Types of wool

I get people asking me which type of wool they should use, and if a certain type will work for them, and so forth. So I want to talk about the different types of wool that I use, and their individual qualities. This should help you when picking out a base for a custom, or knowing, when you see a yarn in my shop that you like, whether or not the base would be a good fit for your child.


Merino:
This is the gold-standard for softest, next-to-skin wear wool. It has about a medium ruggedness, though. So if your toddler likes to slide on his knees outside, then this may not hold up well enough. For toddlers who do not spend a lot of time doing this, however, merino should work fine. It will, from time to time, need a good shave with a sweater shaver.


Gaia and BFL:
I put these two together, because they have a lot of the same properties. These are both excellent bases for newborns and younger babies who are not very active yet. They both have a sheen to them, but BFL almost looks metallic sometimes, the sheen is so high. They are both super-soft, with gaia being a bit more silky. They are not, however, very durable, which makes them not the best for active toddlers. They both tend to get fuzzy with use, requiring shaving. These are my two favorite bases to work with. They feel so good on my fingers, and slide so delightfully on my hook!


Licorice Twist (LT):
This is another extra-soft base, good for newborns through toddlers, although for very active children it will require more frequent shaving. LT is a three-ply yarn, meaning it is made up of three strands, one of which is superwash. This superwash strand takes dye differently than the non-superwash strands, resulting in a candy-cane, or barberpole effect. This yarn is my favorite for the way it looks. A softer option for toddlers, as the superwash makes it a bit more durable than other soft bases, like gaia or BFL. The pic above is LT.


Blackberry Ridge (BBR):
For toddlers, this is my all-time favorite base, hands down. It is super-durable, and does not fuzz or pill at all, requiring no shaving. However, it is nice and soft against the skin. Now that my little girl is walking, we will be using a lot more of this base, especially for longies and capris, since they have knees and I'm sure she'll try to wear holes in them! lol


Mountain Meadow (sometimes MMR or MMW):
This is a good toddler-friendly base, as well. Very durable, but still requiring shaving, and not as soft as BBR. I tend not to buy yarn in this base, because it costs more for some reason, and in my opinion isn't as good as BBR.






I think these are all the bases that I use in Rows and Roses. I am trying to type this up between two screaming kids throwing food, so please let me know if I left anything out :)