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Rowan Big Wool
Rowan Big Wool is a sumptuous yarn that is incredibly soft with a slight furry halo due to the fact that is made from 100% merino wool. It is just so tempting to pick up a ball and give it a squeeze. As Big Wool is a super chunky yarn it will knit up really quickly giving the knitter a very satisfying speedy result. It is ideal for patterns that contain lots of cabling and structural stitches as it has excellent stitch definition.
There is good pattern support from Rowan, as you would expect. Use it for practically any project from hats and scarves to sweaters and coats. It comes in a great choice of solid colours and retails at £8.50 per 100g ball. This yarn is hand wash or dry clean only.
Yarn Particulars
Length: 80m per 100g ball
Weight: 100g per ball
Yarn Weight: Super Chunky
Tension: 7.5sts = 4 inches
Needle Size: 15mm (US 19)
Pros
Rowan Big Wool is wonderfully soft on the ball and feels just as lovely while knitting it up. It is a loosely twisted super chunky yarn which means it will knit up very quickly. This is great if you like to see your project grow fast. It is possible to knit a hat with just one ball in a few hours. It is excellent for all those stitches that need a yarn which gives good definition; use it for cables, bobbles and intarsia designs which makes it great for those warm cosy Christmas snowflake sweaters. When knitted up it has a lovely drape and its softness means it will not be itchy or scratchy against the skin.
Big Wool comes in a fantastic choice of 24 solid colours with several jewel-like shades of blues, purples, reds and yellows but also muted colours in those shades along with dark and light neutrals and black and white. If you prefer to use a flecked coloured yarn, have a look at Rowan Drift as it has the same fibre content, ball weight and yardage as Big Wool. Drift is a roving yarn where the yarn is evenly flecked throughout with dark and light shades. It comes in 8 different colours.
Cons
Although Big Wool is a lovely soft and cosy yarn and knits up with a good drape it maybe too floppy and slouchy for some projects. Some garments, such as coats and long cardigans, can stretch completely out of shape after washing and may not spring back when dry. A good way to prevent this may be to use slightly smaller needles which will give a tighter and less stretchy knit and will also drape less. When following a specific pattern it is crucial to knit to the correct tension so using smaller needles will not be an option if you are knitting a sweater or a jacket. Using smaller needles will work for projects such as scarves where the finished size is not crucial. If this concerns you, choose a pattern that knits up Big Wool using US 15 – 17 needle size and make sure you swatch beforehand. Measure the swatch carefully before and after washing to check for any stretching or shrinking.
Big Wool yarn can also shed lots of fibres while knitting with it and also while wearing it once the project is knit up. If you have allergies or tend to be sensitive to dust and fluff you may not like working with this yarn. The furry fibres that give the yarn its soft feel can also go fuzzy while knitting with it, which can make the garment look fuzzy and worn before you have even finished it. Pressing with an iron may help to reduce the fuzziness slightly but will also flatten down the soft halo and diminish the stitch definition.
Rowan Big Wool also has a tendency to pill, especially in areas which rub together such as the underarms. This is probably because Big Wool is a very soft yarn made from 100% merino wool and most soft yarns made with wool will pill a certain amount.
Rowan Big Wool is very expensive but it is possible to buy it at a discount, especially at the end of the winter season and if, for example, a colour has been discontinued. With this and some of the other issues, mentioned earlier, in mind it might be advisable to knit up a one ball project initially to check if there are any issues with pilling, fuzzing or stretching. This will save wasting lots of time and money if the project doesn’t turn out quite as expected.