I adore the colors and I fell head of heals in love with Drops Cotton Light at my local yarn shop. Maybe it was the fact that I could see it in its flesh, squeeze it and squish it, that made me purchase the whole range of colors available right there and then, I don't know. But once at home I realized I had made a big BIG mistake... Just see this review I wrote in pure frustration back then.
It is funny because I have never experienced a struggle working with a yarn before and this truly was the first time. I thought the type of yarn didn't matter that much, that you could crochet with anything but oh my, was I wrong? As they say "You learn the hard way in life", I would like to add "And you learn the hard way in crochet too..."
This yarn, which is a soft DK weight cotton/poly mix, 8ply worked on a 4mm/US6 hook, is NOT made for crochet. It is as simple as that. It splits, it separates, it knots up, it comes off the hook and it tangles up. It makes you growl like a bear awoken from her deep winter sleep. It makes you stomp your feet like a hare calling for his tribe with his big back feet. It makes you arrrrrrhhh, iiiiihhhh and sigh the deepest sighs. It makes you want to throw that crochet WiP you are working on across the room on a very bad day...
I put it aside, needless to say, for a while... Picked it up again, and put it away in pure frustration. And so finally, after the new year had been ringed in, I decided to finish this.
Don't misunderstand me. I love this infinity scarf of mine. And at the end I actually figured out how to work with this yarn in a nice and smooth way. But it needed perseverance, patience and a whole lot of will to make it through. Now I am contemplating with myself if I should maybe make a matching hat to complete it all. I think it will be a perfect late winter scarf and hat set. For when spring flowers peek out from the little snow left on the sides of the roads one day. That day seem far away as we speak but I know it will be there sooner than we think. And the left over scraps needs to be taken care off anyway. I mean after all yarn just can't be thrown away and especially not yummy delicious yarn like this, right?
Kärlek
Annette
Its such a shame, isnt it, because the colours are heavenly, and it does look lovely and squishy. Maybe if you do make the hat and continue to work with the yarn now that you've found a way that works, maybe you will end up loving it ?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the scarf is gorgeous :)
Jillxo
Well....I have been know to donate yarn not to my liking. ; O It does look splitty from the photo. Bravo to you for persevering to the end!
ReplyDeleteThat is so frustrating! Looks great though!
ReplyDeleteXO Kris
Some cottons are so frustrating to work with. The colours are great, BUT... the texture drives me crazy. I try to use mine for the crafty projects: flowers, tea cozies, etc. Nice and small pieces that need great colours but I can work them up quickly and have my frustration in small doses.
ReplyDeleteLove your scarf by the way:)
Oh no! You poor thing, so unfair!!! Your scarf is beautiful though, so your perseverance produced a wonderful finished product! xx
ReplyDeleteWell done on finishing a project with your frustrating yarn....I know what it's like! I'm making a granny square blanket at the moment and the yarn I'm using is doing a similar thing, although not to extent that your drops cotton has! Like you, I love all the other qualities about the yarn, and have now got the knack of not snagging it when doing the puff stitch! It can be very dis-heartening to get a lovely yarn home and then not enjoy working with it! Your scarf is lovely and so are the colours, I hope you can get more enjoyment in wearing it that you did in making it!
ReplyDeleteKate x
I can see why you fell in love with it and I am glad it turned out well in the end. It looks sumptuous x
ReplyDeletehello, I really agree with You, twice I used this fantastic, colourful yarn and problem with this yarn is immpossible, but I finished two blouse for summer, but enough, greetings from warsaw, anna
ReplyDeleteOh I totally get your frustration! I loathe splitty yarn. It's the biggest pain to work with. The compensation is though, that your scarf looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteI bought some cheap yarn to make a mock up of something knitted. I wasn't sure if I could do the pattern so bought cheap to try it first (otherwise it would be a very expensive mistake with good yarn!). Urgh, the yarn is disgusting to work with. I almost wish I had just bought the expensive stuff and dove right in like I normally do. It's taken all my willpower to knit with it as it's so yucky! On the plus side, it's made me see what I need to improve on for the proper make! Yarn is tempting isn't it, it's just a shame that some of it is better to just stay sat on a shelf and looked at, rather than worked with!
