This week we’re looking at a new version of Uptown DK yarn, Uptown DK Magix. This yarn is produced by Universal Yarns in Turkey. There are six fun colorways that we’ll explore in more detail further on, but what I want to write about today is the yarn texture and structure.
Self-striping Uptown Magix DK is a super-soft machine washable yarn.
As you know if you’ve read some of my past posts, I’m not a fiber snob. I like natural fibers and synthetics, but I believe each type of yarn has its pros and cons or at least its suitability for certain projects.
I’d honestly say that Uptown DK Magix, and its sister solid yarn, Uptown DK (which is available in 51 colors) is suitable for any knit project. I mean, it wouldn’t work for a trivet, because it would melt, but for garments, hats, accessories, slipper-socks…it is a great yarn. Let me tell you why.
These teal and red blends are some of my favorite colorways ever.
The above swatch is in the Swing Set colorway. And while it’s hard to capture in a photo, the drape of the knit fabric is lovely — there’s no stiffness when I knit with it at the recommended needle size. The yarn has about 10 to 12 twists per inch, which gives it a really sound structure and also provides the stitches with great definition.
After knitting and frogging 3 times and then washing it, there is a slight, very slight fuzzy halo, but true to the label, it’s resistant to pilling.
I did find as I knit a small fuzzball occasionally formed around the yarn at the point where I tension it in my hand, but it was easily removed, and it wasn’t constant. The hand of the yarn and of the fabric is very interesting. It’s very soft and has no scratchiness to it. There isn’t the squeakiness that many synthetics have, either.
Even though it isn’t made out of rayon, Uptown DK Magix has a rayon-like feel to it (I call it scrunchy, but that’s not the right word). People who want to knit garments that will look good for a long time, and those who want to knit easy-care items like baby blankets or kids’ clothing will find Uptown DK Magix to be a great go-to yarn.
Very soft fibers, in four single plies, spun together at 10 twists per inch, create a squishy, stable and well-defined yarn.
One of the pluses to Uptown DK Magix, and why I think it fights pilling so well is the length of the staple. I untwisted the yarn to its original 4 plies, and then I took 1 of them and, with tweezers, I teased out several individual filaments. Each one was between 2½″ and 3¼″ long.
This staple length helps ensure that a lot of short fuzzy ends don’t come to the surface and twist into pill bumps. It also contributes to the sturdiness of the twist. The yarn has a slight sheen – nothing like silk or viscose or rayon – but a nice glint that catches the light. This helps to create good, crisp stitch definition when it’s knit up.
A slice of pie? No, just a few garter stitch short rows, making up a quarter of a circle.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at some of the other exciting colorways of Uptown DK Magix.
This is part 1 of 5 in this series.
Go to part 2: This antipilling acrylic yarn gets an ‘A’
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