Corny Knitting:
It seems like chemists are making it possible to knit with just about anything that could possibly be turned into a fiber. Who would have thought you could knit with corn?
Kollage has a couple of different corn yarns, which Susan Moraca of Kollage explains are made from the dextrose in the corn, which is fermented to produce lactic acid. The water that remains through this process is then made into the fiber that's spun into the yarn.
Corn is a completely renewable resource, and Moraca says it uses 30 to 50 percent less fossil fuel to produce corn yarn than it does conventional yarn and they can even be composted.
Specifications:
- Content: 100 percent corn
- Yarn Weight: Medium
- Gauge: Yarn label says 20 stitches per 4 inches on size 8 US needles; I got 23 stitches per 4 inches on size 8 needles
- Yardage: 100 yards in a 35-gram skein
- Color Availability: 32 solid colors
- Color Used in Swatch: Wine (625)
Knitting:
Kollage Cornucopia is unique because the yarn itself is a tube, which means it's pretty easy to get snag it on the needle. But it also recovers from this abuse nicely, so it's not a big deal.
To me the yarn had a strange texture that was hard to describe. Sticky is almost the word, even though it wasn't actually sticking. The yarn acts a lot like a ribbon yarn and will twist as you work with it. I didn't find this to be too troublesome, but know it's an issue if that bothers you.
The swatch was very curly when I took it off the needles and it only somewhat settled down after blocking (see second picture above).
Uses for Kollage Cornucopia:
Kollage Cornucopia would be a great choice anywhere you might use lightweight cotton or bamboo. The texture of the fabric is somewhat similar to cotton, but softer and lighter.
It would be great for a summer top for kids or grownups, and the color range is nice, so you can use it for many different projects.
Because of the extensive curl, you'll want to use ribbing or another stitch pattern on any exposed edges, but this somewhat firm yarn will show off ribbing very nicely.
The structure of the yarn will make it breathe well, so it would be great for any projects worn close to the skin.
Care of Kollage Cornucopia:
Cornucopia is machine washable and dryable, making it perfect for kids clothing and anything else you want to be able to wash and wear again and again.
Bottom Line:
Cornucopia is a fun yarn to work with, if for no other reason than you get to tell people you're knitting with (or wearing) corn. It would be great for summer knitting but at nearly $8 a skein for 100 yards, it might be best saved for small projects.
