Suave – Vegan Knitting Yarn Put to the Test

By Sarah Mordelt

Suave is a plant-based knitting yarn made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton. Thanks to its unique construction, it is especially soft and fluffy, making it a wonderful vegan alternative to cashmere and mohair.

We put it to the test for you, together with our other plant-based yarns Linen Bloom, Arctic Pearl, Cumbria, and Nepal.

In this blog post, we share the results and show you how you can use Suave as a pairing yarn to create beautiful patterns and inspiring knitting ideas.

Suave – our vegan cashmere and mohair alternative made from 100% organic cotton

Many cotton yarns are traditionally spun. The result is often a rather firm yarn, and garments made from pure cotton yarns can become quite heavy.

Not with Suave. Here, the loose cotton fibers are held together by a fine cotton mesh tube, also made from cotton.

The result? A yarn that feels as soft and light as a cotton ball.

Suave is our yarn for all vegan knitting enthusiasts who are looking for a purely plant-based alternative to cashmere and mohair yarns.

Even if you don’t knit vegan, Suave is definitely worth trying. As a light and airy cotton yarn, it is perfect for summer projects with a beautiful drape.

Do mohair yarns feel itchy on your skin? Then Suave is a wonderfully soft alternative. Especially for people with sensitive skin, garments containing mohair can feel uncomfortable. Our cotton yarn is delicate and pleasantly soft against the skin.

Knitting Suave Single-Stranded

Recommended needle size: 3 mm (US 2.5)
Gauge: 22 stitches and 34 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches

We recommend using 3 mm (US 2.5) needles when knitting Suave. This creates a defined stitch pattern that is not too tight. Of course, you can also experiment with other needle sizes, for example 3.5 mm (US 4) needles for a slightly looser fabric.

At first, knitting with Suave may feel unusual because the yarn is very light in your hands and can be slightly slippery depending on the needles. Try different needle materials (for example metal or bamboo) to find what works best for you.

We recommend soaking your swatch (and later your finished garment) gently in water and letting it dry flat. This allows the stitches to relax and the yarn to bloom slightly. Small irregularities from knitting will disappear.

Knitting Suave Double and Triple-Stranded

While knitting Suave with a single strand immediately evokes summer, holding the yarn double or triple allows you to knit wonderfully warm winter sweaters or scarves.

Suave Held Double

Recommended needle size: 4–5 mm (US 6–8)
Gauge: 18 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches 
(measured with 4 mm / US 6 needles)

With two strands held together, the knitted fabric becomes noticeably warmer and denser while remaining just as fluffy and soft.

Your creativity has no limits -  you can knit tone-on-tone or combine two colors to create truly unique textures.

Suave Held Triple

Recommended needle size: 5.5–6 mm (US 9–10)
Gauge: 15 stitches and 24 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches 
(measured with 5.5 mm / US 9 needles)

When held triple, the knitted fabric becomes thicker but never heavy or stiff.

The yarn still feels soft and gentle against the skin—perfect for cozy winter sweaters.

Suave + Linen Bloom

Recommended needle size: 3.5–4 mm (US 4–6)
Gauge: 19 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches 
(measured with 3.5 mm / US 4 needles)

When combined with our linen yarn Linen Bloom, your knitting gains a beautiful subtle shimmer. Suave, as a matte yarn, highlights the delicate sheen of Linen Bloom wonderfully.

The knitted fabric from Suave + Linen Bloom feels light and airy. Compared to Suave alone, it also feels slightly cooler on the skin.

Suave + Arctic Pearl

Recommended needle size: 4–5 mm (US 6–8)
Gauge: 18 stitches and 31 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches 
(measured with 4 mm / US 6 needles)

Suave also works beautifully as a pairing yarn with our vegan yarn Arctic Pearl. This combination creates a subtle shimmering effect, slightly softer than with Suave + Linen Bloom.

The fabric appears denser with a well-defined stitch pattern while still having a gentle drape and feeling very soft on the skin.

You can also knit with three strands together—for example Suave + Suave + Arctic Pearl as shown in the example. In this case we recommend increasing the needle size to 5.5–6 mm (US 9–10).

Similar to triple-stranded Suave, the knitted fabric becomes thicker and cozier, while the Arctic Pearl yarn gives it a slightly cooler touch.

Suave + Cumbria

Recommended needle size: 4–5 mm (US 6–8)
Gauge: 18 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches 
(measured with 4 mm / US 6 needles)

When you combine Suave with our cotton yarn Cumbria, you obtain a beautifully defined stitch pattern with a subtle sheen. The fabric becomes slightly firmer and very opaque.

Suave + Nepal

Recommended needle size: 4–5 mm (US 6–8)
Gauge: 17 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm / 4 inches (measured with 4 mm / US 6 needles)

When knitted together with our linen-cotton yarn Nepal, the fabric becomes noticeably firmer and at first glance appears slightly more textured. But don’t be fooled—it is still wonderfully soft and pleasant against the skin.

This combination is perfect for knitting projects that require a bit more structure while still enjoying the softness of Suave.

Animal-Free Yarn Database

This blog post was created in collaboration with Sarah from knit.by.sarah. Sarah has built an impressive database of animal-free yarns. There you can find over 300 vegan and plant-based wool alternatives collected in one place. Thanks to the filter options, you can search specifically for certain materials or needle sizes.

You can access the database here: Animal-Free Yarn Database

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