Interviews and Reviews
Yarn Review: Cleckheaton
One of my favorite things about my job is getting to try out new fibers. I am happy to say that rubbing new yarn on my face can be considered “work time.” It’s not a secret that I have lust in my heart for Merino, and I’ll knit up a swatch out of just about anything with at least a 20% Merino content. So, I was pretty stoked when Cleckheaton reached out to ask if I’d like to check out their new yarn and let y’all know what I thought about it. I got my grabby hands on a couple balls of their new 8 ply Merino and commenced with the face rubbing. The timing was good because I was sipping on some Haterade the night it arrived, and it was just the thing to improve my mood.
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Let’s start with the amazing. I LOVE the way this yarn feels. Normally, a yarn like this would be a 3 or a 4 ply, but the 8 plys make it just run through your hands like silk. The colors are great too, and although I opted to just try out one of their free patterns, I think it would make a great choice for color work. I made one of the beanies in True Blue and Dark Grey:
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I’m a sucker for yarn with a good story, and I love hearing about the people behind the fibers I love so much. I think, as a knitter, it’s easy to forget how many real people are behind the yarn we depend on. Cleckheaton Superfine comes to us all the way from sunny Australia, and only comes from the very few sheep that can be classified as Superfine Merino Wool.
Fun Fact: Just like Champagne can only come from a specific part of France, Superfine Merino Wool can only come from a very special sheep!
In the past, this wool was reserved for fine men’s suits. I get a certain amount of twisted pleasure knowing that, originally, this wool was not meant for me. I don’t know if a sheep could really be considered a feminist, but I like to imagine that they were. I like to picture them going on strike and demanding to be made available to everyone, regardless of gender or socioeconomic class.
Anyhow, the good folks over at the Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association (ASWGA) decided they were not going to stand for the oppression of not having Superfine Merino available to the masses. Your beanies deserve a little luxury! So they paired up with the ladies and gentlemen over at Cleckheaton to create a line of yarn that would feature this extra special fiber in a yarn that could be used for everything from basic beanies to fine sweaters and dresses. Honestly, the only thing I wasn’t over the moon for was the ball. I prefer yarn to come skeined or wound into a cake, because when it’s in a ball I tangle it. The yarn was a real treat though, and I like to imagine I’m doing my part to help these Superfine Merino Sheep get their due.
~ Megan-Anne
Never let the woolen patriarchy get you down.
I’m curious about whether when you review, although done with free yarn and a free pattern, you consider including a review on prices. Is Cleckheaton economical in US? Because here in Australia, this superfine merino is $12.50 for a 65 gram ball, in comparison to Bendigo Woollen Mills in the same state selling 200 gram balls of their yarns for a similar amount! The Cleckheaton looks lovely, but sadly I won’t be purchasing at that price.
Awesome question! I have a policy not to comment on price, unless something is super cheap, or on sale. 90% of the time I actually have bought the items I’m reviewing, though in this case I didn’t. But since we will only review things we like (no one comes here to see what I don’t like ;) we won’t review things that we think are just off the charts expensive. Other than that though, what’s really expensive to me might be cheap to someone else and vice versa, so I leave the price point to everyone’s individual discretion :)