One of the reasons I’d held on to my sample of Blacker Yarns Samite for so long, is because I couldn’t decide if I should try a lace or cable pattern. In the end lace won, probably because I’ve been thinking about lightweight summer garments recently.
Samite might not be what you would imagine when you think of a silk/wool blend for knitting lace. It’s much more of a woolly yarn, without the silky shine. You can definitely feel the qualities of the Shetland element of this yarn, in that it is light and has a little halo. However, when I compared the swatch with my pure shetland shawls, the difference was obvious. The longer wool fibres and silk give Samite a slightly more dense feel, and much less halo. I loved the way it showcased the Horseshoe pattern; but if you’re trying to create that etherial tissue paper like shawl, with great stitch definition, this is probably not the yarn to use.
My swatch was knitted on 3.25 mm needles, and was 14 cm square before washing. I hand washed the swatch just in water, and stretched out the lace so it was 15 cm square when it dried. Knitting a lacey swatch, then stretching it is probably not the best test of yarn bloom, but I can tell you that the yarn didn’t change visibly on washing.
I’m really intrigued to find out how this yarn wears, so pop back on Friday for the Armpit Test.
louleigh 