Metallic yarns have a notorious hard texture that reveals itself as too harsh and scratchy especially when worn next to the skin, that's the main reason why designers prefer to avoid them even when such yarns come in quite beautiful and desirable bright and sparkling, jewel-like tones.
Yet there are companies who have been carrying in-depth researches to make sure that the glitter effects that could be included into garments and accessories through metallic or lamé-based yarns are also accompanied by a higher degree of comfort. Japanese Kyototex is among them.
Founded in the early '70s, the company expanded in the following decades, steadily increasing its sales in knit products and starting to sell in 1985 metallic yarns for embroidery. In the '90s Kyototex expanded in China and began developing innovative metallic yarns and technologically advanced products.
Metallic yarns are created with pliable metals, plastic film or with an extruded synthetic that is flattened and treated. Newer processes have made these yarns softer than usual, but Kyototex went further developing also the “Zero Series”, a collection of shiny yet soft metallic yarns in polyester film that are 100% formaldehyde and 100% azo free (this yarn series received a certification for Class I of the Oeco-Tex Standard 100).
For the Spring/Summer 2014 season the company opted for two main trends: ultralight yarns or strong and solid yarns characterised by a steel-like consistency.
The fomer are perfect to create draped effects, or subtly sparkling knits in conjuction with other fibres; the latter are instead ideal for chainmail-like motifs.
So let's start from the ultralight yarns: Manna (24% metallic poyester film and 76% polyester) and Pure (52% metallic polyester film and 48% nylon) remain the best examples when it comes to fine and ultralight yarns that can be mixed with other fibres such as linen and mohair for a more natural feel.
Designers looking for pastel shades and a light yet solid consistency to create layers or ruffles, should opt instead for Salah and Hannah, two non-formaldehyde yarns: the former is a blend of metallic film, cupro and nylon; the latter a mix of nylon and cupro. Both are avalable in oyster white, coral, lilac and delicate blues with interesting highlights of gold.
Among the medium-sized yarns there is Vivian (in metallic, polyester and cupro or metallic, polyester and rayon) that can easily be incorporated in knits with wave-like or zigzagging effects.
Non-formaldehyde Abigail (27% metallic nylon film, 73% rayon) comes in a wide range of colours (and in ten new shades) and is ideal to create gold/silver or copper like chainmail-like effects as the following swatch proves.
While Abigail is better if you have in mind rigid and stiff effects, Abigail Philos (55% metallic nylon film, 45% rayon) is a finer and softer version and it's suitable for fine gauge knitting.
There are quite a few desirable shades in the Abigail Philos colour card, both for what regards softer colours (pink, copper pink and pink pearl) and darker tones (the grey scale goes from graphite to charcoal and also features a very pleasant wine red and navy blue).
If you're looking for something that can help you achieving in your knitwear the sort of mobility that a metal chain may have, go for the metallic chain yarns available in two different thicknesses and in a colour card that also includes eye-catching fluo colours and iridescent tones.
The sample bag for the next season features a good selection of ultra light and strong yarns, from the Abigail family plus Manna, Pure and Etelo (a nylon and polyester yarn that works at its best when mixed with mohair) in graphite, purple and gold.
Though it feels exciting to try and imagine how to incorporate these samples in the Spring/Summer 2014 looks, it's also interesting to try and think about how to use yarns made for knitting purposes to create embroideries on winter garments or to decorate small accessories. Guess it's time to sit down and work out what to do then with my own bag of samples...
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