Knitting help please! Need wool with "good stitch definition"

[scarlet5tyger]

I've been knitting a while but have never been very adventurous, using mainly cheap wool to practise on, or cashmerino/Sirdar snuggly when making baby clothes. I'm about to attempt a (very slightly) more complex blanket pattern which has lacy holes in - elephant blanket

The pattern calls for cotton, or any wool with good stitch definition. I've heard that cotton can be awkward to wash but don't know much about it, or what wool would constitute one with good definition. Does anyone have any advice? I read somewhere about a Patons "twist" wool that sounded like it might do the job, but haven't been able to feel any to see the actual texture.

Personally I love Rowan Handknit Cotton. It's 100% cotton comes in loads of colours and crochets up lovely and crisply so the stitches can be seen which sounds like what you're after. I get mine mail order from deram

(argh-damn phone)

Mail order from deramores as my local shop doesn't stock rowan.
Have never washed anything made from it though so not sure about that aspect.

Happy knitting!

Would this Patons Cotton 4ply work? The yarn specified on Ravelry for your project is cotton 4ply so this may be a good substitute. Baby Cashmerino may work but would knit to a different tension to the 4ply (I think it's somewhere between a 4ply and DK).

Lovely pattern by the way. I may just have to make that for the new babies due to my neices later in the year.

With pure wool you are looking for one that has a bit more of a twist to it than a baby wool usually has; and you don't want anything that has a bit of a fuzzy halo to it. I would be looking at sublime or wendy merino probably, or plenty of patons ones would fit the bill too.
Obviously a cotton or a pure wool will need more care with washing than an acrylic would. If you want something that you can just bung in the machine and not worry about then hayfield bonus would give a good stitch definition.

Thanks everyone. I have some cashmerino at home but not enough of one colour to make a blanket. I suppose I could do each repeat a different colour but I quite like it all in white. I use Hayfield bonus quite a bit so might have a go in that first, to make sure I can actually do the pattern!

Thanks again.