Category: FiberStories

FiberStories: Simpliworsted

by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories

Aside from the variety of color options, Simpliworsted by HiKoo® is most loved for its brilliant fiber content that makes it machine washable. It is ideal for items for children, as well as blankets or other projects that need to be washed more regularly. The bit of nylon helps this yarn hold its shape, and the Merino and acrylic give it fantastic stitch definition. 

Make a colorful striped blanket, crochet gorgeous granny squares, or create a textural cabled masterpiece that can be sent off to a worthy recipient without any worry about how they might care for the item.

Want more inspiration? On our website you'll see Simpliworsted colors in the same area as Simpliworsted Multi, Marled, and Metallic, but Simpliworsted Spray is listed separately.

Shop Simpliworsted


  • 55% Merino, 28% Acrylic, 17% Nylon
  • 140 yards per 100 gram hank
  • Approximately 4 stitches per inch on US 10 (6.00 mm) needles
  • Recommended size J (6.00 mm) hook
  • Aran Weight
  • Winding required
  • Machine wash, tumble dry low
  • Made in Taiwan

Pattern Inspiration

Weekender
Owls
Twice as Nice
Retro Mittens
Peyton Bomber

FiberStories: Lifestyle

by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Information

Luxurious, 100% extrafine merino wool. What could be better?! This super soft yarn is prepared in so many color options that you are certain to find one (or three!) that strike your fancy. Lifestyle by Zitron is presented in pre-wound 50 gram balls. Want more yardage and some color gradients? We encourage you to consider Unisono. It is essentially the same yarn as Lifestyle, but is prepared in 100 gram hanks and has more multi-color choices. 

Want a multi-colored yarn to go with Lifestyle? You are in luck! Ambiente by Schoppel-Wolle is an idential yarn base, but it has been space dyed so that when it is knitted, a pattern that resembles Fair-Isle appears!

  • 100% Superwash Merino 
  • 170 yards per 50 gram ball
  • 6.5 sts = 1 inch on US 2 - 4 (2.75 - 3.50 mm) needles
  • Recommended crochet hook: US D (3.25 mm)
  • Fingering Weight
  • Winding not needed
  • Hand wash cold, lay flat
  • Made in Germany
Discover the colors

Pattern Inspiration

©Dela Hausmann

Cowl Birds

©Jutta Buecker

Drachenfest
Peplum Cardigan

© XRX, Inc.

Spring Thaw Socks

©Atelier Zitron

Lillesand Cowl

FiberStories: Kenzie

by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Product Information

HiKoo® Kenzie is made in the beautiful country of New Zealand! In fact, it's comprised of New Zealand merino, angora and alpaca (and just a touch of silk noils), making it a warm and lightweight yarn.

Unlike many yarns, Kenzie is woolen spun! This makes it a perfect yarn for colorwork projects which benefit from a yarn that blooms. Speaking of bloom, this yarn will bloom over time and wear, making it even softer! Project like sweaters, blankets, and accessories will become heirloom items.

With so many colors to choose from, there's something for everyone in our lineup. Plus, it's ready-to-knit in a convenient skein!  

  • 50% New Zealand Merino, 25% Nylon, 10% Angora, 10% Alpaca, 5% Silk Noils
  • 160 yards per 50 gram skein
  • Approximately 5 stitches per inch on US 6 - 8 (4.00 - 5.00 mm) needles
  • Recommended size H (5.00 mm) hook
  • DK Weight
  • Winding not required
  • Hand wash cold, lay flat
  • Made in New Zealand

Pattern Inspiration

© Westknits

Kenzie Shawl

©Donna Smith

Baa-Ble Hat
Missoni-Inspired Lap Blanket
Briar Rose Brioche Loop
Emmett

FiberStories: Gesa & Flo

by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Product Information

From left to right: Fauke, Flo, Gesa and Wiebke

Do you ever wonder where yarns get their names? Well, in the case of Gesa & Flo by Zitron, the answer is adorable. Gesa and Flo are the grandchildren of business owner Klemens Zitron. 

We think the name is fitting, especially since this yarn (just like all the yarns from Zitron) is certified safe for children. From the production to the dyes and materials used, it has been tested to ensure that there are no harmful substances in the product. Make that baby blanket and let the little one teethe on the corner with no worry. 

Gesa & Flo comes in 25 gram balls that each contain about 98 yards. Made of 16 micron count ultra fine superwash merino, it comes in lots of wonderful colors. It's ideal for stripes, slip stitch, mosaic, intarsia, or even cables! Looking for a companion yarn with more yardage? Consider Feinheit. 

