is eco-friendly to grow plus this yarn also uses a recycled element. Carefully unwind it from the skein as it can get tangled, but then it’s a dream to use. Smooth and even to crochet with, it works up into a cool, soft fabric with a heavy, fluid drape, wonderful for breathable, contemporary garments.