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Clara
queen bee
USA
4363 Posts |
 Posted - 10/28/2009 : 5:51:21 PM
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This week I'm moving away from the crunchier farm yarns and toward the triple-sifted cake flours of the yarn world, starting with Tahki Lana. I was surprised (in a nice way) how pleasant and lively this yarn is even though it's spent time at a fancy finishing school in Italy.
In the world of sheep's wool, Merino is among the finest fibers available. Other sheep can be bred to produce comparably soft fibers, but Merino has been widely bred to produce soft fibers on a large scale—which is why the finer mass-produced wool yarns tend to be made from Merino. The law of supply and demand dictates it.
Still, not all Merinos are alike. Some can be over-scoured to the point of feeling dry and lifeless, while others can be left in a nearly raw state rich with lanolin and bits of grass. Tahki Lana sits happily in the middle, its organic Merino fibers feeling plump and full of life, yet with nary a scent or twig.
......full review
Clara
Your friendly Knitter's Review publisher
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hcdarmara@earthlink.net
New Pal
4 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2009 : 10:13:40 PM
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| Looks like a lovely yarn. But, on the Tahki website, it's $9.85, not $8.95. |
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Jane
SustaYning Member
USA
4293 Posts |
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Clara
queen bee
USA
4363 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 05:25:08 AM
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Woops! Thanks for the correction - I originally linked to WEBS, which offers it for $8.95. Then I realized that Tahki does Shopatron and wanted to send folks there instead. But that's a mighty difference. Link changed back to WEBS...
Clara
Your friendly Knitter's Review publisher
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pressly
New Pal
42 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 08:03:27 AM
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| Another great review Clara, so helpful for those of us out in the rural sticks who rely on these before making our online purchases. ~Leanne |
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NAL
New Pal
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 08:39:50 AM
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What a striking yarn!
RE Maine Morning Mitts - the pattern calls for worsted weight - might I ask what needle size you used with the Lana? (Realize this is subjective!)
Many thanks! |
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Clara
queen bee
USA
4363 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 08:49:59 AM
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Hi NAL! I used an 8 and probably could've gone down to a 7, but I wanted a little squish.
Clara
Your friendly Knitter's Review publisher
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NAL
New Pal
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 09:04:40 AM
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Thanks, Clara! I just might give those mitts (and Lana) a try!
Cheers!
NAL |
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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6331 Posts |
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okate2@earthlink.net
New Pal
3 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 09:09:11 AM
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| So happy to see that the Yarn Scientist is back in the house. I learn so much from your rigorous testing and it's a service no one else really provides. The Takhi natural sounds intriguing. I was worried it was just another case of green washing. Thanks, Clara. |
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CraftyGrammy
Chatty Knitter
USA
194 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 10:31:31 AM
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Clara, that you for the review and most of all the link to download the Maine Morning Mitts. I just ordered a skein of Lara in light grey from WEBS and I am anxious to start my first pair of fingerless mitts. Let's see... that gives me just a short time before my yarn arrives to finish my wallaby.
Nancy |
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empressgeorge
New Pal
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 5:31:20 PM
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| Here's my vote for cleaner water. I love working with Merino, and I am always looking for great quality organics. Thanks for sharing this yarn! |
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GreenLady
New Pal
8 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2009 : 06:47:21 AM
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| Thank you for the review, Clara! I have a question, though: this yarn is spun in Italy, but where do the sheep live? If we're going to support clean water and such, it would be nice to know where exactly that clean water is. Alternately, if the sheep live in South America then the fleece is shipped to Italy then the yarn is shipped to the US we might be canceling out a lot of the benefits with all that transportation. |
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Clara
queen bee
USA
4363 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2009 : 09:45:42 AM
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As with everything "green" these days, the issue is mostly one of compromise. I can tell you that the largest supplies of high-quality organic Merino fiber come from Australia and South America. I don't know where Tahki sourced the wool for this, but one of those two countries is the most likely place.
We would need to calculate the square footage of space that these fibers took up in a cargo ship, averaged out with all the other things being transported on that ship, to figure out its percentage of the overall carbon footprint for that ship.
Whether the pollution from transportation is better or worse, more or less damaging, than the health effects of pesticides in groundwater... that's where it really has to become a personal decision.
Clara
Your friendly Knitter's Review publisher
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Tahki Lana
