Branson
Downton Abbey inspired yarn
Michelle Nguyen
Branson is the next yarn in the line up; a thicker
yarn that comes in quite a few manly colors.
Branson is classified as a bulky yarn. It’s going
to work up quickly and be very lush once
complete. That 'cushiony', soft bounce always
makes your garment drape beautifully. This
weight is a really solid go-to yarn for a lot of
projects, it can handle anything from blankets
to winter accessories to sweaters. Branson,
Downton Abbey Inspired Yarn, is a most
versatile yarn.
The colors Branson
comes in are very
rich deep hues
that complement
a winter wardrobe
and most men
would not be
able to find
objectionable. Any
of the men I have
knit for have always
had a list of criteria
for the colors I
used. Nothing too
bright, nothing
brown, nothing
too dark, nothing
heathered, no
tweed-y colors. The dark green and blue are
my favorites, but the Claret Red is beautiful as
well. I mean… not beautiful! It's a solid, rugged
color. This yarn comes in enough colors and
neutrals to make color work an attractive
option as well as any stitch patterns. In a
true solid color there's no variation in tone to
obscure any cables or small details. This can be
reliably knit up into a wide range of patterns.
The fibre composition is 80% acrylic and
20% wool, this means it's also machine
washable! Branson yarn is a triple star: it’s
got the warmth of wool, the washability of a
synthetic and knits up quickly.
All of these factors make it an exemplary
stashable yarn; you can just pick it up and go
without having to worry about the pattern and
yarn clashing. It knits up really beautifully, great
stitch definition and it's very soft on the hands.
There are a lot
of ply’s to this
yarn and when
I started to cast
on, the tail end
of my long tailed
cast on tried to
untwist, but I
had the tail on
the right side
so I could just
let the twisting
energy dissipate
through the tail.
All those ply’s will
create a dead air
space within the
fiber and make it
very, very warm,
if you knit it tightly, the wind wouldn’t even
be able to fight it’s way through.
Branson is a solid, reliable yarn and exactly
what I look for in a go-to fiber. The lush
warmth and versatility the blend and colors
offer. With only a few more weeks till the
holidays and a couple more months of cold
after that, I feel like Branson would be a
welcome guest in any home.
A most versatile yarn
Photos by Michelle Nguyen
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KNITmuch | issue 2