Yarn Profile: Classic Elite Lush

First Impressions
This yarn is a perfect example of what happens when you blend two fibers properly. Classic Elite has taken two materials from distinctly different animals (sheep and angora rabbits) and produced a lovely, cohesive, full-bodied yarn with great handle, spring, and durability.

It lacks the telltale furriness of other angora blends we've reviewed. Instead, it possesses an exceptional softness and body comparable to worsted-weight cashmere.

This being a Classic Elite yarn, you won't find the usual powder-puff baby colors of other angoras. It's available in 21 earthy hues including reds, greens, purples, and blues.

Knitting Up
Lush is a breeze to work with. It holds its spin, which means no snagging or difficulty catching one strand or otherwise manipulating stitches.

Very little fuzz or fluff was produced—a welcome relief after having reviewed several sneeze-inducing blends. Stitches appear even and consistent, and the 4.5 sts/inch gauge means speedy progress.

Blocking / Washing
My swatches absorbed the water quickly and bled faintly during their wash. But they dried perfectly flat and I couldn't detect any fading in them whatsoever.

The fiber consistency didn't change much except for a slight bloom in fuzziness. But the gauge in my swatches expanded from 5 sts/inch to 4 1/2 sts/inch. (I should note here that I used 5.5mm needles and knit rather tightly, hence the difference in gauge between my own and what's listed on the yarn label.)

Definitely keep this expansion in mind, as it could make the difference between a nice-fitting sweater and a Goodwill donation.

Wearing
The multiple plies and moderately tight spin make this a very strong yarn. It took quite a bit of tugging to break a strand with my hands.

The swatches didn't show any signs of pilling until I'd submitted them to quite a bit of thrashing. At that point the surface of the swatches began to show their age with large pills and an underlying surface of tired-looking fuzz. Hopefully your sweaters will never get this kind of abuse, but be forewarned.

Conclusion
Lush is perfect for anybody seeking a little decadence without sacrificing usability and durability. Novices will appreciate its fast-knitting, forgiving qualities. More advanced knitters will like how it lets them execute more complex stitchwork easily.

An average women's sweater will require some 10 skeins, which brings the total bill to $99.50. For a soft, warm, durable, handknit, 50% angora sweater, that's not a bad price.

I wholeheartedly recommend this yarn for any level user and any project where you'd like extra softness and luxury without breaking the bank. Treat it with more care than I did in my tests, and it'll fare well.

Previous Reader Comments
"This yarn is incredible! I'm making a lacy cardigan for my 87 yr old mother-in-law; I like the idea of wrapping her up in all that bunny-soft warmth. Lush is so easy to work with- it's luxury at an affordable price." nowfound71, 1/5/2002