*Disclaimer: This post was made in collaboration with Koigu yarn. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Darling Jadore Knits With Koigu's Yarn Again: Love At First Touch
It's no surprise -- we're huge fans of Koigu over here at Darling Jadore! We first discovered their gorgeous yarns a few years ago and I designed an infinity scarf for their Vill collection with their stunning Chelsea Aran yarn (you can peep it here and buy the knitting pattern for it here). So when Koigu released their new line of yarn called Koigu's Origins, I knew I had to give them a try! And boy, they did not disappoint! The yarn line for Koigu Origins is a collection of yarns that are breed specific and goes back to the roots of Koigu. Included in this collection are four stunning yarns: a single ply, DK-weight yarn called "Cheers", a DK-weight mohair called "Aura" (which is my personal favorite), and two DK-weight Corriedale and Corriedale-Gotland blend yarns that are exquisite.
Koigu's Wool Yarns: Corriedale + Gotland Plus My Favorite Yarn
While I absolutely fell in love with Koigu's Aura yarn, I was equally intrigued by the beautiful Corridale and Corriedale-Gotland blend yarns . If you're not already familiar with these yarns, Corriedale sheep are one of the oldest crossbred sheep, originating from New Zealand. These sheep were originally crossed in the 1860’s with Merino, which gives them long wool length and super softness. In terms of the sheep's wool, it is a mid-micron sheep hitting between 22-34 microns. Koigu's spin of this yarn is in a DK-weight and is great for outdoor garments to stay warm on a damp day. And trust me when I tell you, it's just a dream to knit with!
As for the yarn that is a blend of Corriedale and Gotland, Gotland sheep originated on the Swedish island of Gotland. In fact, they are thought to be brought to this island by the Vikings. The wool produced by Gotland sheep is long, at a 29- 34 micron, producing a soft fleece. A mid-sized sheep, with a natural grey fleece, you can still find the largest pure bred population of sheep today on the island of Gotland -- how cool is that?! For Koigu, mixing the Corriedale with the Gotland, creates a strong fiber and beautiful natural grey color, and it remains very soft and easy to work with.
Knitting With Koigu's Aura Yarn: A Cable-Knit Mitten Design
But back to the Aura yarn, which is a gorgeous brushed mohair. Immediately after seeing this yarn, I absolutely knew that I needed to make a pair of mittens with them. The way Koigu dyes their yarns makes for such beautiful colors that I really don't see in any other yarns or any other yarn companies do. Their yarn is hand-painted and it even says on the label that each dye lot is an "original painting", making for the most beautifully unique yarn! The Koigu team truly has a gift for creating colors that are extremely attractive, eye-catching, and just plain delicious!
For the mittens, I used Koigu's Aura yarn in the color 390. I actually ended up frogging these mittens a dozen times because I couldn't figure out the design I wanted. I was really worried at first to frog mohair yarn, but since it's blended with a little nylon, the frogging was super easy. Usually, when frogging mohair yarn, I generally just cut my losses because mohair is one of the most difficult yarns to frog. But not Koigu's Aura -- this yarn frogged in no time without any knots or tangles whatsoever. To say the least, I was thoroughly impressed.
The Cable-Knit Mittens: Design, How The Yarn Held Up, + More
As I mentioned earlier, I was thoroughly impressed with how easy it was to frog these cable-knit mittens with the Aura yarn. Even though it was mohair, I never had any knots of tangles when frogging these mittens. Game changer!
But now I feel like it's important to mention how soft the yarn is. I've worked with many mohair and mohair-blend yarns over the years, and in my opinion, they sometimes tend to be on the itchier/scratchier side. But let me tell you: Koigu's Aura yarn is so silky soft, that it makes you want to knit everything in it! There is no itchy/scratchy feel to it whatsoever, and it has this gorgeous halo fuzz that looks oh-so cuddly and warm. And yes, the mittens turned out super warm and thick, so I'll definitely be taking them for a spin when hiking in the Rockies this winter.
My Verdict: Is Koigu's New Yarn Line Worth It? Would I Use It Again?
Absolutely! I fell head-over-heels in love with the Aura yarn, in particular, but I'm equally as in love with the other wool yarns they offer in this gorgeous line. Overall, I'm extremely impressed by the performance of the Aura yarn, and it was super easy to knit with, which is usually not the case for many mohair yarn I knit with. The gorgeous colors Koigu's team create are stunning, and the high-quality fibers they choose are beautiful. I definitely recommend working with this new line of Koigu, and I particularly recommend giving Aura a try because it's an absolute dream.
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