In the Coastal Knits forum on Ravelry, a Rocky Coast Cardigan knit-a-long has started! Thus far there has been animated discussion about what yarns everyone want to use for this cardigan. The Fibre Company Organik I designed the cardigan is knit at a looser gauge, creating soft cozy cables.

Some had mentioned apprehension about going with the Organik because it's a single ply yarn and are concerned about pilling. A completely understandable concern! But I know Organik is a different kind of single ply. I wanted to accurately express that, and then I thought who better to tell us all about why this is such a fabulous yarn than Kate and Courtney of Kelbourne Woolens, who distribute Fibre Company yarn!

Ladies, you have the floor:

"Let's start with the basics! Just what IS Organik? A smooth spun (read: no nups, slubs or tweedy flecks) single ply worsted weight comprised of 70% organic merino, 15% baby alpaca and 15% silk. Sold in a put up of 98 yds/50gms per skein, it performs beautifully at 16-18 sts/4", and can go as low as 15 or as high as 20 depending on the stitch choice or desired end result.

"Organik began its life as a single ply 70% organic New Zealand wool, 15% alpaca + 15% silk and had a different “hand” than most other Fibre Company yarns (read: it was a beautiful yarn, but just wasn’t as soft as people were used to!) and the original founders, Daphne and Iain, quickly went to work to find a source for a wool that was organic and had a soft hand. In early 2007, the “new” Organik with the improved merino content and its corresponding colors were introduced to the market and we have never looked back!

"Organik has the least Alpaca content of all of Fibre Company yarns, and its mostly merino content and smooth construction makes it great for items that need great stitch definition and/or items that need a lot of structure and shape. It, like all other Fibre Company yarns, is perfect for next to skin wear.

"Knitters are sometimes apprehensive of using a single ply yarn, especially one with merino, to knit garments because of their reputation for pilling. But, unlike many other single ply merino-based yarns on the market, the alpaca + silk that comprises 30% of the fiber content of Organik helps this single ply from pilling horribly. (The silk works double duty by also adding some nice sheen as well!) We happily and proudly knit a lot of heard wearing items - sweaters, mittens, etc - with Organik and have been really happy with the results.

"A few examples of projects perfect for Organik are the Magnolia Cowl, designed by Kate, due to its textured cabled stitches and structure, the Kiva Hattu by Courtney, due to its all over cable pattern and next to skin softness, the beautiful Mediumweight Pullover by Hannah, for its hand and perfect combination of structure + drape, and, of course, Hannah's beautiful Rocky Coast Cardigan from Coastal Knits. The combination of all over cable pattern, slightly looser gauge and open cardigan is a perfect match for the yarn.

We hope you enjoyed this more in-depth description of one of our favorite Fibre Company, yarns, Organik!"

Have any of you had the chance to work with this yarn? What did you think?