I had the honor of collaborating with natural dyer Alexandra of November Woods Fiber Co. for my Pine Warbler design, but between when we began our collaboration and when the pattern was published, Alexandra decided to close her natural dying business. She is moving her focus to art and painting and I am wishing her all the best in these endeavors!

Since the base I used in the sample, Elm, is no longer available, I’ve collected here six suggestions for yarn substitutions.

There is lot to consider when choosing a substitution, so first I’m going to talk a bit about what to look for in a yarn substitution. Then I’ll share my personal picks of subs with you, including yarns from producers and dyers that have focus on sustainable yarns as well as budget yarn options.

TIPS FOR making Yarn Substitutions

1) Superwash Vs. Non-Superwash

When substituting a superwash (SW) yarn for a non-superwash (NSW) yarn, you may have to go up a yarn weight. This is because SW yarns are denser and expand less to fill the space between stitches. If you’re interested in an in-depth look at the differences between SW and NSW yarns, I highly recommend this article by Caroline Hegwer from the Indie Untangled blog.

Pine Warbler used a NSW yarn classified as DK weight, and multiple testers successfully used a SW yarn classified as worsted weight. If you’re going to use a SW yarn for this pattern, I suggest using a yarn labeled as heavy DK, DK/worsted, or worsted.

2) Comparing Yardage

You may have noticed that there can be a wide range of what is considered a DK weight yarn by different dyers and yarn companies. If you are comparing two yarns with similar compositions, the yds/g of each yarn can give you an idea if the two are comparable.

Elm, the base I used for my sample, has 146 yds / 100g so when looking at other 100% wool NSW yarns I chose yarns that had similar yardage.

(Whether the yarn was woolen or worsted spun affects the density, but frequently this information is not provided to a yarn purchaser.)

3) Comparing Gauge Recommendations

I put this one third because depending on the project and your personal preference, the “ideal gauge” for a given yarn can vary drastically. After considering the above it can help to take a look at the recommended gauge for a yarn and be sure it’s not TOO different from the gauge of your pattern. If the pattern gauge is 19 sts / 4” (10 cm) and the yarns suggested gauge is 25 sts / 4” (10 cm) though, it’s probably not a good fit!

4) TRY IT OUT

This is actually my #1 recommendation if the yarn is already in your stash, but of course this step may involve a large purchase - and you don’t have the luxury of trying before you buy!

Ultimately, seeing if a yarn is a suitable substitution is always going to come down to making a solid gauge swatch. I always recommend a 6” (15 cm) square swatch, being sure to block it the way that you intend to block your sweater.

Yarn Substitution Ideas

1) Renew from Abundant Earth Fiber

Abundant Earth Fibers mills small batches of non-superwash wool with a focus on sustainable production. Their website states, “Renew knits as a classic DK upward.” I’ve personally worked with this yarn and it is truly beautiful!

100% NSW US Fine Wool Blend

240y/100g

DK/Worsted

2) Columbia DK from Forest Lane Fiber CO

Forest Lane Fiber Co dyes non-superwash yarns with non-toxic processes with a focus on sustainability. Her sourcing is carefully considered with a focus on American sourced and milled wool. I’ve worked with Larissa before and can personally attest to how thoughtful she is, and how skilled she is with colors.

100% NSW Columbia Wool

250yds/100g

DK

3) Pishkun from The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers

Farmer’s Daughter Fibers started as an initiative to raise money to help empower indigenous women and children, and now this mission has grown it’s own organization, Sisters United. Candice English of FDF infuses the magic of her home state of Montana into all of her yarn. This yarn is extremely high on my list of yarns to try out, and I know that many knitters love it.

100% NSW MT and WY Rambouillet Wool

255yds/100g

Heavy DK/Light Worsted

4) Shelter from Brooklyn Tweed

Brooklyn Tweed has a mission of supporting textile production in the USA, and they are well known for their high quality yarns. This yarn is NSW and classified as a worsted weight, but based on the suggested gauge I think it would work up perfectly for a Pine Warbler sweater.

100% NSW American Targhee-Columbia Wool

280yds/100g (this is a worsted spun yarn, meaning it is more full of air and less dense, with more yds/g than one might expect for a worsted weight yarn)

Worsted

Suggested Gauge: 4.25 - 5 sts / 1” (2.5 cm)

BUDGET YARN SUGGESTIONS

1) Wool of The Andes Worsted from Knit Picks***

$3.79/50g skein

This worsted weight superwash yarn would be a great budget option for a Pine Warbler. Available in a huge range of colors, I believe this is a very popular yarn from Knit Picks.

100% SW Peruvian Highland Wool

220 yds / 100g

Worsted Weight

***Edited to add: One of my testers notified me that they had actually attempted to get gauge in this yarn unsuccessfully! However, the gauge recommended by Knit Picks for this yarn matches the pattern gauge spot on, so maybe just proceed with caution with this option, or try for yourself if you have this yarn stashed.

2) Karisma from DROPs

$3.20/50g skein

One of my testers used this yarn in her version of Pine Warbler and it turned out beautifully! Check out Vasiliki’s project in my test knitter blog post, under size C.

100% SW Wool

218yds/100g

DK/Worsted Weight

Pine Warbler: Yarn Substitution Ideas