Sara's Rowan Cotton Trio Yarn and Book Review
The new yarn launch from Rowan this season is the beautiful Cotton Trio. A lightweight summer yarn that is a blend of 84% Cotton 8% Wool 8% Alpaca. It has a gentle wave in the twist which creates a slight texture perfect for summer days and nights. The alpaca makes it soft and gives it such a soft haze.
I had a play with it and knitted a sample. It’s a fine yarn and knitted on 3.25mm or 3.5mm needles or hook. I used a 3.5mm pair of metal Zing straights. The yarn is very soft and very slippy - I dropped a couple of stitches as I got up speed. If I were to knit a garment I’d use wooden, they would grip the yarn a bit better. It doesn’t split and glides along the needles. The alpaca and wool blended with the cotton makes it soft & light. I loved it!
However it is a yarn with a texture so the stitches are not perfect and identical. I love this feature and it lends to the summer days feel of the projects, but some people may not be able to cope with this. I really like this yarn, it feels perfect next to the skin, and the colour palette is fab. Shades range from Caramel to Blush and some brights in between.
The yarn is wound into doughnut balls and it is so soft the balls unravel quite quickly, I pooped it in a bag whilst I knitted from it.
There is a bespoke pattern book for this yarn from classic Rowan designers Chloe Thurlow, Georgia Farrell, Lisa Richardson & Martin Storey. Windswept is full of lightweight layers. There are skinny strap vests, t-shirts, sweaters and a stunning shawl, it’s such a great book. There are ten patterns included and I struggled to narrow down my pick of the best! 
My first spot is the front cover design Barley, a cropped cardigan in classic Martin Storey style. I love Martin’s patterns, he combines lace and cables so beautifully. Then we have Pampas, a great waistcoat that would look fab over a shirt. It is designed by Georgia Farrell and has beautiful detail up the sides. Then we have Lawn by Lisa Richardson, a drop stitch Tee that would knit up in no time.
Barley cardigan 
Pampas waistcoat
Lawn Tee
Goose sweater
I really like this yarn and book and am very tempted for my Rowan summer knit to be the waistcoat Pampas, I think I would wear it lots in the navy shade Deep plus it is a relatively small project, there’s a chance I might finish it this summer.
