Branson
Downton Abbey inspired yarn Michelle Nguyen Branson is the next yarn in the line up; a thicker yarn that comes in quite a few manly colors. Branson is classified as a bulky yarn. It’s going to work up quickly and be very lush once complete. That 'cushiony', soft bounce always makes your garment drape beautifully. This weight is a really solid go-to yarn for a lot of projects, it can handle anything from blankets to winter accessories to sweaters. Branson, Downton Abbey Inspired Yarn, is a most versatile yarn. The colors Branson comes in are very rich deep hues that complement a winter wardrobe and most men would not be able to find objectionable. Any of the men I have knit for have always had a list of criteria for the colors I used. Nothing too bright, nothing brown, nothing too dark, nothing heathered, no tweed-y colors. The dark green and blue are my favorites, but the Claret Red is beautiful as well. I mean… not beautiful! It's a solid, rugged color. This yarn comes in enough colors and neutrals to make color work an attractive option as well as any stitch patterns. In a true solid color there's no variation in tone to obscure any cables or small details. This can be reliably knit up into a wide range of patterns.
The fibre composition is 80% acrylic and 20% wool, this means it's also machine washable! Branson yarn is a triple star: it’s got the warmth of wool, the washability of a synthetic and knits up quickly. All of these factors make it an exemplary stashable yarn; you can just pick it up and go without having to worry about the pattern and yarn clashing. It knits up really beautifully, great stitch definition and it's very soft on the hands. There are a lot of ply’s to this yarn and when I started to cast on, the tail end of my long tailed cast on tried to untwist, but I had the tail on the right side so I could just let the twisting energy dissipate through the tail. All those ply’s will create a dead air space within the fiber and make it very, very warm, if you knit it tightly, the wind wouldn’t even be able to fight it’s way through. Branson is a solid, reliable yarn and exactly what I look for in a go-to fiber. The lush warmth and versatility the blend and colors offer. With only a few more weeks till the holidays and a couple more months of cold after that, I feel like Branson would be a welcome guest in any home.
A most versatile yarn Photos by Michelle Nguyen
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KNITmuch | issue 2