battle of the cheap yarns

Posted on April 13, 2004 by mariko

I just started knitting the Sweater with Relief Pattern (yeah, super catchy name, huh?) from Rebecca #22. I’m calling it the Oh What a Relief T. To see what it’s supposed to look like if it is done by a super craftswoman, go look at Carolyn’s. It’s beautiful. Though I yearn to use GGH or Rowan yarn, I am using super cheap TLC cotton/acrylic yarn for this project. You know what? It’s actually not that bad. It’s a little silkier in texture than Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, another cheapo that I rather like.
Another sweater on my list of to-dos is Grace from the latest Knitty. I was searching around for various fuzzy yarns, but then the Lion Brand catalog appeared in my mailbox. As I flipped through it, one yarn caught my eye–Imagine. It’s a mohair/acrylic blend, and the gauge is just what is called for for Grace! I promptly ordered a few bucks’ worth of the stuff in color cerise. I think it will be a good experiment, especially since I am not sure how practical Grace is really going to be. I’m worried that the mohair is going to make my body all hot but my arms cold!

This entry was posted in knitting. Bookmark the permalink.

12 Responses to battle of the cheap yarns

  1. lem says:
    April 13, 2004 at 21:25

    I *love* Lion Brand Imagine, it’s hands-down my favorite cheap yarn. if they stop making it I’ll cry. it’s cheap and it looks good and feels good too, and is easy to take care of. fabulous for presents.

  2. Melissa says:
    April 14, 2004 at 03:28

    I have never seen the TLC yarn. The color range looks better than Cotton-Ease and it knits up at a slightly smaller gauge. Do you have a store that carries it or did you mail order it?

  3. rock chick says:
    April 14, 2004 at 07:34

    Cheap doesn’t mean bad in all cases. Nor does major $$$ always equal quality. I think we all need to get over our inner snobs (me included!) and use yarns that please us for a certain project without apology. Viva la cheapies!

  4. Carolyn, the Super Craftswoman? Mua ha ha ha... says:
    April 14, 2004 at 08:08

    yeah right – you are such a goofball – i like grace a lot i just don’t understand why all her designs are cropped with another shirt sticking out the bottom. i am not one for the ‘belly along’ altho stacy tried to convince me. i like to keep that baby underwraps!! 🙂

  5. maggi says:
    April 14, 2004 at 09:40

    I just ordered some orange mohair/wool blend from KnitPicks for Grace and am worried about the heat factor too. I think I will knit it longer as well because my belly’s too old to expose! I remember there was a skirt pattern for Imagine, maybe in a KnitIt!, that caught my attention. Will look forward to your review of the yarn.

  6. Sharlene says:
    April 14, 2004 at 10:24

    I’m worried about the itch factor of the mohair too. I’ll bet that is why its pictured with another tee underneath it, because of the scratch factor of the mohair. I have mohair scarves, but I don’t know if I could wear it all over next to my skin.

  7. Silvia says:
    April 14, 2004 at 10:42

    That TLC looks good, lots of good colors. I actually prefer cotton blended with anything, really. I’ve found all cotton to be heavy and saggy and takes forever to dry. Blends are so much lighter! Pretty sweater to choose.

  8. Chelee says:
    April 14, 2004 at 12:02

    I LOVE the look of mohair anything but alas, my sensitive skin won’t even let me wear if on top of other clothing. I think the lower end yarn companies are getting on the bandwagon when it comes to quality, go for it!

  9. Meg says:
    April 14, 2004 at 17:42

    I love your idea of making Grace in Imagine! Expensive yarn doesn’t always equal better yarn, imo. I made my Mom a bow-knot scarf in Imagine, and she says it’s a little itchy, but not too bad.

  10. Michele says:
    April 14, 2004 at 17:47

    Using Cotton-Ease has given me confidence to try new my new knitting skills. It can be intimidating as a new knitter to think of investing $80 or more for a sweaters worth of yarn. Thanks, Mariko, for showing me that knitting can fun and hip without breaking the bank.

  11. carrie says:
    April 15, 2004 at 08:34

    Imagine sounds like a good option — I just started making Grace with Rowan Kidsilk Haze, which the pattern suggests, and I fear it’s just going to be too stringy. But I loved the shade of purple it came in and felt like treating myself. I see frogging in my future, tho.

  12. cherylc says:
    April 16, 2004 at 12:53

    I like the short sweaters with the t-shirts! I think it gives me an interesting look while distracting from my large, post-baby belly. I could be wrong, and it’s all theoretical, since I’ve knit neither Grace nor Kyoto at this point. On another subject, I love Lion Brand Yarn. But I actually want to make Grace in something cottony with slight halo. I’ll keep searching…

Comments are closed.