10 ply (Aran) A Smiling Heart

A$50.00

A Smiling Heart

Tiny little things can make our hearts smile. A shadow on a windowsill, a kind word from a friend, a particular colour or pattern. This colour makes my heart smile and I hope it does for you too. I hope it brings the feeling of small joys to your knitting. 

Hand dyed by Rebecca Robinson of Augustbird.

A Smiling Heart

Tiny little things can make our hearts smile. A shadow on a windowsill, a kind word from a friend, a particular colour or pattern. This colour makes my heart smile and I hope it does for you too. I hope it brings the feeling of small joys to your knitting. 

Hand dyed by Rebecca Robinson of Augustbird.

White Gum Wool yarns are made from 17-micron superfine merino wool. 
This is the calibre of wool used in the finest of Italian men’s suiting, and gives an amazing softness and handle to the yarn.

A Smiling Heart

Our 10 ply (Aran) yarn is a soft, traditional worsted-spun base with excellent stitch definition. In a fresh lemonade rose with subtle watermelon undertones, it features a twist-on-twist construction that reduces pilling and ensures your projects wear beautifully.

About Rebecca Robinson

Rebecca Robinson of Augustbird is an Australian yarn dyer based in the Adelaide Hills. Rebecca encourages knitters to find a slower pace so they can better navigate the hustle and bustle of modern life. Her calm and joyful yarn colourways have been delighting knitters and crocheters since 2012. Rebecca has worked closely with Nan Bray over the years and she has designed 5 colourways for the White Gum Wool yarn range. You can find Rebecca’s hand-dyed yarn and gentle offerings at augustbird.com.au.

About the Yarn

Our 10 ply yarn, also called Aran, is a traditional worsted spun yarn, with a soft buttery feel and great stitch definition. We have eighteen solid and variegated colour ways, inspired by the landscape of the farm.

We are transitioning from our original worsted spin style to one called ‘twist-on-twist’, where a fine single thread is plied twice: once in pairs, and then two or more of the pairs are plied together. This reduces pilling, by hiding the pesky cross-fibres that stick out and roll up as pills inside the second ‘twist’. It also improves the wear of knitted items like socks.

In 100% merino 10 ply, all colours are available in twist-on-twist.

About pilling: like so many things in life, superfine yarn has its trade-offs — the very thing that makes it lovely and soft next to your skin also gives it more tendency to pill than a yarn made from a harsher, broader micron.  It also felts beautifully, when you want it to (and even when you don't!).  The simplest solution to pilling is to use a high quality fabric shaver to remove the pills as they appear.  The Classic 50 fabric shaver is highly recommended by a number of experienced knitters who use White Gum Wool. To prevent inadvertent felting, follow the care guidelines.

100% MERINO 10 PLY or ARAN

METRIC UNITS:  100g: 190m. 
Tension: 20 st/30 rows for 10 x 10cm square on 4.5mm needles.
US/UK Units: 3.5oz: 208yd. 
Tension: 20 st/30 rows for 4 x 4 inch square on US 7 or UK 7 needles.
CARE: Hand wash cold, dry flat, medium iron, dry cleanable.