Cascade Yarns

Understanding the Cascade range

Cascade's catalogue is easiest to navigate once you realise the numbers describe a family, not a single yarn. Cascade 220 is the original worsted-weight Peruvian Highland wool, and the rest of the line extends it in two directions: by weight, through 220 Sport, 220 Fingering and 220 Superwash Aran, and by treatment, through the Superwash versions that can be machine washed. Around that sit the cotton yarns, chiefly Ultra Pima and Ultra Pima Fine, the baby-friendly Cherub DK, Anthem DK, Pacific and the bulky 128 Superwash, plus printed and self-shading options such as Heritage Prints and Superwash Wave.

Which Cascade yarn for which project

• Colourwork and steeked knits: Cascade 220, a non-superwash wool that blocks firmly and holds a motif crisply.
• Everyday jumpers and children's knits: 220 Superwash or 220 Superwash Merino, for machine washability.
• Socks and fine shawls: Heritage and 220 Fingering, with the durability fine knitting needs.
• Summer tops and baby garments: Ultra Pima and Ultra Pima Fine, smooth mercerised cotton with a subtle sheen.
• Fast blankets and chunky accessories: 128 Superwash, a bulky wool that covers ground quickly.

Superwash or not, and why it matters

The choice between Cascade 220 and 220 Superwash is not just about laundry. Untreated wool has microscopic scales that grip each other, so it blocks into shape and stays there, which is why traditional Fair Isle and cabled work look so good in it. Superwash treatment smooths those scales, giving a shinier, more fluid fabric that drapes beautifully but is more inclined to grow with wear and weight. For a fitted cardigan or a colourwork yoke, untreated wool gives crisp definition, whereas superwash is the practical answer for a baby garment or a jumper that will be worn and washed weekly. Either way, it’s imperative that you knit and wash a tension square, because the difference in behaviour appears only after the first wash.

Tension, quantities and substituting within the range

Because so many of these yarns share a family name, it is easy to assume they are interchangeable. They are not: 220 and 220 Sport differ by a full weight class. Check metres per 100g and knit a tension square before committing. Substituting Ultra Pima for a wool yarn of similar tension will change the fabric entirely, since cotton has no elasticity and a heavy cotton garment lengthens over time; size down and choose a shorter body. Buy the full quantity in one dye lot, particularly in solid colours where a lot change shows as a horizontal band.

Colour, prints and pooling

Cascade is known for the breadth of its shade cards, which is why colourwork designers reach for it. Where you need care is with printed and self-shading yarns such as Heritage Prints and Superwash Wave: in a narrow piece like a sock cuff the colours stack neatly, while across a wide shawl they can pool into blotches. Alternating two balls every couple of rows breaks up pooling and also disguises minor dye lot differences.

Care

Follow the ball band for each yarn rather than assuming the whole brand behaves alike. Superwash yarns can usually take a gentle machine wash but should be dried flat, not tumbled, as heat is what distorts them. Untreated 220 should be hand washed in lukewarm water and dried flat. Mercerised cotton such as Ultra Pima washes well but is heavy when wet, so support the garment when lifting it out.

Cascade Yarns questions

What weight is Cascade 220? It is a worsted weight wool, sitting between UK aran and DK, and it is the base of the wider 220 family.

Is Cascade 220 Superwash machine washable? Yes, the Superwash versions are treated for machine washing. Dry them flat rather than tumbling.

Which Cascade yarn is best for socks? Heritage, a fingering weight yarn with the durability socks need.

Can I swap Cascade 220 for 220 Sport? No, not directly. Sport is a finer weight, so tension and yardage both change.

What is Ultra Pima used for? Mercerised cotton for summer tops, baby garments and anything you want smooth, cool and crisply defined.