Plymouth Yarn Company Bio Sesia 5 Organic Cotton Yarn (Product Review)

I love knitting and crocheting with cotton, so it’s a big deal when I say that I just discovered a brand new favorite cotton yarn to work with. I’ve fallen in love with Plymouth Yarn Company’s Bio Sesia. It’s the perfect yarn for many of the projects I enjoy making with cotton, and I am excited to tell you about it.

What You Need to Know About Bio Sesia 5 Organic Cotton Yarn:


Fiber Contents: 100% Organic Cotton

Care Instructions: Machine Wash, Dry Flat

Gauge: 7 sts = 1″/US 3 Needle

Yardage: 198 yards per 50 gram ball

Weight: Fingering

The Best Things About This Yarn

Bio Sesia Yarn Is Luxuriously Soft. If you’re looking for a soft cotton yarn that you’d want to wear right next to your skin, Bio Sesia organic cotton yarn is a fantastic choice. It’s touchable, wearable and soft.

High Quality With No Flaws — I found zero flaws in the balls of Bio Sesia that I’ve worked with so far. I unwound all of the balls I worked with and re-wound them into balls by hand, and this method would have revealed any flaws to me had they existed. I can’t promise that all balls of this yarn you might buy will be without flaws, but I can say that I definitely had a good experience in this regard.

Fabulous Yarn Colors — The Bio Sesia color palette is simply spectacular. It includes a varied range of 28 solid colors that are lovely for baby clothes, baby blankets, nursery décor, children’s clothing, kids’ accessories, menswear, women’s wear, and home décor projects.

Certified Organic to Meet Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS):


The yarns of the BIO – SESIA line are obtained from mixings of organic origin certified by ICEA (the Italian Institute for Environmental Ethical Certification) in compliance with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)…
These yarns are dyed using products selected by applying the strictest environmental standards, respecting the environment and reducing the risk of allergies and disorders. The certifying body guarantees appropriate management and traceability of all stages of the production process, which takes place entirely in Italy.

What to Knit or Crochet With Bio Sesia Yarn

There isn’t any limit to the types of projects you could knit and crochet with Plymouth’s Bio Sesia yarn. However, my opinion is that it’s particularly well suited for use in making the following types of knitting and crochet projects:

  • Baby projects: layette sets, bibs, baby blankets, baby booties, baby hats, baby headbands, sweaters, hoodies, dresses, jumpers, rompers, etc.
  • Children’s toys; I think this yarn is safer and more appealing than most other alternatives for making small amigurumi toys, dolls, stuffed animals, puppets, etc.
  • Adult clothes and accessories: sweaters, hoodies, wraps, shawls, ponchos, camisoles, tank tops, skirts, dresses, scarves, hats, headbands, head wraps, fingerless gloves, cuffs,
  • Kids clothes: ponchos, sweaters, hoodies, hats, scarves, headbands, skirts, dresses
  • Doilies, mandalas and medallions
  • Spa bath accessories: washcloths, towel edgings
  • Gourmet kitchen accessories: Dishcloths, coasters, table runners, dish towel edgings
  • Jewelry
  • Bead knitting and bead crochet projects; the yarn is tough enough to withstand beads, and it is a spectacular and worthy backdrop for showcasing your most beautiful beads. Just make sure the beads are the variety that have large holes.
  • Throws or bedspreads
  • Pillows, cushions and pillow covers
  • Socks
  • Edgings and trims
  • Purses, totes, bags, pouches and wallets
  • Appliques: crochet flowers, flower-loomed flowers, knitted flowers, and other shapes.
  • Yarn bombing: Bio Sesia yarn is a fantastic choice for yarn bombing projects. Some environmentalists believe that yarn bombing with acrylic yarn is a horrific idea since acrylic yarns are not biodegradable, recyclable or environmentally friendly in any way.

Pattern Support for Bio Sesia Yarn

I made a beaded necklace using this yarn. Bead crochet jewelry is not known for being comfortable, but this necklace is so comfortable that I’ve forgotten I was wearing it. The necklace pattern is included in a brand new crochet pattern book called Delicate Crochet by Sharon Silverman, published by Stackpole Books. Here’s a picture of the finished piece:


Elegant Trios Crochet Necklace Pattern From Delicate Crochet, Published by Stackpole Books

Elegant Trios Crochet Necklace Pattern From Delicate Crochet, Published by Stackpole Books

In addition to this necklace, there are plenty of other truly lovely patterns available that feature Bio Sesia as the suggested yarn. The Plymouth Yarn Company website offers multiple possibilities for ladies’ garments, tops and baby clothes. Independent designers have also produced some gorgeous patterns with this yarn.

Things to Be Aware of Before You Buy Bio Sesia Yarn

Splitting — I’ve come across reviews online mentioning that this yarn is susceptible to splitting. I’ve studied the issue of yarn splitting at length, and I’ve come to the conclusion that when a yarn splits during crochet, it’s the fault of the combination of crochet hook, crocheter and yarn, rather than exclusively being the fault of the yarn. I am sure there are people who will argue with this conclusion. But I was a chronic yarn-splitter myself in the beginning, and my issues with the yarn splitting problem went away as I gained experience with crochet. I’ve also taught bunches of people how to deal with the issue, and have come to that conclusion after observing lots of crocheters have, and solve, the same issue.


Think about it like this. Yarn doesn’t split itself. Right? It only splits if you take an action that splits it, like stabbing it with your crochet hook or knitting needle. So, to solve a yarn splitting problem, it’s as simple as figuring out how to avoid stabbing the yarn with your hook / needle.


My first try working with Bio Sesia, I found that I was splitting the yarn. I was using a skinny, bent aluminum Boye crochet hook. The bend in the hook was causing me to misjudge the spot where the yarn needed to be grabbed with my hook. I switched to a Clover Soft Touch ergonomic crochet hook, and my issue with the splitting resolved immediately.


If you have issues with this yarn or any yarn splitting on you, try changing tools to see if that will fix the issue. I’ve seen a lot of people eliminate or reduce yarn splitting issues just by switching crochet hooks. This is especially important if your hook is bent. You might not have realized that even a slight bend in your hook can cause problems with the way your crochet work turns out — but it can.

Having said that, my experience was that Bio Sesia is a bit more fragile than some of the other cotton yarns I’ve worked with. It requires a gentler touch than, say, a kitchen cotton would. It’s also much more beautiful than a kitchen cotton, and it warrants the minor amount of extra care needed.

Conclusion:

Bio Sesia organic cotton yarn is simply exquisite. I highly recommend this yarn. It’s high on my favorites list of best yarns ever, and going forward it has now become the yarn I’m going to reach for when I need a fingering weight cotton for a new project.

Where to Buy Bio Sesia Organic Cotton Yarn

Related Resources

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This yarn review was last updated on 1-27-2019.