This past month I was delighted to have the opportunity to review some of Hobbii’s yarns and tools. On Hobbii.com you will find a wide variety of affordable yarns that come in an amazing selection of colors. There were so many yarns that I was curious about trying out to see if they would work for future projects I had in mind. If you’re like me, you never really know a yarn until you’ve been able to touch it and knit with it, which can make it challenging when shopping for yarn online. Hopefully this post will help you get the know the yarns I chose to try out a bit better!

The yarns I chose to review and swatch were (from top to bottom) “Soft Alpaca Lace” in Beach Pebbles, Friends “Cotton Silk” in Antique Rose, Friends “Extra Fine Merino” in Deep Ocean, “Acacia” in Mauve Ash, and Friends “Kid Silk” in Plum. I also received these fun tools, the “PU Organizer” in Purple, and the “Unicorn Scissors” in Rainbow.

Recently I’ve been focusing on machine knitting, so I chose yarns that I could potentially use with my LK150 and SK840 flat bed knitting machines. All of the above swatches were knitted on my machines, and I have included the machine and tension I used in the individual reviews below. All of these swatches could of course be knitted by hand too, and I have included the equivalent needle sizes that I used for the swatches.

“Soft Alpaca Lace” in Beach Pebbles

I am currently working on a 4-ply version of my new Cardigan design, the “Girlfriend Cardigan“. I had made this design on my LK-150 using a DK weight yarn, Hobbii’s “Portobello“. I received some requests to have this pattern adapted for a standard gauge knitting machine, and was searching for a sock weight yarn to feature for the design. I was interested in Hobbii’s “Soft Alpaca“, but looking at the yardage and recommended needle size, was concerned it might be closer to a sport weight yarn. I decided to go with this lace weight version instead, hoping I could perhaps double it up to get the gauge I was going for, 30 sts and 42 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch.

When I received this yarn, I did indeed find that it was lace weight! It is 400 m (437 yds) per 50g skein. I tried it out on my SK840 standard gauge knitting machine, and was able to get the 4-ply gauge I was going for using T6 (~US 2 (2.75 mm)) with 2 strands held together. I ordered 8 skeins, which was the perfect amount for the long version of the cardigan.

I really loved working with this yarn, and as the name suggests, it is super soft! It has a lovely fuzzy halo, and that combined with the subtle variegation in color gives it a very luxurious appearance. It also has a great drape which lends itself well to the cardigan I’m making. I also love this particular colorway, which does indeed remind me of beach pebbles. There is a very subtle blue undertone to it which I tend to prefer in heather grey hues. This yarn comes in over 30 colors, so you’re sure to find one you like. I personally like the neutral tones which have the subtle variegation in color giving them a heather effect.

Overall, I was really happy with how this yarn knitted up on the machine. The only challenge was getting the yarn to come out smoothly from the center of the skein in the beginning, but that’s usually the case with yarns in this put up. The fuzziness may have contributed to it’s slow start too, but it definitely wasn’t a deterrence and I would use it again.

Friends “Cotton Silk” in Antique Rose

Looking at the photos of this yarn online, I couldn’t resist giving it a try! I loved the unique texture it appeared to have, and was intrigued by this fiber combination and the effect it had on the yarn’s color. This yarn is 78% cotton and 22% silk, and classed as a DK weight yarn at 120 m (131 yds) per 50g ball.

As you can see from the photos, the silk gives this yarn subtle flecks of grey. I feel like this yarn is so beautiful that a simple stitch pattern would suit it best, and envisioned it working up nicely in a loose cable pattern.

Normally with a DK weight yarn I would use T4 on my LK150, but I decided to use T5 (~US 7 (4.5 mm)) because this yarn appeared to vary in thickness. This did turn out to be a good match. This yarn knit up super smoothly on my machine, and it was truly a pleasure to work with being so silky and soft. I think it would make a fabulous slouchy cardigan or hat.

Friends “Extra Fine Merino” in Deep Ocean

I was excited to try out this yarn because I love a superwash merino, you get all the luxury of a deliciously soft wool, and it’s easy to care for! This particular yarn also comes in nearly 50 shades which is incredible! I was drawn to this deep teal color, which was just as vibrant and beautiful in person as it looked online.

