Only a Few Skeins for a Bulky Sweater?! Piave in Berroco Aero
Well, my friends, what if I told you that you can have it all? You can have a super bulky yarn but with three times the yardage. You only need to buy five or six skeins for a sweater, even! That's what a new yarn from Berroco Yarns can really do. It's called Aero.
This 50g poof ball packs an astounding 164 yards -- but knits at 3 stitches per inch. That's crazy! Most bulky yarns have a maximum of 75yds per 50g.
What magic is this? Well, the Aero seems to take advantage of a blown/brushed yarn technique that I've been seeing a lot these days, where air seems to be spun into a yarn as much as the fiber is. It creates a surprisingly thick yarn with nearly half the fiber weight.
When I first saw the gram to yardage ratio, I thought -- well, it must just collapse on itself when you stretch it. I was impressed though, because when I pulled the yarn very tight, it collapsed much less than I expected. It really does have some heft to it. The blend of fibers probably also helps with the weight: 65% alpaca, 28% nylon and 7% wool.
How does it feel? The first thing you'll notice is warmth, immense warmth. It seems to trap heat immediately from your hands! I find it quite soft as well, but with the tingle of alpaca hairs.
Berroco had sent me samples of their new season yarns and I was so intrigued by the Aero that they sent me enough to try a pattern from their Booklet #401, Piave.
A few things struck me about the piece -- first, it required so little yarn. Only 5 skeins for a size 36"! Also, I thought the lightness of the yarn deserved a really simple unbuttoned look. Airy yarn like this really doesn't have much elasticity and I think it wouldn't hold buttons in a button band as gracefully as more conventional bulky yarns.
You'll notice that there is serious gradient striping in this yarn! Importantly, each stripe is organized in a way that you can pick up a strand from either end of the ball and it will go in the CORRECT SEQUENCE. More magic!
Gradient yarn is of course very fun to knit with -- but it did trigger the obsessive Stripe Matcher in me.
If you've followed me for a while, you'll know I'm totally over the top with matching self-striping yarns.
 |
| My Earth to Sky mitts |
 |
| My Mega Military jacket (a free pattern!) |
If you are concerned about matching stripes, I have a video that describes my process, which I made for KnitCrate.
The Piave cardi used size 13 needles, so I whipped it up in record time! It's very light -- when I fold it I can't believe how light it is for the thickness. It really would be the perfect cardi to pack into a carry on for a getaway weekend.
You'll notice I don't have any pockets. I made them and positioned them to sew them on, but thought twice. First, they are quite skinny because the cardi fronts are very slim and not designed to close in the front. I also though the lack of elasticity might make them more 'vestigial' than useable, so I left them off. Try them though -- it's so quick and easy to make one and decide what you prefer!
An element in the design I really liked was the knitted-in border. It's a pretty little stitch pattern that gives the whole thing a nice finishing touch.
I loved making this cardi and adored knitting with the Aero. I've been thinking of what it would be like to replace a heavy bulky sweater pattern with it. Something like this:
 |
| Wrapped Pullover by alfaknits |
Obviously the drape and look would be completely different -- but I think it would be so cool to try out (and much more affordable)! So Berroco -- if you are listening, pretty please can we have Aero in solid colors? Thank you for considering!
See my Airy Piave on Ravelry
oh wow, that cardigan is gorgeous!! And I love Berroco yarns, they are fantastic. I'll have to try Aero!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Definitely worth a try.
Delete