Not long ago, I made this blanket for Kid 2.
It was made with Stylecraft DK yarn. I don’t really care for acrylic normally. If you ever felt a skein of Red Heart, it’s rough and scratchy and it kills my hands. But Stylecraft, although it is acrylic, is buttery soft, cloud-like, and shiny, and it comes in a million of colors, which is why I bought it from UK.
It is now time for Kid 1’s blanket, so I confidently ordered a bunch of yarn for it. Imagine my surprise when it arrived, and I felt it, and it feels like a horrible, scratchy mess. I am squishing this yarn and blergh.
So here I am, staring at the yarn and wondering if I have lost the whole bag of my marbles. Given all the things that are happening right now in my life, that was a distinct possibility.
I ended up googling it and guess what? Stylecraft moved their production from Turkey to West Yorkshire. Yarn produced in Turkey? Super-soft. Yarn produced in West Yorkshire? Scratchy mess.
I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.
I’m actively controlling my irritation right now, because this is a tiny drop into a very full cup.
So I need a new yarn.
- Preferably DK weight
- Very soft on hands
- Must have many colors
- Should be durable enough to be washed and dried frequently, because Kid 1 will wash that blanket all the time. That’s the way she rolls.
It can be a blend of cotton and acrylic or acrylic. I don’t mind paying more as long as it’s soft, because if I’m going to invest that much time in it, I want it to be nice from my daughter and I want my hands to survive. Right now crocheting is off the menu for a bit, because the hands hurt, but I would like to buy the yarn and be ready.
Try Hobbii- I hate acrylic but didn’t hate theirs
I second this! I normally don’t like acrylic but my kid chose some Hobbii acrylic rainbow gradient for a scarf. Two years later it still feels soft and fluffy, and has kept its shape.
Also they have a tonne of colours
https://hobbii.com/amigo?option=15659
+1 for Hobbi! Super soft and squishy.
How long ago did they switch production ? Maybe some shops carrying the brand has old stock from Turkey. It might be worth a shot to ask some local yarn shops if they have old stock.
Stylecraft only switched production back to Yorkshire last September I believe and currently not all the colours are being made there only some of them although they are gradually adding more. The Stylecraft Mill is in a Village called Slaithwaite. I have actually been there as my sister and her late husband lived near there it’s a beautiful village with a river running right through the middle of it.
Wish I had a good suggestion. I’m still too new to crocheting to know much about yarn, plus I am so slow at crocheting that I am still on my first piece! It was going to be a scarf, but I think it’s going to be a table runner now!
So far I have been getting yarn from a local company where I live and they have just wool, cotton, and silk (they dye a lot themselves). Northwest Yarn &
Mercantile, Bellingham, WA.
Hope your hands feel better soon!
And thanks for the last snippet! I am happy to w**t patiently for them, whenever they come!
I live in Hawaii and order out of a small shop in Paulsbo Washington. Yay PNW! Its a better grade and actually cheeper to have it mailed to me than buying from a yarn or craft store here. They will squish that yarn into a medium usps box and if it fits it ships. My second choice is the horizon yarn from Hobbii but only when on sale. The texture is buttery soft and has held up under multiple washings. I haven’t found a solid color variation of the horizon yet so if anyone has that info….
Hey! I’m a knitter in Washington state! Love hearing about some local producers. I’ll have to check them out. Thanks… yarn Horde? I usually use wool or cotton myself, so I don’t have any good suggestions for acrylic, but I send good wishes for the yarn quest & beautiful blanket!
Have you contacted the manufacturer? Could you have gotten a bad batch or a knock-off imitation? I cannot find any place named North Yorkshire by the way, other than a region of England.
From the article above: “…and it comes in a million of colors, which is why I bought it from UK.”
It is from a region of England 🙂
So what are they feeding the animals in the UK that makes them so rough and scratchy? Sounds like they need to change their diets. Adding milk to the tea doesn’t seem to be doing it. 😉
Acrylic yarn doesn’t come from an animal like wool or silk. Believe it or not, it’s a synthetic material.
😂
Ok. What are they feeding the machines in the UK then? 😉
(I don’t buy yarn, as is probably obvious now.)
Our sheep drink builders tea, it puts hair on their chests but makes it rough😜
🤣
🤣🤣🤣
Builder’s Tea – it’ll scour the fur off a ferrett if properly made. 😉
acrylic yarn is basically spun plastic. no animals involved at all just a lot of chemicals.
Try Plymouth yarn dream baby dk. It’s also being rebranded as Plymouth dream dk, but it’s the same thing.
I must have bumped something in my phone, it was supposed to be a general reply to the post.
So sorry. Just when you think you know a yarn product and it changes. Sounds nasty.
North Yorkshire is definitely an area and a good one at that though really it should be ridings in which case West is best (eyup all).
However New Yorkshire isn’t a place and that sent me down a rabbit hole until I actually thought to read the link to reddit and realised it just meant the new wool from Yorkshire and not a place called New Yorkshire. I don’t know why the idea of a place called New Yorkshire was so bizarre when I’m fine with New York but hey.
I used to live in Sydney, New South Wales, a city that is slightly bigger than the southern half of Wales. I also spent a very pleasant few weeks cycling through southern Wales, and the two places look nothing alike. I have no idea what Cook was thinking.
There’s even a hilarious sketch about it
https://youtu.be/WxKnFckhzUs?si=4u68XkBbqG1XdIQv
One of my favourites 🤣
That’s perfect! Thank you so much! I can’t believe I didn’t know about this.
I like Caron simply soft yarn. Very shiny and smooth and lots of colors! I will think more and let you know if there’s another brand I like
I second the Caron Simply Soft. That was the first one I thought of when you asked for something soft.
I’ve been using Caron Simply soft and they feel so good for an acrylic yarn and they have sooo many colors.
Third vote for Simply Soft by Caron. I knitted a cardigan for my then first grader, picked up and lengthened the sleeves and body several times, and finally had to make her a new one in 7th grade. Until she got it caught in her bike wheel, it was soft, shiny, and machine washed a billion times. Only brand I use for things that need to be washed. I do “kill” the acrylic when I block it by (carefully!!) holding an iron a few inches above the pinned knitting until it visibly relaxes. Sets the stitches and inhibits pilling, and gives a glorious drape.
I like the simply soft as well. It wears and washes well. I made a bunch of hats and scarves back in the 2015’s and they are still lovely.
I third this!
+1 Caron simply soft
I’ve bought it since 2009? or so. Canadian Michaels carries it (so I’m assuming it’s easily available down south), and it comes in a good range of colours.
Otherwise… raise your own alpacas and start spinning yarns more literally 😉
Another vote for Caron Simply Soft. Soft to the touch and a multitude of colors. I’ve been crocheting with it for somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty years with great results.
+1 for Caron Simply Soft!
Same for Caron Simply Soft! also inexpensive and easily available. Holds up for years and still soft.
I agree Caron is very soft, but the last couple times I used it I found myself annoyed at its tendency to split. That being said, I stumbled upon a post attributing the splitting to the type of hook used. Apparently it is more forgiving with tapered hooks versus inline, and plastic more than metal. I was not patient enough to experiment further and decide for myself.
Second this! I have been making blankets from this for years and the wash and dry load of kids blankets is high. I tell you that the yarn has worked super well and stayed soft and smooth.
I was going to suggest Caron simply soft too, first one I thought of. Also Hobby Lobby had a bamboo yarn that was SO soft, I made baby hats out of it, and it holds up really well.
Caron Simply Soft gets my vote too.
Has anyone had trouble with Simply Soft knots coming loose? That’s the main reason I don’t use it much. May try a surgeon’s knot next time. It was also a bit splitty, but lovely drape overall.
(have counted)
I twelfth this suggestion for Caron Simply Soft.
KnitPicks has the only acrylic I like. Feels like butter, Knits up beautifully, has lots of colors and washes like a dream. Four out of my seven grands are on the autistic spectrum and are very sensitive to texture. They love this yarn. I’ve knitted blankets, hats, gloves and am considering sweaters out of it because they are all very hard on their stuff. This yarn is very soft but lasts like steel.
