What's your favorite yarn for knit or crochet?

[proverbs356lady]

I've been doing some knitting and crocheting lately and would love some suggestions on a nice yarn to use. The yarn I'm currently using keeps splitting and is difficult to work with. I'd like to choose a better quality yarn for my next project.

 

All suggestions are welcome. What yarn would you choose if money was no object? Also what would you choose if you were on a tight budget? I plan to try making scarves, mittens, blankets, and eventually socks.

[clementine]

I'm still a newbie with knitting/crocheting, but I love knitting scarves with fun fur and another medium weight warn together. I can make something that looks really nice & unique. Revelry is a wonderful place to look at projects & patterns. They all tell which yarn they use.

 

Happy knitting! :D

[I talk to the trees]

For durability and ease of knitting socks, I love Indulgence sock yarn, but for the colors, I love Opal sock yarn.(I have been knitting a LOT of socks lately!) Everything heavier than sock-weight I have been spinning myself, so maybe someone else can chime in. Check out Ravelry.com. You can find opinions on just about every yarn ever made there! Oh, and if you haven't been to WEBS online (yarn.com), be sure to check that one out, too. They have some fantastic end of the year sales going on right now.

Edited December 29, 2011 by flutistmom
Punctuation

[WishboneDawn]

It depends completely on the project. I use everything from merino laceweight to bulky acrylic.

 

What are you making?

[bbkaren]

If I may drift a little bit...I too have just started to learn about crocheting. Literally, JUST started.

 

I bought the following yarn and hooks:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B7S3F6/ref=oh_o04_s02_i00_details

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XZYISM/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

 

My goal is to make some dishcloths, since the ones I bought from ebay are falling apart and I love using crocheted dishcloths.

 

The yarn I bought is much thinner than the yarn in my old dishcloths. I figured it'd take me an hour to make a dishcloth with that thick yarn, but with this thin stuff, it'll take me a month! lol I imagine I'll wind up with a spectacularly durable dishcloth, though. :)

 

Is there a resource that tells us what yarn(s) to use for what projects all in one spot, or a catch-all crocheting resource you folks find helpful?

 

I apologize, it's more of a drift than I had thought...

[Cinder]

Agree with a pp--different favorites for different projects.

 

For socks I like Knit Picks Stroll, Patons Kroy and Red Heart Heart and Sole.

 

For hats made for charities that need washable fibers I use acrylics like Vanna's Choice or Lion Brand Wool-ease.

 

For hats, socks, mittens that can be handwashed fibers I use Patons Classic Wool, Stitch Nation Full o' Sheep (can be splitty) and Alpaca Love, and Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. I would like to try Cascade 220 soon, but I keep putting off an order to WEBS (yarn.com).

 

For dishcloths I liked Peaches and Cream, but they're no longer in business. I've also used Sugar and Cream and it's fine, too.

 

For facecloths I like Knit Picks Cotlin (though it sheds a bit at first) and Shine.

 

That's about all the kinds of projects I make. I haven't tried a lot of yarns that are out there--mostly what I can get at the craft store or at Knit Picks. For 2012 I hope to branch out and experience a bit more of the yarny goodness that is out there.

[Carol in Cal.]

It varies a lot.

 

I like silk, and my favorite yarn is Tilli Tomas silk with beads. However, I have not actually USED it as it is too expensive.

 

For medium quality yarn, Lion Brand is pretty good. It's all strong, washable, and doesn't have that cheap yarn feel. Homespun by Lion is excellent for baby blankets--it's fluffy, washable, and some of it (you can tell by looking) has color variations that work great in a log cabin pattern.

 

For good quality yarn, I go to a local yarn shop and buy something specific for each project. I rarely follow a pattern exactly, but I do use them for jumping off points.

[proverbs356lady]

I'm still a newbie with knitting/crocheting, but I love knitting scarves with fun fur and another medium weight warn together. I can make something that looks really nice & unique. Revelry is a wonderful place to look at projects & patterns. They all tell which yarn they use.

 

Happy knitting! :D

LOL, I tried knitting a scarf with fun fur and it was a disaster. Next time I'll try using it along with another yarn as you did. Thanks for the idea!

 

For durability and ease of knitting socks, I love Indulgence sock yarn, but for the colors, I love Opal sock yarn.(I have been knitting a LOT of socks lately!) Everything heavier than sock-weight I have been spinning myself, so maybe someone else can chime in. Check out Ravelry.com. You can find opinions on just about every yarn ever made there! Oh, and if you haven't been to WEBS online (yarn.com), be sure to check that one out, too. They have some fantastic end of the year sales going on right now.

Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely check these out. I haven't attempted socks yet but hope to try this winter.

 

It depends completely on the project. I use everything from merino laceweight to bulky acrylic.

 

What are you making?

