Tahki Torino, Berroco Pure Merino, Karabella Aurora 8

I finally got to test drive the Tahki Torino. I tried the regular Torino and not the Torino Bulky.

IN the pic are a strand of Berroco Pure Merino (light grey) , Berroco Pure Merino Heathers (dark grey), Tahki Torino (red), and Karabella Aurora 8 (pink).

The Torino looks like it should knit up to a different gauge than the other three, but all three have 4.5 as the suggest stotckinette stitch gauge. However both Berroco yarns suggest using a US9 (5.5mm) while the Karabella suggests using a US 7- 8 (4.5 - 5 mm) and the Tahki suggest using a US8 (5mm). I got the suggest gauge of 4.5 sts on a US 4 (3.5 mm) needle for all four yarns. Kathy at the Colonial Yarn Shop says that a yarn that suggests getting a gauge of 4.5 stitches on an US 8 will knit up differently than a yarn that suggests the same gauge but on a US 9 or US 7. I think fiber, ply and twist are far more important to yarn substitutions than what is printed on the ball band.

All four are irrestringibile (meaning they will not felt). All four did not change gauge after washing and blocking. All four are wonderful to work with, producing nice crisp cables and stitch definition. All four average about $7.50 - $8.50 per ball. All four come in 50 gram balls.

Here are the differences:

Karabella gives you 98 yards per ball. Tahki gives you 94 yards per ball. Berroco gives you 92 yards per ball.

Pure Merino Heather was the least soft of the three. Slightly dry feeling, but still very soft. Karabella was the slickest of the three (would not want to use it for anything that was to be steeked). PLain Pure Merino and Tahki were about the same in feeling.

Tahki Torino was the most loosely twisted, and sometimes the plys came apart. It was the easiest to accidently snag a loose strand. Tahki Torino also had the most loose fibers, not enough to produce a true halo, but just a little bit more fuzz than the Karabella Aurora 8 and Berroco Pure Merino and Pure Merino Heather.

Tahki Torino had the most drape of the three yarns. I could see how if I had to choose between the three yarns for a heavily cabled sweater I would choose the Torino. It would be the least dense and heavy. Maybe the loft of the yarn explains how it looks thicker than the other three, and knits up drapier. The Karabella Aurora 8

Berroco Pure Merino Heather and PUre Merino were the most tightly twisted, and the most dense feeling. The two Berroco's knitted up to a dense solid feeling yarn. For something that needs structure I would choose one of the Berrocos.

In any case if I had a pattern for either Karabella Aurora 8, Tahki Torino, Berroco Pure Merino, or Berroco Pure Merino Heather I would not hesitate to interchange or substitute any of these yarns for each other. They are all lovely cabled merinos.