Yarn review: ggh Manila

We have many beautiful yarns in stock. I enjoy the look and feel of the different yarn qualities, but to really appreciate the quality of a particular yarn it helps to actually experience working with it. I have been knitting a lace yoke top with ggh Manila, one of our gorgeous summer yarns and I just love it! Manila is a natural yarn blend made from 57% viscose, 33% cotton and 10% linen.

A quick word about viscose: Viscose is derived from natural cellulose materials such as wood pulp or bamboo and is therefore a natural fibre.  It has many of the qualities of cotton, such as high breathability and an ability to absorb moisture. It also has a smooth silk-like feel with a subtle sheen.

The process of creating viscose is more involved than spinning cotton or linen, as the cellulose has to be broken down first to create silk-like fibres suitable for spinning. Early attempts to create man-made silk were made in the mid-1800s, and in 1894, the first practical process for 'viscose' was patented. For those who love working with bamboo it is worth noting that bamboo yarn is a classic viscose yarn, and many yarns that are labelled 'viscose' are actually wholly or in part made from bamboo fibres.

The first impression of ggh Manila yarn is that is incredibly soft. The silky viscose fibre is spun loosely around the cotton-linen core.

That means that you should use good quality needles, as cheapish plastic ones will get stuck on the finer fibres.

I have been using KnitPro needles with wooden tips, and they worked like a treat. 

When knitted, the yarn displays a subtle thick-and thin character, a bit like homespun. This underlines the hand-made character of your work. I really enjoy this and love the way it turned out. However, if you are after something that is perfectly even and regular, you should use a more tightly plied yarn such as Top Cotton, Cotton Soft DK or Linova. 

For the lace top, I used a Vogue pattern by Angela Hahn, which I found on Ravelry. The pattern can be purchased directly as a download from the Vogue Knitting website.

We also have a range of Rebecca Knit Kits available for Manila yarn, including tops and lacy beanies. You can find our entire Rebecca Knit Kit range here: https://www.iwoolknit.com.au/collections/rebecca-knit-kits.