So, we ask you. What could be better? A certified organic, safe-for-babies, superwash, super-soft yarn with a myriad of color options that is produced by a small family company... and it's named after those sweet babies!

What will you make with Gesa & Flo? Share your projects with us on social media using the hashtags: 

#MakersMercantile     #Gesa&Flo     #AtelierZitron

  • 100% Ultrafine Merino
  • 98 yards per 25 gram ball
  • Approximately 7.25 stitches per inch on US 2-4 (2.75 - 3.50 mm) needles
  • Recommended size E (3.50 mm) hook
  • Fingering weight
  • Winding not required
  • Machine wash cold, lay flat
  • Made in Germany
    • Get the yarn

    Pattern Inspiration

    © Andrea Bierbach-Macha

    Frühlingstuch


    Child's Striped Tunic

    ©Franklin Habit

    Five-Hour Baby Jacket

    FiberStories: Trekking XXL

    by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Information, Product Information
    The Trekking family of sock yarns from Zitron have been in the hands of knitters for over a quarter century. The name XXL refers to the size of the skein (now 100 grams vs the former 50 gram offering). The line is constantly updated with solids, heathers, varigated, and self striping colorways.

    Zitron is known as the "green yarn manufacturer" because each product in their line features all natural materials (with the exception of the nylon that is used for strength).

    We have also mentioned before about the Oeko Tex 100 class 1 rating that their yarns have earned. The rating means that the yarn is safe for not only next to skin, but also in the mouths of babies. 

    Check it out
  • 75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon
  • 459 yards per 100 gram skein
  • Approximately 6.75-8 stitches per inch on US 0-2 (2.00 - 2.50 mm) needles
  • Recommended size US 4 (2.00 mm) hook
  • Fingering weight
  • Winding not required
  • Hand wash cold, lay flat
  • Made in Germany

    • Pattern Inspiration

    Socks Appeal Boxers
    Camouflage Socks

    © Yarnmonster on Ravelry

    Endpaper Mitts
    Gauntlets

    FiberStories: Simplicity Spray

    by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Information, Product Information
    Audition Shawl

    This yarn is a huge sigh of relief for fans of HiKoo® Simplicity who like larger projects! One 200 gram cake contains the equivalent of 4 hanks of Simplicity! That means many accessory-sized items can be made with one cake, while larger projects may only need 2-5 cakes.

    Featured as Michelle Hunter’s final KAL before her hiatus, the Audition shawl (pictured above) takes one hank of Simplicity Spray, and 2 hanks of your favorite Simplicity solid 50 gram hanks!

    Featured in a fun array of ‘spray-dyed’ colors, this mix of spray-tonal and spray-multi colors all match well together, making for fun multi-color and fade projects.

    Tell us what you’d make with this yarn!

    • 55% Merino Superwash, 28% Acrylic, 17% Nylon
    • 456 yards per 200 gram cake
    • Approximately 5 stitches per inch on US 4 - 6 (3.50 - 4.00 mm) needles
    • Recommended size G (4.00 mm) hook
    • DK to light worsted weight
    • Winding not required
    • Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry
    • Designed in Seattle, made in Taiwan
    Check it out!

    Pattern Inspiration

    Alzada
    Serene Stole
    la vie est belle

    © PostStitch

    Four Seasons cowl

    Discover the full color range of Simplicity Spray by HiKoo® HERE.

    FiberStories: Edition 3

    by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Product Information

    Gerhard Schoppel, yarn designer extraordinaire, active knitter and owner of Schoppel-Wolle, developed this yarn based on his experience knitting garments. Creator of the Zauberball series, Mr. Schoppel knew that the colorways of his well reknowned Zauberball Crazy were loved by sock knitters and shawl knitters alike, but they wanted more – they wanted something a bit thicker to knit garments and accessories with... so he took out the nylon and made the yarn pure Merino. He also thickened up the twist in order to create a heavier weight – a borderline Sport and DK weight, a more requested option for sweaters and accessories.

    The color options, although not as vast as the Zauberball line, now has 14 colors. Two were added this season. The balls are put up in 50g, enabling you to buy many colors to mix and match for items such as the ZickZack Scarf  by Christy Kamm and The Shift by Andrea Mowry – two favorites of knitters!

    Lest we forget those of us who crochet! Edition 3 is also an excellent choice for those who crochet!  With the yarn doing all the work of changing the colors, even simply granny squares look amazing!

