It’s time for another installation of Swatch Talk! In this new series, I feature different yarns from time to time and share my thoughts about it, my swatch process and ideas for projects that I think work well for it. In this post I’m featuring Woolstok Worsted by Blue Sky Fibers. This yarn has been around for quite some time and has become a favorite among knitters looking for a non-superwash worsted-weight option. Let’s talk more about it!
Here are the basic stats about this yarn:
- Considered a worsted-weight yarn, although I think it can also work well for patterns calling for DK as well
- Fiber content: 100% Fine Highland Wool
- Yardage: 123 yds = 50 grams (but they also sell jumbo 150 gram skeins in some colors and those have 370 yds)
Overall Impressions
Woolstok is 100% wool, but I think many would find it to be softer than a typical 100% wool yarn (which is probably why it’s become a favorite amongst many knitters I know). It has a rustic look to it, but without as much of that ‘rustic feel’. Don’t get me wrong though – it still feels “wool-y”, but when I compare it to other 100% wool yarns that I’ve knit with, it definitely has a softer hand to it. The other interesting thing with this yarn is that it has some texture to it – due to the fiber content and twist of this yarn, it has some dimension to it.
You can still see the individual stitches quite well, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it had a lot of stitch definition in plain stockinette stitch. But the positive of this is that it creates a very forgiving fabric – any stitch inconsistencies you may have will totally blend into the fabric. Plus it gives the fabric a bit of dimension as I mentioned. To compare it to a superwash, check out the photo below:
The fiber and ply of Woolstok (on the left) has more texture to it then the smoother 100% superwash wool Berroco Ultra Wool (on the right). Ultra Wool will provide lots of stitch definition and more matte look whereas Woolstok has that more wooly, textury look to it.
One thing I especially like about this yarn line is that they have the full color palette available in 50 gram skeins, but then they also have some colors (mainly neutrals) in jumbo 150 gram skeins. This is perfect for sweater knitting where you may knit the bulk of the sweater in one color, but then need just a little bit of a contrasting color (or multiple colors if working colorwork!).
Now let’s get to the swatches!
I created multiple flat swatches as well as in-the-round swatches. And the overall conclusion I have is that this yarn is definitely very versatile – whether it’s knit tight or loose, the fabric it created remained really nice.
Above is one of my flat swatches (knitting back and forth in stockinette stitch). I did flat swatches on both a US 7 and a US 8. On the US 7 I got a gauge of 19 sts = 4″ and on the US 8 I got a gauge of 17.5 sts = 4″.
Above are my in-the-round swatches – the top one is on a US 6, the middle on a US 7 and the bottom on a US 8. Here were my gauge results for each (you’ll notice that my in-the-round gauge is a little tighter than my flat gauge):
- US 6: 21 sts = 4″
- US 7: 19.5 sts = 4″
- US 8: 18 sts = 4″
So this definitely falls well into typical worsted-weight realm, and the US 6 provided a more DK-weight type gauge. And the US 6 swatch didn’t feel tight by any means, which is why I think you can definitely consider this yarn for patterns that call for DK-weight yarn as well.
My Overall Thoughts…
- If you are looking for a DK or worsted-weight yarn that is not superwash and has a soft, wooly look and feel, then this is a great line to consider.
- Although it’s 100% wool, there is a lightness to it – often you will think that 100% wool yarns will feel heavy but it must be the type of wool this is and how it is spun that makes it still feel light.
- There are so many great neutral shades plus some great pops of color, so if you are looking for a yarn where you can match a neutral with a pop, then this may just the yarn you’re looking for!
- Don’t be concerned as you knit this yarn if the stitches look uneven – blocking smooths everything out beautifully as well as softens things up too.
Project Ideas for this Yarn
I actually used this yarn recently to knit another Layla cardi. I have knit several sizes of my Layla design (in hopes of creating a ‘try on trunk show’ workshop in the near future!) and decided to use Woolstok Worsted for one of them. I used Cast Iron as the main color and Pressed Grapes as the contrasting color:
Here are some other patterns that would work well for this yarn:
I hope you found this latest Swatch Talk informative! Many local yarn shops carry Woolstok so if you would like to see it in person I highly recommend checking out your local yarn shop to see if they carry it. You can also check Blue Sky Fiber’s stockist page to find a shop near you!