Do you ever wonder how days are declared official holidays or celebrations? Who decided to create Social Media Day or Flag Day or Bring Your Teddy Bear to School or Work Day? There's a whole website devoted to these special days...some are fairly well known, like Earth Day. But then you have Morse Code Day, Hug a Plumber Day, No Housework Day, Vitamin C Day. Today happens to be I Love Yarn Day. Even though I think all of these special days are fairly ridiculous, I do love yarn so I thought I'd post a list of some of my favorites here to commemorate the very special day (sarcasm implied).
Before we get to the list, let me share with you my yarn bias. I love knitting with real fibers. Once I started knitting with cotton and wool and alpaca, the synthetic yarns just couldn't compare. The problem is that real fiber yarn is more expensive than synthetics. In an attempt to be practical, the yarns below are listed in two categories: (1) Yarns That Won't Send You Into Debt and (2) Yarns to Buy When You Want to Splurge
Yarns That Won't Send You Into Debt
KnitPicks is a great place to find affordable yarn made from real fibers. They have a great color selection, too. One of my favorite yarns from KnitPicks is Shine. If you've ever felt the softness of Modal, you know why. This yarn is so soft and perfect for making baby items, snuggly blankets and other projects that you want to touch. It's also easy to work and displays patterns well.
Content: 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal natural beech wood fiber
Weight: Worsted
Amount: 75 yards / 50 grams per ball
Care: Machine Washable
Sample Projects: Sand Cable Baby Blanket, Modal-ly Baby Blanket, Lace Beanie
2. Cotton-Ease
Cotton-Ease is my favorite synthetic blend. The colors are amazing. It's also a perfect yarn to show patterns. This yarn is durable and will work well for projects that need to be washed often. You won't feel like you're using a synthetic blend. This yarn has all the feel of real cotton.
Content: 50% Cotton, 50% Acrylic
Weight: Worsted
Amount: 207 yards per ball
Care: Machine Washable
Sample Projects: Baby Blanket for Quirk, Basketweave Blanket
This yarn is a great go-to for wool. It works well for a variety of projects because it's a really strong fiber. Make accessories like gloves and hats or use it for a durable wool blanket. The yarn drapes really well after blocking.
Content: 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
Weight: Sport
Amount: 137 yards / 50 grams per ball
Care: Hand Wash
Sample Projects: Twin Leaf Baby Blanket, Bias Blanket
If you need a durable yarn made from cotton, this is your solution. It comes in all sorts of colors and is great for household items like dishcloths, potholders, rugs, etc.
Content: 100% Cotton
Weight: Worsted
Amount: 120 yards / 70 grams per ball
Care: Machine Wash
Sample Projects: Ballband Dishcloth, Baby Beanie
Yarns To Buy When You Want To Splurge
1. Shelter
Oh my. I love this yarn. It works perfectly for projects that require color work. It drapes perfectly. It's delightful. Did I mention the colors are beautiful, too? Buy a pattern from Brooklyn Tweed and make it with this yarn. You won't regret it.
Content: 100% Targhee-Columbia Wool
Weight: Worsted
Amount: 140 yards / 50 grams per ball
Care: Hand Wash
Sample Projects: Seasons Hat, Tawny Owl
2. MadelineTosh
My favorite thing about MadelineTosh yarns is the lovely selection of colors. The yarn comes in all sorts of weights and fibers, but one I really like is Tosh Merino.
Content: 100% Superwash merino wool
Weight: DK
Amount: 225 yards
Care: Machine Wash, Air Dry
I made a cowl in this pattern that I never want to take off in the winter. It's soft, cozy and warm. And somehow it's squishy, too. The color selection is extensive and will leave you wanting to by skeins and skeins.
Content: 100% Merino Wool
Weight: Worsted
Amount: 210 yards
Care: Hand Wash
Sample Projects: Linear Cowl
4. Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton
This is a totally different type of cotton yarn. It's soft and easy to use and has a smooth finish to it. Because it's so smooth and even, the yarn looks perfect for any stitch pattern.
Content: 100% Organic Cotton
Weight: Worsted
Amount: 210 yards
Care: Hand Wash
Sample Projects: Baby Sweater
How about you? What's your favorite yarn?