New Yarn: Spun Silk
Silk is one of life’s great pleasures, and so it is with great pleasure that we welcome our very own Spun Silk into the Purl Soho yarn collection! With a shine that feels like the sun itself is warming each skein, Spun Silk’s beauty is totally exceptional.
Lovingly created in Italy, Spun Silk comes only from the softest fibers, combed from the longest, straightest, and most perfect silk. With its strength and luster, beauty and fineness, Spun Silk truly pays honor to the wonder of nature.
Spun Silk ranges from a fingering to a sport weight, very happy around 6 or 7 stitches to the inch. It is the perfect weight for four-season sweaters, wraps, and scarves, with all of the wonderful insulating properties of silk: cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and gorgeous anytime!
In four very special colors, our Spun Silk palette is refined down to the colors we wanted to see shine: Candle White is a beacon of warmth; Peony Pink is a dew-covered petal; Silver Bark is a beech tree catching the morning light; and Golden Pear is a sun-filled harvest. We love this little family, so glowing and warm. You can pick your favorite right here!
Our first Spun Silk project is this gorgeous Drawstring Camisole. It gives full expression to the elegance of the yarn, and with its exquisite drape and soft luminescence, our free Drawstring Camisole pattern is a stunningly simple design and a very special knit!
Beautiful yarn. What other patterns do you have where one could use this yarn?
Hi Marilyn,
Thanks for the lovely comment! Besides the Drawstring Camisole you could try the Cable Back Shell or the Silken Straw Summer Sweater. I hope you like these suggestions!
-Adam
Oooo! What a beautiful yarn. How many skeins would one need for a scarf and what size needle are you suggesting?
Thank you.
Hi Maureen,
Thank you for your kind words! We are recommending a needle size of US 4-6 for our new Spun Silk. For a scarf, you will need between 3 and 4 skeins of this luscious new yarn.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
never had silk yarn before, would love to give a try!
Love the new silk yarn. Could you provide patterns for tops appropriate for more mature women using this yarn? The Camisole is lovely but way out of my age range. At the moment I am working on the lightweight raglan sweater and am loving every minute of it. Your pattern directions are clear, concise and easy to work.
I am anxious to work with the silk yarn in Golden Pear and would appreciate your direction.
Thanks.
Hi Virginia,
Thank you so much for your kind words! Being our newest yarn, we are still figuring out what works best with the lovely drape of this silk yarn. I think that the Silken Straw Summer Sweater would be stunning in this yarn. We will certainly keep your request for more garments in mind as we design for Spun Silk!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Cassy = any other pattern suggestions? The yarn looks so beautiful – thank you
Hi Vivian,
Thanks for your question! We are still in the process of developing more patterns for this lovely Spun Silk. While I do not have more specific suggestions just yet, Spun Silk is roughly a sport weight yarn and works well for items that are less structured and take advantage of the lovely drape of the silk. We do have a variety of sport weight projects. The Broken Garter Scarf would be lovely as would the Dovetail Scarf.
I hope that this helps and keep your eyes peeled for more patterns for Spun Silk!
Cassy
it shines all the way too California……it looks so beautiful. all your yarns are exquisite….. I hope I can knit a scarf (easy) with this yarn…
I could not find where it tells me how many yards in Spun Silk skein.
Hi Melva,
Each skein of Spun Silk is 202 yards (184 meters). Thanks for writing!
Kristy
Washable or dry cleanable?
Hi Jo,
Thanks for the question! The washing instructions for Spun Silk are, hand wash and lay flat to dry.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I have a Mulberry Silk Blanket…..oh so beautiful. I can only imagine that a knitted item in silk would be a treasure to wear.
Hi Heather,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are excited about our new Spun Silk too!
Best,
Cassy
I’m completely uncreative as far as figuring out what yarn works with the right pattern. Could you recommend any scarfs or wraps I could substitute this yarn in for?
I got my sweet grass gradient cowl kit. ❤️
Hi Katie! Thanks for writing in! Stay tuned for more pattens featuring our new Spun Silk. In the meantime, perhaps you’d consider making our Dovetail Scarf with two skeins of Spun Silk? We think that would be lovely!
Thanks!
Keith
Is this pure silk or a silk blend?
Is the amount of $29 in Australian or US dollars ?
How much for postage?
