Cyrano

Cyrano is a big, soft, round five-ply yarn from De Rerum Natura, made from carded wool that blends French Mérinos d'Arles from Provence with black Portuguese merino, from flocks raised with real care for the animals and their fleece.

That five-strand construction gives Cyrano lovely roundness and body, so it shows off texture and cables beautifully. It is perfect for quick, satisfying projects like hats, cosy scarves and a soft blanket, and just as lovely for big warm cardigans to wear as mid-season coats, or hard-wearing children's jumpers that stand up to the playground. It comes in natural undyed shades from the brown and white fleece blend, such as salt, white pepper, pepper and salt, and pepper, alongside a range of subtly dyed colours.

Cyrano is named after the poet, inventor and dreamer, author of the Etats et Empires du Soleil et de la Lune and hero of Edmond Rostand's play.

Yarn Specifications

Yarn Name: Cyrano

Yarn Brand: De Rerum Natura

Ball Weight: 100g

Ball Meterage: Approximately 150 metres

Ball Yardage: Approximately 164 yards

Yarn Composition: 100% wool, a woollen-spun blend of white French Mérinos d'Arles (Provence) and black Portuguese merino

Yarn Weight: Chunky. A round five-ply that is lovely for texture and cables.

Recommended Gauge: 13 to 16 stitches x 20 to 24 rows over 10 x 10cm on 5mm to 6.5mm needles. Always knit a swatch as gauge is for guidance only.

Recommended Knitting Needles: 5mm to 6.5mm (US 8 to 10.5)

Recommended Crochet Hook: 5mm to 6mm (US H/8 to J/10) (please confirm)

Knitting Machine: Not suitable, as the yarn is too thick for a machine.

Other Information: Spun and dyed in a small mill in Rougnat, France. It is not superwash treated.

Care Instructions

Best hand-washed with a no-rinse detergent, then reshaped and laid flat to dry on a towel. We recommend washing your knitted fabric in warm water with a gentle soap or suitable detergent and leaving it to dry flat, avoiding rubbing or stretching while wet. If you wish to test your washing machine's wool programme, try it on your gauge swatch first.

Please note that very dark or particularly saturated colours are more likely to bleed during blocking. If you plan to knit with lighter colours alongside a darker shade, we recommend testing a swatch first. If you find excess dye in the first wash, repeat the rinse until the water runs clear before drying.

Pattern Ideas

Here are a few patterns we love for Cyrano, grouped by the tension they are knitted at. There are many more, so if none of these is right for you, do get in touch and we will happily suggest something to suit your project.

One we have made ourselves: Carol knitted the Carta asymmetric jacket knitting pattern by Issue Lyric on Ravelry in Cyrano in the colour Aubepine, and she is in love with it. You can see her finished jacket here: the Carta jacket in Cyrano on our Instagram.

Some examples at a 13 stitches to 10cm tension, for a looser finish:

• Envol blanket knitting pattern by Solenn Couix-Loarer
• Thule Pullover knitting pattern by Sari Nordlund on Ravelry
• Glenmore sweater knitting pattern by Ysolda Teague on Ravelry

Some examples at a 14 stitches to 10cm tension:

• Carbeth Cardigan knitting pattern by Kate Davies on Ravelry
• Ilta sweater knitting pattern by Veera Välimäki
• Sypressi sweater knitting pattern by Veera Välimäki
• Leizh sweater knitting pattern by Solenn Couix-Loarer
• Ballad pullover knitting pattern by Sari Nordlund
• Appolonis pullover knitting pattern by Sari Nordlund
• Matthew Pullover knitting pattern by Aimee Sher

Some examples at a 15 stitches to 10cm tension:

• Beloved hat knitting pattern by Solenn Couix-Loarer
• Caltha pullover knitting pattern by Marie Amelie Designs on Ravelry
• Loubelle sweater knitting pattern by Audrey Borrego on Ravelry

Some examples at a 16 stitches to 10cm tension, for a firm, structured finish:

• Coat for Roxanne cardigan knitting pattern by Katrin Schneider
• Weekday dress and pullover knitting pattern by Aimee Sher
• Into the Woods scarf knitting pattern by Melody Hoffman

About De Rerum Natura

De Rerum Natura is a French yarn brand we are delighted to stock at Knit With Me. It was founded in 2012 by Solenn Couix-Loarer, who moved from a life working with seventeenth century French literature into yarn, driven by a wish for wool she could trace and feel good about. That care runs through everything the brand makes.

Their yarns are spun and dyed at a small mill in Rougnat, in central France, where the water is cleaned through a natural phyto-purification system and the dyes meet strict European REACH standards. The undyed wool comes from Mérinos d'Arles sheep raised on organic farms in Provence, some of the finest merino in Europe at around 21.5 microns, from small traditional flocks where mulesing is never practised. It is wool with a real sense of place, and you can feel that quality in every stitch.

Browse the full De Rerum Natura collection at Knit With Me