Merino Wool: Choose the Best for Your Next Knitting Project

Merino wool is a natural fibre that grows on Merino sheep, most commonly found in Australia and New Zealand. Like all other wools, Merino can keep you warm. However, unlike regular wool, it’s thinner, lighter and softer to the touch, which is why so many people love wearing garments made with it, and also why knitters love working with it. Best of all, merino wool is great for knitters, regardless of how experienced they are. So, if you are passionate about knitting, but you’ve never used merino wool before, it’s time you try. And if you are new and you want to fall in love with knitting on your first try, get your knitting essentials and a soft merino wool yarn, and start learning.

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Knitting with Merino Wool

There are many reasons why you should choose merino wool yarn for your next knitting project, or even for your first one ever. While it is more expensive, both knitting with it and wearing it has a lot of benefits. And with all its properties, it is the perfect wool to knit something for a loved one and even for a baby. So, if you still can’t decide whether you should buy merino wool ball for your next knitting project, you should become familiar with its advantages.

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Benefits of Merino Wool

The first thing that differentiates a merino wool ball from others is that it provides long smooth fibres, which are light yet warm. Garments made with merino wool are washable, they aren’t scratchy, and although it’s much more lightweight than other wools, it is very cozy and warm.

Warm and Lightweight

The fabric naturally traps heat efficiently, and it regulates your body temperature, meaning that it’s good both for winter and for summer. All of this makes merino wool the perfect fabrics for winter clothes, since they give you warmth, but they don’t add bulk or weight.

Moister Wicking and Easy to Dry

Apart from keeping you warm merino wool also has the ability to keep you dry, since it has moister wicking properties because can retain a lot of liquid relative to its weight. This means that the moisture is absorbed into the fibres, away from your skin, and it then evaporates. Because of this, if you wish to experiment a little bit before doing some big knitting project with merino wool, you can start with something small that could benefit from this, such as a pair of mittens, a hat, a scarf or socks.

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Breathable and Odour-Resistant

Because it’s thin, lightweight and moister wicking, merino wool is also highly breathable, keeping the warmth in and the cold out. This also means that garments made with it don’t make you sweat. But, even if you did sweat, this natural fibre would have your back, because probably the best thing about it is that it absorbs all odour molecules. As a result, regardless of how hot it is and how sweaty you are, if you are wearing merino wool you will feel fresh. Of course, there isn’t a material that is completely stink-free, but merino wool is far better at it, and it won’t become smelly or feel dirty for several days. Aside from the convenience of this odour resistant property of this wool, it also means that you don’t have to wash your merino wool garments too often. And this is why smaller projects shouldn’t be the only one on your mind, and if you want to make a merino wool sweater, you should definitely go for it.

Soft on Your Skin, but Strong and Durable

Unlike other sheep wools, garments knitted from merino wool can be worn against your skin. In fact, it’s one of the most comfortable fabrics to wear. Merino is much finer and softer wool than other wool yarns, and also its strands are longer, which is why it will feel smooth against the skin, and it will neither be itchy nor will it irritate your skin.

Furthermore, even though it’s soft on the touch, merino wool is very strong and naturally elastic, which means that it’s highly durable. This elasticity helps prevent the garments from losing their shape. Merino wool can be washed by hand or you can put it in the washing machine on a cold program.