Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Numerous Positives Of Getting A Quality Review Of Cascade Ultra Pima

By Mercedes Aspland


Bob Dunbabin had the idea that what the crafting circles, and enthusiasts, wanted was good quality yarns at affordable prices. This was in the latter stages of the 1980s, the culmination of this idea is now known as Cascade Yarns. They are a family run business, and still hold true to those original ideas, as this review of Cascade Ultra Pima has found.

Some might have heard about one of their popular lines of yarns, the Ultra Pima. They will be fully aware that it is a silky soft DK weight. This DK weight is only slightly heavier than that of the fine or sport weight, but makes a great alternative to either.

If you or a friend are expecting an addition to the family, you might have the urge to knit up some baby clothes, this is ideal with its soft silky texture. Others might like to make use of this thinner yarn to add detail to some of their heavier knitting patterns, maybe a shawl or a throw. Quite often people do make garments solely from Ultra Pima, such as sweaters and cardigans. Be advised though that it is not ideal for winter wear, although it does lend itself very nicely to spring, autumn and evening wear.

This yarn yarn comes in a wide range of colours, and subtle hues. There is just the right colour available for whatever project you have in mind. The good thing is that Ultra Pima is made from 100% Pima cotton; many consider this to be similar to Egyptian cotton. Garments don't seem to stretch out of shape, unlike some of those made from similar yarns.

This yarn is available in 100 gram skeins, and each skein will provide you with 220 yards of yarn. Using a knitting calculator will help to work out how many skeins you are going to need. This is not forgetting that everyone has a different style, and alternate size needles will also affect this calculation.

You will be pleased to discover that items made from this yarn can safely be machine washed. It does require a cool setting, and it will also have to be on a gentle or woollen wash cycle. To prevent the effects of bleaching it will be preferable to avoid using your normal detergent as this could be too harsh, so it is best to keep some lighter detergent just for your woollen wash.

Cascade Ultra Pima yarns have a wonderful lustre to them, this is because they are mercerised. This process is named after John Mercer, an English fabric and dye chemist. In 1844 he developed a process for treating cotton which improved its many qualities.

Originally he used Sodium Hydroxide, which caused the fibres to swell, making them both stronger and easier to dye, a characteristic that is well liked in every review of Cascade Ultra Pima. This process was improved upon in the 1890s, when it was noticed that the fibres gained a lustrous appearance. The modern process calls for the yarn to pass through a Sodium Hydroxide solution, this is then neutralised with an acid bath. Not only does the yarn have that wonderful lustre, it is also resistant to mildew.




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