Advice needed re yarn for a big blanket - i have a list and cant choose

hi all, i am just waiting for my KB infinity loom which i am very excited about as i want to make blankets for my nephews (to go on their bed), and one to my friend and her 2 boys.

i watch a lot of youtube videos of people demonstrating how they are making various projects so i have been watching several on making a blanket / afghan, and as helpful and amazing those people are with sharing their skill, their time and helping us get on with new projects, it’s really rare that they say which yarn they have used but when they do, it’s not yarn I can easily find in the UK.

i have loads of yarn already at home, but i want new yarn, specifically for the first project.

i have looked at several like the Bernat Blanket which is a kinda chenille type, and have looked at several other brands that do a similar type of yarn. the colours available are not really what i’m looking for but more importantly, i read some reviews about how difficult and challenging they are to knit, dropped stitches and things like that. someone did a swatch using the Bernat blanket and a another not the chenille type and the detail if fhe stitches really varied, and there was loseness and dropped stitches. so i am worried about that and for nowm i will leave this type of yarn alone.

but if you have any thought / comments / advice / reassurance / even photos of projects especially if loom knitted, please please share.

until i get the loom i wont know for sure how chunky i can go with in terms of yar

ideally, i want a yarn which is chunky enough so it wont take me 6 months for the 1st one, the biggest thing for me is that the yarn must be very soft, like really soft.

  • Caron simply soft £5.49 from Amazon (needle 5 mm)

  • Lang Yarns Cashmere - chunky (9mm needles). £31.99 per ball of yarn

  • Lion Brand Yarn - Feel Like Bliss - chunky and very soft but not much choice in colour. £4.54 per ball of yarn

  • Rowan Big Wool, super chunky, 10 to 15 mm needles. £9.49 per ball of yarn

  • Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, £5.50 per ball of yarn, soft.

  • Lion Brand Hometown USA

  • Loops & Threads Charisma Yarn

  • Premier Yarns - Yarn every day bulky yarn

that’s a list i’ve put together, some i have done some reading on and written a few things but i havent reasearched all of them in as much detail

aorry this is so long but please help me, i just want to make the right decision.

thanks very much!!!

Have you considered which are machine washable? That might factor into your choice. Caron Simply Soft is lovely but stands out on your list because it is a bit lighter in weight. The other consideration is the durability of the yarn. I like the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino but it does tend to pill with wear.

You might buy a skein of some of the yarns and try them with the loom to see how compatible the weights are. That may help you decide.

Sounds like wonderful projects and gifts. Have fun making your choice!

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I have used Caron simply soft. Yes it is soft but I used it for a baby sweater. I have also used lion brand hometown for a scarf and hat. I really did like this yarn. Easy to knit with and such a wonderful feel while knitting but also after completion. Plan to use it again. Actually I am currently knitting a throw with bernat blanket yarn. I don’t find it too bad to work with but I’m not a fast knitter. Actually I also have another blanket in progress using bernat blanket twist in purple haze for my granddaughter. This is easier to work with than regular bernat blanket and it is just as soft. Hope this helps!!

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Thank you very much Salmonmac and Knittingigi!

@salmonmac

good point, i hadnt considered the machine washable thing…

what have you used caron simply soft for?

i do want to avoid yarn that pills over time so thanks for saying re the debbie bliss cashmerino

yes i did think of buying balls of yarn to try out but i kinda want to get started really… i’m a bit impatient…

thanks very much; i am excited to get started on those projects :slight_smile:

@KnittinGigi

was caron simply soft definitely soft enough for a baby sweater?

i have used lion brand hometown for a couple of scarves and was very pleased - soft and indeed really nice to knit with. i’ve got some photos of one of thr scarves i loom knitted - will see if i can upload one. would you consider that yarn for a blanket? i have given it some thought if it’s not too thick for the loom i am waiting for.