Second the suggestion of Knit Picks. I used their stuff for years. Can’t knit anymore (severe osteoarthritis in my thumbs *sigh*)
this will sound weird, but try crocheting with the hook stuck through a small tennis ball. I’ve seen videos of it helping people with arthritis.
+1 for knit picks
They should win just for the name of the company. Knit Picks is an excellent name for a yarn company.
yes, a third for Knit Picks. Nicest acrylics I’ve ever used.
KnitPicks gets a vote from me too! I just found them and their Snuggle Puff yarn is the softest! I can’t speak to washing personally, as I haven’t finished my project, but the person who recommended it to me said it washed well.
+1 for knit picks also using snuggle puff canary yellow in a blanket and it’s super soft haven’t washed it yet but I hate acrylics too and am a snob and this one got my vote after swatch I bought 24 skeins shhh don’t tell hubs…what it was on sale the other week😂😂
What about Scheepjes Softfun (https://www.scheepjes.com/en/softfun-436/). It‘s a Cotton and Acrylic blend in 89 colours and very soft.
I really like Scheepjes, it’s soft and they have many colors, but it is difficult to find in the US (in my experience!).
No idea why I looked at this comment in a section I *know* is all about yarn and thought “OMG! They can’t get Schweppes in the US?”
The “soft and many colours” still applies to the tonic too, that didn’t raise my brain alarms. Nor did the spelling differences. I need more sleep 😀
Schweppes is definitely available here, if not inescapable.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have heard that depending on what the Schweppes is mixed with, it often results in many colours. 😜
Seconding Scheepjes, I’m sitting on a stash of color crafter. I normally order from Jimmy Beans Wool and haven’t had issues.
Ugh. What a dirty rotten thing to do. I completely understand your repulsion for icky, scratchy acrylic. Yuck.
I also suggest Hobbii. They are very nice people.
Wow, this sucks! Unfortunately I completely understand what you feel. Not so long ago my dog’s kibble company changed kibble composition. My Belgian Shepherd is allergic to chicken and salmon. I was buying the same, rather expensive, mono-protein, high meat concentration, good ingredients kibble for OVER 3 years. Out of the blue he gets upset stomach. Hmm, maybe water from a puddle…? I have not changed anything, still the same kibble, the same wet food, same dried meat as treats. But the upset stomach lingers. Then he starts to vomit – not a lot but still. What is going on?? Gave him medication (used to have the problem all the time so have it on hand), called the vet, she said to keep him on medication for three days and then observe. Three days later the problem is back. I call the vet to schedule testing and she asks me ‘I don’t suppose they could have changed ingredients, could they?’. Yes, yes they did! I was SO furious! How can you add salmon and chicken to mono-protein food? The ‘mono’ sign was gone from the kibble pack but there were no other signs of anything changing. I mean, what am I suppose to do – analize ingredients every time I buy the same product? Two years later and I’m still angry about it.
I don’t use acrylic at all so no recommendation from me but I hope you’ll find the PRFECT yarn :-).
I feel your anger when it comes to changing pet food formulations (or discontinuing them). I have gone through that several times with my cats. Currently experimenting with several options to replace one of Nulo’s dry foods that has disappeared. It’s expensive! And cats can be dang finicky!
I totally get where you’re coming from. So disappointing!
I have used Cascade 220DK superwash, Berroco VintageDK & Comfort DK machine-washable blends for baby sweaters, and enjoyed the knitting process. They’ve all held up decently well, although a fully acrylic yarn will be the most durable.
So sorry to hear about your yarn. I donated all of my nasty harsh yarn to charity. Maybe someone can use it for kids’ crafts. Maybe dipping it in starch and winding it around balloons or pasting it into a collage. I go to the craft store and feel the skeins. Sometimes there is a sample worked up already. I’m currently making hats using Lion brand Heartland which is made in Turkey. I think I’m going to hunt for Hobbii. I love this blog. I learn all kinds of useful stuff! Thanks! Stay safe everyone. Lots of areas are getting ice today.
I use Red Heart acrylic (sorry, Ilona) yarn for my blankets. Right now, I’m working on a 450 stitch half double crochet blanket in their bitty stripe yarn in Sunset Beach. The yarn is very nice to work with while I crochet. I crochet very fast (my brother used to tease me about needing a crochet hook with coolant inside to keep my hands cool as I went through row after row very fast) so if the yarn was icky to work with, my hands would tell me.
I found out over time it depends on the color dye Red Heart uses that makes acrylic scratchy and icky (learned the hard way). No matter how much laundry detergent, fabric softener (if you use it), and dryer sheets anyone uses, the awful color dye scratchiness won’t go away.
I am not sure if Paton’s yarn has cotton/acrylic anymore. I remember seeing something like that a while back. They had some pretty colors. It was very nice yarn to handle or poke your fingers into the center of the yarn skein.
Paton’s used to have silk/bamboo yarn over 10 years ago. I bought all I could. I am making a long tunic out of it. Got the knitted body and the neck done. All I have to do is finish knitting one sleeve and make the other one. 🙂
No one has mentioned Bernat acrylic yarn. I’ve used it for baby blankets to friends. It’s very soft, but the color selection may be limited.
I really like this DK yarn, it’s a Dutch company, very soft, tons of colors https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/scheepjes-colour-crafter?utm_source=bing&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=650113632&utm_campaign=US%20-%20Knitting%2FCrochet%20-%20Yarn%20-%20Product%20range%20-%20GCUS%20-%20Top%20Brands%20-%20GOOGLE&utm_term=scheepjes%20colour%20crafter&utm_term=scheepjes%20colour%20crafter&msclkid=7089f145e9931395f56e96e62d618184&utm_content=US%20-%20Scheepjes%20-%20Scheepjes%20Colour%20Crafter
I just bought a bunch of Lily’s Sugar & Cream 100% cotton yarn to finish a blanket (different color border) for my nephew and start a new blanket for my hubby and my bed. It washes very well, and is much better on the skin than acrylic is. Hopefully you’ll b able to start soon, at least in short sessions. I started having carpal tunnel issues, but find I can crochet for shorter times periods on good days. (Hugs)
Definitely feel the yarn with the cottons. I’ve had the sugar and cream, peaches and cream, and one other brand I can’t remember but that was awful. Some colors can be super dry and harsh on the hands. But it wears like iron. My family washes and dries them in the dryer.
I agree. I use peaches and cream for my bathroom mats. A lot nicer on the feet than store bought bathroom mats.
Have you ever tried linen yarn ? It’s supposed to be resistant, and more eco friendly than cotton. I don’t know about softness, but on the hobbii website everyone is talking about, it has good reviews and the colours are shiny. I really want to try it but I have other projects to finish first😅
In my experience, most pure linen yarn does get softer w/ each wash, but the yarn itself is stiff and has no stretch, so it can be hard on my hands. If you can get past those issues, though, the resulting fabric is scrumptious.
Thank you for your input ! I’m even more convinced on buying linen for my next project now 🙂 I really did not like the acrylic toutch on my hands. I like cotton and bamboo, and the synthetic polyester which is still plastic, but animal yarns itch my skin and acrylic is not a nice feeling. I also want to try more sustainable yarn. I heard that linen fibers are longer so more resistant compared to cotton.
I don’t know for the yarn.
But for scratchy hands, 3 years ago I got bleeding chapped hands because of my thin skin and all the hydrohalcolic gel around. So I bought a very good cream and couldn’t stand it because of allergies.
Finally I followed the advice of a nurse and bought pure glycerine at the pharmacy.
It’s the most efficient and very cheap (hurt a bit at the beginning).
Also my mother is doing her own cream with vaseline, glycerine, and calendula extract. Very nice too.
Thanks again for the snippet:)
I’d like to recommend a personally tried acrylic/wool (75/25) combo from Plymouth Yarns called Encore. Comes in lots of colors and weights. I’ve used mostly the heathered colors. Perfect for blanket making.
I think I remember you are on Ravelry. Have you thought of hunting your yarn in stashes that are for sale or trade?
