Debbie Bliss Yarn

The Cashmerino family and why it endures

Baby Cashmerino is the yarn most knitters meet first: a merino, microfibre and cashmere blend at a light DK weight that feels far more expensive than it is, holds stitch definition through cables and lace, and is soft enough for newborn skin. The rest of the family scales the same idea up. Cashmerino DK is the everyday garment weight, Cashmerino Aran gives you cabled jumpers and blankets that grow quickly, and Cashmerino Chunky turns a cowl or hat into an evening's work. Because the blends are consistent across weights, a design you love in one can usually be reimagined in another.

Choosing a yarn for the project

• Baby garments and shawls: Baby Cashmerino, Eco Baby and Eco Baby Wool — soft, fine and easy to launder carefully.
• Drapey cardigans and wraps: Rialto DK and Rialto Aran merino, or Angel for a mohair-silk halo.
• Lace and fine shawls: Rialto Lace and Rialto 4 Ply, where a smooth merino shows every yarn over.
• Textured, rustic knits: Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, Erin Tweed and Fine Donegal, all flecked with colour.
• Summer knits: Cotton DK and Cotton Denim DK, cooler and crisper than the wool blends.
• Fast makes: Paloma, Nell and Super Chunky Merino for hats, snoods and blankets.

Getting the best from soft blends

Cashmere and microfibre blends bloom after washing, so a swatch measured straight off the needles is misleading. Wash and dry your tension square before you trust it. These yarns are also on the softer, lower-twist end, which means they can pill where a garment rubs — under the arms, at the cuffs, across a bag strap. That is a property of the fibre rather than a fault, and a comb or fabric shaver keeps it under control. Knitting slightly more firmly than usual reduces it noticeably.

Substituting and buying enough

If a pattern names a Debbie Bliss yarn, check the metres per ball rather than the weight description before swapping — 50g balls at DK weight vary widely in length between brands, and a shortfall of two balls in the middle of a cardigan is a miserable discovery. Work out your total metreage from the largest size you might knit, add ten per cent for a longer body or sleeves, and keep the receipt. Single dye lot throughout, always, and if you are alternating for a large plain area, do it every two rows.

Care, blocking and storage

Treat cashmere and merino blends as hand-wash unless the ball band says superwash. Cool water, wool-safe soap, minimal agitation, then squeeze, roll in a towel and dry flat. Blocking is where these yarns transform: lace opens out, cables sit up, and the fabric softens. Pin to measurement rather than stretching for the sake of it. Store finished knits folded, never hung, because the drape that makes these blends lovely is also what pulls a shoulder out of shape on a hanger.

Debbie Bliss yarn questions

What is Baby Cashmerino made of? A soft blend of merino wool, microfibre and cashmere at a light DK weight; check the current ball band for the exact percentages.

Is Debbie Bliss yarn machine washable? Some bases are, some are not. Always follow the symbols on the ball band rather than assuming.

Which Debbie Bliss yarn is best for a baby blanket? Baby Cashmerino or Eco Baby, depending on whether you want wool warmth or cotton coolness.

Can I use Cashmerino Aran for a pattern written in aran? Yes, once you have matched tension with a washed swatch.

Why does my knit pill? Low-twist luxury blends pill with friction. Knit a little firmer, and shave or comb the surface when needed.