The Denim Swatch Off: Rowan Denim, Elann Den-M-Nit & the mystery cone
Bought 25 balls of this dark, dark Rowan Denim (color 225 Nashville) a couple of years ago, but I've been too intimidated to use it.
Would it be hard on my hands?
Would it stain my hands and clothes?
Would the fabric look good?
I want to make a classic fisherman's sweater, so I know there will be an investment of my time and energy, which I don't want to regret.
Then I bought the 2.5 lb cone of Light Indigo on EBay. It's a no-name honkin' big whack of denim yarn that the seller told me she bought from Elann way back when. Seems enough for another adult sweater.
Then, this past summer, Elann goes and brands their mill-direct yarn as Den-M-Nit. I bought enough in Mid Indigo to make a Miss Bea sweater for Emily.
So.... are they really all the same? They're all are made up of six twisted strands of over-dyed cotton with a white core.They spec 5 st/in (the cone has no specs). But, are they really the same gauge? I've seen the Rowan advertised with a 20% shrinkage and the Den-M-Nit with 10-15%. Will they shrink the same? (Can one type "shrinkage" without thinking of Seinfeld?)
How to answer these pressing questions?
Cast on 30 stitches onto 4 mm Addi Turbos (US #6).
Knit four rows garter.
Knit 39 rows st st with 3 stitch garter borders.
Knit 4 rows garter.
Cast off on wrong side row.
Repeat three times slam-bam-right-in-a-row: same needles, same chair, same morning - all variables controlled as much as reasonable.
Measure swatches.
Count stitches and rows.
Wash warm & dry medium with jeans and khakis. (Included color-catcher sheet, which turned dark but no die transferred to clothes.)
Measure again.
Blog.
Pre-wash & Post-wash (l to r: Rowan, Den-M-Nit, Cone)
Pure luck that each one shrunk to a near perfect square! Pure dumb "that looks like a good number of rows, I think I'll cast off" luck. See, the knitting gods look after you when you swatch!
Rowan Denim
Manufacturer Specs:
93 m, 50 gr, 20 st/10 cm on 4 mm, 20% length shrinkage (est. % from The Knitting Garden)
Swatch:
Prewash 4x4" st st = 20.5 stitches x 28 rows
Prewash total st st area (24 st x 39 rows) = 4 5/8" x 5 5/8"
Postwash 4x4" st st = 20.5 x 34 rows
Postwash total st st area = 4 5/8" x 4 5/8"
Shrinkage = 17.8% of row height of st st area
Impressions:
This one had the stiffest hand, but that didn't really affect knitting speed or comfort and I stopped noticing it quickly. This may just be because it has the most dye. It softened quite a bit in the first wash, but I can still id each of the three with my eyes closed.
The dye did slightly stain my fingers while knitting, but not my clothes. Washed off easily.
This photo shows the pre-wash yarn lying on the post-wash swatch. The two end yarns show how the core is exposed. The swatch is still very dark - this is in direct sun.
Overall, it's a beautiful fabric with a very even stitch.
Manufacturer Specs:
92 m, 50 gr, 20 st/10 cm on 4 mm, 10-15% length shrinkage
Swatch:
Prewash 4x4" st st = 21 stitches x 28 rows
Prewash total st st area (24 st x 39 rows) = 4 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Postwash 4x4" st st = 21.5 x 34 rows
Postwash total st st area = 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
Shrinkage = 18.2% of row height of st st area
Impressions:
This one felt slightly thinner than the Rowan, which was realized in the stitch/inch count. Minor difference, but I'm not sure I'd combine this yarn with a Rowan Denim in the same pattern (was considering it for a Miss Bea pattern).
Almost no staining on my fingers with this color.
Again, this is also a beautiful fabric with a very even stitch.
Important to note how far off their shrinkage estimate is. Obviously, your mileage may vary, but I'd recommend a good swatching or you may end up with a too-short sweater.
Swatch:
Prewash 4x4" st st = 20 stitches x 27 rows
Prewash total st st area (24 st x 39 rows) = 4 5/8" x 5 3/4"
Postwash 4x4" st st = 20.5 x 34 rows
Postwash total st st area = 4 5/8" x 4 3/4"
Shrinkage = 17.4% of row height of st st area
Impressions:
This one felt slightly thicker than the Rowan, which showed up in the stitch/inch count. It was also the softest of the three to knit. Again, minor differences, but I wouldn't combine this yarn with the others.
Almost no staining on my fingers with this color.
This is a nice fabric, but not quite as even as the other two. This one came the closest to the standard gauge of 20/4 in.
Here's all three again post-washing in natural light:
Sitting right here in front of me now they all look bluer. They definitely change tone with lamp vs natural light. The white core flecks look very natural in person -- just like jeans.
Final Analysis:
These are three different yarns that perform the same way. I've wondered in the past if they were all the same yarn - rolling out of the same mill with three different presentations and labels, but the same fiber under the wrapper. Well, the three yarns I have are not the same. But the yarn companies change mills and the mills make changes. This Rowan is at least 3 years old, the cone is probably at least that old too, while the Den-M-Nit is recent vintage. Biggest take-away is do your own swatching and washing before CO and be careful when combining brands.
These details aside, I LOVE this yarn -- all three versions. Just think of it ... a wash-n-dry hand-knit sweater that improves with wear! Beginning to understand the passion for this yarn shown over at Mason-Dixon.
If you've read this far and think I'm obsessive and have way too much time on my hands. Well ... no. OK, I'm obsessive. But I don't create these posts in a calm world. This entry has been my touchstone, my little window of sanity and extreme order as chaos has reigned around me. Not a room in this house has been untouched by little marauding hands. Homework has been done RIGHT BEHIND MY HEAD. Battles have been waged RIGHT BEHIND MY HEAD. I am getting very good at remaining above the fray. Until I don't.
