Magic Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight Yarn by Knitpicks + FREE Crochet Pattern Suggestions

“Magic” Wool of the Andes Is a Basic Peruvian Highland Wool Yarn You’ll Reach for When You Want to Make Projects in a Variety of Techniques Such as Knitting, Crocheting, Felting, Weaving, or Scrumbling — Plus Here You’ll Also Find FREE Crochet Pattern Suggestions for Using the Worsted Weight Version of This Yarn

Are you looking for a sturdy, affordable, high-value yarn you can use for knitting, crocheting or crafting? If you’re interested in making medium-weight hats, cowls, scarves, fingerless gloves, arm warmers, cuffs, mittens, cardigans, pullovers, blankets, afghans, throws, baby blankets, shawls, wraps, or similar projects, Knitpicks manufactures an outstanding yarn you need to know about: It’s called “Wool of the Andes”. It is a sturdy, reliable, classic Peruvian Highland wool yarn that comes in 3 different weights plus an awe-inspiring color palette. Besides the worsted weight of the yarn I’m reviewing here, Wool of the Andes yarn is also available in sport and Bulky weights. The “Magic” color (28296), pictured here, is one of the numerous gorgeous warm pink / purple colors that are available in the worsted weight version of Wool of the Andes.

“Magic” is a spectacular, eye-catching, head-turning neon shade of magenta. If you like to be the center of attention, this is the color you’ll want to reach for when you knit or crochet striking accessories. On the color wheel, this particular color falls between reddish-pink and purple. It has an incredible level of richness, depth and vibrancy that make it an eye-catching statement color. It is a bold magenta color that isn’t for the shy wearer — but if you use it in colorwork in small amounts, it makes a beautiful accent that is quite wearable. It’s also highly wearable on its own if you use it for accent pieces in your wardrobe. For example, I recommend using it on its own in this crochet neck warmer for beginners (a free pattern is available), which is a fantastic wardrobe piece that’s perfect for wearing on Valentine’s Day.

“Magic” Wool of the Andes yarn is an ideal color for use in colorwork patterns in either knitting or crochet. If you crochet or knit florals, “Magic” would make a beautiful rose color, and it would also make eye-catching flower petal color or flower center color for other types of flowers.

Free Crochet Heart Pouch Pattern

If you need a pretty color for stitching stripes, this “Magic” complements many other colors in the Wool of the Andes color range. There are infinite possibilities for lovely stripes you could design with this magenta color as a focal point.

This is also an outstanding red for knitting or crocheting heart designs. In particular, you might like to crochet this pretty heart-shaped pouch using Red Wool of the Andes in the worsted weight.

I just purchased 9 balls of this yarn. I am hoping to use this yarn to crochet a sweater for my little niece. This is probably not the color I would have chosen for her sweater; I was leaning towards using Blossom Heather or Pink Posy Heather. However, my niece requested this color — so I bought enough yarn to make her a sweater in this color. I also couldn’t resist buying enough yarn in the Pink Posy Heather to make a second sweater.

Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight Yarn by Knitpicks

This yarn is a wonderful example of a warm, sturdy, practical, wearable wool yarn made from 100% Peruvian highland wool. Although this particular wool isn’t the softest available, the balls of Wool of the Andes I’ve worked with so far have not been itchy or uncomfortable in any way.

Knitpicks staff has pointed out that this yarn has been spun and plied deliberately with the goal of achieving an expertly balanced twist. The Peruvian wool fiber is exceptionally sturdy and long-wearing. It offers crafters a viable balance between drape, loft and structure.

Wool is one of the most breathable fibers available. It wicks well and insulates well, which means that it is an ideal fiber to wear in cold weather. Wool can also be remarkably comfortable to wear in summer time if you choose a stitch pattern that isn’t too heavy.

If you’re looking for a durable, hard-wearing yarn that offers remarkable stitch definition, Wool of the Andes is a wool you’ll want to consider working with. The smooth, evenly-spun structure of the yarn contributes to excellent stitch definition for cables or other textured knitting and crochet stitches you might want to try.

This is a versatile yarn that you’re likely to adore using in a variety of project types. I already mentioned that it works well for making stuffed animals; if you’re looking for a sturdy, smooth wool yarn to use for knitting or crocheting stuffed toys and amigurumi, definitely consider giving this a try. It’s also useful for making cardigans, pullovers, shawls, ponchos, hats, fingerless gloves, mittens, baby blankets, cozies and all kinds of other clothing, accessories and home decor items. IF you’re interested in making tapestry crochet projects or Fair Isle knitting projects, this weight of yarn gives you a warm, dense construction when you use it for those purposes.

