Merino wool yarn is a popular choice with both knitters and crocheters, and is available in a wide range of 100% and blended yarns from both big name brands and independent yarn dyers/producers.
What is merino wool yarn?
Merino is a breed of sheep that originated in Spain by is now resident across the world, with many subsequent variants. Yarn made from the fleece of merino sheep is very soft and fine compared to the wool of many other breeds of sheep.
When merino fleece is spun into merino wool yarn, you get a yarn that is both soft and strong. Even worn right next to the skin, clothing made from merino wool yarn won't itch or irritate in the way that some wools can. Being a natural fibre, it doesn't get smelly and sweaty either, in fact it naturally wicks sweat away!
The super-soft finish of merino wool yarn makes it a popular yarn for baby projects, as it's nice and soft next to baby's skin. Find out more about yarns that we like for baby knits in our best yarn for baby blankets article.
Merino wool yarns can come in a few variations, but these can be broken down into three categories; pure merino wool, superwash merino wool and blended merino wool. We'll start off by looking at a few 100% pure merino wool yarns, but you can use these handy links to jump to each section
- Pure merino wool yarns to try today
- What is superwash merino wool yarn?
- Best superwash merino wool yarns
- Which merino wool blend yarn is best
- Our favourite merino wool blend yarns
Pure merino wool yarns to try today!
Pure merino yarns contain 100% merino fibres and tend to be single ply yarns with a relatively loose twist. As they haven't been chemically treated, they're usually hand-wash only, but this means they can often be felted!
Malabrigo worsted merino wool yarn
This aran/worsted weight yarn from Malabrigo is a beautiful yarn that you'll love knitting or crocheting with! This 100% merino yarn is a roving style yarn, meaning that it's only been given a delicate minimal twist which shows off the natural fibres as well as giving you nice plump and squishy stitches.
The Malabrigo worsted yarn is also hand-dyed, so each skein is unique with slight variations and mottled colours. To keep those fibres and colours looking their best it's a hand wash only yarn, and as this is a yarn that hasn't been superwash treated you can even felt it!
- Buy Malabrigo worsted merino yarn from Lovecafts
Rowan Big merino wool yarn
Do you like your yarns super-chunky? Well the name says it all with Rowan's Big Wool!
Rowan Big Wool is made from 100% merino and knits up quickly. It has a prominent twist which gives good stitch definition on cables, while still being soft and warm for a cosy, snuggly finish.
Having pure merino in a heavyweight yarn does make each ball quite expensive, but you get a lot of bang for your buck with 100g of pure merino per ball and a choice of 29 different colours.
- Buy Rowan Big Wool from Laughing Hens
World of Wool Chubbs merino wool yarn
When it comes to super-chunky yarn, those big stitches mean you'll need a fair amount of yarn for any larger projects. So if you're after 100% pure merino that comes with a surprisingly low price tag, you should check out the Chubbs merino range from World of Wool.
As this super-size yarn is a lightly spun single ply you can easily pull it apart, so it's wise to slightly twist it when knitting or crocheting with it.
As a result it's super-easy to felt with in a range of different ways. You can use it for traditional wet felting or needle felting, or you can make your knit or crochet a project and chuck it in the washing machine.
The heat and agitation will felt your fibres together, blending them into a matted fabric – take care though as it's a bit of a fine art and the heat can shrink your project!
Manos Maxima merino wool yarn
Here's another single ply aran/worsted weight yarn made of extra fine 100% merino for that super-soft feeling. It's available in a huge range of solid and variegated colours, with some incredibly bright rich tones that are all hand-dyed using the small batch kettle dying process.
But what makes the Maxima yarn from Manos Del Uruguay really special is that it's hand-dyed by a fair trade women's co-operative. Every purchase is helping to improve the quality of life of Uruguay's rural women using time-honed skills passed down through generations.
- Buy Manos Maxima merino wool from Laughing Hens
Wool Couture Cheeky Chunky merino wool yarn
Wool Couture specialise in making super-size yarns, including some epic jumbo yarns. Their Cheeky Chunky yarn is a lovely plump super-chunky weight yarn that is a great choice for large projects!
