De Rerum Natura Bérénice

$16.00
Color
crépuscule

Weight: Lace

Fiber Content: 55% RMS-certified Super Kid Mohair, 25% Mulberry Silk, 20% Organic Mérinos d'Arles Wool

Yardage: 230 yards (210 meters)

Skein Weight: 25 g

Gauge (Single Strand): 28–30 stitches per 4 inches (10 cm)

Recommended Needles: US 1–4 (2.5–3.5 mm)

Gauge (Held Double): Approximately 17–20 stitches per 4 inches (10 cm)

Construction: Brushed mohair and merino fibers spun around a silk core

Origin: Mohair sourced in South Africa, silk from China, and merino wool from France; manufactured in Italy

Care: Hand wash gently; lay flat to dry. Non-superwash.

Product Description

Bérénice by De Rerum Natura is an exceptionally soft, airy lace-weight yarn that brings a delicate halo, subtle sheen, and beautiful depth to any project. Combining RMS-certified Super Kid Mohair, luxurious mulberry silk, and organic French Mérinos d'Arles wool, Bérénice offers a lovely balance of softness, warmth, and lightness.

Unlike traditional mohair-silk blends, Bérénice includes a generous proportion of merino wool, giving the yarn a fuller, more substantial feel while maintaining its delicate, cloudlike character. The fibers are spun around a strong silk core and gently brushed to create a soft, voluminous halo without excessive fuzziness.

Designed to complement De Rerum Natura's woolen-spun yarns, Bérénice transforms familiar favorites into something especially beautiful. Held alongside Ulysse, Gilliatt, or Cyrano, it adds softness, gentle luminosity, and richness of color while preserving the natural character of the wool. Whether paired tone-on-tone or in contrasting shades, the possibilities for creating unique fabrics are nearly endless.

Bérénice is equally lovely knitted on its own, producing an ethereal, featherlight fabric with a soft, romantic finish. Manufactured in Italy near Biella, the yarn reflects De Rerum Natura's commitment to thoughtful sourcing, animal welfare, and environmentally conscious production.

Its name is a nod to Bérénice, the heroine of Jean Racine's celebrated French tragedy, lending a little literary romance to this beautiful yarn.

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

We love Bérénice for the way it brings an entirely new dimension to our favorite wool yarns. Its blend of mohair, silk, and merino creates a beautifully soft halo without overwhelming the texture or character of the yarn beneath it. We're especially excited about pairing it with Gilliatt, Ulysse, and Cyrano, where even a subtle tonal combination can transform a familiar yarn into something extraordinary. It's a wonderfully versatile addition to a knitter's creative palette.

Perfect For

Soft, luminous sweaters and cardigans

Adding a delicate halo to woolen-spun yarns

Lightweight lace shawls and scarves

Romantic, airy accessories

Tone-on-tone and contrasting yarn combinations

Pairing Bérénice

Bérénice is particularly lovely held alongside other De Rerum Natura yarns. Approximate gauges when held together with one strand of Bérénice:

Ulysse: 17–19 stitches per 4 inches, US 6–8 (4–5 mm)

Gilliatt: 14–16 stitches per 4 inches, US 9–10.5 (5.5–6.5 mm)

Cyrano: 11–13 stitches per 4 inches, US 10.5–11 (6.5–7.5 mm)

These combinations add softness, depth, and a gentle sheen while maintaining the beautiful character of the original yarn. Always swatch to determine your preferred fabric and gauge.

Care Notes

Bérénice is not superwash treated. Hand wash gently in warm water with a wool-safe detergent, avoiding agitation or stretching. Lay flat to dry.
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Pay with Apple Pay We offer Apple Pay as a swift and secure way to make a payment at checkout.
Order online, collect in-store Choose in-store collection at checkout to pick up your order at select Fresh locations.
Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!

We’re here for the love of it and the fun of it. For the craft that connects us to something older than any of us.

Fiber Information

Yarn Weight + WPI

Yarn weight refers to the thickness of a yarn. Thickness determines appropriate needle or hook size, finished fabric density, and yardage requirements. Standard weight categories from thinnest to thickest: lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, bulky, super bulky.


Weight labels on yarn are approximate. Wraps per inch (WPI) gives a more precise measurement. To measure WPI: wrap yarn snugly around a ruler for one inch, without overlapping strands or stretching. Count the wraps.


WPI reference:

  • 30+ WPI: lace
  • 20–28 WPI: fingering
  • 14–18 WPI: sport
  • 11–14 WPI: DK
  • 9–11 WPI: worsted
  • 7–8 WPI: bulky
  • Fewer than 7 WPI: super bulky

WPI is most useful when a label is missing, when substituting yarns, or when working with handspun yarn.

Gauge and Sett

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch in a knitted or crocheted fabric. It is determined by yarn weight, needle or hook size, and individual tension. A pattern’s gauge is the measurement the designer used to calculate sizing. If your gauge does not match the pattern, your finished dimensions will differ. A small difference over many inches makes a big difference in fit.

To adjust gauge: a smaller needle or hook produces more stitches per inch; a larger needle or hook produces fewer. The goal is to match the pattern’s gauge, not its suggested needle size.


Sett is the weaving equivalent of wraps per inch (WPI). Sett controls how open or dense the finished woven cloth will be. A standard starting point for sett is half the WPI for a balanced plain weave. Twill structures generally require a slightly closer sett; lace structures a more open one.


Both gauge and sett are starting points that need to be confirmed by sampling. Calculate first, then verify with a swatch. Record what you find; your future self will thank you.

Wet Blocking

Blocking is the process of wetting a finished piece, shaping it, and allowing it to dry. It evens out stitches, sets the final dimensions, and for lace, opens the pattern fully.


For protein fibers (wool, alpaca, cashmere): soak in cool water with a small amount of wool wash until fully saturated, typically 15 to 20 minutes. Gently press out water without wringing. Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat, shape to finished measurements, and pin if needed. Allow to dry completely before moving.


For lace pieces, blocking wires threaded through edge stitches produces cleaner lines than pins alone.


Fiber-specific notes:

  • Wool holds its blocked shape well once dry.
  • Silk and silk blends block well and dry quickly.
  • Linen and cotton do not respond to blocking the same way protein fibers do, but wet finishing still softens and settles the fiber.
    Steam blocking is appropriate for fibers that should not be fully saturated. Hold the iron several inches above the surface. Do not press down on wool -- direct pressure and heat flatten the fiber's loft.

    Block to finished measurements, not to the dimensions of the piece as it came off the needles or loom.