Recently Craftsy has begun producing their own brand of yarn which has a HUGE range. They sent me a cute little bag with samples of each yarn in the ‘Cloudborn’ yarn range.
There is a big variety of yarns in this new range, in fact so many that it was initially overwhelming. I have however narrowed it down to a few favourites to get started with :-) The prices are very reasonable so there isn’t a huge cost investment in trying them out.
I don’t know yet what I’m going to knit with the Superwash Merino Bulky but it feels amazing, soft and fat. The double stranded twist in the yarn gives it a very distinctive look and texture. I think this will be a good one for big chunky oversized hats or even a heavy winter jacket/cardigan? It would be a lovely one to knit my free pattern, Iced with. I knit the swatch using 8 mm (US size 11) needles and got a gauge of 10.5 sts and 17 rows per 4″.
Coming down the thickness ladder the next one I tested out is the Highland Worsted. 
Again this yarn has got a high twist but it’s not a super soft as the chunky yarn (but it’s not scratchy either, but durable feeling). I think this will be a great yarn for sweaters and larger projects. It’s got a nice bounce and stitch definition that should show cables off really nicely. The swatch was knit with 4 mm (US size 6) needles and I got a gauge of 20 sts and 32 rows per 4″.
Here we have the Merino Alpaca Sport.
This one wins on softness. I want this one for a cowl or maybe a big oversized scarf or shawl. It feels good next to the skin but I’m always wary of using alpaca in garments, it frequently loves to grow so use it in a project where growth is a good thing rather than a problem (or knit it at a tight gauge to reduce the issue). The swatch was knit with 4 mm (US size 6) needles and I got a gauge of 21 sts and 32 rows per 4″.
The baby sister of the Highland worsted is the Highland Superwash Twist Sock.
This yarn has got a very visible high twist, which should be really good for durability. Sock yarn is very versatile, it can of course be used for knitting socks but frequently it’s the go-to yarn for shawls both solid color and striped. If you combined one of their solids with a handpainted yarn it would be a great combination for Penrose Tile.
The swatch was knit with 3.5 mm (US size 4) needles and I got a gauge of 24 sts and 36 rows per 4″.
Over the coming months I’ve got a few more kits coming out with the Cloudborn Yarn, the range is large enough that it may keep me busy for a while!
What yarn do you think you’ll try first?
The links given in this post are affiliate links for Cloudborn Yarns.
Might try the sock yarn first. Not heard they started producing yarn, so thanks for writing about it.
I had been eyeballing some Cloudborn yarn to make a Salamba jacket, since I recently purchased the pattern. So, I think I will be giving the Highland Worsted a go, they have some colors that I think will be lovely. Nice to have your impression of the yarn before I buy!
The yarn I’ve been trying out is a nice quality and the prices are reasonable so it’s worth trying out!