We think it would be a great yarn for making homeware projects like cushion and pouffes, as the super-chunky weight means they'll be super-quick to make. Plus even if you don't deliberately felt your project, it's likely to start to blend together over time with use.
- Buy Wool Couture Cheeky Chunky from Lovecrafts
What is superwash merino yarn?
When you enter the world of superwash merino yarn, the amount of choice widens dramatically – but what is superwash merino?
Many people get confused by the term, but essentially it's merino yarn (or any fibre for that matter) that has been chemically treated so that you are able to wash it in a machine without it felting or shrinking. It's often suitable for tumble drying too.
The key is all in the fibre characteristics. Each wool fibre is made up of tiny overlapping scales, which don't react well to heat or agitation, making them lock together creating the felting effect. With superwash wool these scales are stripped off with chemicals, and then coated with a thin polymer resin layer to protect the fibres from heat.
Superwash treatment helps to make your merino yarn far easier to look after and wash, while still retaining the softness and natural wool qualities.
Best superwash merino wool yarns
Drops Extra Fine merino DK yarn
We love a yarn that is full of character and interest, which is one of the many reasons we love the Drops Extra Fine merino DK yarn. Not only is it a superwash 100% merino yarn, but because it's spun from multiple thin strands it has an added spring and elasticity to it – perfect for garments!
The fibres are a super-soft mix of merino sourced from free-range, mulesing free animals from South America, and the yarn is available in a range of 47 fabulous solid and heathered colours.
- Buy Drops Extra Fine merino DK from Wool Warehouse
Rico Essentials merino DK
This 100% merino yarn from Rico is really good value with a wide colour range of 43 different shades in a handy DK weight.
Thanks to the extra fine fibres it's incredibly soft (perfect for baby knits), plus the bouncy yet defined twist gives it has fantastic stitch definition and can be machine washed at 30 degrees!
The Essentials merino DK range has been around for a while, but is just as popular today as when it was first released.
- Buy Rico Essentials merino DK wool yarn from Amazon
- Also available from Lovecrafts and Laughing Hens
King Cole merino blend DK
It is a little bit confusing that they've decided to call this yarn 'Merino Blend DK', but don't worry – it simply means it's a blend of 100% merino fibres. Now that we've cleared that up, you can sit back and enjoy some top quality affordable yarn!
This DK weight superwash yarn has been around for some time and has earned it's label of ''anti-tickle' yarn, as it's surprisingly soft and gentle on skin. There's 47 colours in the range and it's particularly popular as a baby yarn.
Rialto DK from Debbie Bliss
Here's a 100% merino wool yarn in a lightweight DK that is great for a range of accessories and outfits – and with a colour range of 34 lovely shades you'll soon be filling your wardrobe with knitted and crocheted merino items!
We'd love to use this merino wool to knit a pair of fine hand warmers for a super soft touch next to the skin, or for a headband or hat you can wear all day long without any itching.
- Buy Debbie Bliss Rialto DK from Lovecrafts
Cascade 220 Superwash merino wool 4ply yarn
When a merino wool yarn has been given the superwash treatment, it also opens up more viability for different yarn weights, such as this fingering/4ply weight yarn from Cascade.
This 220 Superwash merino wool yarn is part of their popular 220 range, which comes in yarn weights going from 4ply up to chunky – giving you plenty of choice for a range of projects. They also have plenty of non-merino pure wool options, plus plenty of blends too.
Their fingering/4ply merino wool yarn gives you a yarn that is soft and luscious, while also providing excellent stitch definition, making it perfect for showing off intricate stitch work on projects like shawls and other airy lacy designs.
Which merino wool blend yarn is best?
As well as yarn made from 100% merino wool, you will often see blends where the merino fleece is spun together with a different fibre. Even though merino wool produces a relatively strong yarn compared to many pure wool yarns, it's still not as strong as a yarn blended with acrylic, nylon or even cotton.