    Edition 3, not only being super soft, is a superwash as well, making it suitable for children’s items! Baby hats can be created with one ball, and small sweaters with as few as 3.

  • 100% Merino Wool
  • 164 yards per 50 gram ball
  • Approximately 6 stitches per inch on US 2.5 - 4 (3.00 - 3.50 mm) needles
  • Recommended size E (3.50 mm) hook
  • Sport Weight
  • Winding not required
  • Hand wash, lay flat
  • Made in Germany
    • Explore Edition 3

    Pattern Inspiration

    Autumn Tints
    Striped Cowlkerchief
    Holey Scarf
    Shift Cowl
    Channeled Colors Brioche Loop & Scarf
    Corkscrew Baby Hat

    © Christy Kamm

    Zick Zack Scarf

    FiberStories: Concentric Cotton

    by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Information, Product Information

    Concentric Cotton was created after the success of it’s worsted weight, baby alpaca counterpart: Concentric.

    This 100% Peruvian Pima Cotton, fingering weight alternative is truly a bundle of joy. With a generous 929 yards in each 200 gram cake, just one or two is enough to create nearly any project!

    Best of all, this yarn is alluring for multiple crafts as crocheters, weavers and machine knitters will also appreciate the reasonable price point, lack of ends to weave in, and cake put-up for easily usability.

    • 100% Pima Cotton
    • 929 yards per 200 gram cake
    • Approximately 5.5-6 stitches per inch on US 4-6 (3.50 - 4.00 mm) needles
    • Recommended size G (4.00 mm) hook
    • Worsted Weight
    • Winding not required
    • Hand wash, lay flat
    • Designed in Seattle, Made in Peru
    Check it out!

    Pattern Inspiration

    Mermaid Walk
    Edie
    Wilson
    WeAreMakers
    Poncho To Go

    Discover the full color range of Concentric Cotton by HiKoo® HERE.

    FiberStories: Boots

    by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Product Information

    If you’re in the market for the look of a hand-dyed yarn, look no further than Boots from Schoppel-Wolle! Made from a blend of wool, cotton and nylon, this yarn is the perfect blend for socks, garments, shawls and more!

    The shawl House Down Boots is a great example of this yarn’s versatility as it combines both knitting and crochet techniques, and blocks like a dream with just steam!

    Pro Tip: To protect the hand-dyed beauty of this yarn, we suggest testing your preferred blocking method on a swatch which uses all colors to assess colorfastness before doing so on your final piece.

    • 44% Superwash Wool, 42% Cotton, 14% Nylon
    • 437 yards per 100 gram hank
    • Approximately 7 stitches per inch on US 0 - 1 (2.00 - 2.25 mm) needles
    • Recommended size B (2.25 mm) hook
    • Fingering Weight
    • Winding required
    • Hand wash, lay flat
    • Made in Germany
    Check it out!

    Want to dye your own? Shiloh is the exact same yarn base as Boots, which means you can dye your own colors, and then combine your handiwork with the colors already available! You can find this wonderful undyed yarn HERE just waiting for your colorful inspiration.

    Pattern Inspiration

    House Down Boots
    Die Wiederkehr der Farben 
    Ringlet Socks
    Birch Grove Socks

    Discover the full color range of Boots by Schoppel-Wolle HERE.

    FiberStories: CoBaSi DK

    by Makers' Mercantile, posted in FiberStories, Information, Product Information

    The perfect wool-free yarn, CoBaSi DK by HiKoo® features the same blend as it’s popular fingering weight counterpart. This washable yarn is a super-soft option that wont sag overtime, thanks to the inclusion of elastic nylon.

    Wether you’re making a large project like a throw or cardigan, or something smaller like slipper socks, the versatility of this yarn is truly endless. Available in both solid and tonal colorways in 50 gram hanks, they’re great for colorwork that won’t break the bank! 

    This yarn also comes in a sock worsted weight. Check out CoBaSi and CoBaSi Plus!

    • 55% Cotton, 16% Viscose from Bamboo, 8% Silk, 21% Elastic Nylon 
    • 140 yards per 50 gram hank 
    • Approximately 5 - 5.5 stitches per inch on US 4 - 6 (3.50 - 4.00 mm) needles
    • Recommended size G (4.00 mm) hook
    • DK Weight
    • Machine wash cold, tumble dry low
    • Made in Taiwan
    Check it out!

    Pattern Inspiration

    Ninilchik Swancho
    Snowflake Socks
    Sporty Summer Pullover
    Grow Into Me Dress / Cardi

    Discover the full color range of CoBaSi DK by HiKoo® HERE.