Kunlun is next in our intermittent series of Why we Love our yarns.
Kunlun is a beautiful DK yarn that is both soft and substantial, with a hint of shine and a bit of halo. The knitting is a great balance of poshness and practicality!
Kunlun debuted in 2015 after a long search for a luxury DK base that combines high quality cashmere and cultivated silk with Merino wool. It is 70% Merino, 15% cashmere, and 15% cultivated silk put up in 280 yd/4.4 oz (255m/125g) skeins. Kunlun knits up at 5.25-6 stitches per inch on US 4-6 needles. The fabric is ideal for warm accessories and special sweaters and requires hand-washing and drying flat.
Kunlun's 3-ply construction creates a plush, round and lively yarn that combines the softness and loft of cashmere with the gloss and drape of cultivated silk. The non-superwash Merino provides soft structure for the other fibers.
The Merino/cashmere/silk blend offers a complex canvas for dyeing, with the three different fibers taking up the dye in different ways. The silk tends to take up the dye in an intense and saturated manner, while the cashmere provides a muted background. The merino plays in between the two. This creates a depth in the color that you do not always get from single fiber yarns. We dye Kunlun in both our monochromatic and variegated colorways.
From Jennifer: I admit to being a bit of a rustic yarn fan, and I often shy away from yarns with "bells and whistles". After working with Kunlun, I am newly converted to the soft side!
My first experience was on my Cricket loom. I used Kunlun for both warp and weft, and was super pleased with its performance. It handled the tensioning across the beams in an even and predictable way, and the soft yarn held up without excessive fuzz during the weaving. The fabric in a 10 dent heddle was fluid and supple. After coming off the loom tension, the warp and weft relaxed into each other with soft texture and drape.
From Babs: I love Kunlun for hats! It's a great yarn for those quick knits for the head and the fiber is super soft for anyone who is sensitive to fibers. While it is considered a luxury blend, it really has a workhorse feel, in that it holds up well over time, which is what makes me love a yarn. Here are my hats! The variegated hat is Through the Fields in the SAFF 2015 colorway, and the red hat is a version of the Sockhead Hat in Dark Andromeda.
From Veronica: I also love Kunlun for hats. Its round structure shows off textured stitches beautifully, while its velvety-soft hand makes every stitch a pleasure to knit. I gave Kunlun a test drive with the Beeswax Hat (shown in Old Gold) and I was pleasantly surprised at the velvety substantial texture.
I then designed a hat in Kunlun for our 2016 hat-along. This is the Palermo Hat in Brazilianite. The Palermo Hat transforms plain 2x2 ribbing into something special with the help of a simple cable. The interplay of light and shadow suddenly creates deep textures and interest. It’s easier than it looks!
We featured Kunlun in the 2015 Knitting Tour. Our destination was Glamping - yes, glam camping - and Alana Dakos designed the lovely Trailing Ivy shawl featuring cascading leaf motifs.
Other great ideas for Kunlun that we've seen include Dee O'Keefe's Beckley shawl and Lara Smoot's Fire and Blood shawl.
Have you tried Kunlun? What do you think?
4 comments
I am currently knitting my third scarf with Kunlun and I adore it. I only discovered Miss Babs’s yarns in March of this year, but I have been making up for lost time by buying many skeins in a variety of bases. Although my favorite Miss Babs yarn is usually the one I am currently knitting with, I really think that Kunlun is at the top of the list. I look forward to more new colors for the autumn and winter.
I got my first Kunlun at the recent Trunk Show at Bliss Yarns in Nashville. I had to feel of it before I would buy it, you understand. There was a sample knitted item of it that I could not keep my hands off of, it was so wonderfully soft and also had good stitch definition. I ended up walking out with a sackful and am almost done with my first cowl of it. It is fabulous!
Will definitely have to try this!
Absolutely gorgeous yarn! Can’t wait to try it.