i had a look at the bernat blanket twist in purple haze - looks really lovely! i have to say that i am really tempted. i have read some reviews that have put me off but also loads that are very positive so maybe i need to get one ball of yarn like Samonmac suggested and try it for myself… think i will order one at the weekend.


if anyone else is able to contribute, i am wondering if any of you who have knitted blankets (big / adult size) could share which yarn you used, why and if you are happy to have used this yarn.

it has just occured to me that i need to create a document for myself with the name of the yarn i have used, for which project and some comments on whether that was a good choice, if it turned out ok etc. i have knitted a few things in the last 2 or 3 years but have never really made a note of it…

also, dont know if it’s me, but it seems there is a lot of choice for yarns that are quite fine weight up to needle size 4 mm or 5 mm and then it seems to more often than not jump to 9 mm and above but not much choice in between…

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I’ve made baby sweaters with Caron SS and it works up beautifully. Washes well and is soft.

thank you very much. do you know if they make a chunkier yarn? i have been looking at yarn again this evening and the caron simply soft definitely looks really soft and lovely. gonna get a ball of it i think but it would be so good if it was a little bit chunkier…

Here are the 2 wip’s that I mentioned earlier. Also one thing about the lion brand hometown, the plies easily separate. Not sure in a blanket if that will make it prone to snag. Did run across another yarn I have that is extremely soft. It’s yarn bee dream spun. I have it in midnight meadow (absolutely lovely). But it is bulky wt(#5) whereas the bernat products are super bulky (#6).


Hope you find what you need

thanks a lot @KnittinGigi

yes the lion brand hometown did that a bit but i didnt find that to be too bad - dont know if it makes much of a difference but i loom knit mostly. i can knit with needles too and have knitted several scarves for my friends and their kids but i have pain issues in my arm and wrist/hand so i mostly loom now.

it’s a really interesting stitch pattern for the grey blanket; what is it called?

the purple one is lovely and i like the stitch pattern.

i have found some bernat blanket twist on amazon (grape kiss colour) - it looks really nice. it’s out of stock but i can order it anyway. do you think one ball of it would be enough for an adult scarf? i’m thinking no but just checking what you think.

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@salmonmac

i have just ordered some caron simply soft in a nice shade of blue. amazon has some pictures of some lovely knitted items with that yarn and though it is quite thin, it kinda looks thick enough. though maybe they used 2 strands to knit. i dont like using 2 strands as i’m really bad at preventing the twisting of the yarn and it drives me insane… so i will see what i will do with it but i cant resist it as it does look really lovely. could always make a scarf in the round on a loom so it’s kinda like a tube sawn up on each end which doubles the thickness.

i always have so many things i want to knit and never enough time to do everything…

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Actually the picture wasn’t very good cause of lighting, it’s actually a pretty shade pf blue. But the pattern I’m using is Cozy checkerboard afghan. Found it on yarnspirations. As far as bernat twist, the skein is 220 yds. I would definitely think one would be enough but just check what your pattern recommends. I actually got this yarn at hobby lobby. Don’t know if still in stock, I got it late winter/early spring.
I did want to say regarding your earlier post, I agree with keeping a record of your knitting. I try to remember to take a picture of everything I complete ( cause a lot are gifts) and then I keep printed pattern with leftover yarn in a ziplock bag. I probably need to refine my process to a binder. Print out pictures and place in binder with any specifics. But it’s on my “to do” list.

i’ve had that problem too with some pictures not showing the true shade coz of lighting.

thank you, i do need to be better organised - your system is much better than anything i have done so far and it has given me some ideas so thank you.

i am in the uk and not sure i can order from hobby lobby but i think i can order from yarnspiration. i tend to use lovecraft but they dont have the range of colours you can find on amazon for instance.

getting the caron simply soft yarn tomorrow. the infinity loom i have ordered has finally been dispatched but no date for delivery. it’s taking a while…

thanks for all your help @KnittinGigi and @salmonmac. will come back, maybe with more questions, but hopefully just to update on which yarn i went for and some pictures to show progress of my first ever blanket project. so excited but a bit apprehensive in case it doesnt turn out as well as i want it to but mostly excited :slight_smile:

They don’t make a heavier weight any more. When you buy a ball to try out, try doubling it and work with 2 strands. It’ll be quite a bit thicker, maybe a super chunky but you can see if that’ll work for you. The yarn does come in a terrific range of colors.

