Country of Origin: Chile
Summary
Araucania Ranco Hand Dyed Sock Yarn may just be my new favorite sock yarn. Really! Ranco is hand dyed and created by a group of artisians in Chile. Each hank is different, its individual beauty emerges as the artisan creates unique shades. The fiber has a smooth feel and creates both a sensory & visual experience at the same time.....I don't think it gets any better than that.....ok...maybe if it smelled like freshly baked bread too.....well, you get my drift. Its awesome!
UPDATED 11/16/2008
As much as I enjoyed knitting and the initial wear of Ranco, I regretfully must reclassify as "never again". See Washability.
My Impressions
Love, love, love. Yes, I loved knitting socks with yarn and actually disappointed when this project ended. I would also consider it for any lace project. Yes, I love it that much. OK, enough with my love affair.
Ranco hand dyed yarns have no dye lots and if multiple hanks are needed for an individual project, its necessary to knit with two skeins at the same time, alternating hanks every 2 or 4 rows.
It knit up quickly and effortlessly...it was hard to put down. The color variations kept the knitting interesting and along with the soft feel, I believe both experiences added to the speed of the overall sock knitting.
The Knitting Experience
I chose to use US # 1 or 2.25 mm dpn's verses the recommended Us #3's or 3.25 mm. I really question the needle recomendation.....maybe I would stretch to a Us # 1.5 or US # 2, but never a #3.
The yarn was incredibly pleasant to knit with....knittied up quick and effortlessly. No snagging, no twisting, and no knots. Can't wait to use it again. :)
Washability
Machine washable. Recommend Gentle cycle with cold water and mild soap and lay flat to dry. I have found the socks to soften with washing. They wash beautifully and the size remained the same. Any of my own knitting flaws seemed to disappear. I love them!
UPDATED 11/16/2008
Worn weekly......All seemed good for a couple of months, but with the same gentle care, these socks have turned into a felt project and have lost any pattern definition. I have not seen a sock yarn ever perform in this manner. If you have made socks with Ranco, I would recommend hand washing only. If you have Ranco in your stash, I might recommend a lace scarf.
Wearability
The wool/nylon blend means there is no need to reinforce either the heels or toes. After many wearings, they have not shown any signs of wear. Seem durable with no pilling. Very soft on the feet ... no scratchiness and non-irritating to the bottom of the feet.
Holds elasticity over time and is comfortable to wear with shoes.
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