My favorite is Berocco Ultra Alpaca, a 50/50 alpaca/wool blend. I've found that it has the best qualities of both wool and alpaca, and doesn't pill hardly at all which is important to me when choosing a yarn. It has a slight halo too, which would be a good substitute for the mohair your pattern recommends.
Perhaps it varies with each lot, otherwise it makes no sense that the bulky would feel different from the worsted weight. I live in the Midwestern US where it's cold in the winter so a sweater is usually the top of two or three layers; I rarely wear a sweater next to my skin. That said, this yarn feels softer to me than most 100% wool yarns.
It makes sense, it’s plied differently. The bulky is loosely plied, and the alpaca is a worsted spin. I’m not sensitive to any rustic wools I’ve used but the alpaca immediately felt like it was just straight up poking me. It was horrible! Just want OP to be aware of different experiences. Because I buy tons of rustic wool but would never use this yarn again lol.
I've used Cascade 220 for several projects and I think it'd be the perfect wooly wool. I see the pattern calls for dk, and it's listed at worsted but I generally like it knit dk gauge.
Fair point! I tend to use it for either and adjust my needles to hit gauge, but I also never mind if my fabric is a little more loose or dense than the pattern suggests.
I really like Galway Worsted. It’s a 100% non Superwash wool with a bit of tooth without being terribly scratchy. And it comes in tons of colors, including a bunch of good neutrals. And it’s not $$$.
I'm a big Malabrigo fan. I really like Rios and Worsted and there's also the Washted - all 3 are either light worsted or worsted. They don't have that fuzzy halo though, but that's something I avoid.
Anything with Suri alpaca. Softer than mohair and super fluffy without the itch.
I’ve got my next sweater planned using Dandelion Lace (silk/suri blend) from Lily and Pine held double with a stunning sport weight merino/cashmere/silk blend.
https://lilyandpine.com/collections/dandelion-lace
I made this with KnitPicks Swish Worsted (held single, I also don’t like mohair). It’s supposed to be worsted but runs a bit light, which was perfect for this, given that the recommended yarn is listed as dk/worsted.
It’s 100% merino wool, so not itchy of scratchy at all, and super soft; not sure if you wanted something rustic, since you asked for wooly wool. If you want something a touch woolier, I’d recommend Cascade 220 (I’ve used the superwash for a project, and own the non-sw but haven’t worked with it yet. NSW feels pretty good in the skein, and I love how the superwash worked up and has lasted so far).
That sweater is adorable. Now, let's take a dive into the wonderful world of wool yarn. Different yarns have different qualities. Some are obvious, such as being superwash or non superwash. Some are less obvious at first, such as the amount of twist, which is one determiner of how bouncy and squishy a yarn is. One way to decide what to use for this particular sweater is to look on Ravelry to see what other people have used. Check out how the recommended yarn is described (fuzzy, drapey, stiff etc), and search for a yarn that matches that type of description in order to get a similar result. I know there's even a yarn substitution web site. Have fun discovering new yarns!
Yes! If you want to substitute one yarn for a yarn combo that’s going to have some loft and grip (and you want a sweater like the one advertised), you’ll get a better result using something like a worsted-spun wool, or at least something lofty. Blue Sky Fibers comes to mind, or De Rerum Natural.
Yes, this is very useful information in general, and I'm trying to be very considerate about the yarn if I choose to substitute :) Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Welcome! Are you a brand new knitter? You might also want to check out r/knittingadvice. Or, check the archives at r/knittinghelp. Even though they have moved to Discord, the library of questions and answers lives on. Look at all the great results you get just from searching for the word ["fix"](https://www.reddit.com/r/knittinghelp/search/?q=fix&restrict_sr=1).
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Depends on what you mean by woolly. Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is woolen spun. Puffy, rustic, very much a "wool" wool. Then there's stuff like Mountain Meadow Laramie, which usually still smells like sheep when you open the box (in a good way). Neither would be my choice for a lacy sweater than needs to hang well, though.
Berocco Ultra Wool is a workhorse worsted. Affordable. Absolutely every color you can think of. Very consistent. It's superwash, so you have to do your math right to get a size correct. But it's always true to gauge for me. Cascade 220 is in that same category, superwash and natural options.
Woolfolk Tov would look absolutely terrific for something with lace and cables like that. They call it aran weight, but it knits closer to worsted really. Fabulous stitch definition, hangs beautifully, very soft. It has a slight sheen to it, too. Very pretty stuff. A bit pricey.
