Rowan Big Wool Replacement

Hello! I'm usually a lurker here, but I'm looking for a
yarn that is similar in size/type to Rowan Big Wool. I have
two of the Big books from Rowan and want to test out the
pattern before doing it in the big wool. Anyone know if there
is a less expensive yarn that I can check out first?

Any replies would be appreciated!

Deborah

Hi Deborah!!!

I had a similar problem with the yarn for my full-length coat. The
Rowan was just gonna be too expensive for me. What I did was I went to
Patternworks (www.patternworks.com) and figured out what category the
yarn used in the pattern was in; they range from laceweight to super
bulky, or something like that. Mine was bulky, so I looked in their
listings for yarns with similar gauge and settled on Lopi.

And now that you've delurked, welcome aboard!!!

The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom

Hello! I'm usually a lurker here, but I'm looking for a
yarn that is similar in size/type to Rowan Big Wool. I have
two of the Big books from Rowan and want to test out the
pattern before doing it in the big wool. Anyone know if there
is a less expensive yarn that I can check out first?

Any replies would be appreciated!

Deborah

Deborah wrote:
Hello! I'm usually a lurker here, but I'm looking for a
yarn that is similar in size/type to Rowan Big Wool. I have
two of the Big books from Rowan and want to test out the
pattern before doing it in the big wool. Anyone know if there
is a less expensive yarn that I can check out first?

Hi Deborah

Glad that you have delurked! I find this website a useful resource as it
classifies yarns by weight so you can look up the yarn under the manufacturers
name, and then check other yarns of the same weight.
http://www.diamondyarn.com/browse.php

One caveat is that big wool is very chunky (i don't know if you have handled
it) and it is wise to check out the gauge of any yarns you want to use as a
replacement (BW is listed at Up Country as having a gauge of 7.5 x 10 -
Jaeger's Natural Fleece is 10.5x15- both are listed as polar weight.) All the
guage info is also at the website above.

I am not sure where you are but here in the UK i often see odd balls of BW
reduced because the bands come off easily and they look tatty -it might pay
make some enquiries.

Good luck in your quest. I suspect that you will stuggle to find a
replacement- BW is both very chunky and light (if i recall correctly) so whilst
you could try knitting two strands of an alternative together you might end up
with a seriously heavy garment.

Regards
Sarah

Sarah Grace wrote:

Glad that you have delurked! I find this website a useful resource as it
classifies yarns by weight so you can look up the yarn under the manufacturers
name, and then check other yarns of the same weight.
http://www.diamondyarn.com/browse.php

I'm in southern New Jersey, Philadelphia area in the USA. My
real problem is that I'm very short and 'rotund'. I love the
rowan big wool sweaters but I'm worried about what it will look
like on me! Those sweet young things they use as models could
wear a burlap sack and look fabulous! I wanted a less expense
yarn to test the sizing and look on a simple sweater before
investing in the rowan wool, then finding out it looks terrible
on me. Thanks for the URL, I'll check it out. (And thanks to
those of you who emailed me responses!)

deborah

Deborah wrote:
I'm in southern New Jersey, Philadelphia area in the USA. My
real problem is that I'm very short and 'rotund'. I love the
rowan big wool sweaters but I'm worried about what it will look
like on me! Those sweet young things they use as models could
wear a burlap sack and look fabulous! I wanted a less expense
yarn to test the sizing and look on a simple sweater before
investing in the rowan wool, then finding out it looks terrible on me

Glad to be of some help! It is funny that you should mention the matter of
chunky wools being flattering or not-because it was in my mind as i was writing
the message.

It is of course down to personal preference and far be it from me etc....but if
you are more curvaceous then frankly i would not go with this sort of yarn- i
think it is probably very cute in scarves, bags and hats but less than
flattering in jumper. I recently got to see a lot of gals try on Dibbie Bliss
samples at one of her great workshops and i was again struck by how potentially
unflattering a chunky yarn can be.

Saying that i feel the same way about most very cabled arans- for me the
combination of busoms and cables is not a look i like, but i know that others
do and good for them!

Good luck and let us know how you go.

Regards
Sarah