Yes, it can be a pain but you might be able to find your Turkish Stylecraft. I’ve been able to find some fantastic yarn that way.
Either way, good luck on your quest.
I second this. I have used this yarn for all of my baby blankets. Super soft and super washable.
Patons Canadiana. My go to for baby gifts. It’s acrylic, which means it’s washable and indestructible. It’s also very soft, not hard on thr hands and comes in lots of colours.
Hmm DK acrylic with a lot of colors is tough. Lion Brand makes a DK cotton with a lot of colors, but not as soft. I do love their cooboo (cotton/ bamboo) DK or their bamboo yarns. Lots of colors too. Good luck. The blanket looks gorgeous!
Berroco Comfort is nice. They have DK and worsted.
https://berroco.com/yarns/berroco-comfort-dk/
I’ve used it for sweaters and it’s serviced my son’s laundry habits, so I’m happy with it.
It’s soft and somewhat cottony feel to me.
I’m currently using Berroco Comfort in a prayer shawl. While it is soft, I don’t enjoy working with it. It’s many plies of half nylon and half acrylic and it sticks to my hands and one or two threads frequently split on the hook. Annoying. The organization supplies the yarn to the volunteers and I will be lobbying for something else.
I really like Stylecraft DK and I’m in the middle of a blanket for my sister and ran out of a particular colour- wondered why I couldn’t get the extra yarn. This news is very worrying. Recommend Premier Yarns Anti-pilling acrylic, slightly thicker than Stylecraft, but crochets up beautifully, very soft, more muted colours but washes beautifully. I think it is Canadian or US brand, and made in Turkey.
Yarn.com(webs), halcyonyarn.com, and the woolery.com are my go-tos for yarn as a weaver. Kansas yarn barn has been recommended, but I haven’t checked them out( I think I’m in the minority for this).
Tencel is fun, I’ve done some bamboo. I weirdly didn’t really like linen, but I’ve only used it once. I’m mostly loving cotton right now, and cotton usually gets softer the more you wash it. Valley yarns unmercerized cotton for towels and a set of blankets I’m making. 😅 This is related as I bought the wrong color for the blankets and decided to make towels out of the mistake.
The Knitpicks DK swish is super wash and very soft but it’s wool. I have used their Brava Sport acrylic for baby blankets and it’s very soft too and nice colors. So sorry for your disappointment! I hate when that happens! And it seems worse when other things are already swamping you.
Yarn Bee makes a very soft acrylic yarn called soft secret. I’m using it right now for a small blanket.
Second for soft secret! I’ve used it for all of my blankets because it’s soft, shiny, reasonably priced, and comes in a bunch of beautiful colors. I would definitely recommend it!
The New York Times today has an article on Classic Romance Novels: A Starter Pack. Halfway down it: I’d like a suspenseful love story set in Victorian London — with magic, if possible
Second Sight
by Amanda Quick (2006)
Before romantasy, there was paranormal romance, and goodness did we have fun with it. Amanda Quick’s series about psychics and magic-users in Victorian London begins with Venetia Jones, a photographer who sees auras, and who is passing herself off as the widow of a man she shared one spectacular night with before his demise. But her “husband,” Gabriel Jones, is alive and well and stunned to find he has a wife — and now the same psychically powered enemies who tried to kill him are coming for Venetia and her family.
If you read it and love it, try … a book by Ilona Andrews, Isabel Cooper or Zoë Archer.
Yay! I sense we’re getting some new Horde members in soon! 🙂
[chants]One of us, one of us…[/chants]
😉
I am a huge fan of Loops & Threads brand yarns. They have a DK yarn that is nice and has like 15 colors.
I like their Impeccable. It is a worsted weight but on the lighter side. 50+ colours. I’d recommend going to Michaels to make your selection. This one is pretty soft to work with and gets softer after being washed.
I second the vote for impeccable—it’s the only acrylic yarn I will knit with because I generally hate acrylic. (I have to use it for church stuff because we can’t use wool due to allergies.) I hope you find something nice because I feel your frustration!!!
Another vote for Loops and Threads but only their Impeccable brand. I’ve also used Vanna’s Choice from Lion but it is getter harder to find. It’s heavier than Impeccable but not as soft. Also Impeccable is available in stores so you can see what you are getting.
If you can get your hands on Scheepjes, I’ve made several blankets out of their colour crafter acrylic. It’s soft, washable, sturdy, and comes in a ridiculous array of colors. Their cotton range is also really lovely, but the acrylic is excellent.
It’s a Dutch brand but there are international stockists.
Jimmy Beans in US carries Scheepjes. They would *probably* special order for you if not in stock. Wool wise is great, and made from recycled wool. It’s a super wash, so can be machine washed, and line drying shouldn’t be an issue in TX.
Berroco Vintage DK has a very nice feel and it’s durable. I made a blanket for my DH that he sleeps with scrunched up under his head and it’s gone through the washer/dryer with no pilling. I’m now making a cardigan from it. Lots of colors
The way things feel is very important. Honestly by the time you find and begin to like things they change it or discontinue it. So irritating.
Beautiful blanket! I’ve recently taken up crochet, but still have a lot to learn before I can tackle anything that large and complex. My stuff is a bit wonky, but it doesn’t matter as much with little stuffed animals as long as they’re cute AND it helps me stay away from the news some.
One of the reasons I curtailed my crocheting is that the yarns I favor tend to be $$$ per skein and made of the fur from elegant shapeshifters. They don’t like giving up their fur much, either, and I fear being hunted down one day and being forced to give it back.
Also, I have far more scarves than there are days of the week or months in the year. Not quite days in the year, at least.
I agree – you can’t knit or crochet if you don’t like how the yarn feels. Sorry this happened to you. I like Caron Simply Soft. I’ve used it for baby blankets. I also like Scheepjes, a Dutch brand that is available through US stores. I haven’t tried their DK weight, but their Sport weight is very nice.
OK, I’m laughing, but NOT at Ilona, but because I have experienced this same feeling! I once bought a shirt in a store (unnamed) and loved. It was 100% cotton, soft, the perfect length, enough room in the bust where I didn’t feel like I was auditioning for a knock of H@@ters, wasn’t tight on my shoulders, and didn’t get pilly after washing. A few months later I decided to order a few of the same style in different colors. 1st wash in Cold water and I have 90s belly shirts. I gave them to my little step daughter because they fit her little 4’7″ self. I was disgusted with the whole situation
This might be too thick, but I’ve now made two baby blankets with Bluesky Fibers Worsted Sweater yarn. Lots of colors, made from a blend of super wash wool and cotton. One of the babies is four years old now, so his blanket has Seen Things, including many wash cycles, and it is holding strong with minimal fuzzing or piling. Makes for a really soft blanket. One of my favorite yarns. The downside is it can be pricey for big projects; generally it runs around $20 for 160yds/100g.
The blanket is so beautiful!! Is it possible to get the pattern somewhere? I’ve been scouting options for a new project.
Here is the Ravelry link https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cozy-days-daisy-blanket and here is the direct link to the designer’s blog https://www.allaboutami.com/cozy-days-daisy-blanket/
More details from Ilona here 🙂 https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-time-between/
I second (3rd, 4th, 5th?) the Caron Simply Soft, it is silky soft. Also, Red Heart Soft isn’t scratchy like RS Super Saver, it’s my go-to yarn for afghans. Someone mentioned Yarn Bee – that is a Hobby Lobby brand and they have yarn weight and fiber (cotton, acrylic, wool, etc.) So if you have a nearby Hobby Lobby near you…send Gordon shopping!
Good luck in your search!
I don’t knit and therefore have no skein in this game but read through all these comments and it was like balm to my frazzled nerves. I’ve never been so happy to immerse myself in the minutiae of yarn management.
+1
😆
One more vote for Hobbii – I’ve been very happy with the acrylic yarns from them and they have lots of pretty colours 🙂
I recently picked up several skeins of Uptown Worsted from Universal Yarns and really enjoyed working with it to make several hats. It’s acrylic, feels great in my hands while knitting, works up really nicely, and there are lots of fun vibrant colors. They also have it in a DK weight.
