Wear Test: Cascade 220

It's time to revisit those baby knits to see how well the yarns I chose have stood the test of time (and baby)! I thought I'd start this series of blog posts with a real winner: Cascade 220. Now, I know some of you wince at the thought of baby garments made from feltable wool (and indeed, Cascade 220 is a champion felter). Frankly, so do I. Heavy sweaters and jackets are the exception, however, as they don't need to be washed every time they're worn. I could not resist the yarn/pattern combination with this garment so I just hoped I'd have time to do the washing. In fact, now I do a wool wash about every two to three weeks.


Pattern: Double-Breasted Hooded Jacket, Phildar inspiration, my own creation.
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: US 7
Finished: July 2006

The jacket has held up remarkably well and looks as good today as when it came off my needles. Most notably, there is no fuzz. You know what I'm talking about. Even when you wash your woolens with extreme caution, over time they develop a slight halo of fuzz. Not this yarn. As you can see, the stitch definition remains quite crisp. While the color of the jacket is different in each photo, both are accurate reflections of the jacket's true color. This is another thing I like so much about this particular yarn - light (and likely the seed stitch texture) dramatically change the jacket's appearance.

I'm very pleased with the results, especially since Beatrix wears this all the time. Let me assure you that this jacket has seen its fair share of drool and spit up too! Furthermore, layered over another sweater, this jacket keeps Beatrix warmer outside than any other hand-knit or store-bought garment. For this reason, I've made several of these for other friends with babies.

You might recall another baby sweater out of Cascade 220. It's such a rich red that I've had difficulty photographing it. If I have time this weekend, you might get to see it - it's in the same great shape as the green one. So baby knitters: go get yourselves some Cascade 220!