Favorite yarns?

Ilove2knit · 03-14-2008, 12:13 PM

I have only ever knitted with acrylic and cotton, and now a wonderful cotton/acrylic blend. I want to branch out somewhat, but I don't want to waste money on yarns that aren't good. So I was wondering if y'all would post what your absolute favorite yarns are...and why...and all about them...and any drawbacks. Pretty please?

I'll start. My new favorite is TLC Cotton Plus. I'm using it for "Tempting 2". It's worsted weight, cotton/acrylic. It's wonderfully soft, and easy to work with. And the stitch definition is perfect! I haven't finished anything with it yet, so I can't judge its washability or wearability. It runs around $2-4/skein. The only drawback is that I haven't been able to find it locally; I ordered it online. I actually just bought some more off ebay.

knitgal · 03-14-2008, 05:24 PM

Is there a reason you haven't knit with wool? Are you allergic?

Personally, I love Manos del Uruguay for several reasons, the colourways are beautiful, it is made by a co-op in Uruguay that supports the local women there, it's merino wool and quite soft and warm. Drawbacks: It's expensive, I made an afghan out of it and it has pilled like mad and it's not easy to wash.
I also like Paton's Shetland Chunky for a less espensive yarn that comes in a million colours, is good for larger projects like throws and it is easier to wash.
Malabrigo is a favourite of many people on KH. It is similar to Manos, but a lot softer. I bought some of the lace weight as a gift for my aunt (i should have bought some for me too!) and she loves it.

Personally, I like my yarn to have some wool in it. It depends on the project of course and if you are allergic then it's not really an option, but I really like the durability of wool and it's many other great qualities as well, such as warmth.

Ilove2knit · 03-15-2008, 12:40 AM

I haven't used wool yet, just because I'm new to knitting. When I've felt (no pun intended) wool at the yarn store, it felt scratchy to me. I like soft yarns. I do have some cashmere; I just haven't used it yet. I also have some Wool-Ease, and I started a project with it, but frogged it because I didn't like the way it was shaping up. I'll still use it, I'm just redesigning the pattern to suit me.

Knit4Fun · 03-15-2008, 12:58 AM

If you are okay with wool, I highly recommend trying out some Malabrigo...it isn't super expensive and it knits up beautifully! For something good but not as expensive, I like Patons Classic Wool. Anything with alpaca and silk is pretty dreamy too!

scout52 · 03-15-2008, 01:23 AM

I second silk recommendation. I would also recommend bamboo. it silky feeling but a little less expensive.

Viridian · 03-15-2008, 04:28 AM

I haven't used the whole gamut of yarns, but right now, my preference is Dark Horse Fantasy yarns. They're a really soft blend of nylon and acrylic and insanely easy to knit with (I can say this with confidence, as I'm a n00b knitter). Not terribly expensive and their multicolor skeins are really pretty.

I also like Canon Simply Soft -- I'm the same with anti-itchy, rough yarns -- that has enough tension and spring to it without being too rough. Good for hats, gloves, etc.

ArtLady1981 · 03-15-2008, 07:30 AM

My TOP TEN favorites:
1) Trendsetters "Tonalita"
2) Manos del Uruguay "Silk Blends"
3) Louisa Harding "Grace"
4) Noro "Silk Garden"
5) Debbie Bliss "Donegal Luxury Tweed"
6) Elsebeth Lavold "Chunky AL"
7) Jo Sharp "Silkroad DK Tweed"
8) Rowan RYC "Cashsoft Baby DK"
9) Yarns Northwest Silk and Merino/The Diana Collection
10) Cascade 220 Wool

I would've included Malabrigo, but the colorways (within the same color number) from hank to hank are too unstable. Very disappointing.

knitgal · 03-15-2008, 02:04 PM

I definitely understand the whole scratchy thing. I have felt a lot of wools that are scratchy and they just don't appeal! I would definitely recommend anything made of merino wool as it is softer than regular wool. I also think that alpaca is the best thing on earth, but as you live in Texas, it may be a little warm for you. It's probably the softest fiber I've ever felt though.

MadelineM · 03-16-2008, 07:09 PM

I often find, though, that wool yarns feel much scratchier in the skein than they do knitted up. I even thought Malabrigo felt a little rough twisted into a skein, but I'm totally in love with it now, it's so soft and lovely. I make hats out of it all the time. So maybe you need to give it a chance?

annomalley · 03-16-2008, 07:26 PM

My favorites wool yarns are Brown Sheep Co., which softens up very nicely after you wash it, and Lorna's Laces, which has very beautiful colors. This one's a bit on the pricey side, though, but it's superwash, so it's soft in the skein.