I am very fond of Knitpicks Brava, which comes in many weights and colors and is very washable and squishy. Order one skein and see if you like it.
I like a couple of the Caron yarns too but their color selection is limited. and honestly, Check the Vanna White yarns from Lion.
Sorry Ilona I do not have any yarn recommendations 🤷🏻♀️
I just bought two Wobbles to learn tho and am determined to have one done before “Maggie the Undying” is out!
On an up note Ozzy Osbourne is reuniting with Black Sabbath to tour!!! No jokes, thank you England😋
I love Caron Simply Soft. It’s a medium worset yarn. Big twist antipill is also super soft and is a med-light worest, I have made many beanies and scarfs with these as i also like the super soft options and.both are at Joann’s. Lion Brands mandala is very soft and is a light worest yarn but it usually comes in ombre cakes and not single colors best price is walmart. DK is a UK thing so I was looking for the equivalent in US.
I just made my husband a hat in Berroco Vintage DK and it was a lot softer than when I used it 10 years ago. I only hand washed it but it was still soft after. It’s a blend of wool and acrylic. I got it at Eat Sleep Knit. I live 45 minutes away but their online presence is huge.
If single ply + color changing is acceptable, I find Carnival from Hobbii is soft. If you want to see some super cool patterns with it, K.A.M.E. Crochet does a gorgeous granny square blanket with this yarn. It’s vibrant though, so definitely not a yarn for the faint of heart. It’s also on sale this week for 50% off, so that’s nice too.
Hope your hands feel better soon!
Caron simply soft is my go to for this kind of yarn. I also usually prefer natural fibers but Caron is cheap acrylic and silky soft and shiny. I use it when I’m making something that needs to be easy wash but smooth (like a baby hat). It’s a nice gentle synthetic.
I’m using swish DK from KnitPicks to make granny square blankets. it’s cheap and it’s nice.
Beanie Boat is a yarn shop I have heard of. It is a narrow boat trade company in the UK that claims to be ethically sourced material. But, tbh, I have not tried their product line.
Encompassingdesigns in Nova Scotia is our source, but it is 100% wool and scratchy ( used for rug hooking)
oops! just looked up their yarn store and it seems to be closed
Soft yarn is a must when yarn crafting. Luck to you in your search.
I have always had good luck with Lion Brand yarn.
I love the beautiful afghan. I can’t help with yarn, but hopefully you’ll find what you need. The horde will have suggestions.
Premier yarns are made in turkey and oeko Tex certified to be free of over 350 different harmful chemicals, I love their puzzle cotton it’s butter soft (worsted)it comes in the prettiest ombres and their chunky cotton for a super cloud soft thick one. I would def try out their dks.
Lion brand has some that are nice and oeko Tex as well.
Low dose naltrexone has given me my hands back and I’m knitting again and so thankful. I also got an Addi knitting machine for Christmas and it’s been super fun! Hope you can crochet again soon!
So sorry for the betrayal. It looks like you have a lot of good suggestions here! I’m trying a chunky chenille I got from Amazon. It was supposed to be for my attempt at arm knitting—-I actually found a lovely woman in UK on YouTube who finally had the right video to show me how to do it. But the yarn I got — while supremely soft is just not thick enough! So I had to get US 50 knitting needles to make the blanket.
I don’t know if chenille will work for your project but it’s ridiculously soft. My whole point for this project was to make something comforting and be comforted by it.
I haven’t crocheted in years, but if you use Reddit, you might want to check out
r/CrochetHelp or r/Crochet. Some very serious crocheters among the BDH but also on the subreddits.
It is where I learned about the knitted knockers group where volunteer knitters and crocheters make soft yarn prosthetics for breast cancer survivors : https://www.knittedknockers.org/
They have a list of approved soft yarns here: https://www.knittedknockers.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2016/10/Knitted-Knockers-Approved-Yarns-4-12-23.pdf
Other Recent recommendations on the crochet subreddits include:
– https://junipermoonfarmyarn.com/ for Cumulus Yarn (cotton)
– https://morrisandsons.com.au/ for merino wool
– https://andeansunyarns.com/ for baby-alpaca
Good luck with your search…
https://jimmybeanswool.com/collections/viscose_yarn/products/cascade_pandamonium_yarn_07_claret
cotton and viscose (bamboo). machine washable and super soft.
I was scrolling to see if anyone did Jimmy Beans.
+1
the red heart soft line at Michaels and it’s only at Michaels is soft and has quite a few colors. its the only red heart I’ll use
I’m currently making a temperature blanket out of Premier acrylic yarn. it’s anti pill, and I got it on Amazon.
I love Caron Simply Soft when I have to use acrylic (one sister is allergic to most animal fibers and one sister was vegan for several years) – listed as worsted but it actually works up closer to a sport / heavy-DK / light worsted.
I have to agree with Simply Soft by Caron being a nice option as far as feeling goes, although I’m not a huge fan of the shine.
I’ve also had really good luck with Hobby Lobby’s “I Love this Yarn”, but both of these brands tend to be worsted rather than DK.
oh this could be good! people sending in their soft yarns recommendations! i have to use acrylics because my child (47) is allergic to wool! i am always looking for soft yarn that comes by mail! I use washing bags to help them last longer! i also have to use thumb braces for my thumb and wrists with cbd ‘Flow’! I am 75 and have used my hand hard! looking forward to yarn ideas as I wait for a new story! did you complsin to the mfg?
https://www.macauslandswoollenmills.com/
MacAusland’s is the absolute best. They produce yarn, and they also spin it into blankets which they ship all over the world. Their quality is amazing.
Wow, lots of yarn users on here! Thanks for the snippet and hope all your physical ailments are resolving themselves.
premier yarn is lovely. soft lots of diffrent colors, reasonably priced. one of my favorites.
order it from there web site.
Second this:
Premieryarns.com
BasixDK
I agree about premier yarn. I’ve bought it directly through their website but you can sometimes find it elsewhere too. They have an anti-pilling acrylic that is very soft. I’ve used it for baby blankets and got good feedback from the parents. It’s also OEKO-TEX certified, which is a nice bonus for baby blankets.
I’m sorry this happened to you! I hate it when a product I love changes or becomes unavailable. It is a nuisance!
I saw this beautiful yarn at a show here in Montana but I know very little about it.
https://fiberyarns.com/
I’m a fan of Plymouth Encore Worsted.
Anything Knit Picks (knitpicks.com) is good. I also use a lot of Cascade 220 SW which is labeled as light worsted but is really DK. Knit Picks Swish DK is probably the softest and I think it’s reasonably durable, but with yarn, softness and durability tend to have an inverse relationship even with acrylics so there’s almost always going to be some trade-off.
Have you considered llama wool? There are many places in our area who raise llamas and a former student has a store where she sells wool from her dad’s herd (?) It is super soft and nice.
Have you tried Red Heart Soft
I also LOVE bamboo yarn but I have only found in very tiny.
I mostly quilt and have just started to learn to knit. I don’t have great knowledge but I do live near Austin, TX. The Quilted Skein is a shop in La Grange that sells yarn and cloth! This shop is why I started taking knitting classes. The Sated Sheep is a great store in Dripping Springs and they have a great selection. Cloth, thread or yarn its all about how it looks and feels and I really need to see and touch before I buy.
I have had good luck with Bamboo Pop, a cotton/bamboo blend. I made my kids some skirts with it, and they have held up nicely. Also a fan of Hobbii, as others have mentioned.
Pima Rino from Plymouth Yarn
I don’t normally get acrylic, but when I do and have been drawn by the softness, it’s been the sirdar sylvan range 90% acrylic, 10% wool. van be washed at 40degrees centigrade when I got it in the past, it’s been made in the UK in Wakefield. so if its still made there, hopefully it should be the same and lots of different colour ranges. in not sure if it’s DK though, may be finer….
Woolwhare house where I buy a lot of yarn from in the UK have designed their own brand. It’s called Yarnsmiths and comes in various weights with colours similar to Stylecraft. I bought some DK in the Yarnsmiths Create range and is very soft and the colour I chose is beautiful.
