There is a sale on Bernat Bamboo, Cashmere, Soy & Alpaca (2/$6, regularly $3.99 each) and I am looking for opinions since I have never used any of these before. (My experience is limited to Red Heart Supersaver acrylic and Cascade 220 Superwash wool.)
Has anybody used any of these before? Is it worth picking up and trying a couple of skeins?
They also have Bernat Max on sale (2/$8, reg $4.99 each); I really don’t know anything about Bernat yarn at all so any opinions would be helpful.
Thanks!
I got the Bernat cashmere yesterday. It seems really nice, but haven’t done anything but look at it yet. Jan got the Alpaca and likes it. I think she posted about it in a thread about alpaca; you could search for it.
I’ve got the soy. It’s nice and soft and knits up beautifully.
I did buy some Bernat Alpaca because it’s super soft. It’s a bulky yarn whereas the others are worsted though. I’ve been reading about it and apparently it sheds really bad, but I haven’t tried it yet.
I wanted to make a sweater with it, but I may go with the soy or cashmere since they don’t shed. Not sure yet.
Girlfriend,
Once you’ve knitted with alpaca or cashmere, hun, you are totally hooked on the stuff. OMG it’s like drugs or something.:clink: From now on you will be comparing softness to those and regular ol’ yarn will be sorely lacking, I’m afraid… roflmao!!! I know, cause I’ve done it myself. :roflhard:
YEP YEP YEP, just thought I’d warn ya!!!:whistle:
I just used the Bernat Bamboo for some cabled armwarmers, and just picked up some more to make a matching hat and/or scarf for myself. I really liked the yarn - so soft and with such a nice sheen to it. I like textured yarn like that - some may not, but I was happy to find it on for such a good deal last night as well! 
Bernat Bamboo, Cashmere, Soy & Alpaca.
I have used the Alpaca to make a couple of scarfs and a shawl for me it does shed, but not as bad after it was blocked.
I love,
love:heart: , love:heart: the soy. I am currently making this shawl with it for a dear friend going through a lot. I plan to make one for myself when I get done with hers. http://www.knitrowan.com/images/freepattern/Border%20Wrap.pdf
I haven’t used the Cashmere. but I think I may have to pick some up to try.
The bamboo is really soft I picked some of it up a few weeks ago but haven’t used it yet.
Michael’s had some colors of the Bernat soy for only $2, so I bought lots (gee, what a surprise - me, buying yarn!) 
Is this better for warm sweater or a summer weight top? Long sleeve or short sleeve? So many decisions…thanks for your help!
Thanks for all the replies! I think it will be worth it for me to try some of these if I see something I like. 
I’ve tried the Bernat cashmere and bamboo.:cheering: Yummy!
I especially love the bamboo- I have 17 balls in my stash for a sweater. Just a note - the bamboo sheds badly while knitting with it, but after I washed it for the first time the shedding stopped. And yes, I now compare all other yarns to my wonderful bamboo!
Ah, I have warm fuzzies just thinking about my precious bamboo. :happydance:
I’m glad to know that the bamboo stops shedding - I really love the handwarmers I finished the other day with the bamboo, but about halfway through I was thinking I may have made a mistake with my yarn choice because of the shedding… I kept going anyway, and I’m glad. The parcel delivery lady admired them today, since I was wearing them (while knitting, of course) when she came to the door!
I took advantage of this same sale at Michaels, I got the Bernat Alpaca, it is extremely soft. I don’t think I would ever use it again though because it sheds so bad. I have used other yarns that shed before but this is worse. Also it is 2 ply and basically comes apart as soon as you start knitting with it. I am going to finish the hat and scarf I am making with it but mostly because I bought 5 skeins of it!! :neutral:
I love it!
So I stopped at the store yesterday to see what they had – and they have the Soy on clearance for $2 too (as well as being on sale 2/$6. I’m not sure why they bothered with the sale tag). I wanted to grab some, but I resisted since I don’t have a project in mind.
I should probably start a new thread for this question, but how do you buy yarn when you don’t have a project already in mind? Do you just buy a couple of skeins and hope for the best? Do you have a set amount that you get when you’re just stash building?
There were some very pretty colors in all of the sale yarns, so I’ll probably go back tonight or this weekend and buy some, but I can’t decide if I want 1, 2 or 3 skeins for “someday”.
When I acquired my stash, I guessed at what I might want to make sweaters with and bought 10 skeins. Others I thought might make nice accent yarns and only bought 1 or 2. I wasn’t much into socks at the time so mainly purchased in groups of 10. Some of the leftovers from those are now being turned into socks, mittens. gloves for myself or friends. Some of it I still haven’t found a project for, but I look at patterns with an eye to what might work with yarn I already have.