I was recently given the opportunity by a yarn retailer in Melbourne, American Yarns, to try out some of their brands and write about it here. Well, who am I to say no to free yarn, and also, a lot of the American yarn brands are actually quite difficult and expensive to get hold of here in Australia! But where to start!? So many beautiful squishies, from Bernat to Caron to Lily Sugar'n'Cream, and some new Red Heart lines I haven't seen before...
I've been admiring the Bernat Baby Blanket Tiny chenille yarns for ages to make some little animal friends. What better opportunity to try some, and also make some baby things for my own little one! American Yarns kindly sent me some in the Wildflower and Hush Pink colourways.
The postage was very quick (fortunately, because I am very impatient) and then I had to decide what to make. This gave me time for some very enjoyable squishing and cuddling of the yarn - it is so soft and snuggly!
My first thought was to make one of Anne's gorgeous little Cross Your Heart Teddies as a cosy little friend for my tiny human, but then I thought I better find a bigger project first, as the teddies don't need all that much yarn and I didn't want to run out on making a blanket!
After perusing the Ravelry Projects Gallery for the yarn, I started with a Corner to Corner blanket, thinking that it would show off the colour changes without looking too mind bendy. However I discovered very quickly that because the lovely squishy chenille yarn has almost no stitch definition, it was very difficult to work into chains. So, that half a ball of blanket is sitting here now waiting for me to be inspired to either finish it and make a lovey, or undo it and repurpose the yarn. The outcome is extremely warm, soft and beautiful to touch and hold, just the crocheting was not a lot of fun.
Do you have any suggestions on blanket patterns that require minimal working into chains?
So on to the teddy. Oh my goodness, it worked up so well with a 3.5mm hook, and it is just so soft (I need to find another word for soft). My husband Kiah nearly claimed it for his own, and spent quite a lot of time the evening I finished it with it tucked between his neck and shoulder, just enjoying the cuddles. I am going to make a few more so that as they need washing or the chenille wears a bit thin, the wee flea can still have its snuggly toy!
It's been heaps of fun trying out this yarn. If you're in Australia and looking to buy American branded yarns, have a look at American Yarns! I'm excited to dive in further and try more, but they might have to wait until after I get used to having a small baby in the house!
I made a couple baby blankets with Bernat’s baby yarn. Both were in the round, so the only chains I had to crochet into were the starting chains at the beginning of each round. They were star-shaped, so more interesting than a square. They worked up quickly and were easy, since the pattern was primarily double stitches (US terms).
ReplyDeleteOoh thank you!!
DeleteI'm so glad American Yarns sent some yarn to you. I was hoping to try some of their yarns earlier this year but had to postpone that activity due to all the other demands of my year so far. I am wondering if a more open project would work - working into spaces instead of stitches. Would the chenille be fluffy enough to cover the gaps? Otherwise a pattern that works the hook between stitches rather than into them, like a seed stitch or similar? Thinking of you - Congratulations on the latest publication by the way - and hope you and your little human are all well. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you Jodie! We're going to have a go at block stitch this weekend (using Zelna from Zooty Owl's pattern http://zootyowlcards.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/block-stitch-baby-blanket.html) and will report back!
DeleteIs it difficult to determine stitch definition? I've tried the one baby blanket and I can' see the v's to crochet into very well. It is a yarn that has a slight color variation.
ReplyDeleteIt is, I found it quite challenging. The teddy wasn't too bad though with the smaller stitches.
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