I’m an Aussie in the UK and mostly knit with Aussie yarn. It helps that I’m slow so I don’t have to stock up too often 🙂 I’ve just finished a cowl with Australian merino which was absolutely gorgeous to knit with. I went to a UK Yarn show with friends in January and a lot of the yarn while gorgeous colours was absolutely terrible to hold. I can’t imagine knitting with any of it and won’t be buying any UK yarn on the internet until I hold some first as I was told most people are using the same mill. I don’t know what happened here but assume it’s to do with brexit. I hope you find something gorgeous to knit with and hope your hands feel better soon.
Try knit picks Stroll. It is super wash wool, soft, comes in DK I’m pretty sure, lots of colors. Lovely to knit. Unless there’s a wool allergy involved.
Webs (yarn.com) search or Knit Picks.
No idea what is available to you in the US in terms of acrylic yarn, but have you considered a machine washable wool? Possibly not the most sensible suggestion for frequent washing as an acrylic. The bamboo yarns I have tried (which were all baby yarns) have all been really soft, but they were heading towards the cost of wool… Just thought, an acrylic meant to be used for babies would probably be softer and some of them come in a rainbow of colours. Good luck!
Berroco Vintage Dk
Try Caron Latte Cakes at Michaels. My afghan I made is so soft and warm. You might want to buy some online if you don’t have a store close. One skein makes a great scarf. Acrylic so totally washable
So, funny story. I have been crocheting for all of my life. When I was young I only wanted the super soft yarn that felt amazing on your hands. Then I read Kate Daniels, learned that wool keeps you warm even when wet, so thought I would try it. It is now my go to. Because someday you might only have a wet wool blanket to keep you warm, lol. About the hand issue, I have learned to use light weight yarn. The stitches are smaller so you would have to pick a blanket that you can add more to around the edges like more squares or borders, but I was getting to the point with regular weight yarn where I couldn’t crochet for my hands hurting. Using light weight yarn saved me. Beautiful blanket, by the way.
Just an idea, why not use sockwool? It comes in various colors and mixes. The thicker ones with 6 strings is said to be like a DK yarn. More positive factors: There is a big variaty of colours and material to choose from. Here in Germany we have normally a blend of 75% wool with 25% acrylic. It´s easy washable even sometimes on 60°C, can be tumbled and the companies who offer wool for socks are numerous. I often use sock wool for pullover because the material amount needed is most of the time less than normal yarn
I get you! My all time fave yarn is Premier Anti-Pilling DK and worsted. so very nice and soft! The blankets I have made with This yarn have held up to dogs, washing, scrunching and drying in the machine. Great yarn.
Also, Joann’s is going out of business and their Big Twist yarns have the bonus of in person squishing prior to buying and some of these acrylics are very soft, some are scratchy like red heart. Premier Yarns Anti Pilling yarn line can’t be beat.
hurt hands is honestly one of the most stressful and taxing injuries. fingers crossed they are sorted soon. no yarn recs, just requests for more lovely pics of your projects whenever you need to bribe the bdh!
I’ve been using the Caron ombré for an afghan for my little and it’s soft and reasonably gentle on my hands. I would add a picture but I’m not that savvy.
I’ve made 5 baby blankets with Plymouth Dreambaby. Very soft and lots of different colors!
My sympathies regarding your yarn betrayal. That’s so disappointing! Argh.
Paintbox yarn you can find at lovecrochet.com is great.
Cascade yarns Anchor Bay. It is half Marino half cotton and washable. It was very nice on the hands.
Berroco vintage is my favorite acrylic blend. It comes in various weights as well. Webs carries it as well as many LYS.
have you seen the tennus ball crochet hack? I’m told it will help when hands have problems.
I knit a lot using acrylic. I prefer Knit Picks, but their Brava yarn only comes in worsted and sport weights, not DK. Same with Caron Simply Soft—it’s fun to knit with and quite slick, but only comes in worsted weight ( although it does knit up smaller than other worsteds). Hobbii yarn is soft and easy to work with, does come in DK, but their DK mega ball yarn tends to pill after the first wash. I also use a lot of Lovecrafts Paintbox yarn. It comes in DK and aran weights, a ton of colors, it’s fine to work with and it washes okay. It’s also inexpensive.
Sirdar makes a nice set of acrylic yarns. Targeted for babies mostly, but good colorways. https://sirdar.com/en/yarns?products_production%5BrefinementList%5D%5Bfibre%5D%5B0%5D=Acrylic
Up to at least aran weight
Crochet.com
Their Brava yarn is inexpensive, lots of colors, and very similar to stylecraft (the Türkiye kind)
I haven’t seen this suggestion in the comments and you may be too annoyed with the yarn to try, but sometimes washing the whole ball/skein of yarn before you use it can make a big difference. They put some kind of sizing on it to keep the fibers from going all over the place when winding it up in the factory. It’s supposed to wash out and the yarn will ‘bloom’. Put a skein in a lingerie bag and throw it in with a similarly colored load of laundry. Maybe their new UK source went too heavy on the starch.
If that doesn’t help, I hope your batch of uncomfortable yarn finds a new home with a local charity that makes blankets for shelter animals. The cats and dogs won’t mind the scratchiness!
yes, I have heard of a pre-wash before using the yarn. I have not tried it, but I hear it works.
My machine washable blend of choice is Plymouth Encore, but I’ve also enjoyed the Valley yarn line from Webs. They have a DK version that might suit. https://www.yarn.com/products/valley-yarns-haydenville-dk
Sometimes I wonder if they send out the worse stuff if an order is online. I wear Skechers all the time but when I order onine, they never fit right. I have to go to the store to return them and pick up something else – which surprise – is the same size.
I am currently making a blanket with Premier Yarns anti-pilling yarn worsted weight and LOVE how soft it is and how lovely it is to crochet. There is also a dk weight that comes in a wide range of colours.
https://www.premieryarns.com/
Try Yarnsmiths Pebble Haze DK from wool warehouse – super soft cotton/acrylic blend and really beautiful color options. So soft, that I’m using it to make a sweater now. https://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/yarn/yarnsmiths-pebble-haze-dk-all-colours?srsltid=AfmBOor04QhLG_LDAWagn8BegW9EPWP8KkaLFy7d-tC6IB7uXe0VxBaN
Bonus feature – 5 skeins for 10 pounds!
I know nothing about yarn. No idea if it’s returnable or not. But… Mom makes me dish cloths out of some scratchy material. They’re really good for cleaning. I know you have a lot of it but could some of it be used that way.
Just a thought as I get ready to do the breakfast dishes
You might try Scheepjes Colour Crafter. I don’t think it has changed production location. I have used it interchangeably with SSDK in the past.
I have no suggestions for yarn. Despite multiple attempts to learn to crochet I just can’t seem to figure it out. My yarn is too tight or my yarn is too loose. The fact that I haven’t been able to learn hurts my feelings. I love crocheted blankets.
I actually wanted to tell you how lovely the blanket is. Your colors all complement one another and I know Kid 2 will treasure it. I do sew and I do quilt. My kids like to get quilts. If I make one for kid 1 then kid 2 inevitably asks where is mine?
I am flummoxed about my inability to learn to crochet. Youtube makes it seem so easy. lol 😊
the hardest part about crochet is getting started! allow it to look like a mess and keep going. 😀
choose a bulky yarn and a big crochet hook in a bright solid color. i thread my yarn through all my fingers and around my pinky to control tension. I slide the yarn up and down my pinky finger and change how i curl my pinky finger to change the tension in the yarn. i haven’t ever seen a YouTube video mention it. might be worth a shot!
Thank you for the tips. I will give it another try soon.
expressionfiberarts.com
Remember the recommendation for this company in the Carolinas,USA? Wide selection of yarn, free patterns posted weekly, dyed on site. I’m happy with the yarn I bought. Thanks for letting me know about them.
