Getting customised yarn for my next knitting project [Part II]

Is it worth it?

Jul 29, 2025

A few months ago, I visited the Wollfabrik (“Wool Factory” in English) here in my hometown. The Wollfabrik is not your typical cozy yarn shop, rather it is located in a warehouse with rows and rows of shelves, that are stacked with coned yarn. Buying yarn also works a little bit different, because you can create your own personalised yarn blend. If you're curious about the full experience, you can read about it in my previous post:

Getting customised yarn for my next knitting project

Sophie

April 3, 2025

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If you don’t feel like diving into that one, here’s a quick summary: it was an amazing visit. The sheer variety of yarns was overwhelming in the best possible way, the staff was incredibly friendly, and with the clanging of the spinning machine in the back, I felt like I was inside a working factory. For 37€, I got a 450g cone of custom yarn, which was a blend of 50% mercerized pima cotton, 35% merino, and 15% silk.

(If you haven’t heard of mercerized cotton, it is cotton that's been treated to give it a smoother texture, more sheen, and better dye uptake. It also increases the strength of the fibers and makes them more durable. When knitting with it, it feels smoother and less “rough” than untreated cotton.)1

This post isn’t a review of the yarn, exactly, because no one else can buy it, so it wouldn’t make sense. Not even I could recreate it, as I didn’t write down the exact yarn IDs or the exact mixing ratio of the threads. (I could kick myself for that). Still, I wanted to follow up on my previous post now that I’ve knitted something with it and discuss whether it is actually worth it getting a customised yarn blend.

I could have spent all day detween these rows and rows of yarn

First things first: the yarn on its own wasn’t ideal. I used it to knit the Manon Cardigan by Moreca Knit, and even though I got the correct gauge for my pattern, the resulting fabric was too loose and stretchy. After some trial and error (and more online yarn research and futile purchases than I’d like to admit), I found ITO Gima 8.5, which added the right amount of structure. In the process, I learned a lot about yarn substitution and the effect of different fiber types on the fabric.

It’s also important to note that yarn spun on cones like this isn’t twisted the way most commercial yarn is. You’re essentially knitting with 12 or more fine threads held together, which increases the chance of splitting stitches or accidentally dropping a strand. It required more attention than I’m used to, and I wouldn’t recommend it for mindless knitting.

But despite all that: I’m very happy with how the project turned out. The colour, the texture, the feel of the finished fabric is very close to what I had imagined. And I’ll admit it is very satisfying to know that my Manon Cardigan is unique.

Was it worth it?

It depends. I know, this is not a very satisfying answer. But I don’t want to close that door, yet. Just thinking about walking through the rows of shelves, looking at all that yarn, brings me so much joy. But, as a hand knitter, most of the time it does not make much sense to me, if I had a knitting machine, getting yarn on cones would make more sense. Overall, the amount of trial, experimenting, and uncertainty is a bit stressful. Sometimes you just want to knit up that sweater and don’t think much. So, I think I’ll mostly stick to the traditional skeins and balls for now.

Still, the idea of personalisation is tempting. It is very special and a lot of fun, too, to create a yarn combination that is just yours. So, I could see myself going back to get a carrying yarn like mohair or cashmere in the future. But there’s also a comfort in using something that’s already been tested, swatched, and reviewed by dozens of knitters before you.

In the end it’s a trade-off: the personalised yarn offers more opportunities for experimentation, but with it comes a bit of a risk. And depending on the kind of knitter you are (or the kind of week you're having), that can be either very inspiring or just too much work.

For me, I think it’s maybe a “once in a while” thing. For a special project perhaps, where I design the pattern myself, and not the new normal for all my projects.

Have you knitted with yarn on cones before? How would your dream yarn combination look like?

See you next week,

xx Sophie