lol i don’t either until i need something! 
this is actually one of the only sites i let them show up on…otherwise they are blocked! 
don’t forget to sign up for their catalog! it takes quite a while for that first one to arrive a lot of the time but it is usually worth it.
Here in Canada, our S&C/P&C is called Bernat Handicrafter… basically the same stuff in different packaging since Lily and Bernat are both the same company.
Anyhoo, I’ve crocheted a tank top for myself out of WW 100% cotton, and made all kinds of things {knit and crochet} for my kids out of it. It’s not the greatest cotton to work with for clothing, but with careful laundering it does turn out nicely. I usually buy it in {nearly} 1 pound balls, so it goes a long way!
The recycled silk blend yarn I talked about earlier arrived yesterday, and it is very nice. I am looking forward to finding a pattern to use it with. My DH is getting excicited about the whole recycled yarn ideal now. He is planning to start looking (fleamarkets & yard sales) for nice sweaters to buy for recycling, he even told me to go ahead and order a yarn swift today, :happydance: , he wants to do this as a new hobby! 
Linda
I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds here, but this board prides itself on not being yarn snobs…but although very nicely written, some of the replies do sound like anyone using less than wool, cotton, alpaca, silk, etc. is a knitting reject.
I know you don’t intend that at all, but please be a little more supportive of those of us who are still not confident enough to outlay tons of $$$ while we hone our skills. Personally, even if I was tons better at knitting than I am, I still could not afford to buy a lot of the yarns previously mentioned. Also, there are people who are vegan who will not use any type of animal fiber… 
Am I oversensitive? Probably. But I love knitting, can’t afford high priced yarns, and feel like the “poor relation” when my beloved acrylic Super Saver is made to sound like it’s not worth my time, and that I’m not worthy to be on the board 'cause I don’t use “higher class” materials. :crying:
If I’ve offended anyone, I apologize…but I did want to let you know that unknowingly, there is a bit of a yarn snob attitude that is coming across - and I know that the board doesn’t want that.
Thanks for listening.
I think you’ll find this article interesting. It really opened my eye when I was a newbie.
You might want to try ebay.com and craigster.com as well. And knitpicks.com of course 
A very interesting article - didn’t see the need for the insults, though. However, most comparisons were with yarns that contain wool. I simply can not abide wool. I break out in a rash, and scratch myself raw. Thus, wool is out for me.
The other example I saw was yarn that contained cotton - and said machine wash and dry flat. This might be OK for certain projects, but I prefer machine washable/dryable.
If I’m knitting for kids, you can bet I’m using the easiest to care for material there is.
I could be nuts, but I’ve made many garments with Red Heart acrylic, and they all felt just fine to me.
So, maybe I’m the “trailer trash” that uses “crap” yarn…and finds it quite satisfactory for my circumstances.
I do occasionally get yarn from my LYS tht is more “upscale”, but for the most part, I stick with acrylics. Someday I’d love to try the soy yarn…but that day will have to wait.
miccisue
I’m an acrylic user, too. I refuse to pay more for yarn, than I would pay for a ready made item. That being said, I’ve discovered that many Red Heart Super Saver yarns would be preferred for items that will not be worn next to the skin…better for household items. The RedHeart Classic and TLC are perfectly acceptable while Simply Soft is my preferred acrylic yarn…you really get a lot of yarn for the money, especially with 40% off coupons.
I also like Paton’s acrylic yarns, they feel good…haven’t actually used it yet, but have some waiting to be knitted.
Someday I would like to try some Brown Sheep yarns.
Maybe I’m just lucky, but I’ve found that most of the Super Saver I’ve used becomes much more wearable after a couple of washings. I don’t know if they treat it with something to make it easier to work with while actually knitting the project, or what, but I’ve found that washing makes a huge difference.
Since most “ready made” sweaters I buy are of acrylic also, I don’t see the big deal…quite frankly, I don’t buy stuff that costs a ton and then has to be hand washed and dried flat. I simply don’t have the time or space for that.
I’ve never tried Classic or TLC (all they carry here is regular Super Saver, and some of the fun yarns like Symphony and Foxy) but I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip!
Miccisue, I’m right there with you in redneck-ness (esp. since I live in Missisippi LOL–we get labeled!) and having wool itch me. I too like Red Heart and Caron yarns and Peaches-n-Cream, in other words, whatever I can get at WalMart. I don’t think it’s crap yarn either. My grandmother’s simple hand-made quilts would probably not win any competition blue ribbons either, but I love them because they’re not fancy (they used scraps, whatever they had). But if someone called them “crap” quilts, I’d be insulted. Practicality is part of the appeal of doing these things ourselves, at least it is for me.