I want to try a little of everything. I know that's not very helpful. I guess for now I need to decide on a nice yarn for a scarf and another blanket.

 

If I may drift a little bit...I too have just started to learn about crocheting. Literally, JUST started.

 

I bought the following yarn and hooks:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B7S3F6/ref=oh_o04_s02_i00_details

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XZYISM/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

 

My goal is to make some dishcloths, since the ones I bought from ebay are falling apart and I love using crocheted dishcloths.

 

The yarn I bought is much thinner than the yarn in my old dishcloths. I figured it'd take me an hour to make a dishcloth with that thick yarn, but with this thin stuff, it'll take me a month! lol I imagine I'll wind up with a spectacularly durable dishcloth, though. :)

 

Is there a resource that tells us what yarn(s) to use for what projects all in one spot, or a catch-all crocheting resource you folks find helpful?

 

I apologize, it's more of a drift than I had thought...

It seems that a lot of people are using ravelry as a resource. I've seen a lot of links to pretty projects from there. I think it's time for me to join that site.

I've made a lot of dishcloths to practice my stitches. I figure it doesn't matter if I mess it up if I'm only going to use it to wash dishes. lol

Agree with a pp--different favorites for different projects.

 

For socks I like Knit Picks Stroll, Patons Kroy and Red Heart Heart and Sole.

 

For hats made for charities that need washable fibers I use acrylics like Vanna's Choice or Lion Brand Wool-ease.

 

For hats, socks, mittens that can be handwashed fibers I use Patons Classic Wool, Stitch Nation Full o' Sheep (can be splitty) and Alpaca Love, and Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. I would like to try Cascade 220 soon, but I keep putting off an order to WEBS (yarn.com).

 

For dishcloths I liked Peaches and Cream, but they're no longer in business. I've also used Sugar and Cream and it's fine, too.

 

For facecloths I like Knit Picks Cotlin (though it sheds a bit at first) and Shine.

 

That's about all the kinds of projects I make. I haven't tried a lot of yarns that are out there--mostly what I can get at the craft store or at Knit Picks. For 2012 I hope to branch out and experience a bit more of the yarny goodness that is out there.

Thank you for all your suggestions! Will check them out.

 

It varies a lot.

 

I like silk, and my favorite yarn is Tilli Tomas silk with beads. However, I have not actually USED it as it is too expensive.

 

For medium quality yarn, Lion Brand is pretty good. It's all strong, washable, and doesn't have that cheap yarn feel. Homespun by Lion is excellent for baby blankets--it's fluffy, washable, and some of it (you can tell by looking) has color variations that work great in a log cabin pattern.

 

For good quality yarn, I go to a local yarn shop and buy something specific for each project. I rarely follow a pattern exactly, but I do use them for jumping off points.

Thank you! I'm seeing a lot of people like lion homespun. In another thread someone linked to a blanket made with 2 strands held together. That may be a good place to try next.

 

In your experience, is it worth paying the higher price for specialty yarn at a local yarn shop? We have one nearby but I haven't splurged yet.

 

Thank you all for your thoughts! This really helps a lot!

[Carol in Cal.]

In answer to your question of whether it is 'worth it', it depends. (You knew I was going to say that, right?)

 

If you just count the cost of the specialty, high quality yarn vs. buying something new, usually the new item is cheaper. That is annoying.

 

OTOH, if you want to knit because either you want something very specific, or you want something to do with your hands while you are conversing or watching TV, or because you think that a gift made by hand is the best keepsake of all, or because you love the idea of wearing something that you made yourself, then it's worth it.

 

Personally, I knit mostly scarves, and I knit for pleasure and to occupy my hands and to make lovely things for me and for others. So I use beautiful yarns, call it my hobby budget, and feel good about it. But I don't go all crazy and buy Tillie Tomas beaded silk. I can't justify that. I also shop yarn sales a lot, check the dollar stores for bargains, (I sometimes do find Lion yarn there for $1 a ball, and then it IS cheaper than buying something already made.), and buy yarn from discounters at the local weaving and knitting conferences. So that evens out the costs quite a bit.

 

I do want the LYS's to stay in business, though, so I try to buy there as much as I can justify, but usually just sale yarns or their lower end of high end stock.

[sdreeves]

I love Dale garn, from Dale of Norway, or Faulk, which is a washable wool.

[In The Great White North]

Lamb's Pride

[I talk to the trees]

I just thought of another one that I like, mostly for the colors: Full o' Sheep. That one is relatively inexpensive, comes in a great variety of colors, and you can get it at Jo-Ann for even less if you use a 40% off coupon! My only complaint is that I wish the skein size was a bit larger.

[Carol in Cal.]

Thank you! I'm seeing a lot of people like lion homespun. In another thread someone linked to a blanket made with 2 strands held together. That may be a good place to try next.

