Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp Review

Hank of red yarn with a label that says Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp along with a knit swatch, a crochet swatch, and a wooden crochet hook. Text on the image reads: Yarn review. Banana Moon Studio.

Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp is a great yarn made of wool and hemp. The wool fibers are dyed in various colors, but the hemp fibers don’t take up the dye, so they remain white, giving the yarn a slightly marled look. Read below and check out my video review for all the details on this interesting yarn!

This is what Cascade Yarns has to say about their Eco+Hemp yarn:

“Eco+ Hemp is a blend of 80% natural Peruvian wool and 20% hemp. Together they create a soft, durable yarn that dries well, has natural anti-bacterial properties, softens with use and retains a garment’s structure and shape. This collection combines the earth tone palette of our Ecological Wool and the signature solid color vibrancy of our Eco+ line of yarns.”

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What weight is Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp?

Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp falls in the DK/light/3 category. This is just a little thinner than worsted weight yarn. Yarns in this category have between 11 and 15 wraps per inch.

According the yarn weight standars from the Craft Yarn Council of America, DK weight yarn is best knit on needles between US sizes 5 to 7, or 3.75 to 4.5 mm.

They suggest crochet hook sizes from 7 to I (9). Some crocheters aren’t familiar with a size 7 hook because we are most used to letter sizes in the US. There is a fairly large gap in size between G (6) and H (8) hooks, so a size 7 falls in between those two letter sizes. So this recommended range includes the size 7, H (8), and I (9). In metric that’s anywhere from 4.5 to 5.5 mm.

What is the fiber content of Eco Hemp yarn?

Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp is made up of 80% Peruvian Highland Wool and 20% Hemp.

Peruvian Highland Wool comes from…Peru. The sheep that produce this strong yarn are a cross between Merinos and Corriedales.

Hemp fiber comes, of course, from the same plant that produces marijuana, though the hemp fibers used in textiles come from the stalks of the plants, while marijuana comes from the flowers.

Hemp stalks are made of two layers of fibers. The outer layer is made up of bast fibers that are strong and hollow, ideal for use in textiles. The two layers of fibers must be separated through a process called retting. This basically involves letting the stalks get wet so that they layers separate.

What kind of care does Eco Hemp yarn need?

Like many wool yarns, Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp must be hand washed in cold water and lain flat to dry. Unless wool has undergone special treatment, it can shrink and turn into felt when exposed to heat, water, and abrasion at the same time. Both your washing machine and your dryer can cause felting, so don’t place your items made with this yarn in either appliance.

Where can I buy Eco+Hemp yarn?

Many local yarn shops carry Cascade Yarns. Not the big box stores, but the smaller, independent shops. If they don’t carry Eco+Hemp, but they do carry other Cascade Yarns, they should be able to order it for you.

You can see all the colors and the specs for the yarn on Cascade’s website here. Once you’ve decided on the color you want, your LYS can order it for you.

If you don’t have an LYS close by, you can order it from WEBS Yarn Store.

What can I knit or crochet with Eco+Hemp yarn?

This yarn would be lovely for anything wearable! It would be great for hats, scarves, sweaters, cowls, and more.

I have a free knitting pattern made in this yarn! Eufaula Cardigan is a casual, drop-shoulder cardigan that is cozy and comfortable. It’s a long cardigan, so you can wear it over a top and leggings. It’s casual look is also wonderful with jeans and tees. Knit on extra-large needles, the fabric is lightweight and has great drape. Get this free knit cardigan pattern here.

Photo of a woman in the woods wearing a long red handknit cardigan over a blouse and jeans. Text on the image reads: Banana Moon Studio.

Eco+Hemp yarn giveaway!

Great news! I have three skeins of this to give away, thanks to the lovely folks at Cascade Yarns! I’ll be running the giveaway on my Instagram channel, so you’ll want to find me there. The giveaway will run from about November 14-21, 2019. If you happen to see this post before or after that time, you’ve missed the giveaway for this yarn, but there will be others, so come on over and follow me there!

Cascade Yarns Eco Hemp Video Review

In this video I briefly show both crocheting and knitting with Cascade Yarns Eco+Hemp. Then, I show you my finished swatches. This way, you get an idea of what it’s like to work with this unique yarn in your chosen craft.