Knitters Review of O Balance Yarn

I love [tag]Knitters Review[/tag] yarn profiles. The reviews always tell me what I want to know about a yarn without prejudice. This time the review is written about [tag]O Balance Yarn[/tag] from [tag]Vermont Organic Fiber Company[/tag].

Vermont Organic Fiber Company has been supplying organic materials to the textiles industry since 2000 with clients that include retailers [tag]Patagonia[/tag] and [tag]Sahalie[/tag]. Just a few years ago, the company decided to launch a line of yarns for handknitters. After finding quick success with its [tag]O-Wool Classic[/tag] 100% wool yarn, this spring the company introduced O-Wool Balance, a three-ply blend of 50% organic Merino and 50% organic cotton.

This review states a few of the reasons why organic is a better way to grow and process fibers. Now the push is also on to be “green” with fiber producing animals as well. Vermont Organic Fiber Company follows the [tag]Organic Trade Association’s North American Organic Fiber Standards[/tag] in processing its wool.

While all of the above information is commendable, the yarn is according to Knitters Review, actually pretty decent. It does pill but not as fast as some blended yarns and took awhile for wear to show.

The only drawback is that it is not machine washable. The reviewer states that a sweater for a medium sized woman would be about $80. She suggests small, baby garments – “While I’d still use it selectively for babies of knitters who aren’t afraid to handwash, I’d stick to smaller items of clothingâ€”friends don’t make friends wash blankets by hand.”

I agree – hand washing is not something anyone, especially a new Mom, has time to do!

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Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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