can anyone talk to me about yarn?

[Kveta]

I have just started to crochet (managed to create 4 granny squares so far, so very chuffed with myself :o), and am keen to have a project to do aim for - I want to make a blanket for the sofa first of all (this kind of design, maybe different colours thoough), but haven't got a clue about what kind of wool to use!

I have 4, 5, and 6mm crochet hooks, and have been using wilko's own brand of DK yarn (like this one - www.wilko.com/knitting/yarnfair-double-knitting-yarn-red-shade-41-100g/invt/0101974), although the one I bought says 25% wool/75% acrylic on the label.

should I be using more wool blends, or is there any nice snuggly 100% acrylic yarn out there? And how many balls would you need for a single bed sized blanket of granny squares?!

and where is best to buy yarn from? the only place I've seen it in my town is Wilkos, it's not a very crafty sort of area...

thank you!

Yarn can vary wildly - you can get wool that is every bit as scratchy as acrylic! And 100% acrylic which is lovely. Pure wool or merino wool can be quite expensive - around £4 - £6 for a 50g ball.

The woolly hugs blankets are made from Debbie bliss cashmerino or rialto, rowan cashsoft, artesano superwash, James berry pure merino etc. You should get about 3 plain 6 inch squares from a ball and would need maybe 80 - 100 squares for a single bed?

Little hug blankets are often made from stylecraft special which is 100% acrylic and is £2 or less for 100g. I've also used stylecraft wondersoft which is a little more expesive, but lovely.

I'm currently making a blanket from sirdar baby bamboo which is an absolute joy to work with.

Dk wool generally uses a 4mm hook. Aran would use 4.5-5.5, and chunky maybe 6-8. I'd suggest dk or Aran - yarn seems to get scratchier the bigger it gets!

James brett - stupid predictive text!

I'd definitely recommend Stylecraft Special DK :) it works up nicely with a 4mm hook.

I wouldn't recommend 100 % wool. A sofa cover is prone to stains and you will want to wash it. 100% wool will shrink in a washer. Plus its expensive. Great if you need warmth in clothing that you can handwash. Acrylic mix is way more practical.

There is (hopefully) a photo on my profile of my current work in progress. It is a rainbow blanket in Stylecraft DK. I plan to make it 6 granny squares wide by 9 squares long, trimmed with a border of trebles in each colour. By current calculations that will make it 4 foot wide by just on 6 foot long. It will use 10 x 100g balls of yarn - but I did have some oddments in green and lilac. I bought my yarn at my local wool shop. It works out a little more expensive than buying online but I like to look at all the colours together. If you want to buy online then I recommend Deramores.

It's for DD1's friend to take to university and she has asked me to make one for another friend - I'm looking for pattern and colour advice on that one. DD1 suggested pink and that is as much help as she is likely to be I'll start a fresh thread and ask the Woolly Huggers for advice.

Love those colours TheWoollybacksWife.

OP, I've tended to use 100% acrylic wool, including the stuff from Wilkinsons, and from Poundstretcher, plus a couple of local market stalls.

At the moment, I just want to get some projects done, and to use a range of colours as it lifts the projects and makes me keener to work on them, so I'd rather get more yarn for my money, hence the acrylic. Making granny square blankets is actually much more expensive than people let on - most people don't have "scraps" sufficient to make a blanket lying around and as Woolly shows in her post, a smallish blanket would be 10 x cost of 1 ball. If you want it for a double or king size bed, the cost goes up again.

I'd go with a 6mm hook, as he work will grow quicker, and rummage in local charity shops / eBay to see if they have any 2nd had crochet hooks. I have a vintage crochet hook, possibly bakerlite, which is much lighter than the metal hooks, and has no thumb rest, and I find it more comfortable than any other hook I have. That was off eBay. You might find that treating yourself to a hook pays dividends on this.

Thank you all for the advice! I think I will probably just stick to wilkos for now, until I can get near a shop to feel some wool. We have hobbycraft in the next town, so may try there to start with. My hooks are fine for now, just plastic ones, but they work. If I make a blanket, I may treat myself to a new hook, but can't justify the cost until I've really created something! It's a dangerous hobby though :o

Hi OP,
You can buy yarn online, Deramores is very popular.
Good quality acrilic is the way to go on this project, it will be reasonably priced and easily washed. Something like stylecraft DK.

Don't do Hobbycraft - it's lethal!!! You wander round, "oh that's only cheap, I'll have one of them" and one of that and something else and you slowly bankrupt yourself! Take cash only, and draw out a set amount before you go, lest you be drawn under the spell of Hobbycraft.

This webpage gives an idea of how to soften wool if you find something is particularly scratchy.

another vote for stylecraft special DK for a soft budget yarn, I've used wool warehouse and deramores to buy from online and been happy with both.

hobbycraft had 3 for 2 on all yarn a couple of weeks ago . . .

well, I went to Wilkos today, and they had sold out of the yarn I had been using to start practicing granny squares, so have been left with a nice combo of grey, red, blue, and cream - not sure what to do with it now though! I think since it is so cheap, I'll try a blue/grey/cream granny square blanket, and use the red to join it, then the rest of the red or making star banners for christmas, as I'd like a wee easy project on the side.

then I can invest in stylecraft for making the red and white squares I really want to try!

Miaow, where did you get a multipack from - was it a special offer somewhere?

I can see this hobby getting expensive though...

oh, and I now have 5 granny squares from one (multi coloured) ball of yarn, and no idea what to do with them - thinking a 4 sided bag with a square base, for DD to potter about with (she's 14 months and likes bags) - what else can 5 squares be used for?!

Yarn wise, I don't think you can beat Stylecraft Special DK for a beginner/starter projects. Unless you want a nice proper orange that isn't neon bright :)

Can't think of much to do with 5 squares - the bag sounds ideal!

Several places offer a mixed pack of Stylcraft. Off the top of my head: Deramores, Country Crafts, Masons. Sometimes known as a "Lucy Pack" or "Attic 24 pack"

If you live anywhere near London, there's the knitting and stitching show at Alexandra Palace in October - there's tons of stalls selling all kinds of yarn and you can talk to people with some specialist knowledge. I think they have similar shows around the country periodically and i found them a really useful source of advice when I was starting out. I know they also have a show in Harrogate at some point too...

you enabler Miaow!! Must avoid deramores site for a few weeks, until I've used my current wilkos yarn! DH has been rolling his eyes at the 2 carrier bags of yarn I have accumulated since last weekend [innocent face]

It starts with 2 bags ... and ends up with special chests of drawers being purchased and built for the stash (tra la la - definitely not me).

Hobbycraft will have a reasonable range of popular yarns but you will probably want to do online buying once you get properly addicted - er, I mean have specific things you want to buy. Deramores are good value if you catch them with a sale on what you want to buy (and if you sign up for the newsletter, you will see they basically rotate their sales around every week so you won't have to wait too long). They are very quick to deliver and have excellent customer service as well.