It’s about time I published a review of Batik, Stylecraft’s brand new yarn. (Disclaimer: I didn’t pay for the yarn, so clearly my fickle head has been turned by this freebie and not a single word of the following is to be trusted.)
I wanted to thoroughly road-test the yarn before I wrote this, so I got the knitting needles out and started designing something that incorporated all sixteen shades:-
You know what you need in the heat of August? A nice warm, fluffy cowl, that’s what. So I designed one, just in case the sun disappeared behind a cloud and it started to SNOW. Stranger things have happened. The cowl pattern will be available very soon, in case you want one too.
We were away for ten days, you see, first staying in a cottage in the wilds of the North York Moors, and then – after a seven-hour drive – staying with dear friends in their beautiful old south west Wales cottage. The perfect opportunity to knit without guilt. The perfect opportunity to let my imagination off the lead, so that it could scamper about in the undergrowth and come up with lots of nature-inspired patterns.
I knitted everywhere.
And then I re-knitted, over and over again, because I kept changing my mind about the pattern. But that was part of the fun.
Anyway, let’s talk about the yarn.
Batik is a DK-weight (i.e. light worsted) blend of 80% acrylic and 20% wool. Just to cover the basics, it’s available in 50-gram balls, with a recommended hook/needle size of 4mm (US size 6), gauge 22 sts per 10cm/4 inches. But that’s not what you came here to read, is it?
There are 16 shades in the range, and they do work rather well together.
The yarn has a painted effect, each shade mottling with white. I think this makes it ideal for fairisle/stranded colourwork – much better than solid colours – but the mottling effect is not subtle, so I needed to make sure that for each section of the pattern, I picked two shades that really really contrasted, to avoid the pattern looking like a blurry muddle.
There’s a high degree of twist to this yarn, which was a deliberate decision by the folk at Stylecraft HQ to create a product that’s ideal for crochet as well as for knitting.
And I have to say that it’s a pleasure to work with, although I do hope they expand the colour range further. If you want a very affordable (£1.99 in the UK) acrylic-based yarn, I absolutely recommend Batik. It looks good, the colours are rich and intense, and Stylecraft are super-hot on the consistency and quality of their products (I saw their testing lab) so you can trust what you’re getting.
Right, I’d better go and write up that cowl pattern, hadn’t I? Is it snowing yet?
I must not buy more yarn. I must not buy more yarn. In particular I must not buy 16 different shades of yarn… but after seeing what a thing of beauty you’ve made with those 16 shades, I really really want to!
You know you want to, you know you want to…
Love that cowl!
Thank you. I’m writing up the free pattern right now. Hoping to post today or tomorrow.
It’s looks lovely. I want one. Darn it might be buying 16 shades of yarn very soon…
You know you want to…
Always good to see the fabulous Yorkshire countryside! Yorkshire enjoyed having you visit. x
And it was very good to see you too, and marvel at how ridiculously old our children have grown.
Gorgeous cowl and just in time for the predicted heat wave next week ;-).
Yup, it always pays to be prepared… badly. Thank you for your kind words.
That is a good price for a yarn like that. I’ll have to look if you can get it in Canada. Lovely cowl!
I did make a terrible error, though, as corrected by a kind reader. It’s 80% acrylic and 20% wool, not the other way round. Sorry. I know that Deramores ship ANYWHERE.
Beautiful cowl! I am right there with you. Can’t knit but I do crochet. I am making a corner to corner scarf (La Nina–we are supposed to have a cold winter) and it is supposed to be 108 degrees here on Sunday and over 105 degrees for the entire week!!
Thank you. Is it wrong that I’ve got temperature-envy? 108, you say?
Shame I am no good at fairisle (and I have too many projects already!) but it is lovely and looks very cosy.
You KNOW you need another project…
And the only way to improve at fairisle is to do more of it…
Gorgeous as always. Looking forward to the pattern 😊
Thank you! I’m typing up the pattern right now. Hoping to publish today or tomorrow.
You do realise that you just terrified the living daylights out of me! Your (admittedly scrumptious) cowl is the knitting equivalent of studying astrophysics by choice in the sciences. I am cowering behind the couch if anyone needs me…
It’s not, really it’s not. That’s the great thing about fairisle: it looks a lot harder than it is… Of course, you would have to put down your crochet and come over to the dark side…
I have plans to do just that BUT they start with socks. Maybe fairisle socks…
It might not be snowing in your neck of the woods, but it is forecast for some elevations nearby here; our deliciously cold Winter rolls on……. Gorgeous cowl and you did knit everywhere, didn’t you!
Thank you and yes, I really did knit absolutely everywhere. 🙂 Hope you do get some beautiful crisp snow.
Great review and lovely cowl, but the yarn is 80% acrylic 20% wool (and not 80% wool 20% acrylic).
EEK! THANK YOU SO MUCH for pointing this out! Have just corrected the error. I’ll go and stand in the stupid corner now.
I really do like the effect of that batik but I have a HUGE stash of Special DK still to use up 😕 Time to get on with my Sophie then I can try making your cowl which looks lovely!
Oh Sophie is an AMAZING pattern. Enjoy. I’m just writing up the free pattern for the cowl, now.
I love seeing your knitting in so many beautiful places. You’re skills are amazing, and so is that cowl. Lovely!
Well that is WAY kinder than I deserve, but thank you.
You deserve every word of that and more. Your work is lovely and so are you.
I was just thinking that was a fantastic price for wool yarn. It’s not even snowing in Canada where much of the country has been hovering around the 30 degree mark.
Eek, very sorry about my stupid error. 20% wool and 80% acrylic, that should have said. Ah, beautiful Canada… (You do seasons PROPERLY over there.)
Hello I’ve just begun a new journey into the world of fairisle straight after reading this post! I am now very addicted. Sent help! 😛
Ha ha, there is no help – you’re DOOMED! Fairisle will take over your life and your every waking thought…. (It’s worth it, though.)
Lovely looking yarn. I love that you have been on a knitting adventure, I have been hooking by the pool, at the harbour and all about too. xx
Now THAT sounds like fun. I hope that you enjoyed every minute.
I’ve knitted a cardigan and am working on a jumper in the indigo colour and it is just bliss to work with. Soft next to the skin very wearable can’t wait to finish this jumper and will definitely be doing more garments in other colours I highly recommend this lovely yarn
Tonya