Hi Maryann,
Thanks for your questions! This beautiful Spun Silk is 100% silk and comes in at 202 yards per skein! All of our prices are quoted in US dollars. And all of our shipping details can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/shipping/
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Can you provide some pattern suggestions for this. Blanket scarf, hat?…..too old for a camisole. Sweater? I love the pink and silver and want to order
Hi Rebecca! Thanks for writing – we love our new Spun Silk and are so excited to put it good use! Stay tuned for more patterns using this beautiful new yarn! In the meantime, maybe you’d consider knitting this or this in our new Spun Silk!
Happy knitting!
Keith
Hello,
I would love to knit a shawl for my sister who just loves silk and pink is her favorite color. Please email me a pattern and number of Spun Silk skeins needed. Thank you.
Hi Marienella,
Great question! We have a lovely wrap pattern using both Spun Silk and Linen Quill. It is the Shiny and Matte Wrap. It also comes in a lovely pink colorway called Pink Primrose. I think that this would make a lovely gift for your sister!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
What are the best needles to use with this yarn? I tried using knit picks but apparently have a burr. Now I’m using addi turbo needles but they aren’t sharp enough so the yarn splits. Absolutely love this yarn and want to eliminate any user error. Thank you!
Hi Cori,
Thanks for the question! I suggest Addi Turbo Rockets because they have a pointy tip and the metal lets the yarn slide easily. Hope you like the recommendation!
-Adam
Hi, where can I buy this in the UK? Would like to make myself a shawl to wear to a wedding. Thanks for your help.
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! A shawl would be beautiful using this yarn! Our lovely Spun Silk is only available through Purl Soho. The good news is that we ship internationally! Details about international shipping can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/shipping/
Best,
Cassy
Could spun silk be used to make the mini herringbone scarf?
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your question – I think the Mini Herringbone stitch would be beautiful in Spun Silk! However, Spun Silk is a bit thinner than Understory and has less body and more drape, so I would recommend swatching it on size 8 or 9 needles to see which gauge you prefer, and then calculate your stitches per inch from there to adjust the pattern. You will also need extra yardage when knitting at a smaller gauge so be sure to purchase an extra skein or two in case you need it.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I bought some spun silk to make my sister a scarf, she is allergic to wool, so this seemed a good alternative. I am just wondering if this yarn would lend itself better to a lace pattern or a cable one? I’d like to do something a bit special, so I don’t really want to do just a plain knit.
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for reaching out! While Spun Silk does have great stitch definition because the surface is so luminous, it’s super drapey so you may find that cables lay a bit flat and don’t really pop off the surface of the scarf. I think a lace pattern would really complement the yarn well!
Best,
Julianna
I want to line a wool hat that I’ve knitted with your spun silk to protect my hair and skin from the wool. The wool hat is a beanie in stockinette with a 4” ribbed edge. Given that the silk and the wool have different stretchiness, do you thing I should cast on more stitches to make the silk hat liner, or should I cast on the same number of stitches as I casted on to make the wool hat?
Hello Claudette,
Thank you for reaching out! I would reccomend knitting up a gauge swatch to find out how many stitches per inch you are getting with your spun silk and go from there. I think that your instincts are correct, that it will need to be a bit larger due to its lack of stretch.
Let us know how it goes, such a cool project!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hello,
Is this yarn still available? Thank you!
Jill
Hi Jill,
Thanks for reaching out! I am sorry to say that this lovely yarn is no longer available!
Best,
Cassy
Oh, that’s too bad! Thank you!
What lace scarf pattern would you suggest for silk yarn
Hi Harriet,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately Spun Silk has been discontinued and is no longer available. However, we have three different silk yarns available! Spectrum Silk, Cattail Silk, and Mineral Silk! With these three yarns we have a variety of beautiful lace wrap patterns available. In Cattail Silk we have the Cat Eye Lace Wrap and Ocean Currents Wrap and in Spectrum Silk we have the Daffodil Lace Wrap!
All the best,
Gianna
When I click on spun silk yarn, it says it’s not available. Please clarify. It also lists no price which might be why I should know it is not in stock. Thanks, Anne Sloan
Hi Anne,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, Spun Silk was discontinued several years ago, so it is no longer available to purchase. However, we have some great yarns I can recommend in its place! I would suggest using our lovely Burnish, it is a rayon from bamboo, it is about the same weight and has the same beautiful sheen as Spun Silk. Alternatively, I would recommend our Spectrum Silk, it is a 100% silk yarn, also a similar weight to Spun Silk, but this one doesn’t have the same sheen, but rather a softer matte finish!
I hope this helps, happy crafting!
Gianna