knitting and crochet yarn

taurusgb

I mostly sew but do like to knit and crochet from time to time. I can't use wool as it makes me itch but am getting more and more irritated with acrylic yarn that goes bobbly when washed (have to buy cheap yarn as it is all I can afford).

I have been looking at some branded yarn that costs more than I would normally spend, so I want to make sure as I can it is worth the extra money. It is available in 100% cotton or 50% cotton/50% polyester blend. Which of these would be best and least likely to bobble over time please?

Little_Vics

I love knitting with cotton, but it can be expensive - even on ebay. I'll watch this thread with interest!

welshmoneylover

Stylecreaft special dk yarn is lovely to work with and washes well. You can buy it from the wool warehouse.

Have you read attic24?

summerspring

My favourite is Rowan cotton yarn, but it is expensive. There is a website called McA direct, I think they are in Edinburgh. They have a good variety of yarns and the postage is reasonable. Might be worth a look?

jap200

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Stylecreaft special dk yarn is lovely to work with and washes well. You can buy it from the wool warehouse.

Have you read attic24?

I second the Stylecraft recommendation - it's quite cheap too.

Personally I don't like to use cotton as it is heavy when finished, doesn't have much 'give' in it and seems to get dirty quickly. However, it all depends on what you are making of course.

Carriannelouise

Just a thought but i once had a lovely cardigan made from pure wool, it had a cotton lining im just wondering if you could do that with your design? it would be useful if you really liked a particular type of wool or colour. im sure all you'd need is some light weight cotton jersey fabric for the inside? im thinking of doing this with the long sleeve bolero im making to make it both a bit more winter friendly and a bit less itchy! x

Kinski

Flumina wrote: »

There is a website called McA direct, I think they are in Edinburgh. They have a good variety of yarns and the postage is reasonable. Might be worth a look?

Ooooooo one of these shops isn't far from me, I've never heard of them but then I never ever go into town unless I count getting dragged up there once just before christmas ever year, I think I might just be going up in the next few weeks

pollypenny

Has anyone used Abakhan? They have a big mill in Flintshire and a shop in Chester .

They frequently have offers on various yarns. I always enjoy browsing there.

http://www.abakhan.co.uk/

Carriannelouise

pollypenny wrote: »

Has anyone used Abakhan? They have a big mill in Flintshire and a shop in Chester .

They frequently have offers on various yarns. I always enjoy browsing there.

http://www.abakhan.co.uk/

I've ordered from them online. they once were selling a random assortment of 20 knitting patterns for £1! there were mainly rubbish patterns but i did get 4 or 5 nice ones and i sold the rest on ebay for £1 each inc post. i have also bought the bags of wool balls from them, they've had some lovely ones on offer xx

pollypenny

I am fizzing at the moment.

I bought a lovely Aran pattern, Sidar 1776, to make jackets for my grandsons.

The first size says just two balls, which in hindsight is daft. I had to start the fourth ball to finish the second sleeve.

I had seven balls, which should have done a first size and 18 month to two years. I had checked tension and have used this yarn before.

Maddening. :mad:

whizzybee

As a knitter and crocheter too I know what you mean about acryllic wool - I only have the loose ends now as I refuse to buy new, so just using the scraps now in a blanket project.

I find the blends are normally ok - 50/50 cotton/acryllic ratio, just struggling to think of names! I think snuggly by Sirdar is one of them. Rowan cotton is nice too. From my, albeit limited, experience, if you want quality, Im afraid you have to pay for it. However Ive managed to pick up some bargains on Ebay by buying in bulk - got ten 50g balls of wool/acryllic mix for £20 which Im currently making into a cardigan! Keep an eye on sales on online shop, as mentioned McA direct (who also have a fab shop in Stirling) are a good one, Texere Yarns in Bradford are also good and if you ever get a chance to visit TY, man it makes me drool thinking about it, all the wool over two floors!! Sometimes, ive stumbled on some bargains in charity shops as well, although its more of a pain if you have a specific colour or wool thickness in mind. When John Lewis sales hit, you may have to elbow a few nice old ladies out of the way but they have nice wool and sometimes with some cracking discounts.

Experiment, take in some of these fab suggestions and above all - enjoy!