Thank you for a truly informative Yarn Face-Off! I've never worked with Manchega wool. Talk about dual purpose cheese and yarn!
Your description of this yarn as being similar to Columbia, and lightweight but a chunky knit made me also think of another American sheep, the Montadale. They are truly dual purpose as a meat and fiber breed. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook (you know, the wool bible) says the Montadale breed was founded on Columbia ewes and a Cheviot ram. Prepped and spun woolen, Montadale yarn can be perfect for lightweight and warm sweaters that knit up quickly.
Hope that knee replacement heals quickly and well!
Yay, another informative article! You know, I tend to buy yarn first, think of a project later, but I appreciate the caution when it comes to certain yarns. My skin is kind of sensitive so the Icelandic Lopi would have to be for outer garments. I might steer clear of the Manchelopis given how easily the yarn breaks. I’d be tempted to spin it first!
Wishing you a just right coffee and an engaging read while you are on the mend Sandi.
Thank you for doing this yarn face off! You covered many of the things I would have been wondering about. Will it hold together as I knit? Will it hold together after it is knit? What size needles should I use? Would I be able to wear these yarns? Thanks for giving me many of the answers to my questions. 🙂 The softness loftiness of the Manchelopis sounds very tempting!
I have knit many items with Icelandic Lopi yarns. Some from the lightweight plates and many from the heavier weight skeins. This was many years ago. I loved working with Lopi! There were many patterns available for ski sweaters and jackets. Most of the colors were natural which allowed for natural beauty of the yarn to shine. This said, I am sensitive to even the softest yarns around my neck and always need to wear either an undergarment or a scarf to be comfortable. As I often wear light weight turtlenecks in the winter, I can wear just about anything over them. I did make a few items carrying a contrasting cotton or linen thread with the light weight Lopi to create a tweed effect. This allowed for the lightweight Lopi to feel a little more substantial while still being quite light. Perfect for a pullover vest. Which also made for quick gifts! It was my good fortune to be working with a wonderful Icelandic knitter at that time. She helped me learning how to knit with it and through the process of ordering my Lopi (way before any pc's or internet!) Theo was a very kind and capable woman who loved living in America. She had a great sense of humor and many wonderful memories of raising her family in Iceland. One of the things she missed were the 5 English classical music radio stations that included hour long book reads by authors!!! Oh how I would love that, too!
This came at the perfect time as I just found 4 plates of Plotulopi in a local charity shop.
Thank you for a truly informative Yarn Face-Off! I've never worked with Manchega wool. Talk about dual purpose cheese and yarn!
Your description of this yarn as being similar to Columbia, and lightweight but a chunky knit made me also think of another American sheep, the Montadale. They are truly dual purpose as a meat and fiber breed. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook (you know, the wool bible) says the Montadale breed was founded on Columbia ewes and a Cheviot ram. Prepped and spun woolen, Montadale yarn can be perfect for lightweight and warm sweaters that knit up quickly.
Hope that knee replacement heals quickly and well!
Yay, another informative article! You know, I tend to buy yarn first, think of a project later, but I appreciate the caution when it comes to certain yarns. My skin is kind of sensitive so the Icelandic Lopi would have to be for outer garments. I might steer clear of the Manchelopis given how easily the yarn breaks. I’d be tempted to spin it first!
Wishing you a just right coffee and an engaging read while you are on the mend Sandi.
Thank you for doing this yarn face off! You covered many of the things I would have been wondering about. Will it hold together as I knit? Will it hold together after it is knit? What size needles should I use? Would I be able to wear these yarns? Thanks for giving me many of the answers to my questions. 🙂 The softness loftiness of the Manchelopis sounds very tempting!
I have knit many items with Icelandic Lopi yarns. Some from the lightweight plates and many from the heavier weight skeins. This was many years ago. I loved working with Lopi! There were many patterns available for ski sweaters and jackets. Most of the colors were natural which allowed for natural beauty of the yarn to shine. This said, I am sensitive to even the softest yarns around my neck and always need to wear either an undergarment or a scarf to be comfortable. As I often wear light weight turtlenecks in the winter, I can wear just about anything over them. I did make a few items carrying a contrasting cotton or linen thread with the light weight Lopi to create a tweed effect. This allowed for the lightweight Lopi to feel a little more substantial while still being quite light. Perfect for a pullover vest. Which also made for quick gifts! It was my good fortune to be working with a wonderful Icelandic knitter at that time. She helped me learning how to knit with it and through the process of ordering my Lopi (way before any pc's or internet!) Theo was a very kind and capable woman who loved living in America. She had a great sense of humor and many wonderful memories of raising her family in Iceland. One of the things she missed were the 5 English classical music radio stations that included hour long book reads by authors!!! Oh how I would love that, too!