When searching online yarns I have found a this yarn substitution website very helpful in comparing my favorites to something new.
https://yarnsub.com/
I like Caron Simply Soft. It comes in all kinds of lovely saturated colors, and I’ve actually made queen and king blankets with it. It washes well, and stays soft.
I suggested simply soft because although it says worsted weight, quite a lot of online yarn forums call it DK weight based on their experience using it. Hope this helps.
Sorry it was a poor quality yarn. If you can’t return it, maybe you can donate it to your local schools for kids to use for art projects. They would love it and they can make lovely masterpieces for their parents and grandparents!
Caron Simply Soft. Macine wash and dry. 100% acrylic, but very silky in feel and shiny in appearance. Worsted weight. At least 30 colors.
Here’s another vote for Caron Simply Soft. I’m a crocheter who usually prefers natural fibers, but Caron Simply Soft is really wonderful when an acrylic seems to work best for your project.
Two yarns I have worked with lately and really liked for baby projects are Paintbox Simply DK and Cascade Anthem DK. Paintbox has a little more loft to it. The Anthem one is very soft. Both are available at LoveCrafts. I like that they are 100g skeins. Hate changing colors in the middle of a knitting project.
I am currently using a yarn called Yarn Bee Soft Secret. It’s from Hobby Lobby and comes in a slew of colors. It’s Acrylic and soft.
Try Caron Simply Soft. I use it for baby afghans.
Caron Simply Soft is what first comes to mind. It’s more of a 4 weight, but I also really like Lion Brand’s Jeans (if it’s still even around).
You could also try washing the yarn (in laundry bags) with fabric softener to help soften it up. I typically do it after a blanket is done, but if it’s really bad I’ll do it beforehand. Sometimes with these large mandala blankets Red Heart’s the best option. Although I do have to say their lighter colors typically aren’t quite as scratchy.
I’m making a few blankets that for project Linus and they need to be made with acrylic yarn. Checkout scheepjes color crafter line, it’s a Canadian brand, yarn is very soft and colors are fabulous. I also like the scrumptious line which is also a dk yarn.
https://www.scheepjes.com/en/colour-crafter-328/
Try Lion Brand Pound of Love. It’s acrylic, but so, so soft. I’m working with it now.
Many thumbs up for Lion Brand Pound of Love! My current go to for baby gifts. It’s a toss up between this and Bernat Baby/Sport as to which one I’ve used more for the many afghans and baby blankets I’ve made.
I sympathize with you about the scratchiness of Red Heart yarn. I thought it was only me that had the problem. After a long hiatus from doing any crocheting I decided to make another afghan using Red Heart yarn. Almost immediately the first three fingertips on my right hand (I’m left handed) got dry and the skin became rough and started peeling. Even tape and bandaids don’t help the soreness. I must have had calluses when I used to crochet and knit because I don’t remember this happening before.
I love loop and thread’s new yarn this year. It’s super soft, comes in many varieties of colors and is really easy to knit. They don’t tangle as much as other brands and you don’t necesserely have to make them into cakes. They also have a variety of size and weight.
https://canada.michaels.com/product/delicate-dk-yarn-by-loops-threads-M20035147
https://ca.prod.platform.michaels.com/product/silky-soft-yarn-by-loops-threads-10736700?cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_CA_N_Knitting+%26+Crochet_N_PMAX_BOPIS_N-_-Generic&kpid=go_cmp-18653508142_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-10736700&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3nd4zIjrCj_FeNW_2wNLoPl5fk2R66w3rFr5eSYcKvDPdYqpWQ9VDxoCVOEQAvD_BwE
Those are a few exemples, but I think you can find others. I do believe Michael’s also seell in the US.
I do feel your pain, I have the same problems with many yarns. It is always so disapointing.
I’m not sure if we have the same soft touch, but even though I would love to only buy cotton, I never have that kind of cash.
So I’ve had good luck with:
https://www.crochet.com/yarn/brava-worsted/c/5420219
and surprisingly,
https://www.herrschners.com/herrschners-worsted-3-yarn/
of course there’s always this fun stuff!
https://www.crochet.com/breccia/p/29442
Yay for Brava Worsted! I obtained two of their colorways bundles of quarter-skeins from KnitPicks and just want to pile it on the floor and roll around on it, it’s soooo soft for an acrylic…
You can get the cotton of your dreams from https://lindehobby.com/dk-1096/. Muskat is their DC Egyptian cotton, and Safran is the next finer. It’s like knitting with silk, and it’s cheaper than the plastic yarn.
I don’t know what the current stock of Paintbox Simply DK feels like because my order was way back in 2021 when I ordered it from LoveCrafts (UK based which also had a US website & distribution center) for the exact same reasons you chose the StyleCraft yarn.
I thought I hated acrylic yarn but the color range had every shade that I wanted for a blanket that needed to be easily washed by a non-knitter and not break my budget. I started by ordering a single skein of each shade I wanted plus 2 extra accent colors in order to verify if colors matched my monitor & find out what they felt like. It was so soft, squishy, nice to handle, and not fuzzy that I immediately placed the order for multiple bags of the yarn!
Since then PaintBox (or their parent company) has bought out WEBs here in the US so now their yarns are available at both locations, but right now both websites look like they are out of stock on several colors.
I’m a KnitPicks Brava Worsted (acrylic) fan, myself- but I never buy it in large amounts (like for blankets or shawls) so I don’t know how cost-effective it would be for you.
I feel your crankiness, though- the Loops&Threads cotton blend for my pot handle holders is stiffer than the Sugar & Creme that my Gammy taught me with, and I’m still sulky ’bout it.
I like Loops & Threads soft classic or Caron. Both are available through Michaels (at least where I’m at). Also Hobbii has some good stuff. I’ve got a great hat that I made from some Halloween colored yarn that’s still holding strong after years.
I don’t have a specific suggestion, but I would recommend checking out KnitPicks or JoAnns for options. Last time I visited both, they had a lot of options. I was actually quite impressed with how nice the ‘cheap’ yarn at JoAnns has gotten.
On YouTube there is a channel called Bag O day Crochet, she knows where all the yarn is, and she has mentioned several from Turkey and from south eastern Europe that are soft and wonderful, if you ask her she will help. Very Nice Person sorta like a VIP but Better!
(humor arg arg) Has great patterns for free on her channel too, love the cat stitch.
My friend who knots a lot recommends Eat Sleep Knit – I often use their online shop. Look up Cascade yarn.
Hope you find some great yarn!
https://spunannarbor.com/collections/acrylic/products/comfort
I like this one – berroco comfort. it’s worsted, so not quite dk. but lots of colors. I have made baby blankets out of it while pregnant. I have eczema. I didn’t feel like ripping off my hands. it is woven strands, so chuck it in a laundry bag when you wash it so it doesn’t get roughened. not so difficult to do.
I had that same problem, until I started using Lionbrand Homespun, I’ve made like 25 pieces for family, and for selling over the years, and this stuff is fantastic, it actually feels like silk, and most of the products are duel, or tri colored, like grey to black to tan to blue in the same skein. Used to buy on the ‘zon until they started charging 10.00 a skein, now I hit Joanne’s site and ship in
The last fairly soft dk acrylic with a large palette of colors I used was Paintbox. I got it through yarn.com. This site has a wide range of options. You most likely find something there.
Any Scheepjes yarn, but I’m over the moon for Softfun. It’s a cotton/acrylic mix, used it a lot for baby toys
Hi! Fellow yarnsnob here. 🙋🏼♀️
I like Knitpicks yarn
Quality Yarns & Knitting Supplies | Knit Picks https://search.app/QPB1yH7crBCVJXhV9
I looked at the Hobbii website and that yarn looks amazing. I have no recommendations but wanted to tell you that I love that blanket! Very retro and so pretty.
Allow me present the best yarn at the best prices https://lindehobby.com/dk-1096/
Beautiful, fantastic , giant colorways. Not to mention the thousands of free patterns.
I advice against acrylic, on the grounds that it is hard on the environment, and its ingredients are a cancer risk.
For soft, silky, durable and cozy year round, I would recommend their Egyptian cotton Muskat.