Back to yarn: the LYS’s hours aren’t very accommodating to those who work outside the home; 10-4 doesn’t wprk for me when my job hours are 7:30-4:30. One day I got there at 3:30, but they were closed anyway even though their posted hours are til 4:00, so I don’t wish to brave the traffic to get there when I can order on-line and/or buy at Wal-Mart, whose selection IMO is pretty good for a store that doesn’t specialize in crafts.
I too have bought ready-made 100% acrylic sweaters and love them, so I’ll probably use these when I knit a sweater (not ready for that yet).
Do you have any basic patterns you used when knitting acrylic sweaters? I’d like to try one, but the patterns usually call for high-dollar wool yarns, and I’m not ready at this point to experiment with both the sweater AND a gauge change. Heck, just a basic sweater at this point would be an accomplishment for me!
Cindy,
The pattern I plan to use is on the Bernat website. It uses Solo yarn, and is rated “easy”. Coats and Clark has a cowl neck sweater that uses Light and Lofty and Super Saver…also rated “easy”. Just check out yarn websites or (I think this is right) knittingpatterncentral.com and just browse until you find one that you like and seems like it would be workable for you.
My LYS is like yours…the hours are not at all friendly to working people. Add to that the fact that I work every weekend, and my chances to buy from them are pretty much shot. I try, but it doesn’t happen very often. I also find it amusing (and a sign that they try to cover every level of knitter - both experience and expense wise) that they carry a decent stock of Lion Brand “crap” yarn.
I’ll keep looking and see if I run across any other easy free patterns for sweaters.
does it actually say Crap yarn? :shock:
though i must say that if i am going to buy yarn at Michaels or Hobby Lobby i am more inclined to buy Simply Soft or TLC than I am Lion Brand because I think it is overpriced for what it is and doesn’t feel that great to me.
Though when I first started knitting i couldn’t imagine wanting to use anything BUT Lion Brand. I loved their colors and thought they had all sorts of great stuff. I still have some in my house for some projects that i someday plan on completing. It isn’t that i hate their yarn…i just figure i can get better stuff at my LYS for about the same amount of money.
plus they irritated the heck out of me when they started requiring that i sign into their website to see patterns…hmph!
Yep, read the article. It actually says “crap yarn”. The writer does have some good comparisons, but as I said, in my case it’s kind of like apples and oranges. I don’t do wool…and most of the comparisons were for wool or wool blend yarns. There was one with cotton, but quite frankly, reading the instructions…it would be more work than I would like to put into it. Some people want to use high end stuff if they’re going to spend the time on making something, and that’s fine. I personally want to be able to wear what I make without having the hassle of hand washing, laying flat to dry (and hoping that it isn’t wonky in shape when it’s done), dry cleaning, etc. I like machine washable and dryable, and I like it to retain it’s original size. I’ve found that no matter what they say about cotton, it’s going to shrink if you dry it in the dryer…even if it’s preshrunk and says it is able to be dried in the machine.
Also, in the article, I found the pricing given for the Lion Brand was a tad higher than what I’ve seen in the store. Maybe by only 50 cents a skein, but if you’re talking 10 skeins, that’s still $5…and that could tilt the results of the “survey”.
To each his own…I’m just asking that people respect those who choose, for whatever reason, to use primarily acrylics and not make them feel like they should never have picked up the needles at all if they aren’t going to use wool, cotton, silk, etc.
Cindy,
“Do you have any basic patterns you used when knitting acrylic sweaters? I’d like to try one, but the patterns usually call for high-dollar wool yarns, and I’m not ready at this point to experiment with both the sweater AND a gauge change. Heck, just a basic sweater at this point would be an accomplishment for me!”
The Leisure Arts leaflet 99 Knit Stitches has some sweaters that look fairly simple as well as the Leisure Arts leaflet I Can’t Believe I’m Knitting which has a vest that should be fairly easy. I’m planning to begin them for my GD as soon as I finish the poncho I’m working on for her. I bought some Paton’s acrylic yarn since it’s supposed to have the gauge called for in these patterns, but I hope to make them also with Simply Soft. Another nice thing about these patterns is that the size range is large enough that I can use them even as GD grows a little bigger…she’s only six. The vest and sweater can be knitted for adult sizes, too.
Bjc1050, thanks for the tip. I have that book I Can’t Believe I’m Knitting and will look back into it for the vest pattern.
