A Study of Rauma Yarns, Pt 1

At The Woolly Thistle, we are proud to stock four different 100% Norwegian Wool Rauma yarns: Gammelserie, Finullgarn, Strikkegarn, and Vams. Each has its own weight, characteristics, and range of uses – but how do you know which you need for your project? In this post, I introduce you to the first two of these yarns and show you swatches I’ve knit using them. Then next week, I'll introduce you to Strikkegarn and Vams. 

Gammelserie

Gammelserie is a 2-ply yarn in approximately fingering weight. It has around 175 yards per 50 grams, but it is tightly spun so it is thinner and denser than it sounds. Gammelserie is spun more tightly than its sister Finullgarn so it is more hard-wearing in socks, mittens, and other projects where durability is valued. 

I knit Gammelserie (Color 403) in stockinette stitch on a US 1.5 (2.5mm) needle and got a gauge of 32 stitches and 48 rows to 4 inches, which is a little tighter than the 28 stitches to 10cm recommended on the ball band. The yarn’s tight twist is obvious, making it thinner and more rope-like, but not in an unpleasant way. After blocking, the stitches filled in and the yarn released a fuzzy halo that bonds the fabric together. 

Apart from the recommended tight-gauge socks and durable mittens, I also think Gammelserie would be wonderful at a loose gauge in a lace pattern where you wouldn’t mind (or might even like) adding a bit of a halo, like in an ethereal, gauzy lace shawl. 

Finullgarn

Finullgarn is also a 2-ply fingering weight yarn. With around 190 yards to 50 grams, it is a little less dense than its sister Gammelserie. The yarn is more loosely spun than Gammelserie and feels a little more fluffy.

I used a US 3 (3.25mm) needle for this swatch (Color 400), and got 24 stitches and 38 rows to 4 inches. At this gauge, the swatch is very drapey and more opaque than I expected, although there are some small gaps in the fabric. After blocking, it struck a nice balance between filling in those gaps and maintaining some stitch definition. I found it came out a little less fuzzy than the Gammelserie swatch did. 

Finullgarn is recommended for sweaters (like the Vanilla Sweater!) and colorwork. It feels woolly enough to bond together stranded colorwork and is still soft enough for cowls or lightweight hats.

 I hope this brief introduction to two of our Rauma yarns has given you some insight into these yarns, how they knit up, and what you could make with them. This is not the end of the road for me and Rauma! Next week, we'll look at Strikkegarn and Vams and in the coming months, I’ll explore the full range of these yarns, including their use in colorwork, marling, texture, and at the edges of their gauge ranges. Hope you’ll join me!

Update: You can see my post looking at Strikkeran and Vams here now. 

 *Quick Note on Swatches: I have swatched these yarns in the flat and without garter stitch edging. If I were planning a project knit in the round, I would recommend swatching in the round for an accurate gauge for all knit rows. Also, I find that while a garter stitch edge can make swatches lie flatter, the different gauge of garter stitch can distort the gauge measurement of the stockinette swatch. 

As always, if you have questions about these yarns or anything else, click the conversation bubble at the bottom right or email us at info@thewoollythistle.com.

Kelsey Peterson is a knitter, eager student of yarn construction and sheep breeds, and employee of TWT. She is on Instagram as kcrp.making and on Ravelry as yellowpaperfish.