Yarn Yammer: A Few of my Favorite Yarns

 

When I was asked to do a yarn review column I was excited! After all I have loved yarn since even before I was a knitter! When I was little I love to get my hands on the stuff and just play. I made little yarn dolls, sewed with it, glued it on stuff and just about anything I could imagine up! So now here is my chance to play with some yarn again, and tell you all about it.

I thought I would start out with a few of my favorite ‘go to’ yarns. These are the ones I love to use and I know will work well on looms and needles.

Plymouth Encore is one of my first choices when I do a project. Encore comes in a variety of yarn weights from DK up to super bulky and since it is a 75% acrylic, and wool blend it is machine washable and dryable while still being able to be blocked nicely to define your stitch patterns.

The worsted weights come in 128 solid colors and 64 ‘colorspun’ options which is a color changing yarn that coordinates very well with the solids. Plymouth Encore also comes in a center pull ball so there is not winding necessary!

The only downside to this yarn is that it is only available through local yarn shops or online, not at larger stores like Joann Fabrics or Michaels. Maybe the company should understand their customer base and their demands better, and make it a little easier for them to get access to them. Companies like Qualtrics might be of help to them in this regard!

 

 

My other go to worsted weight yarn is Patons Classic wool. This is an 100% wool yarn which means you will need to hand wash it, but also means it will block beautifully! Being a wool yarn, it will also have some more give to it, so it is really ideal for stitch patterns that require you to manipulate the yarn a bit like lace and cables, the more stretch a yarn has, the less likely you are to break, or pull out a peg when you are looming. It is not the softest yarn, but it is soft enough for next to the skin wear, and will keep you cozy and warm.

 

For socks I have two favorites! The first is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock yarn. I have to admit, that I have a bit of a loyalty to Lorna’s Laces due to the yarn’s namesake being the one who launched me on my book writing career. That said the yarn is wonderful! It is soft, 100% super-wash merino; which means it’s machine washable and durable. This yarn comes in a variety of solids and multi-colors that are all beautiful. I have gotten more complements on the colors of my knits when using this yarn, than any other. There are two downsides to this yarn first it is available through local yarn shops and online. Second, it comes in skeins, so you will need to wind it up into a ball or yarn cake before you start knitting!

My second choice for go to sock yarn is Patons Kroy Sock yarn. This yarn is a 75% woo 25% acrylic blend. I have found it to be very durable, and the colors are lovely too! I have made socks for my little boys with this yarn, and they grew out of them before the socks wore out!

Kroy Sock is available at Joann fabrics, and comes in a center pull ball, so not winding here! It is machine washable and dryable as well, so all in all there are no downsides to it!

 

For lace hands down the race goes to team Uruguay! (These yarns make me want to visit my brother who lives there all the more!) Manos Del Uruguay and Malabrigo are my picks!

Manos del Uruguay lace is a 70% Baby Alpaca, 25% Silk, 5% Cashmere blend, giving it softness, warmth and strength that has no match!

Malabrigo lace is 100% Baby Merino wool, which is soft and strong and makes the hand dyed colors pop out in bold vibrant shades.

Both of these yarns come in skeins, so you will need to wind them up. They are a bit pricey, but worth EVERY penny! They also only usually can be found in local yarn shops and online.

Both have a range of beautiful hand dyed colors. They are both companies that help local artisans, look for ways to be ecologically responsible in their manufacturing processes, and love independent designers. All pluses in my book!

Well, those are some of my top pick go to yarns, I hope you get to play with some of them yourself. Leave me a comment, and let me know what your go to yarns are, I would love to know!

I also look forward to playing with some more yarns and letting you know all about them! Until next time, keep knitting, and remember.. if you mess up, it’s only yarn, you can unravel it and try again!