I feel like a yarn weenie today. Its evident I'm not a yarn snob.
I'm on a yahoo group that uses various types of 100% Wool yarn, silk, Alpaca, 100% cottons etc and they talk of acrylic like it is the most evil horrible creation in the world and those who use it are poor excuses for human beings. But there are some I rather like.
Red Heart has its uses - I can't say I love the feel of it but it has its uses, just like anything else... Other acrylics I like because I can toss them no guilt into the washing machine and promptly dry them without worry of shrinkage or other horrible disasters occuring.
I've knit for almost 28 yrs and there is no way in this day that I would make sweet baby outfit in anything that is hand wash or special care... its just not nice. Ya it might be soft, but the way I look at it,... if it is special care how likely is the baby to wear it? and isn't that why I'm making it - for everyday use?? For me I wouldn't use it because I don't want the hassle and don't have the time to stand and wash by hand.... maybe that's just me. Baby S here is a puker and 5 minutes in a cutesy handwash and that's it. What fun is that?? It would be banished to the bottom of her keepsake box just because it was a pain in the butt to use.
I have yards and yards of Sayelle yarn from years ago when Sears.Ca used to do their promotionals. You know that stuff knits up stiff but after its first wash it is so sweetly soft. I was cursing at its roughness as I made S's Baby blanket mere days before she was born, then mum tossed it in the wash and it was super soft... even I would snuggle up with it.
So tell me yarn users... would you shun me if I sent you a beautiful hand knit outfit that you could toss in the wash without a thought? Even if it was soft?
I'm feeling rather sensitive these days about this issue because I've made about 6 different outfits for friends new babies in yarns like Bernat Baby Softee and the like - washed them so they're soft (with no harsh chemicals) and sent them on their way but if you wouldn't wear it on the baby what was the point of my making it?! Maybe I'll resort back to buying cheapo outfits and keep my hand knits to myself... *sniff*
Tell me, I'm curious.....
5 comments:
I'm with you, I like to use simply soft yarn for afghans and kids ponchos and such, and I have no problem using the acrylic baby yarns either. It's nice to have the high end yarns for small projects, but if you crochet as much as me, and need a constant flow of yarn (lol) it can be quite costly. As for red heart, they've got some nice colors, but I wish they were a little softer feeling.
All About the Hook, I'm with you. I wish the Red Heart was softer, but I've always got something, going and if I actually used the more expensive yarns for the projects I do we'd be broke...
Oh well, guess I'm not a purist! LOL!
wow, well said! I'm going to go ahead and make my baby an outfit in acrylic without feeling guilty; red heart baby yarn is soft, plus it makes since to have baby stuff that is easily washable.
I "inherited" a partially finished afghan (a friend's deceased sister had started it). The color I need to finish it is off-white Sayelle acrylic. Any idea how I might find it? Thanx!
Short of trying Ebay or Ravelry, I don't really know what to say... I have white but not off-white... and I'm not sure if there is a difference between the Canadian and the US version - cause I know the labeling is somewhat different.
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