I’m delighted to share with you today this new yarn that we’ve been looking forward to so much!
I’d been dreaming for a long time of combining our two favourite materials, Arles merino and linen, to create a yarn that was breathable but cosy, a little wild but very soft, easy to wear but also very pleasant to knit.
After a long search for the perfect balance between the proportion of the two fibres, the finest linen to preserve the softness of the wool, the ideal number of plies and a torsion that’s neither too tight nor too loose, I think we’ve found something really nice!
Alice is a blend of 75% organic Mérinos d’Arles from sheep raised in Provence and 25% linen grown in northern France and Belgium and specially selected for this yarn for its great fineness and softness. The natural spring of the Arles merino gives the yarn great elasticity, while the linen gives it a luminous feel and a pleasant touch against the skin.
These two very different materials are intimately blended and then comb-spun to increase the strength and softness of the fibres. The three plies of this yarn are then twisted with a tension calculated to create a balanced, round yarn while retaining its suppleness.
Finally, the yarn is dyed using ecological dyes that comply with GOTS specifications to reduce its environmental impact. We make this very special yarn in Italy, near Biella.
These colours are mixed with the lighter highlights of the linen fibres, which are more or less intimately blended, giving a unique texture to this yarn with its very natural, pleasantly irregular appearance. (Here and there, you’ll find longer fibres that escape from the yarn and are easily removed by hand).
I imagined a palette of 15 colours for this yarn, inspired by the beauty of the world within our reach. Here are the details:
The ‘kaolin’ colour is the result, without dyeing, of blending the ecru fleece of the Arles Merinos with the raw fibres of natural linen. The result is a warm ecru with a light grey tinge.
“Café crème” (cream coffee) is a light, warm beige that evokes the sweetness of coffee softened by a cloud of creamy milk. It’s a lovely neutral colour that’s easy to wear and combine.
The colorway “écorce” (bark) is a deep brown, without being too dark, with a slight hint of light greige. It recalls the reassuring solidity of thick pine bark cracked by time.
“Lavande” (lavender) is a light, slightly bluish violet of medium intensity. It is inspired by the bewitching beauty of the lavender fields of Provence.
The “gentiane” (gentian) colour is an intense bluish violet, visibly enhanced by the lighter fibres of the linen. It’s a bold, vibrant colour that evokes the powerful hues of the gentian plant.
“Dragée” is a luminous pale pink, inspired by the evanescent beauty of cherry blossom petals and the elegant softness of sugared almonds on a festive table.
The “borlotti” colour is a medium red with a slight hint of wine red, evoking the dark, luscious red of a marbled borlotti bean.
With a yardage of 216 m / 50 g, this is a light fingering yarn that can be knitted very tightly for resistant socks without synthetic materials, or more loosely for jumpers and flowing accessories that benefit from the drape and softness of linen.
This yarn lends itself equally well to simple stockinette stitch, to which it will give personality, or to elaborate motifs that will be enhanced by its fluidity. The mix of materials and the finesse of the yarn make it possible to knit light pieces that are pleasant to wear in any season, on their own or layered.
Here are the gauges we obtained with Alice knitted on its own (these gauges are given as a guide and may vary according to the way you knit):
28 sts x 36 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 2.5 mm (US 1.5) needles (tight gauge)
26 sts x 34 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 3 mm (US 2.5) needles (standard gauge)
24 sts x 32 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 3.5 mm (US 4) needles (supple gauge)
22 sts x 30 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 4 mm (US 6) needles (loose gauge)
On the left, Alice ‘lavande’ and “propolis” knitted with 2.5 mm needles for a very tight and resistant result; on the right, Alice ‘café crème’ knitted double with two strands of yarn.
On the right, Alice knitted in stripes in all the colours in the range using 3 mm needles.
You can also knit this yarn with two strands to obtain a thicker, faster-knitting fabric, perfect for those who find pure wool too warm.
Here are the gauges we obtained by knitting Alice with two strands (these gauges are given as an indication and may vary according to the way you knit):
19 sts x 28 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 4 mm (US 6) needles (tight gauge)
18 sts x 26 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 4,5 mm (US 7) needles (standard gauge)
17 sts x 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm in stockinette stitch with 5 mm (US 8) needles (supple gauge)
Alice is named after the curious and kind-hearted heroine of Lewis Caroll’s novels, and we hope she’ll inspire you to discover new wonders too 🙂
I hope that our little Alice will give you the desire to wander off with your needles, and that she’ll inspire you to create some wonderful projects!
I love the way you describe the colours and the swatches knitted up are so pretty and helpful. This yarn sounds lovely – anything with linen in it appeals to me. Off to buy some!
Thank you Francesca, we’re so glad that Alice inspires you! We wish you some very happy knitting moments 🙂
Look wonderful combination linen wool. It is unfortunately to fine for my hands with arthritis. You do not mention price per 50gr balls? I was referring to Alice yarn. Thank you. I suppose the yarn can knitted double yarn price has to be considered thank you
Hello Claude,
Alice can indeed be knitted double and you can find more information regarding this yarn on our product page over here: https://www.dererumnatura.fr/en/yarns/304-alice.html (price may vary depending on your location and with or without applicable taxes).
Thank you for your trust!
It looks and sounds like a lovely yarn. When I went to order, I found some of the colors are already almost finished. Will you be making more some time soon?
Thank you for your kind message: a restock is planned for all colors of Alice at the beginning of October and I will be happy to let you know when it is here!