Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

I love this yarn. I made a scarf with it, and it turned out beautifully. The color shifts are very gradual, as others have noted. But that worked out well in the scarf that I made (featured pattern, multi-directional scarf). I like it so much that I am about to make a second such scarf.

It does help to look at pictures of finished items, as well as to blow up the swatch, which will also give you the option to look at the ball of yarn. I used color 07, Fireflies, and really enjoyed the sections that were blue with green as well as the sections that were blue with a lovely burgundy, which came in between the blue sections.

I also plan to knit a sweater-vest with this yarn in the future, since it is such a nice blend of fibers, I think it will work well as a garment.

Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

I was intrigued with this yarn and finally ordered one skein to test it out - color 09. I wanted something with purple in it. The skein appeared to be a purple & green heather, so I just started knitting a swatch. This combination came out looking sort of grey. After a while, the green almost disappeared and a more vibrant purple took its place - I liked this section better. And then the green came back to finish the skein. The shift in color is VERY subtle and was best seen in bright daylight. My narrow scarf was not the best use of this yarn, and on a bigger project the color shifts would probably look better.

I did enjoy knitting with the yarn and think it would be great for a sweater/jacket, somewhat thick but not bulky. I haven't worn or washed the scarf so can't comment on the wear of the yarn.

I would not order color 09 for myself, just not interesting enough, and haven't decided if I'll try another color. I do wish the web site would display larger swatch pictures or actual garments in each colorway to make a selection easier.

Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

I knited a hat and mittens in color 03 - the resut was very nice! Texture is realy pretty, Yarn is soft and warm enought, I knitted my projects quily. I wear hat in winter days with pleasure.
I have color 07 in my stash, now I'm looking for interestig model for this yarn.

Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

I like this yarn, but wish it was a little heavier. It is too lightweight for the shrugs I intended to knit. It is soft to the touch, and the color changes are subtle - very pleasing! I will find another pattern more suitable for this lovely yarn!

Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

My colors, forest canopy and fall harvest, were pretty much exactly as they appear on screen. I have a mac, if that matters.

At first glance, these don't appear to be striping (as one of the reviewers claimed)--so if you just look at the ball, you might think they aren't. The transitions are just so gradual and subtle that you're not going to see them much looking at the balls. But when you knit, a very slow, subtle color shift emerges. It's also subtle enough that joining a new ball isn't too obtrusive--just look for one in the same range of the color shift and it should join seamlessly.

If you're looking for stripes, this is not for you. If you're looking for a gentle watercolor effect over the course of a large garment or a subtle worn, vintage look over a smaller garment, you'll love it. The yarn's halo adds to that feel.

The synthetic content makes for a very lightweight yarn--a definite plus with the alpaca content--but it does mean it doesn't have as nice a hand as all-animal yarn. There is a slight acrylic squeak when you knit. But for the overall effect of the yarn, worth tolerating.

I'd recommend this in particular for classic menswear designs. It will give a subtle interest to a plain pattern, and it's fun to watch the shifts emerge, so if you're knitting for a minimalist who doesn't want much flash, it will still keep the project fun for you.

Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

I ordered this yarn in vineyard, which appeared on my screen as shifting from reddish purple to blueish purple, with flecks of gold and green. The yarn I received was a uniform rusty heathered brown, with no evidence of color shift in any of the 12 balls. The yarn was soft and seemed like it would be nice to work with, but the color was completely off. I returned it all unused.

Comments about Valley Yarns Cold Spring:

I choose yarn colors to coordinate with clothing I already own or to be appropriate for relatives. Copper beech is much browner than shown ... I wondered if fall harvest was sent instead. Even worse is the North Atlantic which is so dark that I can hardly call it blue. As the store is closed at this hour I have no idea if I will be allowed to return it since I used a "coupon" to purchase it.

I love the feel of the yarn ... but will only exchange it if I go into the store to see it in person, otherwise I'd probably be even more upset.