This yarn is very smooth with great stitch definition, which would make it perfect for colorwork and intricate stitch patterns. It is sport weight, and comes in 50g balls of 165 m (180 yds). I used T3 (~US 4 (3.5 mm)) on my LK150, paired with a lace cable pattern that I had been wanting to try out on my machine. This stitch pattern was so fun and easy to do on the machine, and I loved how the swatch came out. I hope to incorporate it into a design and teach it, as I think this pattern is a great example of what you can do on a knitting machine beyond stockinette stitch that looks intricate but is actually quite simple to execute.

This yarn knit beautifully on the machine, and was just as fabulous as I expected a super fine merino to be. If you are in the market for sport weight superstar, this is your yarn!

“Acacia” in Mauve Ash

Recently I have been loving a cotton acrylic blend. 100% cottons can be tricky to knit with on a knitting machine because they can be too rough, but the combination with acrylic gives it a smoothness that makes it glide right though. The acrylic also offers a bit more structure so the cotton doesn’t bag out with wear. I like this yarn option for those who don’t wish to knit with animal fibers, and want something that is easy to wear and care for.

Acacia is a DK weight yarn, at 250 m (273 yds) per 100 g skein, and I was happy using T4 (~US 5 (3.75 mm)) on my LK150 with it. I love that this yarn comes in larger skeins, and how affordable it is. The colors are also all lovely muted cottony tones which I appreciate.

I have been interested in adapting my “Blossoming Beauties” pattern for the knitting machine, and wanted to try out the lace pattern I used in that design with this yarn. It worked perfectly, and I was very happy with how this yarn knit up. I could also see this lace stitch pattern being cute for a springy cardigan. We’ll see! If it happens I would definitely be interested in featuring this yarn.

Friends “Kid Silk” in Plum

Lastly, I was excited to try out this super fun mohair yarn! Hobbii has quite a few mohair yarns to choose from, and I chose this one because I’ve always enjoyed mohair silk blends. This one is 72% mohair, 25% silk, and 3% wool, and classed as lace weight at 200 m (218 yds) per 25 g ball.

While this yarn is fabulous is that it comes in 70 (!) vibrant shades with a whole lot of halo, I have to admit that it wasn’t my favorite to work with in this batch. Unfortunately I found it a bit itchy (could be the wool which I am sensitive to) or that it wasn’t kid mohair which I am used to working with which is a bit softer and smoother than regular mohair. I also did find it a bit challenging to work which on the machine because it is so fuzzy and gets caught on itself (which of course happens with hand knitting too, but a bit more of a nuisance on the machine!) If machine knitting with mohair in the future I am thinking it would be best to get a coned yarn.

I used my LK150 and T1 (~US 2 (2.75mm)) to try out this yarn, and knitted up a short row ruffle with an added ruffle at the bottom. During my MA last year I experimented a lot with knitted ruffles, and kept thinking about how fun it would be to knit them in a mohair silk blend. I have an idea for a dress I eventually want to design, and it was exciting to try this out and see how it would come to life. For this yarn in particular, I think I would be more interested in using it for a ruffle accent, but not for an allover design. The volume and texture it gave were indeed fabulous!

Hobbii was also so kind to let me review these “Unicorn Scissors” in Rainbow and “PU Organizer” in Purple. The yarn colors I chose for this haul ended up being in a unicorn color theme, so I thought it only fitting to have some unicorn scissors to hang out with them! I am always needing scissors whether it be at my knitting machine, on the couch while seaming and weaving in ends, or on the go in my project bag, and thus I can never have enough! I was surprised at how big these scissors actually were – I was expecting them to be a mini size, but they’re about the size of a hand. The scissors are adorable and I am so happy to have them to cheer up my workspace.

I also love this circular case for helping me get organized with my tools. I am always in need of a tapestry needle and stitch markers, and this case is perfect for making sure those tiny tools are in a findable spot and don’t get lost! This is another fun tool to add some joy to your workspace. The color is really gorgeous, and I’m always thrilled to have more purple things around to brighten up my day!

I hope you enjoyed this review. Stay tuned for more designs to come!

💜 Lauren

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