Choose your merino blend yarns based on the project you are knitting or crocheting. For baby knits, 100% pure merino wool yarn is not always best as it typically is hand wash only, which is not great for little ones who tend to get mucky. A merino blend yarn with nylon or acrylic can give you an easy-to-wash yarn which is very useful for new parents.
If you want to add strength to your knits while still keeping them fully breathable, bamboo viscose or silk blends are the way to go, but they can be quite an expensive option. To bring down the overall cost on using merino wool in your projects, opt for a merino blend with other wools which, unless worn directly on the skin, should easily be soft and cosy enough for most people.
Our favourite merino wool blend yarn
Scheepjes Merino Soft DK
Here at Gathered we're definitely lovers of bright and bold colours, and Scheepjes are one of our go-to brands when it comes to top quality yarn in a huge range of shades.
Their Scheepjes Merino Soft DK yarn is a blend of 50% merino Wool, 25% acrylic and 25% microfibre. The fibre combination means you get a yarn that's incredibly easy to care for, with added strength and reliability thanks to the acrylic while still showing off the softness of the merino fibres.
As well as being a gorgeous yarn to work with, it's the colours that really shine out. With 56 bold and rich tones to choose from in a wide rainbow range, it's almost impossible to choose a favourite colour – but ideal for making stripy projects!
- Buy Scheepjes Merino Soft DK from Lovecrafts
Sirdar cashmere merino silk DK
When it comes to adding a touch of luxury most people will think of silk or cashmere, so a yarn that blends 75% merino with 20% silk and 5% cashmere has got to be pretty special.
The silk brings a wonderfully smooth and flowing quality to the yarn, while the warmth and softness from the cashmere and merino fibres make it cosy and tactile.
There's 24 shades available in these 50g balls, and considering the luxury fibres involved it still comes in with a more than reasonable price tag!
- Buy Sirdar cashmere merino silk DK direct from Sirdar
Patons Baby Smile Fairytale Merino Mix DK
If you're looking for a blended yarn to use in your knitted or crocheted baby projects, then look no further than the Baby Smiles yarn from Patons. This blend of 50% superwash merino yarn and 50% nylon gives you a light soft yarn that is super-easy to care for.
It's also OEKO-TEX certified so you know that it's safe for babies skin as no nasty chemicals have been used, plus it's even saliva resistant! It's available in ten shades, from pretty pastels to baby brights, plus you can machine wash it at 40º too.
Cashmerino Aran from Debbie Bliss
This luxurious yarn from Debbie Bliss is a blend of 55% merino wool, 33% acrylic and 12% cashmere, giving you a yarn that is kind to your hands and allows you to glide through your stitches. The cashmere fibres make it extra fluffy and tactile, while the acrylic blend adds strength and stability – plus it's machine washable on low temperatures!
Debbie Bliss is know for creating gorgeous colour palettes, and with 32 shades of this aran weight wool you're bound to find at least one colour that you can't resist!
- Buy Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran from Lovecrafts
Rowan felted tweed DK
Tweed yarns have subtle fleck of colour and variations within the yarn, giving a traditional feel and extra depth to your knitted and crocheted creations.
This merino blend tweed yarn from Rowan has the added feature of being lightly felted. Composed of 50% merino wool, with 25% alpaca and 25% viscose, this is great for projects where you want a bit more form – berets, caps or collars all work well.
It's available in 57 different shades, and make sure to take note of the cool machine wash instructions so you're not felting those wooly fibres any further when washing!
- Buy Rowan Felted Tweed yarn from Laughing Hens
Making the right choice with merino Wool
There are quite a few options when it comes to merino wool, but it's worth taking the time to consider your yarn choice.
Some people have allergies to pure wool or can still find the natural fibres slightly itchy – if you're unsure if you're affected, a top tip is to try wearing a strand of yarn around your wrist as a bracelet first to see how it feels.
Keep in mind that merino yarns are an animal product, so not suitable for vegans, and consider how much yarn you'll need to complete your project versus how much you're wanting to spend.
Awesome alpaca yarns
Now that you know all about marvellous merino, why not discover amazing alpaca fibres by checking out the best alpaca yarns with Gathered.
