Yarn review

Moda Dea Vision

Basic Yarn Information:

Fiber content 65% Wool 35% Acrylic
Skein yardage/weight 155 yards, 3.5 oz, 100 g
Recommended hook size/gauge I
How many ply? 2 (I think)
Manufacturer's suggested retail price and/or actual price $4.99
Name and/or URL of store where you purchased yarn AC Moore http://www.acmoore.com/
Any other places you know of where yarn can be purchased That is the only place that I have seen it so far.

Care of Yarn:

Washing Hand Wash in cold
Drying dry flat
Any special requirements
How does yarn/project look/handle after being cleaned? TBA
Did the color run when washed? TBA

Yarn Characteristics:

How easy is it to crochet with? What about ripping out? Smooth, forgiving yarn after frogging.
Any stretch? a bit
Does it produce fuzz/lint? none
Does it pill? not yet
How does it wear? So far so good
How does it reflect light? Saturates the light
How does it look crocheted? Beautiful
Are any other yarns similar or identical? One of the best Wool/acrylics blends I have used so far.

Project Specifics:

What did you make with the yarn? Scarf and mittens
What hook size did you use? j
Are simple stitches best? How do complex stitches look? Does not show stitch definition.
Describe drape of finished project This project had wonderful drape...not stiff at all.
What other types of projects would this yarn work well for? Winter apparel like scarves, hats, mittens, slippers, shawls
Is there any project this yarn would not be suited for? Cooler weather garments. Too warm.

I really was pleasantly surprised that this yarn worked up so smoothly. It never split. After just working with Noro Silk Garden (Silk, wool), I liked working with Visons much more. Visions had a much softer feel to it and worked up better. Not a perfect comparison because they are made out of different materials....but this is my assessment.

Yarn Review: Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends

When I went to my local craft store last night (to buy the correct size for my bamboo purse handles) I noticed some new yarns. I have been eyeing Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends online, and was pleasantly surprised to find it. It retails for $3.99 usd so I bought a skein and decided that I would review it for you all.





Basic Yarn Information

Fiber content: 70% Acrylic/ 30% Alpaca
Skein yardage/weight: 120 yds/100g/ 3.5 oz
Recommended hook size/gauge: 6mm US J How many ply?: 2 ply
Manufacturer's suggested retail price and/or actual price: $3.99



Care of Yarn
Washing: Hand wash
Drying: Air dry flat
Any special requirements:
How does yarn/project look/handle after being cleaned?: Seemed to shed less
Did the color run when washed?: No

Yarn Characteristics
How easy is it to crochet with? It was easy to work with, slight splittage

What about ripping out? It was forgiving after ripping out
Any stretch? yes
Does it produce fuzz/lint? A Lot
Does it pill? N/A
How does it wear? Nice drape
How does it look crocheted? Great stitch definition


First Impressions


According to Knitter's Review, alpaca fiber is reportedly softer than cashmere. And at first touch, I agree. It is a very soft yarn. Alpaca is a hollow fiber, similar to angora, making it far warmer than wool. It is available in 8 color ways. I used the a light pink color called Peony. I picked a light color because from first glance, I noticed that the darker colors seemed to shed.



Crochet swatch
I swatched using Clover Touch hook in size J in a single stitch. The swatched worked up easily and moved softly through loop after loop. I did notice how it shed. Of course I was wearing a black shirt. By the time I was done with the swatch, it looked like I was covered in long cat hairs. It also made my nose itch immensely.



I washed the swatch in cold water and some baby soap. I noticed as soon as the swatch got wet, the hairs became even more loose. After I blocked and dried the swatch, I noticed a dramatic decrease with the shedding. It still remained intensely soft.


Conclusion

After I experienced the intense shedding. I really began to dislike this yarn. I really wanted to like it...thought it would make a great scarf, since it is so soft. But after the shedding, I concluded that it would not make a nice scarf accessory since it would probably ruin your shirt with hairs. After I washed the swatch and it dried, I began to change my mind. Washing did decrease the shedding which made me like the yarn once again. It is my first time working with Alpaca....and could not imagine how much more it would have shed if it was more of an alpaca blend than acrylic. I have to say, it was one of the softest yarns I have worked with to date. I would buy this kind of yarn again, but I just would not wear black :)



More reviews to come in the next days....