Meet my New Friend Erin!
Beautiful, bulky, bold - Erin is the yarn I've been waiting for!
For years now, I've been looking for a truly bulky weight, nonsuperwash, 100% wool yarn for quick, cozy projects! Aran weight is great and all, but a true bulky. The minute I saw Erin come out earlier this summer, I knew she was the yarn for Needle + Purl!
Ok, quick low-down on the details:
Kelbourne Woolens created Erin to be an authentic bulky weight Irish heather - yep, she's made in Donegal, Ireland! That said, she's technically only 60% fine Irish wool, and 40% New Zealand wool, but the hand feel of this yarn is exactly right for an Irish heathered yarn, IMO: rustic and hearty, but woolen spun and airy.
Also, can we talk about the yardage?! This is not a 90-yard skein, my friends. I was impressed at the value; with 158 yards per hank, that's almost worsted weight-length!
Now let's cover colors. Sometimes we assume Irish heathered yarn is always a tweed, but this yarn isn't. Erin has a nice overdyed look in many of the shades, so you'll get good color depth and dimension, but there's no tweed or neps here. She comes in 14 shades, that range mostly on the deep and moody side (perfect for fall and winter knits!), and four more have just been released, so yes, we'll be adding those to our line-up, too!
How rustic is she? Well, Kelbourne Woolens describes the yarn as suitable for a cardigan or pullover you'd wear instead of a jacket, which to me says "not next to skin," but I'm going to go ahead and say ... this really depends on what you're into.
Our sample knitter Tricia knit up Leila Raven's Aina Pullover for us in colorway Curry, and said the yarn felt very rustic on her needles, and that while it bloomed considerably with washing, she didn't think it felt much softer to the touch afterwards.
I, however, received the finished pullover from Tricia, promptly threw it on over a tank top (my go-to with all my hand knits, by the way, because it's really, really hard to get deodorants out of wool!) and could not stop wearing it!
On a rating scale, I'd call it softer than washed and blocked Lettlopi, and less soft than Plotulopi, if that helps. If you're someone who's only ever worn superwash, you probably will find Erin rough on the skin. If natural unprocessed yarns are your jam, Erin will feel like a big cozy hug.
What do others say?
Check out these quotes from Ravelry makers about Erin:
The yarn is quite rustic, but after blocking my swatch it seemed to soften considerably. I expect after a long block, it will be even more lovely.
Erin is so beautiful, it doesn’t need anything other than simplicity.
Absolutely thrilled with my (Malin) sweater!
I love this yarn so much and want every color.
What to make with her?
I'm so impressed with Erin's stitch definition. Sometimes bulky yarns get really heavy or rope-y. The woolen spun on Erin keeps the feeling light, but maintains the fiber structure, meaning she looks good with everything! Use her for colorwork, lace, cables: she's here for it!
But I love her best when I see her getting back to her Irish roots: think grandpa cardigans, cabled fisher(wo)men sweaters, oversized mittens.
Check out these pattern ideas for inspiration:
Malin Cardigan by Natasja Hornby
Winter Sweater by Kate Osborn