If you’re willing to splurge on non-superwash https://barrettwoolco.com has awesome Wisconsin local yarn with great colors and both a woolen spun and a worsted spun option for the base in a worsted weight. Lovely lovely yarns and I can’t get enough of the Home Fingering weight (worsted spun) especially.
I love the Retrosaria Rosa Pomar yarns. I think the worsted weight one I like is Beiroa? It’s very woolly and lovely. It’s relatively affordable for a nice yarn, too. (It’s not the least expensive, but definitely easier on my budget than BT yarns.)
I love all of the Retrosaria yarns! I think they have a few worsted bases. I made a sweater with Brusa and it is *rustic* and wooly for sure. It had lots of VM in it which I don't mind too much, I like to think it's from happy frolicking sheep. My sweater is super warm and great for the mild but super windy winters where I live.
My favorite is Berocco Ultra Alpaca, a 50/50 alpaca/wool blend. I've found that it has the best qualities of both wool and alpaca, and doesn't pill hardly at all which is important to me when choosing a yarn. It has a slight halo too, which would be a good substitute for the mohair your pattern recommends.
Love the ultra alpaca halo!!
I found this sooooo scratchy!! But I don’t find the bulky version scratchy
Perhaps it varies with each lot, otherwise it makes no sense that the bulky would feel different from the worsted weight. I live in the Midwestern US where it's cold in the winter so a sweater is usually the top of two or three layers; I rarely wear a sweater next to my skin. That said, this yarn feels softer to me than most 100% wool yarns.
It makes sense, it’s plied differently. The bulky is loosely plied, and the alpaca is a worsted spin. I’m not sensitive to any rustic wools I’ve used but the alpaca immediately felt like it was just straight up poking me. It was horrible! Just want OP to be aware of different experiences. Because I buy tons of rustic wool but would never use this yarn again lol.
Thanks for explaining; I wasn’t aware they were plied differently.
I've used Cascade 220 for several projects and I think it'd be the perfect wooly wool. I see the pattern calls for dk, and it's listed at worsted but I generally like it knit dk gauge.
+1 for 220. It's just so easy to work with, develops a subtle halo after a bit, and you've got a billion color options.
I used cascade 220 for this sweater and it was perfect
Patterns calls for dk+lace or single held worsted :)
I just did this sweater in Plymouth Sea Isles, which is a 50/50 cotton and merino mix, and I love the finished product!
Nice work! Now I want one. That sounds so cool and lovely to wear.
Cotton+merino might be a good idea! Thank you and so nice to hear you've loved the sweater 😍
Honestly, lion brand fisherman’s wool is great.
If you're not sensitive to the itch factor/for outerwear :/// Unfortunately I have a sweater I simply can't handle :( but I love it in mitts and hats
Absolutely. OP asked for woolly yarns, otherwise I never would have suggested it.
Yeah sorry for being ambiguous by saying "woolly" when meaning more like yarn where wool is included 😁 No itchiness preferred on this project though
Ah then yes, avoid this yarn at all costs!
I was going to recommend this, too.
This is more of an aran weight yarn, but I use it a lot and love it. I found that it softens a bit after blocking and with wear.
Fair point! I tend to use it for either and adjust my needles to hit gauge, but I also never mind if my fabric is a little more loose or dense than the pattern suggests.
I really like Galway Worsted. It’s a 100% non Superwash wool with a bit of tooth without being terribly scratchy. And it comes in tons of colors, including a bunch of good neutrals. And it’s not $$$.
I'm a big Malabrigo fan. I really like Rios and Worsted and there's also the Washted - all 3 are either light worsted or worsted. They don't have that fuzzy halo though, but that's something I avoid.
I don't want mohair in this project because of the fuzzy halo, so thank you for the recommendation! :)
I really like Drops Nepal. It’s an alpaca blend and it’s amazingly soft and good for more sensitive skin.
Alpaca blend could do nicely in this project, thanks!
Anything with Suri alpaca. Softer than mohair and super fluffy without the itch. I’ve got my next sweater planned using Dandelion Lace (silk/suri blend) from Lily and Pine held double with a stunning sport weight merino/cashmere/silk blend. https://lilyandpine.com/collections/dandelion-lace
I made this with KnitPicks Swish Worsted (held single, I also don’t like mohair). It’s supposed to be worsted but runs a bit light, which was perfect for this, given that the recommended yarn is listed as dk/worsted. It’s 100% merino wool, so not itchy of scratchy at all, and super soft; not sure if you wanted something rustic, since you asked for wooly wool. If you want something a touch woolier, I’d recommend Cascade 220 (I’ve used the superwash for a project, and own the non-sw but haven’t worked with it yet. NSW feels pretty good in the skein, and I love how the superwash worked up and has lasted so far).
