De Rerum Natura Candide
De Rerum Natura Candide
Yarn composition: 70% Organic merino d'Arles (France) and 30% recycled cotton (which can include 2% of other recycled fibres (France).
Ball weight: 50g
Meterage: 185 m (202 yards) in approx 50 g*
GAUGE (for 10 x 10 cm of st st)
26 st x 40 rows on 2.5 mm needles / US 1
24 st x 38 rows on 3 mm needles / US 2
22 sts x 34 rows on 3.5 mm needles / US 4
Please note:
The colours of Candide are obtained from a complex process that involves dyeing the wool before spinning with natural dyes. This means there may be slight variations in shade within the same production batch. Before knitting, it is recommended you check the colour consistency in the balls you have and to alternate them if necessary (as you would with hand dyed yarns).
Also, natural dyes are more fragile than synthetic dyes. These colours are likely to change over time as they soften slightly. De Rerum Natura have selected the most resistant plants and natural extracts but they advise avoiding exposing the balls or knitted garments for a long time to direct sunlight.
Lastly, the colour "grand bleu", which contains a high concentration of indigo, may bleed slightly when knitted. Indigo pigments are non-toxic and even have beneficial anti-bacterial properties. This excess dye is easily washed off with soapy water.
ORIGINS AND MANUFACTURE
This yarn is made from the wool of Arles merinos raised in organic farming in Provence and from cotton recycled on the spot by the spinning mill thanks to a patented technique that preserves the length of the fibres.
To create this palette, part of the wool is dyed with natural plant extracts (indigo, chestnut, reseda, madder and cochineal) selected for their shade and strength. The dyed and unbleached yarns are then mixed to create the colour range according to the chosen blends and then woolen spun.
The range includes two undyed colours: the unbleached "sucre glace" colour and the "nougat" colour which is a blend of 60% unbleached Arles merino / 10% black French merino and 30% recycled cotton.
This yarn was dyed and spun in France in the Tarn region by companies with the "living heritage company" label.
To learn more about this project and the colours of this yarn, you can read this article on our blog.
ON THE NEEDLES
Candide has the same technical characteristics as Ulysse: it is a 202 yds (185 m) / 50g yarn, with a traditional 2-ply structure.
The presence of cotton in its composition gives it a little more softness, a fresher feel and more compactness than its pure wool brother. The small cotton flakes give it an original texture and create a mottled look, more or less pronounced depending on the colour. It is a rather dry yarn which, like many woolen spun yarns, gains in softness and fluffiness once washed.
We particularly like it in textured stitches but it also brings a very nice natural and relaxed touch to stockinette and garter and gives a lovely earthy look to lace patterns. It can be used for a wide range of patterns written for fingering or sport weight yarns.
It is an ideal yarn for delicate mid-season projects that will benefit from the lightness of wool and the coolness of cotton.
