When I first saw the Mystical Marl yarn from UNIVERSAL YARN, I admit, I was skeptical. As a blend of cotton and acrylic, it’s a more uncommon blend in the yarn world, and, honestly, I wasn’t sure how well it would work up. But I was still intrigued enough to give it a try and test it as the recommended yarn for the Holland Cowl designed by Afifa Sayeed.
My skepticism was utterly unfounded.
To start, even when I picked it up out of the box, it had absolutely none of the roughness you can sometimes get with acrylic. It was actually far softer than I expected—very promising for something that will be next to skin! I may have just sat there squishing yarn for a few minutes because I absolutely love the feel of it. It reminds me of some of the microfiber fabrics, and I think that’s due to the anti-pilling acrylic.
Two balls of Mystical Marl yarn in Lagoon and Midnight, waiting to be knitted into the Holland Cowl!
That said, I did eventually have to stop squishing the yarn and give it a proper test, so I cast on the Holland Cowl using a set of 5mm Knit Picks Rainbow Wood Circular Needles. The Holland Cowl pattern suggests a cord length of 16 inches, which is what I used, and yes, the cowl is a bit scrunched up, but I’m still glad I went with this rather than the 24-inch cord.
The start of a Holland Cowl knit in UNIVERSAL YARN Mystical Marl in Lagoon and Midnight
If I’d put this on the 24-inch cord, it would have stretched out the cowl, which is generally not a good thing to do to your knitting. Eventually, your knitting will stay stretched out, like a rubber band that you’ve overstretched – it won’t bounce back to its original shape, which is something you very much do not want to happen. It’s better to have your stitches bunched up rather than stretched out.
A set of Knit Picks 5mm Rainbow Wood Circular Needles, ready to start a Holland Cowl!
I’m usually not a fan of shorter circulars because the needle tips are often shorter, but, for this cowl, I think it was a better choice. Since there are no decreases in the pattern, I don’t need any slack in the circular cord for the Magic Loop technique, unlike when knitting a hat. All in all, it works out just fine!
I was worried about the warmth of this yarn, too. Acrylic and cotton aren’t known for being superbly warm, and this cowl has to stand up to a Canadian winter! But that too was a completely unfounded worry. The cotton keeps the yarn soft and adds breathability, while the acrylic is the warmer fiber, and also helps with durability. And because the fabric is more breathable, thanks to the cotton, it means that you’re not at nearly as much risk of sweating under your cowl like you would be in a 100% acrylic blend. I suspect I’ll be wearing this quite a bit this winter!
The Holland Cowl is finished and ready to be worn!
My other concern was my color choices. I don’t always have the best eye for color; more than a few people over the course of my life have side-eyed my fashion choices when it comes to color! That said, I’ve stuck to my traditional favorite color families. From the Mystical Marl color line, I’ve chosen a bright blue-teal in the color Lagoon and a much darker blue-gray in the color Midnight. But, it’s always hard to tell online just how well two yarns will contrast with each other, especially in stranded colorwork.
Well, once again, I needn’t have worried. The Mystical Marl yarn in Lagoon and Midnight are working up wonderfully and with more than enough contrast. Stay tuned to see that contrast in action, as we get into slipped stitch colorwork tomorrow! Join me.
Afifa Sayeed designs the Holland Cowl for Mystical Marl yarn.
