Written by Maz at the Knitting Times

Hello there! I have just started using a newly discovered yummy yarn and like it so much that I decided to write a review about it.

The aran weight yarn is called Athena Array Aran and it is a self patterning, Fair Isle effect ball of sumptuousness and joy.

Please read on to find out more about this delicious yarn and discover where to buy it.

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Athena Array Aran Yarn

First of all, I must say that I very rarely knit with aran yarn. I am mature in years and actually thinner wools hurt to knit sometimes. I guess it’s receptive strain injury. I get round this by only knitting larger projects in chunky or super chunky yarn.

Anyway, I was browsing online at the sale yarns at The Knitting Network, when I saw the little beauty that is Athena Array Aran Yarn.

The yarn was a bargain in the sale, and I loved the look of colours. I have started to knit a hat for my mum using this yarn, and as you can see the Fair Isle effect pattern made by the yarn looks so lovely. The colour shown below is called Subtle, by the way. there are two other shades and I may indeed have accidentally ordered all of them…

The brim of what will be a beanie hat is knit in a different aran yarn, Malabrigo Rios. It was just a happy coincidence that I had some of the Malabrigo in my stash and it matched the Athena really well. Malabrigo Rios is one of the most beautiful yarns in the whole wide world. It is expensive but if you would like some and haven’t shopped at Lovecrafts before you can get 30% of your first order. Useful to know if you fancy trying out some new yarns.

How to knit a hat with Athena Array Aran Yarn.

The hat that I am knitting (shown in the photo) is knit in the round. I cast 80 stitches into a 4.5mm straight needle, and worked 8 rows of rib (first row K3, P2tog across row and second row K2, P3 across row). I then switched to a 5mm circular knitting needle, k one row and then proceeding to simply knit in round, k stitch, around and around. I will shape the hat when it reaches around 16cm, starting with a K3, k2tog decrease row, then a k row, then k2, k2tog, then a k row, then k1, k2tog and so on until it resembles a hat.

I love knitting with self patterning yarns as it is quite mesmerising and very relaxing to just work round and round watching the pattern reveal itself.

Anyway, yes, Athena Array Aran is very lovely yarn indeed. It is pure acrylic but feels lovely and luxurious. If you like this sort of yarn and can find some of it still in the sale, honestly you should get some!

Thank you for reading and for sharing the love of yarn. Happy crafting!!