I’ve become a default Berroco Comfort user when I need acrylic. I’ve made a wonderful baby blanket of CoBaSi DK. Which is significantly nicer to use than I first thought it was going to be when I could see the texture, it was soft and the most beautifully squishy yarn.
I don’t know diddly squat about yarn and where to get it but I wanted to say… that is a really nice blanket. super cute. you are awesomely multi talented.
The problem you have is why you should, and I do shop at your local stores. I shop at JoAnn’s , Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby only when I have to. On line for fiber products has had too many disappointments. I am now losing my Joann’s because of online competition when the in store prices were the same or better than online with shipping. This is not only the loss of a supplier, but of friends and fellow sewers/knitters who work there. Caron Super Soft has always been consistent in texture and colors are colorfast through the lot. Another has been Big Twist. Both are/were available at JoAnn’s where I could see and feel what I was getting the same day I paid for it. I apologize if I seem snarky but losing a store that supplied my grandmother, mother, and I, is like losing a friend of the family.
I know the feeling. Especially as we get older, and we see community support die in favor of fast profit and indifference. I do all of my shopping online, and often from overseas for the simple reason that I can’t afford the prices of local retail shops. I spin many of my own yarns for the same reason. I’ve spent my life around the poverty level, so the money for buying yarn or fiber comes out of something else, like food. I have gotten very good and hunting down the sustainable, from primary sources where possible, and from companies that curate superior sustainable collections. Lindehobby is a major yarn supplier for Europe. It does bother me that buying and shipping fiber from Europe or India or China is cheaper than getting it locally, but such is life.
I have found Hobby Lobby’s Yarn Bee Simply Flawless to be a great soft yarn. All HL yarns are 30% off this week. I am just like you. I can’t work with rough yarn.
Let me also say, fiber fiend that I am. Nylon and polyester are are safe. Their production isn’t toxic, their decomposition isn’t toxic. i ahte to be a downer to any knitting, but you don’t need to use acrylic. They still make it because it is cheap, and they can spin it cashmere fine.
Mercerization of cotton is a chemical process, but it isn’t toxic. it just gives you very strong and silky cotton that you can machine wash and expect to last forever.
You can have that for less cost than the unpleasant chemical equivalent that is acrylic.
I use Caron Simply Soft for all my big projects, since it’s acrylic and cheap but I’ve never had trouble with the texture (and I’m pretty picky). I usually get it from Joann’s or Michael’s but I’ve bought it online too and it works great!
I’ve had a lot of success with Caron Simply soft. Lots of colors and I’ve made multiple blankets with it. The one I made for myself lives on my couch floor the last 13 yrs and is still in great shape.
Cascade also has some great ones.
try baby yarn… that’s what I do.
Berroco Comfort DK & Berroco Vintage DK have good squish and feel nice and soft to work with. Cascade Anthem is a worsted weight, but very soft and comes in a ton of colors. Cascade also makes a DK weight acrylic, called Cherub, but I’ve not worked with it personally.
Have you tried Plymouth Encore? It’s 75/25 acrylic/wool. I am currently making a blanket out of it.
Sorry. Cannot recommend. But you should be able to return what you made. Or knit something with the scratchy yarn that a charity can use.
Good Luck
I”ll add a vote for Hobbii, but also Caron Simply Soft.
I feel ya, what a nasty surprise. I used to live within easy driving distance to a yarn warehouse in the Pioneer Valley in Mass. They have a store front with gorgeous yarns, every kind of knitting needle, an entire room of looms, and more. Then behind the storefront is a literal warehouse with so much more yarn. Worth a pilgrimage if you’re ever in the area. Until then, they do have a website: https://www.yarn.com/pages/yarn?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=59194485&utm_term=webs%20yarn&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-C6rdWKv0kknxMYOsc-y8bCl-mH&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3rwkqGvw_mBncOww4FUTzgzK7YsFw8Bu27XSDR6_cHOVw9sdQUccjhoCKswQAvD_BwE
I’m sure there are tons of suggestions, but I’m not going to wade through them all. Most of the yarn in my stash is wool (sw and non-sw), mostly Rowan, Knit Picks Swish, and cotton. There’s also alpaca and silk. I am going to be making my first sweater, well tank, and the recommended yarn is Lion Brand Chainette (worsted weight plus it’s baby alpaca + nylon). I searched yarnsub.com using ‘acrylic cotton blend’ as a search term – most of the lines have been discontinued. The question now becomes – who here has swatched and blocked acrylic?
I live in New Zealand and all the yarn I use is pure wool or a mix with possum. I knitted a fair isle cardigan knitted in yarn from West Yorkshire but it pure wool and a few years ago.
Paintbox DK on love Crafts is a good option too. Looks like they’re on sale now as well.
https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/paintbox-yarns-simply-dk
Premier Anti-Pilling DK – straight from the Premier yarns website. I use it all the time for baby blankets that get donated through Knots of Love to NICU babies.
oh, and forgot to add that the yarn is machine washable and dryable and guarantees looking good through an insane number of washes.
Hobby Lobby’s off brand yarn is soft! And I think it’s acrylic. The brand is called “I Love This Yarn!” 😄
Knit Picks is a good option! not a fan of the Brava acrlyic line but their Mitghty Stitch which has a small blend of wool in it is machine washable and comes in a million colours. At worst, you can retuen them.
Knit Picks!! They have beautiful DK weight yarn !
I like cascade yarns – I just bought a ton of their 100% acrylic “Anthem” DK weight because they are on super sale at WEBS http://www.yarn.com. Soft and cushy and made in India; lots of colors. Webs was my local yarn store in Northampton MA when I started knitting in college. It was a family owned company, was recently bought by a bigger yarn company but on line and in person hasn’t seemed to have changed…..they have great sales and if you join their mailing list you get extra discounts.(I’m a crocheter now)
Knitpicks dk swish is soft and has lots of colors
I totally agree with you about scratchy acrylic. I use simply soft by carron or red heart soft. Both are a little slippery but they are soft, stand up well to washing, come in lots of colors, are available all over, and don’t cost a lot. I don’t think there’s a way to share a picture but I’ve made some fabulous blankets from these.
Are you able to return the yarn that you hate?
I really like Caron Simply Soft. They have many colors on the Joanns website.
Have you provided the company with any feedback?
What I have found with Caron’s Simply Soft is the yarn is thin. By that I mean, though the skein is marked worsted, #4, it measures at 11 wpi. This is great for you, since you want DK weight. And since it is carried at both Joann’s and Michaels, you can check the feel of it before ordering. (Which is such a bummer, I hate that for you.) 🙁
ahh, can sympathize with the hands. perils of growing old that i never heard about and never thought to experience…
Re ‘horrible’ yarn. Hope you find a soft and squishy source. check out your local Charity Knitting or crocheting groups, and they might be glad to have it.
Another British suggestion (because it’s where I live) Hayfield DK by Sirdar. Also from Yorkshire, but lots of colours and nice and soft. I can’t wear wool, and I’ve used Stylecraft a lot in the past, I’m very sorry to hear it’s changed!
I really enjoy Lion Brand’s mandala line! It’s acrylic, but really soft!
I switched to 100% cotton yarn; so far it is holding up to dog and many, many washings. Honestly, don’t remember the brand since I went wild a number of years ago and had planned to do tops and sweaters. The yarn sat in bins for a number of years until I decided that my hands weren’t going to heal any time soon enough to knit cabled sweaters; so crocheted it all up into two large “blankets” for bed.
Lion Brand has tons of colors in the “HomeSpun” line. We use it to knit Prayer Shawls because it can stand up to washing at a care center and not shrink.
update me!
seems like a few good suggestions and I’d be happy to hear what works out.
hope the hands feel better soon
Lion Brand has a yarn called “baby soft” that is a blend of acrylic, nylon, and rayon. It’s extremely soft. It only comes in 16 colors however. The Ice Cream yarns are variegated, but very soft.
“Coboo” from Lion Brand is a bamboo and cotton blend that is amazingly soft to work with, there are 24 colors in the line. I use it to make infant and toddler clothing. It’s got a pretty sheen, and a nice drape. Since it’s a blend, it’s recommended that you use a more pointed tip hook (Armour).
