Filatura Di Crosa - Centolavaggi

[franzi1981]

I thought I'll ask here... does anyone have any experience with Filatura Di Crosa's Centolavaggi?

According to my trusted LYS owner, it'd be perfect for the lace project I'm planning. But I don't know, something makes me think that this wool sounds very scary. Probably the 1400m / 100g thing more than anything else.

So, any experience? Any tips, do's and don'ts? Or does it just behave like "normal" 8-ply yarn? I never worked with any lace weight yarn.

Comments

[horusporus]

I've never knitted with that, but the yardage sounds similar to Baruffa Cashwool, which I do have, and that's finer than laceweight, it's actually cobweb-weight!

Mind you, it was for my first lacework, but I didn't find it too troublesome. But it is superfine, so you have to be careful when you're tugging at it, and if it comes in hanks, LAY IT OUT PROPERLY when you're winding it. Cobweb yarn is a major major PITA if it gets snarled or tangled.

That sorted, cobweb yarns would give you an even finer end product than lace, so that may be a point to consider (warmth; coverage; prettiness; ?)

[sedge]

I haven't used it, but it's got a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Ravelry (82 votes).

It does seem to be cobweb weight. I don't know what your usual yarn-winding habits are, but I would avoid doing a center-pull ball (that way can lie madness when it comes to laceweight and finer).

[anatsuno]

I bought it twice, but only one skein has been knitted so far, and since I knit it WITH another strand of another yarn, I can't really comment on using it alone. I used my swift and ball-winder to go from skein to ball each time without a problem, but yeah, I'd definitely advise you to use the external end to start knitting rather than the end from the center. The balls /would/ eventually collapse in a mess.

btw, it IS cobweb, for sure. very very very soft, too, since it's pure merino. The shawl I used it for is knit out of a strand of red centolavaggi and a pink-to-red strand of rougher lace weight Evilla yarn - I was banking on the merino cobweb softening the hand of my rougher lace weight and it worked like a charm; because I knit the whole shawl with big needles in garter stitch, it is also squishy and drapey. I love it! And might well do it all over again in green to use um my second centolavaggi ball. :))

have fun!

[tantekoo]

I haven't used Centolavaggi yet, but, having wound a hank of likewise-teeny laceweight (Schaefer Trenna), I wish to encourage you not to fear!

What you may want to do if you use a swift/winder is get a TP/paper towel core, cut it to size, and stick it over the center of your winder before getting started. This will give any super-fine yarn more stability-- and while you will still want to pull from the outside, you won't have to worry about the collapse of the inside at all.

Also: do not be afraid to wind at regular, or even faster speed. If you slow down due to nervousness, you run the risk of the winding action getting sloppy, which will make for an unhappy ball. Ask me how I know! 8}