Questions about yarns

Hello, my name is Rebecca and I am from Ohio. Currently it is snowing AGAIN and yesterday was -10 degrees most of the day. Glad I have crocheting to keep me warm. I am excited to join this forum. I have so many questions... I used to crochet up a storm but life got in the way. Now I have a new grandbaby and have picked up my hooks again and have made several sweater sets for her and some new nephews. I have a list ten miles long of projects to try, but yarns have changed so much I am unsure which yarns to use. I consider myself an intermediate crocheter as I am mostly self taught, but am not afraid to try anything. My next project is a little sunhat and dress for my grand-daughter. She lives in the Atlanta area, so my idea was to use a yarn like "sugar and Cream" so her mommy and daddy could wet the hat on a really sticky day to cool her off. I am wondering if it will still hold its shape, or is it too rough for her little head. Should all yarns be softened in the dryer before using? Where can I learn about yarns and which yarn is best for which purpose. Does anyone use magnifiers for thread projects? My eyes are getting old.

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Originally Posted by rterakedis

Hello, my name is Rebecca and I am from Ohio. Currently it is snowing AGAIN and yesterday was -10 degrees most of the day. Glad I have crocheting to keep me warm. I am excited to join this forum. I have so many questions... I used to crochet up a storm but life got in the way. Now I have a new grandbaby and have picked up my hooks again and have made several sweater sets for her and some new nephews. I have a list ten miles long of projects to try, but yarns have changed so much I am unsure which yarns to use. I consider myself an intermediate crocheter as I am mostly self taught, but am not afraid to try anything. My next project is a little sunhat and dress for my grand-daughter. She lives in the Atlanta area, so my idea was to use a yarn like "sugar and Cream" so her mommy and daddy could wet the hat on a really sticky day to cool her off. I am wondering if it will still hold its shape, or is it too rough for her little head. Should all yarns be softened in the dryer before using? Where can I learn about yarns and which yarn is best for which purpose. Does anyone use magnifiers for thread projects? My eyes are getting old.

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Hi Rebecca and welcome! So glad to hear you're willing to try anything. So am I and it amazes me how many things succeed. Of course, I have my failures too but I call them "learning experiences", LOL! Personally, I think of Sugar and Cream as more of a craft yarn for things like pot holders and what not. I would also worry about shrinkage. But I may be wrong and if so I'm sure others will chime in and give me ideas for it. For both children and adult garments I prefer soft yarns like Sirdar or Plymouth DK Baby. Both use E or F hooks. If you want to use a larger hook like a G or H Red Heart Baby Soft is nice as is Premier Yarns Ever Soft. All of these are machine washable and dryable. Just about anything labeled "baby" is usually nice and soft. There are really too many nice yarns out there to list them all or to list even half. If you have a yarn or craft store near where you live you could go and take a look at all the yarns available. Feel them while you're there. Take along a few hooks and make a short chain from the outside yarn end to see how it handles. Does it split easily? Does the hook glide smoothly? Is the yarn too soft or too stiff for the intended project?

I like to blend 2 yarns together, a print and a coordinating solid so I unwind a couple feet of yarn from both skeins and twist them together to see what the blend will look like. The sales people find this fascinating and have never stopped me from doing this. I do wind it back up before returning it to the shelf. If you do this, keep in mind the hook size will be larger than what is recommended on the label. Use whatever hook is most comfortable for you.

I guess the best place to learn about yarns is this site or the yarn manufacturers web sites but there really isn't all that much to learn. If you see a yarn in the color you like, it uses the hook you're wanting to use and the fiber content is acceptable then go for it.

Nope, I don't use a magnifier but I do wear my reading glasses for crocheting. My eyes aren't so hot any more either.

Good luck and welcome to the site and welcome back to crocheting.

Hi Rebeccah you can find a ton of yarn info alone if you do simple searches, here is a good chart to use & there are tons more.
Standard Yarn Weight System | Welcome to the Craft Yarn Council

I wear progressive or bi-focal specs (love progressives and hate bi-focals) and have really weak eye muscles. I'd love to have one of those great craft lights with a magnifying addition over my work!!! Welcome... good luck and stay warm! susan

P.s My signature under my posts is the link to my blog site if you'd like to check it out. A lot of people in here subscribe to it!

I wouldn't be able to crochet without my magnifier glasses. It has been said to only use the strength you absolutely need because your eyes will get used to that strength - so you could end up needing much stronger magnifiers down the road than what you might have needed. My RX glasses are a 2.00 strength (which are fine for reading), but my crochet/craft magnifiers are 2.50. Luckily, I've stayed at 2.50 for about 7 years now.

Hello Rebecca, I live in the Atlanta area and understand that slightly dampening a sunhat would provide comfort. However, I think a cotton blend would hold up much better than 100% cotton. I still consider myself a beginner as I haven't tackled many complicated patterns. Welcome to the forum!

If you want to use cotton, try Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Cotton". It is cotton, but not the stiffer stuff like Peaches and Cream and Sugar and Cream.

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Originally Posted by mamamiaow

If you want to use cotton, try Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Cotton". It is cotton, but not the stiffer stuff like Peaches and Cream and Sugar and Cream.

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I agree, and you might want to try Mercerized 100% cotton, I find it cooler, smoother & easier to work with, plus it had that pretty little sheen! I make my soap savers with it. :)

Hi Rebecca, and welcome. I just went yarn shopping myself today at A.C.Moore and was surprised to find a couple of different brands boasting large skeins of soft baby 80/20 cotton/polyester blends. When I say "large skein", they appeared to be about the size of Red Heart Super Savers (if not larger). I can't remember the brand name, but for some reason I think it was Bernat.

I have liked Caron Simply Soft, Caron Simply Baby, and Caron Simply Soft Paints for years myself, but lately I have really fallen in love with the Red Heart and Lion Brand yarns that are marketed under the names of Amazing, Unforgettable, and Treasure. The colors are so rich and the yarn is so soft. They each have 2 price points - not all that different, unfortunately - and the only difference I have seen in the make-up of the yarns is the wool/acrylic split. The more expensive ones are a much higher wool content. As a matter of fact, some of the lower price points were 100% acrylic, though it was just a pretty and soft. I just finished a very lacy scarf with the Red Heart Unforgettable (Echo was the color). I really think it turned out beautiful and I will soon be posting a photo along with a link to the pattern.

Have fun in choosing your yarn and good luck with your project.

Mark

Knit Picks has a lighter cotton 'DISHIE' not so heavy and breathable. I have made many dish clothes with 'Dishie' . Loads of color choices plus free patterns on the site. You will not be disappointed . Customer service is A-1. Something for you to look into before starting your project.

I would try one of the baby type yarns that also have cotton in their content. There are many finer yarns than the Sugar and Cream, similar to Cotton Tots, and they come in so many other colors. I, too, live in Ohio. Norwalk, to be specific. That's about 15 miles south of Lake Erie and Cedar Point. You can find many more yarns online at the different yarn and thread sites and we are lucky enough to have a brand new Joann Fabrics that opened Friday in Sandusky. I had my 4 year old granddaughter along and really looked the yarns and scissors over, but the fabric area is huge. I can hardly wait to go back again.