For those knitters and crocheters who gathered on a Tuesday evening at Chocolate Springs Café it was a memorable night of tasting yarns and chocolates. As needles and hooks turned yarn into small swatches, participants nibbled dark chocolate covered raspberry ganache, hazelnut praline crunch, dark and milk chocolate truffles, tea-infused bonbons, coconut rum balls and silky smooth caramels. The yarns were the latest from Rowan and Jess Oas, their New England Sales Representative, was on hand to show them off as well as garments from Rowan’s current books. The highlight for all was the chance to test knit Rowan’s three new yarns, Drift, Renew and Silk Twist, all available this coming fall.
Drift is a pure merino wool yarn and is marled version of Big Wool. A satisfying quick knit, its gauge is 2 to 2.5 stitches per inch on US 15 to US 19 needles (10 to 15mm). Drift will have its own dedicated pattern book, Winter Drift.
Renew is Rowan’s cold weather version of this spring’s Purelife Revive. It is a tweedy blend of 93% recycled wool and 7% polyamide. Its gauge is 3.5 stitches per inch on US 10 (6mm) needles. Renew will be featured in another Rowan book, Purelife Autumn.
Though the above two yarns met with high approval, Silk Twist garnered the most praise. Lustrous and soft, the yarn is a blend of 53% silk, 10% wool, 12% superkid mohair and 5% polyamide. It too will have its own dedicated book, Silk Twist Classics.
Having spent the evening passing balls of yarn amongst participants, getting important and helpful feedback on each yarn, spooning pure chocolate ganache into my mouth, agreeing to hold more such Knit Nights, and packing up Jess’ car I took a dark chocolate brownie home to George. |
