What's your favourite wool?

[NomDeClavier]

Being nosy and wondering whether to branch out, so what's your favourite wool for knitting and/or crochet? Or am I the only odd person who prefers some for one and some for the other?

That's like asking if you have a favourite child. It can't be done. They all have their special qualities.

I can chose a favourite weight though -DK. I Like the versatility and the huge assortment of fibres and colours. It knits up quite quickly but isn't too chunky. I almost never use 4ply or lower. Too slow to knit up. Aran weight is nice but it seems more expensive to make aran things.

I have some lovely cashmere DK which feels beautiful but I haven't used it yet so it can't really be a favourite. Other than that off the top of my head Artesano merino DK. Nice colours and lovely to work with plus it isn't hand dyed but gorgeous and it is priced so you can make a whole jumper or a big blanket out of it and not need a bank loan.

Then there all the lovely hand dyed yarns. All gorgeous but really hard to chose a favourite because I can't afford to use them much.

What about you, NomdeClavier?

I usually favour Sirdar as a brand- it's always a lively quality no matter what weight you use and there seem to be endless options.

also my local wool shop is teeny and sirdar is one of the few brands they have an abundance of options for.

*lovely

oh and my mum uses it to knit and i to crochet.

On I know it's like having a favourite child and it depends what you're doing! I like DMC Natura but not for crochet, I loved DB cashmerino DK and the Rowan cashsoft just isn't as nice. For hard wearing baby/toddler knits I have a fondness for the style craft acrylic now (thanks to woolly hugs!) because it washes and wears well for an acrylic but I tried the Deramores own brand baby and it was lovely. Patons smoothie is another staple. I have some nice feeling Bergere de France stuff I've not done anything with yet, and a Lang merino.

I'm a bit of a wool whore I might try the Artesano merino because it sounds pretty...

I love Sublime Cashmerino. I made a throw from this ages ago and it is so warm and soft and it washes beautifully. It was lovely to crochet with as well and has ruined me for cheaper yarn

I also like Manos Del Uruguay DK silk blend and Debbie Bliss Andes.

I love Noro, but a lot of their yarns have mohair or angora in, so I can't use those.

I saw the most amazing yarn at the Knitting and Stitching show the other week, it's hand dyed in the most amazing colours with slight variation through the skein. Coolree I resisted buying some there and then because I didn't have a project in mind. I think it could be good yarn for crocheting so I am learning to crochet just so that I can buy some of this. Even though I have a ton of other crafty things that I ought to finish first.

Different yarn for different projects :)

I love Sirdar Baby Bamboo for baby blankets - it has a lovely weight and drape.
Stylecraft DK for bog standard stuff.
Drops Eskimo for felting. (and I love many other Drops yarns for value for money)
I love the Wooly Hugs yarns but not enough to buy them to use on a regular basis really.

I have not long started crocheting. I am making a blanket at the moment from Paton's Fab yarn. It's very bright and really soft, I can't wait to finish it!

Sublime is lovely, it really does live up to its name! I love Rowan pure wool aran. I'm making a jumper with it and it just knits beautifully, the stitch definition is amazing. However, it is not cheap!

I tried Wendy Pampas last week and knitted a hat and scarf for dd in an afternoon. It is a bit like Sirdar big softie but seems stronger. It is lovely and soft and nice to knit with.

ObtuseAngel - I was at the Knitting & Stitching show too (in Dublin) & visited the Coolree stand too! Amaaaazing yarn but expensive! I ummed & aahed at the stand for ages but even the "bargain bucket" yarn was 15€ and I couldn't justify it...especially when the girl told me I'd need three skeins for any of the projects! It was BEAUTIFUL though...

I use a lot of cascade 220. It is really inexpensive for 100% wool. There are loads of lovely colours, and it's a good weight for many projects. But it doesn't feel that nice to work with.

I've also discovered Drops, and their yarns are really inexpensive and good prices for alpaca etc. Nepal is only £1.50 ish for 50g and is soft and toasty warm.

I am also a yarn whore!

Malabrigo is probably my favourite for feel, choice of colours and different yarn weights. Tis lush.

Buttered - I went to have a look at Drops yarn and found that they have loads of videos available on their website which I think might be incredibly useful. The wool looks very pretty too.

I was at the Dublin K&S too WeeJo (I thought they could have had wider aisles, it was really difficult to get up and down and be able to see the stalls). I spent quite a while just stroking the Coolree yarns, especially the ones with silk in them. Perhaps I should order a skein just to cuddle it and not worry about what I might make out of it.

I'm quite new to crochet and don't knit at all! I really love Sirdar Calico, I've done a granny square blanket out of it and it 's lovely and soft and the colours and gorgeous..... I've done a couple of woolly hugs squares out of Artesano Superwash Merino and it gives a lovely finish...... Drops yarn is fab value for money.

I recently crocheted myself a poncho and used Deramores Vintage Chunky, which is a merino/acrylic mix and is amazing value at £2.79 for 100g. It's in beautiful muted colours and has a soft, heavy feel to it. I ordered 800g for my poncho and have about 200g left over!

I spend muchas time looking at yarn, but I totally overthink it and get scared I'll buy it and wont use it!!!

I have only just learned to crochet and I just LOVE it. I have been knitting for 30 years and I feel unfaithful!!!! Anyway, as I was learning I didn't want to use pricey yarn so I have discovered the beauty of Stylecraft Special DK. It is 100% acrylic. 100%!!!!!! I've always been such a yarn snob I amaze myself with my 50 different shades of this lovely acrylic at home; at £1.69 a ball I can afford to keep buying colours to have fun with, and that's what crochet is all about, isn't it?? I am planning on doing the Attic24 granny stripe blanket and I'm just going to go crazy with random colours. Oh the joy!