@salmonmac

thank you very much. i’m not very good at preventing / dealing with the twisting of the 2 strands but that is indeed an option. the choice of colours is indeed brilliant and can see how i could use this yarn for many projects

has anyone ever used James C Brett yarn marble? i used it for my first ever scarf that i knitted (on needles) - picture below. the yarn in the ball of yarn was soft and it was really nice to knit (it was a while back but i do remember as it was my first one). but now it is knitted, it’s really lovely to wear on top of clothes (which is fine as it is a scarf) but it feels a bit scratchy agains bare skin.

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it’s a real shame as they have other colours i really like and most importantly, it’s not like self stripe yarn where you can get the stripes all wonky if your tension is not what it should be. i knitted one scarf (with needles) that was self striping and the result was awful with the colour changing half way through rows.

i havent found another yarn that has the effect of the James C Brett but is also soft. can anyone think of any?

Also i found the below online today (scheepjes verona yarn) and just wondered if anyone has ever used this yarn and what they think of it, what they have used it for and if it is soft etc

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Woo, love the colors of the scarf. Well done!
Have you tried washing the scarf yet? That can soften up the yarn and maybe get rid of some of the scratchiness. Follow the instructions for washing on the ball band or online.

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thank you very much :slight_smile:, i do love the colours and the pattern of the colours changing.

no i havent yet and had not even thought of that. gonna do that tomorrow and will see if that helps. thank you!

As far as yardage for a scarf, the usual recommendation is 250-375 yards but of course that depends on the width and stitch pattern that you use.

Speaking of loom knitting. I got my granddaughter an inexpensive round loom to try. She’ll be 8 in about 10 days. I’ve never used a loom but I thought this would be easy for her start with, at least I hope.,

@salmonmac

i got the caron simply soft today. feels so nice and soft as a ball of yarn. have started a scarf with a small gauge loom to try it out. never done a scarf with a yarn this thin so i’m doing a tube scarf which essentially doubles the thickness. will post some pics when i’m further along.

i watched a video earlier re caron simply soft yarn and saw that there are different types: speckled, ombre, stripe for instance.

re the ombre one, the video was not great at reassuring me with confidence that it is a more subtle change of colour that means that even if it changes half way through a row, it is not gonna look like a wonky stripe. is this correct?

the speckle effect seems nice but i am not amazingly keen on the colour tones/choices.

still waiting for my KB (infinity) loom and cant wait to receive it as i think i have finally found a video showing me a nice pattern for a blanket with nice edges to it.

i washed my scarf but it still feels the same. no issues with the yarn not feeling amazingly soft and just means i will not use that yarn for a blanket. shame as it there are beautiful colours i would have liked to try but never mind.

@KnittinGigi -

i hope your granddaughter enjoys loom knitting. i started off with needle knitting but i have issues with my hands and arms which are much less of an issue with loom knitting. there are so many videos on line and i lke trying different stitch patterrns. i have done hats, scarves (knitting in the flat) and sock slippers. i am still a beginner and am nowhere near able to knit certain things like a jumper or cardigan for instance. but i am so happy i found loom knitting so i can still knit and enjoy making things for others :slight_smile:

As far as the ombre version of the Caron SS, look up the yarn on Ravelry and then click on projects on the right of the page. You can see how others have changed the yarn and how abrupt the variations are. For myself I don’t mind the change mid-row especially on a project as large as a blanket. One somewhat painful alternative is to cut the yarn before starting a row if you don’t think you have enough to finish the row.

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