 

I'm still pretty new, but I had an awful time with the Lion homespun. I just thought it was really difficult to work with. I was going to make some scarves out of it for Christmas gifts but ended up returning the skeins I hadn't opened yet and using something different (Loops & Threads Charisma).

 

My very favorite yarn that I've found so far is Malabrigo worsted merino wool. So soft and nice! I just bought some today to make myself a hat and scarf. :001_smile:

 

I find Homespun very easy to work with on either wooden or those really good metal circular needles. (Good needles are ALWAYS worth it. You will use them forever. Do not mess around. Get good ones. And NO plastic ones, ever. Wood or metal, only.)

 

I like the Malabrigo cotton a great deal myself. It is very soft, and nicely spun, with just a bit of variety in tone to keep the color interesting.

[OrganicAnn]

I also like to see and touch it before buying it, so I usually prefer going to a store. Also like when they have a square knitted in the yarn to look at. I can better envision my product when I see the yarn.

 

If you don't have a fancy yarn store, I've found the best selection of the various chain stores is at JoAnn fabrics.

[KatieJ]

Thank you! I'm seeing a lot of people like lion homespun. In another thread someone linked to a blanket made with 2 strands held together. That may be a good place to try next.

 

I'm still pretty new, but I had an awful time with the Lion homespun. I just thought it was really difficult to work with. I was going to make some scarves out of it for Christmas gifts but ended up returning the skeins I hadn't opened yet and using something different (Loops & Threads Charisma).

 

My very favorite yarn that I've found so far is Malabrigo worsted merino wool. So soft and nice! I just bought some today to make myself a hat and scarf. :001_smile:

 

I have used Lion homespun for knitting and crochet work. It is lovely yarn, but I find it very difficult to crochet with. Knitting is no problem.

But al those curly cues and such make it hard to find the place to poke your crochet hook. I don't think it should be used by a beginner unless you are knitting with it.

 

I am currently crocheting an afghan with it and it will be beautiful, but it is taking a very long time.

[astrid]

ha ha ha ha......:lol:

 

What's my favorite yarn?

What's my FAVORITE yarn??

WHAT'S MY FAVORITE YARN???

 

Impossible question for me to answer. I love it all. Well, mostly all. I dislike just about everything available at Wal-Mart (though I don't shop there, ever) Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc.

But oh, there are so many. Webs is my local yarn shop. And yes, the legend you've heard is true. They DO have shopping carts there! :D

 

astrid

[proverbs356lady]

Oh, thank you all for sharing your thoughts! I feel like I have a much better starting point for buying yarn next time around. I love that WEBS site! And I see some of the yarns you like are listed there. Whoohoo!

 

Now that I have the basics down for knitting and crocheting I want to buy yarn that I'll really enjoy working with. It's still slow going so if I'm going to spend that much time on a project I may as well love the yarn I'm using. Right now I'm forcing myself to finish this afghan so I can move on to something else. It looks nice but I'm not loving the yarn.

 

Hmm, looks like I may need to try various kinds of hooks and needles too. I think I saw another thread somewhere on here that talked about favorite needles. I'll hunt around for it.

 

And astrid, thanks! You made me laugh.

[happypamama]

I have found many of the yarns from KnitPicks to be really good values -- not super expensive but still very nice. I've used quite a bit of their Wool of the Andes yarn and have liked it a lot in several projects. I also really like Cascade 220 yarn and Brown Sheep Nature Spun yarn. Also, for wearing well, Kraemer Yarn's Naturally Nazareth has been quite good, and Peace Fleece is supposed to be good too.

[proverbs356lady]

I have found many of the yarns from KnitPicks to be really good values -- not super expensive but still very nice. I've used quite a bit of their Wool of the Andes yarn and have liked it a lot in several projects. I also really like Cascade 220 yarn and Brown Sheep Nature Spun yarn. Also, for wearing well, Kraemer Yarn's Naturally Nazareth has been quite good, and Peace Fleece is supposed to be good too.

Thanks! I'll look at Knitpicks too.

[Carol in Cal.]

Well, the needle question is easy. Addi Turbos are great. They can be used as circular needles or as if they are not connected.

 

I also really like those two toned wooden ones from VietNam. I believe that they are a brand called Lantern Moon. They are sanded superbly--so satiny smooth.

 

I like the looks of the multicolored ones, but it can be difficult to see yarn clearly on them. And although I like the concept of the ones with interchangable tips, I have yet to see a set like that that equals Addi Turbos or Lantern Moon in quality and ease of use.

[clementine]

Wooden needles are my favorite, especially the double-pointed ones for socks. Metal ones are just too slippery and I can't seem to make my stitches as evenly tight on them. Once I tried wooden ones, I was hooked! Are there wooden crochet hooks?