In January I'll be starting the Bouquet sweater by Junko Okamoto as part of Allyson Dykhuizen's winter class. This is my second class with Allyson, and I learned so, so much in the first that I can't wait for this one. This will be my first time attempting colorwork, and this pattern has a LOT of colorwork, and the unusual approach of leaving floats on the front of the finished work. I became obsessed with the idea of using a marled background like the sample:
This led to a deep, deep dive into marled yarns. Yes, of course, I could fashion my own, but I wanted something a bit simpler since I'll be learning a whole new technique already with this one.
For your benefit, here are the range of NATURAL FIBER DK and worsted weight options I uncovered! There are a couple budget options mixed in there too!
Plied Yarns - Penn Ave ($28/skein)
100% non-superwash wool; 2-ply woolen spun; worsted weight
108 yd/98 m per 1.75 oz/50 g skein
Spincycle Yarns - Trine ($32/skein)
worsted weight • marled • 100% fine wool • non-superwash • 150 yards per skein • hand wash cold, lay flat to dry • MADE IN THE USA
Spincycle Yarns - Versus ($28/skein)
dk weight • marled • 100% fine wool, non-superwashed • 200 yards per skein • hand wash cold, lay flat to dry • MADE IN THE USA
Magpie Fibers - Nest Worsted ($32/skein)
100% non-superwash Corriedale
Approximately 210 yards/100 grams
Brooklyn Tweed - Shelter - BT no longer makes these yarns but you can still find them at various stockists. Linking to one here where they are selling for $18/skein
100% American Targhee - Columbia Wool - 140 yards / 50g - Made in USA
Kelbourne Woolens - Germantown ($16/skein)
100% North American wool - 220 yards (201 meters) / 100 gram skein - 16-20 sts = 4” (10 cm)
US 6-9 (4-5.5 mm) needle
worsted weight
Yarnspirations Patons - Classic Wool Worsted ($6-10 skein at big box stores)
Dark and light marls available
100% wool - 100 g/3.5 oz, 177 m/194 yds - worsted wt
20 sts and 26 rows with a 4.5 mm (U.S. 7) knitting needle
The Fibre Company - Arranmore Light ($23/skein)
Several beautiful marled options
80% Merino wool, 10% cashmere, 10% silk - 300 m (328 yd) per 100 g hank
22–24 sts per 10 cm (4 in) - 3.75–4mm (US 5–6)
Made In Ireland
Stonehedge Fiber Mill - Shepherd's Wool ($16/skein)
(a few other colors available if you click around)
Three Ply Worsted Weight – Size 8 (5.0mm) – 17sts/21 rows = 4 inches – 4 oz / 250 yards per skein
Fibra Natura - Cobblestone Yarn ($29/skein)
One solid strand and one variegated strand for both subtle and bold marled options
200g/612 yds I 100% superwash merino wool I 2 - fine
Knit Picks - Simply Wool Worsted ($12.99 skein)
100% Eco Wool - 4.5 - 5 sts = 1" on #6 - 9 needles (4.0mm-5.5mm)
218 yds/100 gram hank
KnitPicks - Simply Alpaca ($14.99 skein)
100% Superfine Alpaca - Heavy Worsted/Aran - 246 yds/100 g hank
4 - 4.75 sts = 1" on #7 - 9 needles (4.5mm-5.5mm)
I will keep adding to this page as my obsessive compilation grows! Keep checking back for your marled ideas. And, if you are rather into making your own marled yarns, this book has been on my wishlist forever:
