Please welcome Candide to the family of yarns we stock from De Rerum Natura. The latest creation from Solenn and her team, this sport weight yarn is made from a blend of 70 percent organic merino d'Arles (France) and 30 percent recycled cotton (which may have up to two percent of other recycled fibres).

It has the same characteristics of its pure-wool brother Ulysse, with each 50g ball containing approximately 185m yarn in a traditional two-ply structure.

There is a partner to Gilliatt (a worsted yarn) in this mix, too, called Robinson. We think it’s really important to support companies that are striving to work in interesting and sustainable ways, so if there’s enough interest in Candide, we will try to get Robinson along for the party next year. Let us know your thoughts!

The presence of cotton gives the yarn a little more softness, a fresher feel and greater compactness than Ulysse. Small cotton flakes give it a bit of textural interest and create a mottled look that is 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.

GAUGE (for 10 x 10 cm of stocking stitch)

26 st x 40 rows, 2,5 mm needles / US 1

24 st x 38 rows, 3 mm needles / US 2

22 sts x 34 rows, 3.5 mm needles / US 4

HOW IT’S MADE

This yarn has a fascinating story. It is made from merino wool in Provence and from cotton recycled on the spot by the spinning mill using 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. Dyed and unbleached yarns are then mixed to create the colour range according to the chosen blends and the yarn is then woolen spun.

The range includes two undyed colours: the unbleached ‘sucre glace’ colour and the ‘nougat’ colour which is a blend of 60 percent unbleached Arles merino / 10 percent black French merino and 30 percent recycled cotton.

This yarn was dyed and spun in France in the Tarn region by companies with the ‘living heritage company’ label.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO KNIT?

Candide looks great in textured stitches but 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 - and of course it’s perfect for baby knits.

CARING FOR CANDIDE

The colours in this range are obtained from a complex process of natural dyeing in wool which makes it possible to have slight variations in shade within the same production batch. Before knitting your project, check the homogeneity of the colour between balls of yarn and alternate if needed to distribute the colour nuances harmoniously.

Natural dyes are more "living" and fragile than synthetic dyes. These colours are likely to change over time as they soften slightly. De Rerum Natura has chosen the most resistant plants and natural extracts but it’s best to avoid exposing your yarn or knitted garments to direct sunlight for extended periods.

The colour ‘grand bleu’ contains a high concentration of indigo, which may bleed slightly when knitted. Indigo pigments are non-toxic and excess dye is easily washed off with soapy water.

This yarn is not superwash treated.

Average quantities as follows:

• baby cardigan (birth to 2 years): 2 to 4 balls

• child's long sleeve jumper (2 to 12 years): 4 to 7 balls

• adult long sleeve jumper size 3: 10 to 12 balls according to chosen positive ease

• shawl 150 x 120 cm : 6 to 8 ballsA little background information:

Finally, De Rerum Natura notes that ‘Candide is named after the hero of Voltaire's philosophical tale Candide ou l'optimisme who invites us to “cultivate our garden” to try to find our happiness in an imperfect world.’

PHOTOS: DE RERUM NATURA