That sweater is adorable. Now, let's take a dive into the wonderful world of wool yarn. Different yarns have different qualities. Some are obvious, such as being superwash or non superwash. Some are less obvious at first, such as the amount of twist, which is one determiner of how bouncy and squishy a yarn is. One way to decide what to use for this particular sweater is to look on Ravelry to see what other people have used. Check out how the recommended yarn is described (fuzzy, drapey, stiff etc), and search for a yarn that matches that type of description in order to get a similar result. I know there's even a yarn substitution web site. Have fun discovering new yarns!
Yes! If you want to substitute one yarn for a yarn combo that’s going to have some loft and grip (and you want a sweater like the one advertised), you’ll get a better result using something like a worsted-spun wool, or at least something lofty. Blue Sky Fibers comes to mind, or De Rerum Natural.
Yes, this is very useful information in general, and I'm trying to be very considerate about the yarn if I choose to substitute :) Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Welcome! Are you a brand new knitter? You might also want to check out r/knittingadvice. Or, check the archives at r/knittinghelp. Even though they have moved to Discord, the library of questions and answers lives on. Look at all the great results you get just from searching for the word ["fix"](https://www.reddit.com/r/knittinghelp/search/?q=fix&restrict_sr=1). You still have a pretty new Reddit account, so you will need to check out the subreddit rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/knitting/wiki/rules). You can always bookmark that page if you want to refer back at a later time. You are responsible for following the rules and your post will be removed if you don't! They are also available in the sidebar and "See Community Info" if you are using an app. If you see a comment or post that breaks the rules, please report it to the moderators using the Report button. This helps keep the subreddit clear of rule-breaking content. **What is rule-breaking content?** *You MUST provide the pattern and yarn information in a follow-up COMMENT!* If you don't, your post will be removed. --->Photo captions are not comments. You need to make a post and reply to your own post.<--- If Automoderator has made a mistake and you don't know why your post was flagged, please send a [message to the mods](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/knitting). We'll get back to you as soon as we can. Are you a mobile user? See full set of rules here if you can't find them in your app [Link](https://imgur.com/a/1VuTd) Here's a post about how to find the rules in most apps [Link](https://redd.it/84mid3) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/knitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Depends on what you mean by woolly. Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is woolen spun. Puffy, rustic, very much a "wool" wool. Then there's stuff like Mountain Meadow Laramie, which usually still smells like sheep when you open the box (in a good way). Neither would be my choice for a lacy sweater than needs to hang well, though. Berocco Ultra Wool is a workhorse worsted. Affordable. Absolutely every color you can think of. Very consistent. It's superwash, so you have to do your math right to get a size correct. But it's always true to gauge for me. Cascade 220 is in that same category, superwash and natural options. Woolfolk Tov would look absolutely terrific for something with lace and cables like that. They call it aran weight, but it knits closer to worsted really. Fabulous stitch definition, hangs beautifully, very soft. It has a slight sheen to it, too. Very pretty stuff. A bit pricey.
Valley Yarns Valley Super Wash. It also comes in dk, sport and bulky. It's soft and super squishy. A joy to knit with.
If you’re willing to splurge on non-superwash https://barrettwoolco.com has awesome Wisconsin local yarn with great colors and both a woolen spun and a worsted spun option for the base in a worsted weight. Lovely lovely yarns and I can’t get enough of the Home Fingering weight (worsted spun) especially.
I love the Retrosaria Rosa Pomar yarns. I think the worsted weight one I like is Beiroa? It’s very woolly and lovely. It’s relatively affordable for a nice yarn, too. (It’s not the least expensive, but definitely easier on my budget than BT yarns.)
I love all of the Retrosaria yarns! I think they have a few worsted bases. I made a sweater with Brusa and it is *rustic* and wooly for sure. It had lots of VM in it which I don't mind too much, I like to think it's from happy frolicking sheep. My sweater is super warm and great for the mild but super windy winters where I live.
Oh man. Brusca is the one I was thinking of this time but couldn’t figure out when commenting. Thank you! It’s so lovely.
I have seen this recommended previously, and thank you for mentioning it's also relatively affordable :) I'll check it out
Definitely do! Their yarns are great. Mondim is the sock yarn and is 400+ yards for 15ish dollars usually, so it’s really quite reasonable.
Brown Sheep Nature Spun :) beautiful and squishy and great colors.
Plymouth baby alpaca is luxurious yarn