Yarnspirations is where you can find Caron yarns, and their baby stuff is soft.
I have used Premier (www.premieryarns.com) to make blankets, and baby clothes. Their Anti-Pilling everyday DK has a HUGE range of colors, as well as their Basix DK weight. I have mixed their solid colors with their Dottie series that has flecks of color.
I would stay away from any wool blends in case of allergies. Alpaca is extremely soft, but very expensive and has a tendency to split.
Some sites let you order mini skeins to try out.
I recommend you get a hot paraffin machine to help with your hands, also try Furls crochet hooks. They are designed to help with painful hands.
Much luck!
How about malabrigo?
Mali Brio is my favorite yarn by far, however, the colors are fairly inconsistent because they’re made in small dye batches and I don’t think there’s any acrylic involved. Their superwash yarn is wonderful, but I don’t know what it would do after many washings. I have also discovered that they make some yarn colors for specific shops like Wool & Co.
Or manos del Uruguay silk blend, it’s sold by webs online store. I’ve knit a scarf with and it’s still soft and beautiful years later.
Accidentally posted earlier as a reply to someone else so reposting. Hope it helps:
So I noticed on Lovecrafts website, they list a Stylecraft Special dk with 91 colors and then they list a Stylecraft Special dk Made in Yorkshire with 19 shades. They are phasing out the original and replacing them with the Made in Yorkshire but it seems like there is still a lot of the original and they are slowly replacing with the Yorkshire.
Knitpicks…. I love Brava and there is a cotton blend as well. All very soft. Lots of colors
eBay has sellers with Stylecraft yarn, maybe the Turkish yarn?
Well that SUCKS.
Caron 1 lb skeins are soft & nice! I wouldn’t recommend the regular skeins (which are a different yarn) because the yarn pills like crazy.
Got so excited that there was an acrylic yarn to be had that was super soft. Then the big letdown. It’s strange their quality assurance missed the fact the yarn no longer is buttery soft.
I came across a pintrest recipe once on how to fix scratchy yarn. most of the ideas use either fabric softener or hair conditioner. if it’s still in the skein, take of the label and work your fingers through it so it’s loose enough for your soap to penatrate, toss it in a lingerie bag and add it to your wash. opinions on hot or cold water differ. same with the dryer. the bag should keep it from unraveling or tangling. if it’s a finished project, then soak it overnight with LOTS of conditioner and massage the banket and soap. rinse thoroughly. did this with red heart once and it worked but the deeper into the skein, the less soft it was. so I probably goofed on my part.
Bernat Softee Baby cotton has been great for crochet. It’s a cotton/acrylic blend and unfortunately mostly comes in more pastel or muted shades, but they can also be very pretty when done right (it is a baby yarn after all). It wears and washes well and you can find decent coupons/discounts for it at Joann’s. I lean towards knitting/crocheting with animal fibers and I avoid acrylic and blends but I’ve found this great for kids and household items. I live much further north so cotton and acrylic don’t make the cut very often and I go back to this one over and over. Such a lovely blanket and lucky kids!
I feel your pain.
It reminds me of the first blanket I crocheted, as a teenager. About halfway through it I discovered that different dye lots are different in color. It was still nice and I used it for many years, but I was devastated when I first discovered it.
I hope you find an abundant source of good yarn, and that you find a perfect craft to use the scratchy stuff on.
I don’t know if this is made anymore, but I used Ella Rae cozy soft blend.
I think it was 75% acrylic and 25% wool. It did come in a DK weight. I don’t know how many things I made with this yarn that were destined to be washed and dried, but I handled it quite a lot; and I hate the feel of acrylic and/or unknown ‘wool’.
At first, I thought it came in just five colors, but then discovered it had a whole big pallet of very nice colors and made a shoulder wrap for an elderly aunt with dementia. It was safe to be tugged, chewed, things spilt on it and all sorts of abuse. I still have some of the DK soft colors and I forgot about it until I saw this post. Now I’m off to try to do a couple of granny squares to see how it behaves.
Thank you, Great Hoard of many talents.
I used to use Encore for things like this. it’s worsted and a blend of acrylic and wool but it’s washable. knit picks swish is merino super wash.
I find Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn to be great when I need to make something from acrylic.
Agreed 1000%. I hate scratchy yarn. I’ve been known to wear gloves when using it. But some of the soft yarn also gives me the ick feels. Because I’m so picky, I’ve never been able to find a yarn I can tolerate online. I have to see [touch] them in person. (It’s the same with fabrics for sewing projects.)
I think everyone has a different threshold for the type of yarn ‘feel’ they prefer. I prefer not to go bankrupt buying yarn, so I will put up with a lot. However, I have found that paintbox yarns from lovecrafts in the UK is very nice. Paintbox has acrylic and other types of yarn and a variety of weights and they are super reasonable. They also have a ton of colors. I have found that their acrylic does pill a bit, but that’s an inherent problem with acrylic yarn.
Good luck with your project!
Schoppel make excellent, hard wearing washable yarns though I have only worked with their wool blends. It’s particularly nice to crochet with and I find that a lot of yarns that knit well do not crochet well. (Not being a knitter I have no idea if they also knit well but they do a serious trade in fancy sock yarns – zauberball for the win!)
I would highly recommend Yarnsmiths Pebble Haze DK. It’s made by Wool Warehouse in the UK. It works up really well and was a dream to crochet with. It’s really soft. I made a few baby blankets for a close friend, and they remain the same despite repeated washes. It’s 67% cotton and 33% acrylic mix with beautiful variegated patterns in 150g balls and single colours in 50g balls,
I just bought a whole bunch of Lion Brand Anti-Pilling yarn for various projects. Lots of color choices and I liked the squish better than Premier or Caron simply soft. I also like it better than their Pound of Love. I stood in the isle at JoAnn’s way too long doing this research. 😆 I think it comes in a couple of weights
Try Caron Simply Soft yarn. I’ve used it and loved it. Amazon has a big selection, nd Herrshners has a good selection of colors.
Lotus Cashmere on Alibaba was the source of a bundle of nice DK yarns that I received as a gift. I switched from the acrylic after learning some yarns contain flame retardants, alas.
I have had a lot of success knitting with yarns from knitpicks.com
I’ve used Berroco Vintage (acrylic blend) and Berocco Ultra Wool (superwash) for a couple blankets and really liked the feel as well as the finished projects. Plus great color selection and reasonable price point.
I, too, have had to abandon a big project’s quantity of acrylic because I just couldn’t stand the way it felt in my hands. It made me hate the project, and life is too short!
Caron Simply Soft is nice
There’s a new yarn store in south Austin called KnitAtx. They have lots of inexpensive acrylic blends.
Most of the (very few) acrylic yarns I’ve tried are limp with no body, no elasticity, and I hate knitting with them, crocheting with them is even worse. Have you considered a washable merino wool?
I definitely recommend the LionBrand bamboo rayon yarn (it’s either the “Truboo” or the “Coboo” yarn – which I believe is a cotton blend).
I recently made a blanket for my mom who had knee surgery in winter, and it’s lightweight but retains warmth (and pretty machine washable in my opinion). She uses it all the time, even after her surgery!
Definitely comes in a bunch of colors – I just fear that the cotton blend variety was only available at Joann, and sadly I see they are going into bankruptcy – though maybe that means extra sale?
Good luck finding the yarn!
Wasn’t sure how hard the cotton/acrylic requirement was, but my recommendations:
Lion Brand Coboo — Bamboo Rayon/Cotton blend; also soft and not as silky as Truboo
Website says machine wash, machine dry
Lion Brand Truboo — 100% bamboo rayon, very, very soft and silky with lots of vivid colors — does tend to split, but I like it anyway
Website says machine wash, lay flat to dry
Cascade Nifty Cotton — 100% cotton; is a little more expensive, more of a worsted, but it is quite soft and lovely, and comes in infinite colors. Comes in hanks, but I think Wool and Company (online store) will wind it into cakes for you for free 🙂