It took me a while to write this, but I finally opened my Hamanaka Amerry yarn! I bought this yarn for my “FIVE” project. Surprisingly, it arrived in a vacuum-packed bag.
I bought it from a shop on December 4th, and it arrived about a week later. (To be honest, the shipping was a bit slow!)
When I opened the box, my first thought was: “Wait, is this really yarn? I’ve never seen yarn look like this…”
In this post, I will share the video of opening the vacuum-packed yarn and my review of the swatches.
Opening the Vacuum-Packed Yarn (Video)
I was so shocked by how thin the package was that I forgot to take a photo! I jumped straight into filming. (The photos below are screenshots from my video.)
The yarn was compressed so tightly that it felt hard.
Does vacuum packing damage yarn?
The moment I cut the bag with scissors, I heard a “hissing” sound as the air rushed in. It was actually quite funny! Slowly but surely, the yarn started to puff up.
The Condition of Hamanaka Amerry: The yarn labels were, of course, very wrinkled. But I don’t mind as long as I can read the information. All the dye lots were the same, which is good.
However, I was a bit worried about the yarn itself. It looked flattened, and the twist seemed a little loose. I wondered, “Will it go back to normal after steaming?” or “Will it mess up my gauge?”
Well, knitting is all about “flow,” so I decided not to worry too much and just started knitting!
Making a Swatch
I decided to knit a swatch for the “FIVE” pattern.
How it looks after knitting: A swatch test.
The pattern suggests a 3.75mm needle. I didn’t have that size at first, so I tried a JP 6 (3.9mm) needle. However, the gauge was a bit too loose.
I wanted to try a JP 5 (3.6mm), but all my JP 5 needles were being used for other WIPs (Works in Progress)! So, I took this chance to buy a new 3.75mm (US 5) needle.
Here is the result of my swatches:
- Left: Knit with 3.75mm
- Right: Knit with 3.9mm (JP6)
…They look great! You might say, “You should steam them first!” (Shhh! I know, I know… lol).
The gauge was perfect with the 3.75mm needle. Even though the yarn was flattened in the vacuum pack, it didn’t really affect the finished look.
Since the gauge is perfect, I am finally starting my “FIVE” project!
(Note: Usually, we measure gauge on a 10cm x 10cm (4″ x 4″) square, but for this pattern, I measured how many centimeters one pattern repeat takes. It was a new experience for me!)
Final Thoughts
I also tested the colors for the colorwork. It looks beautiful!
Conclusion: If your yarn arrives vacuum-packed, don’t worry. It might look flat at first, but once you start knitting, it looks just fine.
Happy knitting!
