A Workhorse Wool Yarn for Knitting, Crocheting, Weaving, Fiber Arts and Crafts
Knitpicks manufactures an economical, practical Peruvian Highland wool yarn called “Wool of the Andes”. This yarn comes in multiple weights and a spectacular color palette. In addition to the sport weight of the yarn I’m reviewing here, Wool of the Andes yarn is also available in Worsted and Bulky weights. Blossom Heather, pictured here, is one of the many gorgeous pink colors that are available in the sport weight version of Wool of the Andes.
Like the name suggests, Blossom Heather is a heathered yarn color, which means that it isn’t one thoroughly solid color. There are slight variations in the shades of pink that comprise this yarn color. This particular colorway features both light and medium shades for an overall pink color that’s at the light end of the scale, but is not the lightest color available in the Wool of the Andes color range. Blossom Heather is darker than the similar pink color known as “Blush”.
This yarn is a wonderful choice for knitting or crocheting colorwork patterns. If you need a pretty color for stitching stripes, floral designs, hearts, or baby girl projects, this colorway of the yarn would be a fantastic choice to consider.
I just purchased 2 skeins of this yarn. I haven’t yet decided what I will do with it, but I am likely to make it into women’s wearable crocheted accessories or girls’ wearable crocheted accessories.
Wool of the Andes Sport Weight Yarn by Knitpicks — A 100% Peruvian Highland Wool Yarn
This yarn is a wonderful example of a warm, sturdy, practical, wearable wool yarn. While it isn’t the softest wool, the examples I’ve worked with so far in this style are not noticeably itchy or uncomfortable.
Staff at the manufacturer’s site points out that this yarn has been spun and plied carefully with the goal of achieving a masterfully balanced twist. The Peruvian wool fiber is exceptionally strong and offers crafters an outstanding balance between structure, loft, and drape.
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, this is a wool you’d definitely want to try. The stitch definition on this is great.
This is a versatile yarn that could easily be made into a broad 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, shawls, hats, mitts, gloves, mittens, blankets, and other clothing, accessories and home decor items. IF you’re interested in making tapestry crochet projects or Fair Isle knitting projects, this is the ideal weight of yarn to use 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 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 — At last count, I counted 35 colors available in the sport weight version of the yarn. There’s also a worsted weight version of the yarn available in which there are 100 amazing 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 2 skeins of Blossom Heather Sport Weight Wool of the Andes yarn, Knitpicks had a sale going, so I was lucky enough to scoop up my skeins for $2.65 each — 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 hooksSuggested 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 exceptionally pleased with the quality of Wool of the Andes yarn by Knitpicks. With previous skeins, I made a 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 toy is now showing a small amount of pilling, but has held up remarkably well considering the frequent handling it receives.
Yarn Softness:
Wool of the Andes is reasonably soft, but it is not the softest wool yarn available. If you’re looking for an amazingly squishy, soft wool, I recommend you try Preciosa or Swish by the same manufacturer. Both of those yarns are amazingly soft and touchable. But 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 my taste, it’s soft enough.
Where to Buy Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Sport Weight Yarn in the Blossom Heather Colorway
This yarn is available for sale at the Knitpicks website. Click here to shop for this yarn at Knitpicks.
Some, but not all, Knitpicks yarns are available for sale at Amazon. When I just checked, the worsted weight version of Wool of the Andes in Blossom Heather was available at Amazon, but the sport weight version was not. You can click here if you’d like 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”.
This is the spot in my yarn review where I would usually link to patterns and project ideas that are available on our website. I haven’t yet designed any patterns with this yarn, but I plan to do so soon. Please visit us again soon to check for new developments!
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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 Blossom Heather color? If so, did you use it with other colors? 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.