By Claudia Ostrop
"Balayage" is the youngest member of the Pascuali family. It is made from 80 percent baby alpaca and 20 percent fine merino wool- It is a very special yarn because it has been designed in collaboration with well known knitwear designer Melanie Berg, also known as Mairlynd.
Balayage comes in a variety of colours – each one prettier than the next. You will be spoilt for choice among the 25 shades on offer, which are taken from different colour families. Harmoniously subtle tone in tone or colourful and rich in contrast – the choice is yours. The colours are incredibly beautiful and vibrant, as the undyed base is slightly mottled grey.
This new yarn is available in 50g balls, and the mixture of delicate shine and light fluffiness is wonderfully soft. It is so tactile you will want to hold it against your skin to feel how soft it really is! Despite its soft, fluffy appearance Balayage is a hard wearing yarn.
It is a 2 ply, fingering weight with a yardage of 175m/190yds per 50g/1.76oz ball. The recommended needle size is 3.25mm/US 3, but as everyone's knitting tension is different make sure you knit a gauge swatch before starting a project, to make sure you get the correct gauge.
Balayage is a joy to work with. It knits very smoothly and gives stockinette stitch beautiful stitch definition. The knitted fabric it creates is wonderfully soft and looks slightly rustic.
Stranded knitting such as Fair Isle is usually difficult to knit with soft yarn, but this is not the case with Balayage! Because the yarn is an alpaca mix, it won't slip on the needles, and the stunning range of colours would work equally well in any colourwork or single colour piece. It is also perfect for textured knitting as the excellent stitch definition really makes cables, nubs and lace stand out.
Balayage is very stable: our swatches have retained their length and width perfectly after washing and blocking. The result is a delicately shiny fabric, with a fine fluff that is wonderfully soft on the skin. Even those with the most sensitive of skins can enjoy and appreciate the dreamlike qualities of this yarn! To find out more about caring for your knitted garments, visit our blog on wool care here.
Not only is Balayage perfect for knitting wonderful scarves and shawls, such as those designed by Melanie Berg. It is also perfect for garments such as sweaters or cardigans. The choice is yours – happy knitting!
