So I decided to treat myself to a “luxury” Artyarns Club. It’s one of those deals, where they send you yarn and pattern every month, and you make cool stuff with it. The club was pricey – $66 – but this is pretty much my only hobby at the moment and I really wanted to try it. I never tried anything like that before, and I told myself that I work hard and I deserve pretty yarn.
Crate 1: a skein of creamsickle colored yarn and a skein of pink silk. Pattern is a basketweave wrap. There was not enough yarn for a wrap. Maybe for a scarf. Which, coming into summer, nobody needs. I ended up buying an extra skein in a similar colorway. I’m about $90 into a shawl I don’t particularly like. I am kicking myself. But okay, you know, this is the first crate. Fine.
Crate 2: a 200 yard skein of DK weight Cashmere/Silk blend and a tiny skein of beaded silk. Pattern: luxury mitts.
Behold the mitts.
Because everyone wants to own a pair of mitts that make your arms look like Michelin Man’s. Preferably in Swamp Thing green. If I, for some reason and I can’t imagine why, make these and put them on, Buffy might slay me.
The pattern is unattractive. The yarn is poorly chosen. Mittens typically get dirty faster than any other item of knitwear. The “luxury” cashmere/silk blend will have to undergo repeated washings and in no time this item will look like a rag. But the most troubling is skimping on yarn.
There is not much you can do with 200 yards of this yarn besides use it in some other project. Not suited to a hat, not enough for a scarf. I now have this tiny skein, for which I paid $66. I could’ve gotten enough luxury yarns through other stores to make an awesome shawl or infinity scarf for Kid 1 for the same amount of money.
I’ve come to conclude from Artyarn emails that their policy is to premium price yarn and give you bare minimum to finish something. I’ve ordered a kit before for a shawl and I have a terrible suspicion that there will not be enough yarn in there either. So, I cancelled my subscription.
Bummer. Lesson learned.
I don’t find this assesment surprising. I’ve always thought Art Yarns made pretty yarn, but I’ve always found them to be way to pricey as well. There are so many great options for yarn now, I can’t see paying their prices.
I’ve started Jimmy Beans semi-precious blanket/shawl year long subscription and really like it: https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/Madelinetosh/SemiPreciousToshBLANKETSubscription.asp
I wasn’t going to, but the first three months were SO PRETTY that I couldn’t resist. I also wasn’t sure about a shawl, but the blanket pattern for crochet they provided looked like it would work for me and seriously, the yarn is SO PRETTY. It took them a bit to send Jan-March yarn since they apparently got backed up, but now I’ve got them all and am working on catching up on my three blanket squares from earlier months and really enjoying it.
They have knit or crochet blanket and knit or crochet shawl options and only $22 a month with free shipping, so definitely way cheaper!
Okay, glad someone has so precisely expressed my very own opinions re: these two monthly selections. A person unfamiliar with Artyarns is not likely to become a fan based solely on experience with what we’ve seen so far.
For April’s kit, I did make a very nice scarf with the creamsicle color, even though that’s about my least favorite hue. My mom wanted it, so no regrets. I didn’t use the basketweave pattern because I thought it was a lousy match aesthetically with such beautiful yarn. Final assessment: So so.
As to the kit for May: Come on! I’m using the green silk/cashmere to make a very open-lace scarf, and I hope there will be enough of the beaded silk to make a nice edging. But really, I agree that the “luxury mitts” plan is just lame.
In defense of Artyarns and Iris Schreier, I have to say that I’ve made several of her non-subscription kits, including the Starry Wrap, the Triangular Taj Shawl, and the Regal Splendor Shawl. They’re all completely gorgeous! They provide a sufficient supply of their to-die-for yarn, and while the Starry and Regal are a bit smaller than I was expecting (but not unpleasantly so), the Taj is truly big enough to keep me warm on a chilly spring afternoon. I found those patterns to be unique, clever, very clearly written, and comfortably demanding. I recently ordered a Drama Queen kit so that I can do the new Artyarns Mosaic Jacket knit-along. My love for the products is what impelled me to sign up,for the subscription, but…
All of that said, I’ve decided to cancel the monthly kit. If I’m going to continue giving Artyarns so much of my money, I’ve determined that I need to be in charge of ALL the choices.