Winter is here, and for those of us who live in colder climates, that means it’s time to break out the sweaters, scarves, and knitwear of all kinds. As the cold weather sets in, staying warm becomes especially important, and it all starts with choosing the warmest yarn for your winter knitting projects. Knitwear, by its very nature, is designed to keep you warm close to your body. But by choosing the right yarn, you can make your sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, and blankets extra warm.
Today, many knitters still rely on wool for practical purposes, but you can also choose your ideal material—light or heavy, natural or dyed, wool or hair (even vegan). Check the label: The ideal warm yarn is made from sheep’s wool, merino wool, cashmere, angora, alpaca, musk ox, or yak fiber. Wool comes from sheep (merino wool), and hair comes from other animals, such as goats (cashmere and mohair), alpacas (alpaca), and rabbits (angora).
The warmth of knitwear depends on the animal from which the yarn is obtained, its composition, and the stages of production – from fiber to yarn. In general, the finer the fibers, the warmer the wool – this is because the spaces between the fibers trap warm air and block cold air, creating a greater heat capacity. Therefore, coarse wool will not retain as much heat as fine wool. Since merino wool is a fine wool, it is warmer than other types of wool, but not as warm as angora, cashmere, or musk ox wool.
For the warmest knits, choose yarns made from wool or animal furs like musk ox, alpaca, cashmere, and wool, or look for specially formulated synthetic fibers. Whatever your choice, you can shop some of our most common and favorite varieties.
Of course, wool yarn is a classic choice for warmth. It’s generally durable, waterproof, and retains heat well thanks to its moisture-wicking properties, making it ideal for use in a variety of garments. Maxima by Manos del Uruguay comes in the brand’s signature colors and can be used to create beautiful scarves, blankets, and sweaters. What’s more, you’ll feel extra warm knowing that each ball of yarn is hand-knitted by the women of the Manos Cooperative, a nonprofit, WFTO-certified artisan cooperative.
Alpaca fiber is very fine and soft, but it’s also very prickly, so it’s unlikely to be used for clothing. (It’s otherwise great for knitting scarves and gloves.) Alpaca fiber is generally a little stiffer than merino or cashmere wool, and is sometimes blended with wool to improve drape. Echoview Fiber Mill’s PacaWool yarn is a blend of 75% American alpaca and 25% locally grown merino wool, so it has the feel of wool and the silkiness of alpaca.
Cashmere comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats and accounts for only about a quarter of all wool. Cashmere is renowned for its luxurious softness, extremely fine texture, and elasticity, similar to sheep’s wool but finer. The source of this luxurious yarn is Jade Sapphire. We love Jade Sapphire’s Genghis yarn, which is 100% Mongolian cashmere, densely spun by hand rather than machine-spun.
Angora wool is obtained from the undercoat of the Angora rabbit, its fibers are very fine and soft, the finest of all the wools listed above. This hair is very light, not very strong and has very little elasticity. Therefore, it is often mixed with stronger or more elastic materials. Joseph Gallet’s Belangor Angora is the most luxurious Angora we know of, and it comes from one of the last remaining breeders in France who humanely cares for Angora rabbits. The long, fluffy fibers are carefully combed from the rabbit’s fur and twisted into soft balls. This yarn “blooms”, creating a special halo that gives the yarn a light, airy feel.
Muskox down is the soft down produced by musk oxen. These wild animals inhabit vast tracts of windswept tundra, and their fur allows them to survive the frigid Arctic winters. Muskox wool is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and is one of the finest fibers in nature—in fact, it is 30% finer than the finest cashmere and does not cause the same itching or irritation as wool. Due to its sought-after qualities, muskox wool commands the highest price of all the fibers listed above. In contrast, yak wool is produced by similar animals and their nomadic Tibetan herders, but at a much lower price. Myak’s Baby Yak yarn is made from the soft undercoat of young yaks and spun into a comfortable worsted weight yarn for use in all your winter accessories.
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