If you’re interested in making felted or fulled projects, this yarn is likely to be precisely what you want. It felts beautifully. If you want your project to be washable without felting, shrinking or condensing, you might prefer to try the Superwash version of the yarn, which is available in both the worsted and bulky weights, but apparently NOT in the sport weight. There is also a tweed version of this yarn, which I have not yet tried.

Yarn Specifications

The Wool of the Andes Color Palette — In the worsted weight version of this yarn, I counted 100 spectacular colors available.

Price I Paid for the Yarn — The regular price of this yarn is $3.79 US, and I frequently buy it at that price. It’s well worth its full retail price, in my opinion. But when I bought these 9 balls of “Magic” Worsted Weight Wool of the Andes yarn, Knitpicks had a sale going, so I was lucky enough to scoop up my balls of this yarn for $2.65 each — a spectacular bargain! Folks, do the math on that — it adds up to $23.85 for a child’s 100% wool sweater. Even if you don’t catch a sale on this yarn, and you pay the full price, you’d only pay $34.11 to make that particular sweater. If you were to buy a similar sweater from Icebreaker or Nordstrom, you’d pay wayyyyy more — probably around 4 times that, or possibly more — and you wouldn’t have the fun, relaxation, enjoyment and entertainment of knitting or crocheting the sweater.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the Yarn — $3.79 (subject to change without notice).

Fiber Content — 100% Peruvian Highland Wool

Suggested Crochet Hook Size — E-7 hooks

Suggested Gauge for Crochet —

16–20 single crochet stitches = 4 inches on E-7 hooks

Suggested Knitting Needle Size —#3-5 needles (3.25mm-3.75mm)

Suggested Gauge for Knitting — 6 sts = 1″ on #3-5 needles (3.25mm-3.75mm)

Care Instructions — Projects made from this yarn should be hand washed and laid flat to dry. If these instructions are not followed, the project will likely shrink and felt.

Yarn Quality:

I’ve been delighted with the quality of Wool of the Andes yarn by Knitpicks. With a previous purchase of this yarn, I made a SUPER CUTE stuffed toy llama for my little niece, who has loved it, played with it almost daily, and taken it to bed as a “bedtime buddy” every night. The llama is now showing a small amount of pilling on the surface, but has held up remarkably well considering the frequent handling it receives.

Yarn Softness:

Wool of the Andes is appealing and soft, but it is not the softest wool yarn available. If you’re looking for the squishiest, softest wool you can get your hands on, I recommend taking a look at Preciosa or Swish by the same manufacturer. Both of those yarns are delightfully soft to the touch. The downside is that they are also more expensive than Wool of the Andes, and considering the low price of this yarn, Wool of the Andes is really a bargain. For the price, and for my taste, Wool of the Andes is plenty soft. In my experience, Wool of the Andes also pills FAR LESS than Swish does.

Where to Buy Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Red Worsted Weight Yarn

“Magic” Wool of the Andes yarn is available for sale at the Knitpicks website. Click here to shop for this yarn at Knitpicks. I am a regular customer at Knitpicks and have been delighted with their prompt shipping and helpful, courteous customers service; I highly recommend buying directly from this online store.

Some, but not all, Knitpicks yarns are also available for sale at Amazon. When I just checked, some colorways of the worsted weight version of Wool of the Andes were available at Amazon, but this particular “Magic” color was not one of them. Availability of various colors changes regularly, so you might wish to click here to check current availability of this yarn at Amazon; be sure to read the description to understand which weight of the yarn you’ll be getting if you “Add to Cart”.

Other Colors and Weights in Wool of the Andes Yarn You Might Like to Preview:

Other Outstanding Knitpicks Yarns You Might Want to Try:

Other Wool Yarns You Might Like to Know About:

More Craft Supplies

The Latest Knitting and Crochet Books You Need to Know About:

A Merry Crochet Christmas Pattern Book, Published by Annie’s Crochet

Over to You:

Have you tried knitting, crocheting, weaving or crafting with Wool of the Andes yarn? How do you like it? What did you make with it?

Have you ever worked with the “Magic” color of Wool of the Andes, pictured above? If so, did you use it with other colors or all by itself in your project? What sort of project(s) did you make with it? How did they turn out? What colors do you recommend pairing it with?

Thanks in advance for any insights you have to share. We appreciate your comments, and your presence here. Thanks for visiting!

Posted By: Amy Solovay

This page was last updated on 2-19-2022.

Knitting, Crochet and Crafts

Find Fun, Easy Craft Ideas and Instructions