Coast - Wool/Cotton Yarn Holst Garn Coast

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Holst Garn Coast is a 2-ply yarn composed of 55% Merino lambswool and 45% cotton. The combination of these two fibres results in a luxurious, soft, and lightweight yarn that can be worn directly against the skin - even by those most sensitive to wool. You can knit all kinds of lovely items such as hats, shawls, sweaters, or summer blouses. The yarn is wonderfully soft and also very suitable for children and even babies.

Coast can be knitted using a single strand, multiple strands held together, or paired with companion strand such as our thin Alpaca Titicaca or our Lucia - these will add a bit of fluffiness to the final result. It’s also easy to use for machine knitting. We offer the Coast yarn in both 50 gram cake balls and 500 gram cones.

We deliberately chose a blend with more wool than cotton. Cotton is a “dead” fibre in that knitted or crocheted fabric tends to lie flatter and may lose some resilience. The Merino lambswool contributes excellent elasticity and bounce, ensuring the yarn remains suitable for all kinds of garments. Wool also brings heat-regulating properties and gives the yarn a more “woolly” appearance - without becoming scratchy.

Wool

The wool in our Coast yarn comes from Merino sheep in New Zealand and Argentina. These sheep are shorn a couple of times each year. Depending on the breed, they typically produce between 2 and 10 kilograms of pure wool. The first shearing from lambs - usually within the first eight months - yields wool that is exceptionally fine and soft. By nature, wool contains a substance called lanolin, which acts as a natural grease to help keep the wool clean. It is often compared to the natural oils in human skin, which is one reason Merino lambswool is so well suited for garments worn directly against the skin. However, most of the lanolin is removed during production.

Wool is a responsive fibre: it reacts to changes in body temperature, helping you stay warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s warm. Because our Coast yarn is relatively fine, it is particularly well suited for lightweight summer blouses.

Sensitivity to wool can vary significantly from person to person - it is as individual as anything else. To determine how fine a yarn is, we consider the fibres used and measure their diameter in microns. The lower the micron count, the finer the wool. Coast has a micron count of 21.5, placing it comfortably among finer wools. For comparison, our Supersoft yarn has a micron count of 25.5.

Cotton

The cotton used in this yarn is sourced from Egypt and Turkey. The fibres grow around the seeds of the cotton plant. Egyptian cotton benefits from ideal growing conditions: the climate and soil in certain regions allow it to flourish under long sunny days and moderate humidity. Because Egyptian cotton is often handpicked, the delicate fibres suffer less damage compared to machine harvesting, helping to preserve quality.

The length of the cotton fibres (also called staple length) is a key determinant of quality: the longer the fibres, the finer and stronger the resulting yarn. Long-staple cottons typically range from about 30-34 mm, while extra long-staple varieties can exceed 35-37 mm.

While cotton offers softness and breathability, it does not have the same elasticity as wool. As a result, cotton yarns tend to have less stretch and spring - something to bear in mind when selecting patterns or choosing fit.

Worsted Spun vs. Woolen Spun

There are two main methods of spinning yarn: worsted spun and woolen spun. At its core, how a yarn is spun shapes how it feels, drapes, and performs. Knowing whether a yarn is worsted-spun or woolen-spun can help you choose the perfect yarn for your next project.

Worsted spun yarns are denser, smoother, and often heavier than other yarn types. You may also notice that the yarn appears more rounded, resulting in neater stitch definition. It typically has more shine, which is due to the way the fibres are processed. Woolen spun yarns, on the other hand, are lighter, airier, and often feel more woolly. They are also more elastic than worsted spun yarns - mainly because of the large amount of air trapped within the yarn. After the sheep have been sheared, the wool is sorted by quality and washed to remove dirt and natural oils. For worsted spun yarns, the fibres are then combed so they lie parallel and evenly. After this, the yarn is spun and then dyed.

Woolen spun yarns are carded after washing and then spun. This type of yarn is not combed, so the fibres are more disorganized and the surface appears less even. The main difference between the two spinning methods lies in whether the fibres are aligned and straight, or short and randomly arranged - which gives woolen spun yarn a more rustic and airy texture.

Coast wool/cotton blend is woolen spun. First, the fibres are washed. Then they are carded - blending the wool and cotton in the same step. After that, the yarn is spun into what we know as Coast. Finally, it is dyed.

Dyeing

There are many different methods for dyeing yarn. For example, our Supersoft yarn is dyed in various shades before it is spun. In contrast, our Coast yarn is dyed in a dyebath after spinning. This method takes advantage of the fact that Merino lambswool and cotton absorb dye differently. As a result, many of the colours in our Coast collection have a melange or slightly heathered effect. This gives the yarn a beautiful, subtle tweed-like look in the finished fabric.

Our current Coast collection offers 88 colours, and from time to time you may also come across what we call Pop-up Colours - limited-edition shades that are not part of our regular range. These colours still deserve to see the light of day and be turned into beautiful, vibrant projects such as sweaters, hats, shawls, or whatever else inspires you.

We always aim to offer a broad and inspiring colour palette, and a major advantage is that we have our yarns dyed to our own custom specifications.

A Natural Base

All our colours are dyed on top of the raw wool/cotton blend, known as Ecru in our collection. We've made a conscious decision to keep our yarns as natural as possible. That means we avoid unnecessary chemicals in our production process.

For example, our white Ecru shade is not bleached. Depending on what the sheep have been eating, the natural shade may appear slightly more or less yellow. This also affects the final look of the dyed colours, which can vary slightly from batch to batch. For that reason, we always recommend that you buy enough yarn for your entire project at once to ensure colour consistency.

Kind to Skin - and the Planet

All dyes used in the production of this beautiful yarn are certified according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100. Excess water and fibre residue from the dyeing process are recycled as much as possible, which is not only better for the environment but also helps reduce waste.

Since Coast is not washed after dyeing, it may still contain a small amount of spinning oil as well as some excess dye. These will wash out easily the first time you launder your finished project. After that first wash, you’ll also notice that the yarn “blooms” beautifully, becoming even softer, fuller, and more luxurious to the touch.

You can read more about how to care for your Coast knits here.