Eden Cottage Yarns Milburn 4ply Yarn of the Month August 15

Milburn is a 4 ply yarn which is mill dyed especially for Eden Cottage Yarns.  It is available in seven complimentary shades.  Each skein weighs 50g and there are 200 metres / 218 yards to a skein.

Fibre: 85% Bluefaced Leicester 15% Silk
Grown: The Bluefaced Leicester is grown in Great Britain.  
Spun: Italy
Dyed: Italy

As you can imagine, a yarn which contains Bluefaced Leicester and silk has the most amazing lustre. While working with this yarn it glides easily through your fingers.  The silk contents makes Milburn 4 ply a bit slippy on metal needles.  Extra care might be needed to ensure you don't drop any stitches!   

The yarn is spun with a high twist making it suitable for projects which need to withstand  some tougher situations.  There are quite a few sock patters which use Milburn 4 ply including Eden Cottage Yarns very own Daydreamer socks.  The added silk provides additional strength in a similar way to how nylon does.

Close up of the yarn

It is also the perfect yarn for lace and textured projects as the high twist allows the design to really stand out.  If you need any more reason to love this yarn it is also machine washable! 

This swatch was knit on 3.25 mm needles in the Misty Woods colourway. The stitches are really well defined.  

Swatch unblocked in the Misty Woods shade

Blocked Swatch

After blocking the yarn transforms, both the swatch and my Colossus top softened to a silky soft finish. The swatch has a nice drape while retaining some substance and as you can see it holds it shape brilliantly.  

In the cable work of the Colossus the pattern really stands out while being amazingly comfortable to wear against the skin.  

Cable detail of Colossus.
The design in one of six patterns in the Bletchley Collection  

We will take a closer look at the designs in the Bletchley Collection next week.