Knitpicks Red Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight Yarn + Pattern Suggestions

Red Wool of the Andes Is a Classic Wool Yarn You’ll LOVE to Use for Knitting, Crocheting, Felting, Pom Pom Making, Weaving, Scrumbling, Wearable Art, Fiber Arts and Crafts — With FREE Crochet Pattern Suggestions for Using the Worsted Weight Version of This Yarn

Are you looking for an outstanding value-priced yarn you can use for knitting, crocheting or crafting? If you’re interested in making medium-weight hats, mitts, fingerless gloves, mittens, sweaters, scarves, blankets, afghans, throws, baby blankets, shawls, ponchos or similar projects, Knitpicks offers an outstanding yarn you need to know about: It’s called “Wool of the Andes”. It is a warm, affordable, practical, colorful and GORGEOUS Peruvian Highland wool yarn that comes in multiple weights and a spectacular 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 “Red” color (23764), pictured above, is one of the many gorgeous warm colors that are available in the worsted weight version of Wool of the Andes.

On the color wheel, this particular red leans toward the orange side and has an incredible depth that is quite lovely. It is a bold red color that isn’t for the shy wearer — but if you use it in colorwork in small amounts, it makes a lovely 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, Thanksgiving and throughout the Christmas holiday season.

Red 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, the red 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.

This is the quintessential red color you might like to use for making Christmas crafts or Valentine’s Day crafts. If you like to make knits that are inspired by the look of peppermint candies, you might like to try using this yarn paired with white. Try any of the following patterns:

If you’re in the United States, you might also enjoy pairing this yarn with a blue and a white to make American flag patterns or Americana-themed patterns. If you’re in the UK, you could use this color of yarn as one of your components in knitting, crocheting or weaving Union Jack-inspired designs.

Free Crochet Heart Pouch Pattern

If you need a pretty color for stitching stripes, this red complements many other colors in the Wool of the Andes color range. There are infinite possibilities for lovely stripes you could design with this red 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 one skein of this yarn. When I made the purchase, I had never actually seen the red color in person, so I took a guess at what colors might look good with it. I am hoping to use this yarn in Christmas projects, but I am still working out exactly what I will do with it.

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.

Staff at the Knitpicks site points out that this yarn has been spun and plied conscientiously with the goal of achieving a carefully balanced twist. The Peruvian wool fiber is exceptionally strong and offers crafters a desirable 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 sturdy yarn that offers exceptional stitch definition, Wool of the Andes is a wool you’d definitely want to try. The smooth structure of the yarn contributes to excellent stitch definition for cables or other textured 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 toys; if you’re looking for a sturdy wool to use for amigurumi or soft sculpture making, definitely consider giving this a try. It’s also useful for making sweaters, ponchos, wraps, hats, mitts, wrist warmers, mittens, afghans, and 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 delightfully 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 exactly what you want. It felts beautifully. If you don’t want it to do that, 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 $3.99 US, and I frequently buy it at that price. It’s well worth its full retail price, in my opinion. But when I bought this ball of Red Worsted Weight Wool of the Andes yarn, Knitpicks had a sale going, so I was lucky enough to scoop up my ball for $3.22 — a definite bargain!

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 previous skeins, I made an ADORABLE 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

Red 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 beyond thrilled with their fast, reliable customers service; I highly recommend buying directly from them.

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 red 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:

Knitpicks Blossom Heather Wool of the Andes Sport Weight Yarn

More Knitpicks Yarns that I LOVE and Recommend:

Other Wool Yarns You Might Like to Know About:

More Craft Supplies

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

Delicate Crochet Book by Sharon Hernes Silverman, Published by Stackpole Books

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 Red color pictured here? If so, did you use it with other colors or on its own? 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 11-13-2023.

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