Yarn Talk. Yarn Chat. Today’s Yarn. Radtacular Yarnage. The Ol’ Ball and Skein.

I thought it might be fun/useful/interesting if I blogged about new yarn brands/lines I buy and try. I don’t branch out that often, and I have my old stand-bys, so we might as well share info and thoughts together!

I recently purchased some Brava (worsted and bulky) from Knit Picks. I’ve been on the lookout lately for a good replacement for the LionBrand Homespun in pastel colors that have been discontinued, as it was my favorite for the cupcake scarf. For now, I’m pretty mentally committed to Cascade 128 Superwash as a replacement, which is merino wool and chunky, but I’m bummed the pink isn’t QUITE perfect, and there isn’t really a mint green, just a lime green. I also want to see if I can find something cheaper, as Cascade 128 is about $14/skein.

Brava Bulky comes in a nice array of cheery, saturated colors and is 100% acrylic. Brava also comes in worsted and sport weight, for a wide range of projects.

Here are the balls I bought:



Colors: Tranquil, Rouge, Canary, Sienna.

Tranquil and Rouge are beautiful, but I think a couple shades darker than I would prefer for cupcake frosting colors. Canary is rich and beautiful, more yolky than neon, and Sienna is nice and chocolatey.

These are beautiful, soft yarns, at $2.99/ball. For projects where you want rich color, I really recommend Brava!

p.s. if you have any more suggestions for what to call these yarn posts…let me know! πŸ˜‰

17 Comments on “Yarn Talk. Yarn Chat. Today’s Yarn. Radtacular Yarnage. The Ol’ Ball and Skein.”

  • Barnicles

    says:

    Yum Yum Yum!

    Very interesting hearing your yarn adventures πŸ™‚

    I find acrylic yarn good for the price and the variety of colours. I wonder wheither i should be using a wool blend more though.

    barnicles

    • I find that there can be a bias in the yarn world against acrylic. Some are not soft at all and I’ve heard some people think it has a weird smell, which I have not experienced at all!

      I think the pros of acrylics are that they are vegan-friendly, and are good for people with wool allergies. My skin is very sensitive to itchy fibers, and a lot of animal-fiber yarn is itchy to me, even alpaca, which people often tell me is soft!

      But there are certainly a lot of beautifuly, fancy animal fiber yarns out there! I guess it all depends on what you are making and who you are making it for :).

      • Barnicles

        says:

        Right on with the pro’s! Plus washable.

        Hadn’t heard about the weird smell, no noticed it myself either.

        I find it affordable. Thats the main and most important point. Its Β£5 a project not Β£20 or more.

        Are you going to treat us to any work in progress shots? I’d love to see where your create.

        • Barnicles

          says:

          i meant ‘you’ create. opps.

          Barnicles x

        • I often take work in progress shots :), if I’m not working on something top secret! I do it often on Instagram and forget to re-post those photos here, for those who do not have Instagram! I also just rearranged my craft room, so I think I’ll do a video tour after it’s 100% done!

          • Barnicles

            says:

            I forgot that sorry! I dont have iphone but worked out the other day how to view people’s galleries. πŸ™‚

  • theses colors are very beautiful, but I wish lion brand would just suck it up and bring the pastels back! I will forever be mad at them, but I can’t stop buying their yarn because there’s nothing like it. So soft and bumpy. πŸ™

    • I had initial mtgs with a yarn company about my own line (don’t get excited, not gonna happen right now!)and I told them my mission was to have a great boucle (like Homespun) in yummy delicious pastels and candy colors. I was told (a) a lot of people HATE boucles (which I get…some people find it impossible to see the stitches) and (b) that boucle was really hard to dye in those colors. That was one company’s opinion. I TRIED!!!! πŸ˜›

  • Anika

    says:

    Those colors are lovely! I think this is a great idea for a feature. As for a name…I feel like something to do with spinning a yarn would be fun. Hmm, “Twinkie Spins a Yarn”? ha

  • Cami

    says:

    I love the yarn review idea! Keep these posts coming! πŸ™‚

  • doohhhhhhhh

    i am addicted to yarn. A few months ago, I dropped $200 on hand dyed wool yarn. amazing. ALTHOUGH. for lots of big projects, it’s really nice to be able to find a good acrylic yarn to work with. They are cheaper, for one, and for two, they work for everyone. so nice.

    But to be honest, sometimes i think i need therapy for my yarn addiction. oh wells. so, what i’m really trying to say is… THANK you for introducing me to these <3 yummm

    • I NEED THERAPY TOO. I keep saying my goal is to make projects using yarn I have…but then…. I really do need to buy new yarn when certain projects come up. It’s INEVITABLE!!! AHHHH.

  • Gabby

    says:

    I really like cotton/acrylic blends, so I think I would try Knit Pick’s Comfy yarn. But at $2.99 for 50g, it’s a little steep, but still cheaper than LB Cotton Ease at over $7 per 100g and it comes in more colors. So I think I may be willing to try it out….

    I also really like Deborah Norville’s Everyday Soft Worsted. It’s anti-pilling and some of the softest yarn I’ve ever felt! I also like Red Heart Soft and Bernat Waverly.

    I used to use a lot of Caron Simply soft but it got REALLY fuzzy even before I would finish the piece…. and I haven’t tried many of LB’s acrylic yarns (other than Cotton Ease and Vanna’s) and I can’t decide if I like Vanna’s or not… hrm lol

    I’m looking forward to more of these! I love trying new yarns ^^

    • I am down with Deborah Norville, too, except, it still has a slight sheen (much like Red Heart Soft and Caron Simply Soft) that is not really my favorite. I do prefer the matte, unshiny look of Vanna’s, altho, her selection of pinks bums me out!

  • Caz

    says:

    There just aren’t enough yarn shops where I live πŸ™

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