MillaMia Yarn

One family of yarns, one shade card

The whole MillaMia yarn collection is built around the Naturally Soft name running across several weights, and that is more useful than it first sounds. Because the shades are coordinated across the range, you can knit a merino cardigan and an aran hat in colours that genuinely match, or work a garment body in one weight and trim it in another without hunting for an approximate shade match. The colour palette leans contemporary: clean brights, soft neutrals and Scandinavian-influenced muted tones rather than heathered traditional shades.

Which weight for which project

• Naturally Soft Merino: a DK-style merino, the all-rounder for cardigans, children's knits and colourwork.
• Naturally Soft Aran: warmer and faster, ideal for cabled jumpers, hats and cowls.
• Naturally Soft Super Chunky: big-needle knitting for blankets, oversized cardigans and weekend accessories.
• Naturally Soft Cotton: cool and crisp for summer tops, baby garments and homeware.
• Naturally Soft Sock: fine yarn for socks, shawls and lightweight fair isle, including Billie Fair Isle kits.
• Naturally Baby Soft: the gentlest option for newborn gifts and layettes.

Colour packs and kits

The five and ten ball colour packs are a practical way to buy for a project rather than a shade at a time. They matter most for colourwork and for blankets: a pack gives you a group of shades that have been chosen to work together and, crucially, from a single purchase so dye lots are consistent. Kits such as the Ku-Ku crochet kit or the Glad scarf pair yarn with a pattern, which removes the guesswork about quantity. If you are buying a pack for a striped blanket, check that there is real light-to-dark contrast among the shades and not just different hues, or the stripes will blur together at a distance.

Knitting with merino, and its one weakness

Merino is soft because the fibres are fine, and fine fibres are what makes it comfortable directly against the neck and against a baby's skin. The same fineness means merino pills more readily than a coarser wool, particularly at cuffs, underarms and anywhere that rubs against a bag strap. Nothing prevents this entirely, but a firmer tension helps considerably, since loosely knitted fabric lets fibres migrate. Knit a tension square, wash it and measure it dry before starting a garment; a fabric that feels slightly denser than you expect will wear far better over a season.

Finishing and care

Merino blocks beautifully. Wet the finished pieces, press out water in a towel and pin them to the measurements in the pattern; seams will then match without a fight. Use mattress stitch for side seams and pick up button bands with markers spacing the edge evenly. Wash by hand in lukewarm water with a wool-safe soap unless the ball band states machine washable, squeeze rather than wring, and dry flat. When pills appear, remove them with a fabric comb or a wool shaver rather than pulling them off, which breaks more fibres and makes the problem worse. Store folded, with a moth deterrent, and never on a hanger.

MillaMia yarn questions

What is MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino made from? It is a 100% merino wool yarn, part of the wider Naturally Soft range.

Which MillaMia weight should I choose for a first jumper? Naturally Soft Aran, for warmth and quicker progress, or the Merino for a lighter everyday garment.

Are the colour packs cheaper than buying balls separately? The advantage is coordinated shades bought together in one dye lot, which matters for colourwork and blankets.

Is MillaMia machine washable? Check the individual ball band, as care varies across the merino, cotton and sock yarns.

Why is my merino jumper pilling? Fine merino fibres migrate at friction points. Knit at a firmer tension and de-pill with a wool comb rather than pulling.