Miccisue, I agree about the article. BTW I just went to my LYS just for the heck of it. The only reason I could go during their precious 10-4 hours is that I had a root canal this morning and didn’t feel like going back to work. I didn’t like it much–everything is so expensive, and I didn’t see anything on sale. Plus it’s funny that most of their yarn was wool-oriented here in Mississippi! I left without buying one single thing. I guess I’m just a Wal-Mart girl at heart and will probably stick with that, aside from the occasional ordering of something like TLC Cotton Plus.
Nice to know there are other basic needs-type people here!
The vest is a pullover type - not open like a cardigan.
I know this thread is a tad older, but I wanted to add my 2¢ worth. I live on the Florida Gulf Coast so totally understand the kind of winters you are talking about. Heavy wools are definitely too much on even the coldest days thanks to warmer afternoon. BUT wool breathes and thinner weight wools are perfect for our climate. I even make wool socks that I wear all year long.
I’ve been knitting for a long time and I am so thankful that my mom taught me to knit using good quality fibers. It makes all the difference in the world with how your projects turn out. I’ve tried to save a buck by substituting lower quality yarns and in the end am not pleased with the way that something turned out. It makes me wish that I had spent the $8+ a ball instead of the $2-$4 a ball. I also like the way that higher end fibers tend to feel in your fingers. They flow so much smoother and feel good on your hands. I can’t stand to knit with most acrylic and polyesters as they tend to kill my hands after a while.
I am on a fairly restricted budget, but between the little I have and looking for good sales online I can usually keep my needles busy! And I would prefer to knit only 3 or 4 items a month in the “good stuff” than 20 items in the cheap stuff (I could do 20 items. I don’t really need sleep, right?)
Your point is well taken, and one day I might splurge on a better fiber when I get a lot better and feel like I’m capable of making something without so many mistakes. Right now I’m not worthy of expensive fiber even if my budget allowed it. Besides, the dentist, the endodontist, my son’s summer camp, and the body shop (root canal and wrecked in two weeks’ time) are getting all my money :rofling:
I think that your choices, for you, are great.
I can’t understand why this thread keeps going back to wool yarns, though. I thought that - aside from the cost issue - it was pretty apparent that some people simply can not tolerate wool because of the discomfort it causes them. (I’m one of those people…I break out in a rash and scratch myself raw). :??
I’ve never tried alpaca, although it sounds lovely…but I’m not sure of how it compares to wool irritant-wise, and don’t want to spend $7 or $8 a skein to find out I can’t wear it.
I’m just a real low maintenance type, I guess. I live in jeans and Tshirts, and wear Sauconys. I work 11 hour days, and want things as simple as they can be when I get home.
I browsed through Knitpicks, and as I recall, only saw 1 cotton yarn that was machine washable and dryable. All the rest were hand wash. Considering Sunday is my only day off, I just don’t want the hassle of that.
I think it’s great that you love the quality fibers, and that you are able to work with it so well. No one taught me the finer points of quality fibers…I took a knitting class about 20 years ago, and just recently picked it up again. The fibers I’d most like to try in the future are the soy and corn yarn…they just sound so cool!! Still, for now, acrylics suit me just fine. I made scarves for Christmas presents out of acrylics, and have heard nothing but great things about them, so apparently I’m not the only one that doesn’t mind lesser quality yarns.
I’m a machine wash and dry person, too. Besides, price doesn’t always assure quality. As I work with Simply Soft, I’m continually amazed at how nice it works up (this is my 1st time using it). Also, I knit mostly for my GD and dogs or toys or household items. I don’t intend to spend $7 or $8 per skein.
I have discovered that even my cheap acrylics benefit from a little special care in the laundry. I keep a clothes drying rack beside my washer and dryer at all times. Anything that I’ve made that’s 100% acrylic gets either hung up to dry on hangers, or spread over that rack. It didn’t matter how much fabric softener I would use, the acrylics in the dryer would create so much static in everything else, that I would have to run everything else through the dryer again. They don’t take long to dry either… usually by the end of the day {even in the humid summer months}, I have them all put away. Even items made out of dishcloth cotton {other than dishcloths! } need special care or else they look like… well… a dishrag after a few washings.
Do I work with a lot of more expensive fibres now? Yes… I’m the first to admit that my budget has taken a nasty hit since I’ve discovered higher end stuff. Do I regret spending more? Not one bit. Like everything else in my life, I do the best that I can afford that is also practical. PRACTICAL is the key word in any of my fibre discussions. I live in Canada, and since many brands aren’t as readily available here, I need to do a lot of substituting to get end results that I like. I have a HUGE stash of cheap acrylics, but I also have a HUGE stash of more pricey sock yarns and the like. It’s all about what I’m working on, and what the end use of the item will be that makes the final decision on what the fibre will be, regardless of the cost.