SCHEDA RAPIDA: Composition: 45% Cotton, 40% Polyester, 10% Polyamide, 5% Metallic Fiber with Lurex | Weight: 50 grams | Length: 115 meters | Recommended needles: 3-4 mm | Recommended crochet hook: 3-4 mm | Gauge 10x10 cm: 18 stitches x 22 rows (stockinette stitch) | Origin: Made in Italy

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN: What are you really buying?

Diana cotton blend lurex is an evolution in summer novelty yarns, combining technical properties designed for comfort, durability, and a sophisticated aesthetic. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this yarn an excellent choice for your creative projects.

1. Composition and structure of Diana yarn

Diana’s blended composition is designed to balance natural comfort with enhanced performance. The 45% cotton provides a natural base, ensuring breathability, softness against the skin and freshness in warm weather. The 40% polyester adds mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and easy care—significantly reducing wrinkling.

The 10% polyamide further reinforces the strand, improving abrasion resistance and long-term durability, especially appreciated in garments meant for frequent wear. Finally, the 5% metallic lurex fiber creates the signature luminous effect: tiny gold and silver lamé flecks scattered along the yarn form a precious texture that reflects light delicately, never excessively.

This mix makes Diana a versatile, elegant yarn, ideal if you want the right balance of natural feel, practicality, and refined shine. With 115 meters per 50 grams, it offers a generous yield that helps you complete projects with a limited number of balls.

2. Workability and recommended techniques

Diana works best with 3 to 4 mm needles or a 3 to 4 mm crochet hook, sizes that create light, airy fabrics—perfect for the warm season. The yarn moves smoothly and evenly through your fingers, making it enjoyable to work with even during long crafting sessions.

For knitting, the recommended gauge with 3.5 mm needles is 18 stitches × 22 rows over 10x10 cm in stockinette stitch, producing fabric with soft, natural drape. Lace stitches—such as fans, lace motifs or openwork—are especially suitable because they enhance the lurex sparkle, creating beautiful light play through the fabric openings.

For crochet, the gauge with a 3.5 mm hook is 18 stitches × 21 rows over 10x10 cm in single crochet. Diana is perfect for airy decorative stitches, fan motifs and in-the-round work for shawls and wraps. The lurex doesn’t compromise stitch definition: stitches remain crisp and easy to read.

• Tops and tanks: great with vertical lace panels that elongate the silhouette
• Lightweight cardigans: perfect in open stitches for cool evenings
• Wraps and shoulder covers: stunning with fan or lace motifs
• Summer sweaters: elegant even in simple stockinette or garter stitch

3. Aesthetic effect and color palette

Diana’s standout feature is its subtle shimmer created by the lurex insert. Unlike fully metallic yarns, Diana features tiny lamé flecks along the strand that create intermittent highlights, like small stars scattered across the fabric.

This approach keeps the yarn sophisticated without being flashy, ideal if you want a precious touch with an elegant feel. The effect is especially beautiful in motion: when worn, the light reflects off the metallic points following the body’s curves, creating a captivating visual dynamism.

Diana’s color palette includes both classic and contemporary shades, from natural neutrals to brighter, modern tones. Light colors emphasize the gold lurex, while darker shades create refined contrasts with silver reflections. Each colorway is designed to flatter the complexion and look photogenic—great if you love sharing your makes online.

Diana is perfect for solid-color projects where stitch texture takes center stage, and it also pairs beautifully with smooth cotton yarns to create contrast effects or shimmering stripes.

4. Ideal projects and seasonality

Diana is a true spring–summer yarn, designed for warm-weather garments or air-conditioned environments. Its composition delivers freshness and breathability, essential for comfort in summer.

Tops and tanks made with Diana are perfect for daytime wear: the discreet sparkle adds visual interest without feeling out of place in casual looks. Light cardigans and shoulder covers become go-to pieces for summer evenings or chilly indoor spaces, offering coverage without bulk.

Wraps and shawls in Diana are especially appreciated for special occasions—summer ceremonies, elegant dinners, evening events. The lurex effect adds a precious note that elevates the outfit without the need for heavy jewelry. Even summer bags and accessories benefit from the slightly firmer hand provided by polyester and polyamide.

• Lace sweaters: for everyday looks with personality
• Boleros and shoulder covers: to finish evening outfits
• Tank tops: fresh and feminine
• Triangle shawls: elegant for ceremonies
• Beach cover-ups: refined swimwear layers

Garments made with Diana tend to keep their shape and fit well, thanks to the synthetic fibers that limit the relaxation typical of pure cotton.

5. Meterage and project planning

With 115 meters per 50-gram ball, Diana sits in the medium-light range of summer yarns. This meterage is a great compromise between coverage and lightness, allowing you to create pieces with body while staying airy.

The amount of yarn needed naturally varies by project type, size and stitch choice. Lace stitches—particularly suitable for Diana—usually use less yarn than solid fabric thanks to the openings. Tessiland provides dedicated video tutorials showing exact quantities for specific projects, removing doubt and waste.

A key advantage of buying Diana on Tessiland is clear dye-lot transparency: each product page shows the available lot, essential for larger projects. If the lot on sale isn’t enough, Tessiland’s customer service—real people, not bots—can check availability of additional balls from the same lot or suggest the best alternative.

To optimize your purchase, consider ordering one extra ball: having spare yarn from the same dye lot makes future adjustments or repairs easier without color-matching issues.

Care: How to keep your pieces looking great over time

Proper care for items made with Diana cotton blend lurex is essential to preserve both the softness of natural fibers and the shine of the metallic insert. Follow these practical tips to keep your creations looking perfect:

• Machine wash: wash at max 40°C on a delicate cycle, preferably inside a laundry mesh bag to prevent the lurex from catching on other garments
• Detergent: use gentle detergents with no bleach or harsh additives that could damage the metallic fibers
• Spin: set a low spin speed (max 600 rpm) to reduce mechanical stress on the yarn
• Drying: always dry flat on a clean surface, away from direct heat sources (radiators) or strong sunlight that could affect the shine
• Ironing: if needed, iron on medium heat with a protective cloth between iron and fabric to preserve lurex integrity
• Storage: store folded in drawers or on shelves, avoiding hangers that could distort the knit
• First wash: to help set any residual dye, add one tablespoon of white vinegar to the water for the first wash