Hi all, if you’ve used enough yarns then you must know that each yarn (brand/collection) are not equal. Some yarns have similar thickness, some aren’t, some are more stretchy, some aren’t, and some are squishier and some aren’t. You get the gist, here.
For a while now, I knew all yarns were different, but for some reason it never came to mind that they all stretch differently. I mean, I guess I knew it did, that’s why I use specific yarn for specific projects, but it never really hit me. When I try different yarns and when it doesn’t work for me, I won’t use it again. I didn’t think, “oh, if you create a pattern using this yarn, someone else using another type of yarn might not like their outcome because x, y, z.” I knew that different yarns, even though are listed as the same weight will have varying thickness. I barely look at the “gauge” on the label. I’m sure a lot of people do the same. When I hear worsted weight, I assume they should all be similar. Naive me.
You know what yarn made me starting wondering all these stuff? Lion Brand pound of love! That’s pretty weird to me because I always walk passed it when I’m at Michaels or Joann. This yarn made me think, test and write about it! How different are some of the worsted weight yarn from each other? Does it really matter? Does it affect the overall project?
**DISCLAIMER: I used ONE color from each yarn collection, keep in mind that not all colors in the same collection are the same thickness, stretch, etc.**
13 different worsted weight yarns
1. Red Heart super saver in pretty n’ pink
2. Red Heart with love in papaya
3. Lion Brand pound of love in taupe
4. Lion Brand heartland in
5. Caron one pound in taupe
6. Caron simply soft in gold
7. Mainstay in evergreen
8. Hobby Lobby I love this yarn
9. Loops & Threads impeccable
10. Lion Brand Landscapes
11. Lily sugar n’ cream
12. Peaches n’ creme
13. Hobby Lobby I love this cotton
Hook
H Hook (5mm)
Pattern
CH 10
Row 1
1 SC into the 2nd CH from the hook
1 SC into each ST
Row 2-14
CH 1
1 SC into the BL of each ST
Note
> For each yarn, I will use the same hook and same pattern
> I made each swatch and let it sit for a day without stretching it
> 10 of the yarns are acrylic and 3 are cotton
> I measured everything in inches (1/16 increments), but realized that measuring in centimeters would be more accurate, so I remeasured everything in CM and then convert it into inches (lol, for the love of accuracies)
> I used this pattern because I wanted to see how well each one stretched since I make a lot of hats
Measurement Chart
LENGTH DIFFERENCE
Caron one pound (3.66in/9.3cm) VS Lion Brand pound of love (2.8in/7.1cm)
=
0.86in/2.2cm difference
That’s a pretty big difference, almost an inch!
WIDTH DIFFERENCE
Lion Brand pound of love (1.77in/4.5cm) VS Caron one pound (2.4in/6.1cm)
=
0.63in/1.6cm difference
HEIGHT DIFFERENCE
Lion Brand pound of love (0.12in/0.3cm) VS Caron one pound (0.24in/0.6cm)
=
0.12in/0.3cm difference
About half the height between the two!
**DISCLAIMER: I am only comparing smallest/largest measurements, apparently it all ended up being Lion Brand pound of love and Caron one pound**
MY PERSONAL EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC YARNS FOR SPECIFIC CROCHET PROJECTS
From my own experience, I noticed that some of the worsted weight (4) yarn LOOK like they are similar in thickness, but if you gently pull the yarn, you’ll noticed that some do not stretch and stay the same size, whereas some will stretch and become a lot smaller in thickness. Comparing all these worsted weight yarns, whether they stretch or not, do play a role in the outcome of your projects.
Caron One Pound Yarn
I have several colors from this collection. I don’t use it all the time, so I tend to have plenty in my stash that can last me a while. I use these specifically for projects that need to be sturdy/stiff such as bags, cup cozies, etc. It kind of reminds me of cotton yarn because it’s a little rough on my hands.
Sugar ‘n Cream/Peaches & Crème
I use these specifically for my tops and maybe coasters, but mostly tops. I like how it feels and that it doesn’t stretch a lot like acrylic. It feels good on the skin, it’s breathable, and isn’t itchy. I have a TON of these in my yarn stash, that I love using during the summer.
I Love this Yarn!
I use these for making a lot of my hats. It stretches well, it’s soft, my hats look premium and everyone compliments them. Overall, the look and everything looks great to me and the best part is that there are a lot of color selection. Downside, sales aren’t great at all and if you use a coupon, you only get one coupon (that’s why I force my BF to go with me haha)
MORE COMPARISONS
Caron one pound vs Caron Simply Soft
Red Heart with Love VS Red Heart Super Saver
Lion Brand Landscapes VS Lion Brand Heartland VS Lion Brand Pound of Love
Sugar ‘n Cream VS Peaches & Creme VS I Love this Cotton!
STRETCH/SNAPBACK
This is one thing that I never really consider when I try new yarn, but always keep in mind that every yarn will have a different stretch/snapback.
Overall, this was quite an interesting experiment since I never put these differences into context. This really help me understand more about yarn. I will definitely do this for all my NEW yarns to help me know what yarns are easily interchangeable from one another.
DID YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A BULKY (5) VERSION OF THIS? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
VONNIE AND CO. 