MANADA
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For a while now, we have been playing around with the idea of producing a new yarn with a blend of Mohair. But none of the usual mohair-silk blends really appealed to us. We wanted to produce something special and unique by mixing rare fibres from different sources. It was a challenge that we gladly took on and that would put our many years of experience to the test.
So, join us on a trip around the globe, and discover Manada!
Imagine a herd of the following:
- Angora goats from South Africa
- Silkworms from China
- Merino sheep from Patagonia
- and yaks from Mongolia.
Sounds interesting, doesn t it?
Manada is the Spanish word for “herd of animals”. Because we have taken the very high-quality fibres of each of these animals, it is after all a unique blend; a yarn never seen before in the market! Manada combines fluffy kid mohair from the angora goat, shiny mulberry silk, precious yak wool and elastic merino wool into a fine, tightly twisted yarn with just the right amount of fluff.
Our Long Journey to Manada
Manada is the first mohair yarn in our range. That´s because up until now, we found mohair to be too itchy and fluffy on its own. Moreover, softer mohair silk yarns were already well represented in the market. Because Pascuali yarns are characterised by being distinctively special, we wanted to draw on all of our experience in the production of high-quality natural yarns and develop a yarn that is completely out of the ordinary.
At first, we concentrated on a blend of mohair and yak. Samples with very experienced spinning mills showed, however, that these fibres could not be spun into a durable, knittable yarn.
So, in our search for other fibres we travelled to China and added fine mulberry silk which ensures stability and durability of the yarn. However, it was still not good enough for us. So, our trip took us further, all the way to South America, where we source our organic merino wool. Our travels paid off! We finally came up with the right fibre blend that would ensure a durable, very soft and fluffy yarn.
From the Prototype to the Finished Yarn
We finally had a Manada prototype!
Our next step was to distribute samples of our prototype to selected knitters for test knitting. Although the resulting swatch samples aroused a lot of enthusiasm, they were found to be a bit too fluffy.
So, we worked a little harder with our partners on the composition and the production process to fine tune it, and voilá , a star was born: Manada, the yarn we can all hold in our hands today!
Bright or Pastel? 25 Colours for Every Taste!
We know from our experience that the colour palette of a yarn influences a large part of the purchase decision. So, its design is always an exciting and challenging adventure not to mention that it is also our passion.
With Manada, we made sure that all colourways are finely coordinated with one another so that they can be combined with each other infinitely. The result is 25 wonderful colours that allow you to knit delicate pieces in the same colourway or blend darker or more saturated colourways to create different effects. There are no limits to your imagination!
Manada on the Needles
As usual we put Manada to the test on the needles. We are very pleased about how versatile and adjustable the yarn is: If you knit it with a single strand with thin needles, you get a close-knit pattern and a dense, warm knitted fabric that is correspondingly hardwearing. With thicker needles, the stitches are looser. Depending on the knitting project and your preference for a looser or tighter stitch structure, you can vary the needle size. That is why we offer a wide gauge that ranges from 2.5 mm to 4.0 mm needle size. You can find a detailed knitting report in this blog post.
Of course, we also made sure that the colourway of Manada goes well with the colourways of our other yarns. Manada is a perfect pairing yarn for most of our yarns, such as Balayage, Puno Winikunka, Merino Baby, Forest, Sole and many others. We have knitted many samples with different yarns and colourways, and we think each and every one is just fantastic!
Whether knitted on its own - single-stranded or multi-stranded - or as an additional pairing yarn, Manada is suitable for all types of knitting projects, from fluffy accessories to garments.
Some well-known designers, who have received Manada samples from us, are already enthusiastic about it and have started to knit beautiful designs with it. Among them are Mairlynd, ChrisBerlin, ANKESTRiCK, Rosa P.
What We Pay Attention to - Our Standards
Our merino wool is of course mulesing-free. It comes from Argentina (Patagonia) and is GOTS-certified. This means that the animals are kept according to ecological standards and no toxic bleaches, dyes or other chemicals are used in the manufacturing of the yarn.
The kid mohair comes from South African farms, the yak wool comes from Mongolian herds, which are kept in the traditional way by nomads. Finally, we source the Mulberry Silk from China.
The fibres are processed into the yarn for us in Peru by a renowned spinning mill with which we have been working for many years.
In the production of our natural yarns, we pay special attention to a sustainable supply chain that meets its social, ethical and ecological responsibility. From the farm to the finished yarn, we stand for high standards in terms of environmental protection, animal welfare and working conditions.
Technical specifications:
- Composition: 45% Superkid mohair | 25% mulberry silk | 15% virgin wool (organic merino) | 15% yak wool
- Yardage: 25 g ~ 200 m | 0.85 oz ~ 219 yds
- Needle size: 2, - 4 mm | 1 - 6 US | 8-12 UK
- Recommended gauge: 18-22 stitches, 28 - 32 rows per 10cm (depending on the needle size used)
- Amount Needed: sweater size 38 ~ 250g (10 balls)
- Presentation: 25 g | 0.85 oz ball
Care
We recommend washing your knitwear made with Manada (kid mohair, mulberry silk, merino wool, yak wool) by hand in lukewarm water with a mild wool detergent, such as our Organic Wool & Cashmere Wool Detergent. Dry flat, preferably on a terry towel, to keep its shape.
Please do not dry it on a heat source or in the sun! Read more about wool care in our blogpost HERE.
