One of the biggest things to consider when starting a new blanket is what yarn to use. There are do many options out there: acrylic, cotton, wool, bamboo, or a blend of all of the above. I tend towards acrylic because it is easy to crochet with and easy to take care of. Plus, it costs less. A major consideration when you buy a lot of yarn. (I understand there are people who will disagree with me on the acrylic. Let’s agree to disagree.)
Recently, I went on a yarn adventure. If you’ve read about my desire to clean up my “crochet corner” (i.e. mess by the couch), you know that I’ve been trying to finish projects and use up yarn. In the fall, I had purchased some Lion Brand Scarfie Lite, a familiar brand in a new weight. I was originally going to use it for a different version of my Daisy Chain Scarf, but the fuzziness made it too hard to work with for that.
I was flipping through a bunch of crochet books that I had on the shelf and came across a pattern I wanted to make: The Sunshine Blanket from Little Crochet: Modern Designs for Babies and Toddlers by Linda Permann. I had originally tried to make a vest for my son and successfully made the cutest dress for my daughter using this book, so I know that it was purchased at least sixteen years ago.
My daughter in the Sweet Daisy Sundress from Little Crochet by Linda Permann. I used sock yarn to make it nearly 15 years ago.
I think I tried to make the Sunshine Blanket back then, but gave up for a similar, easier pattern that I was familiar with. What makes this blanket different is the flowery sunshine at the center. This small (large) detail would either stand out or be completely lost depending on the yarn I chose.
As you can see, the Scarfie Lite yarn (color Tiger Lily) might not have been the best choice. In order to get that center flat, I will have to do a lot of blocking. I don’t like to block blankets. I also ran out of yarn with two rows left to go. Most people would not notice the incomplete petals on the outer row or care about the bunched up center.
All the same, I fell in love with the pattern, so I tried it again.
This time I used some pink yarn in Himalaya Baby DK (an apparently discontinued yarn I had in my stash). The result was much improved though the center could still use blocking.
You can see the patter much better, and I was able to complete the petals in the outer row. The DK weight yarn is also light-weight and has a texture that reminds me of something knit.
The moral of the story?
Yarn choice matters.
In this case, both yarns made a comfy, cute blanket, but one truly outshines the other for this specific project.
The Scarfie yarn opened up a new color option for gender-neutral blankets that I really like.
What is your biggest yarn “oops”? I’d love to hear those stories.
Thanks