Have a super week my friend xxxxxx
P.s A hat would be super if you can bear to make one! xxx
I do love these colors and I do love cotton, but I can understand a frustrating yarn is not fun to work with at all. At least you ended up with a fun and beautiful scarf. The colros are absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh..... with you, not at you..... because I keep using HomeSpun by LionBrand knowing full well that it's going to make me shriek, scream, stomp my feet and utter words that my grandmama would wash my mouth out for using. Yet I continue to buy it, knowing it's going to drive me insane! Sigh. It's just so pretty! If anyone knows the secret to using HomeSpun without losing your mind in the process, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, share it with me!?! Love your scarf by the way!
ReplyDeleteHomespun is wonderful made up, but that starting chain can be sooo frustrating! If you use a slightly larger hook and choose a pattern where you work in the spaces rather than the stitch, it goes much easier. And, keep in mind that since it is such a textured yarn most mistakes are never seen! ;)
DeleteI think falling in love with a difficult fiber happens to every active needleworker at some point. I actually love homespun by Lion brand and adore their colors. I think I discovered one of the secrets to using it successfully. I have made many blankets with it. Two twin sized ones all with homespun and many others mixing home spun with regular medium weight yarn in neutral colors. I really like alternating home spun with caron pound of yarn, red heart super saver or Lion brand pound of love. You can see the results on my blog. You get a lighter blanket with nice body so they hold the shape better. The awesome homespun colors pop more and there is a significant savings. Both yarns hold up to machine washing and drying. The resulting blankets are very warm.
Deletenice color:))) nice scarf:)))
ReplyDeleteOh Annette, I so understand about this yarn....I am much more in favour of fabulous Tilda yarn...so soft and beautiful to work with, and of course the most delicious colours too.
ReplyDeleteSometimes yarn can be chucked out...or taken to the Charity shop, which is what I did with it!
Heike xx
Ooooh...I'm still sitting on a few balls of this in Natural. Beautiful but horrible! Not even my Prym hooks help.
ReplyDeleteI had the same disastrous experience with the same thick cotton yarn and gave it all away to an old people's home which loved it to do crafts with! I will never touch this quality of cotton yarn again - even what I made looked 'stringy'!
ReplyDeleteIt looks so pretty, you'd never know what a pain it was to make would you? Sorry it was such annoying stuff to use though, I must remember not to be tempted by those colours into buying some. Such a shame though because the colours are scrummy. Still now it's done you can just enjoy it! :)
ReplyDeleteS x
It sure turned out beautiful. I love the colors but understand the frustration. I am crocheting a blanket with Knit Picks yarn and it is so splitty I just am so frustrated.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you,
Meredith
You have conquered the yarn so you should make a matching hat.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at your scarf, you can't see the struggle that you had with the yarn. It looks absolutely lovely!
ReplyDeleteMadelief x
I bought this yarn to make 60 daisy granny squares and turn them into a throw for my good friend's 60th birthday. BIG mistake. Exactly as you stated, this yarn doesn't have redeeming qualities save the colours! (I did finish the throw.....eventually!)
ReplyDeleteMy wrist is aching just reading about your frustrations with it. I worked with Blue Sky's organic cotton. It was terrific. I usually don't knit or hook with cotton but I had no problem with Blue. Knit Picks Comfy Worsted is a mix of cotton and acrylic. That was a good one too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the finished scarf. I think we have all been there. Jo x
ReplyDeleteOh i hear you on this. I made a cover for a single bed for my daughter out of Drops Paris. A similar experience, just loved the colors but not the nicest to work with for sure. However, i guess i never learn as i loved the finished piece so much that i bought the same yarn to make a granny squares blanket for one of my other daughters, sigh.....
ReplyDelete