Really love that you made a video about this! I don't think the cost of yarn is talked about enough, not everyone can afford to keep buying sweater quantities of expensive yarns. I've used drops nepal before and would definitely second your reccomendation (with the caveat that it does pill quite a lot in my experience, but nothing that a de-piller cant fix!), and I'm currently making a wrap cardigan in cascade hertiage. It is SO soft, I'm looking forward to seeing how the fabric holds up. I'd also reccomend others from the drops line that I've tried (Lima, nord and flora have all been great in my experience, and their cottons are great for accessories and home decor items). I'd love to here your reccomendations for budget rustic/itchy yarns!
definitely agree! it can make people (me lol) feel a bit self conscious about it too, like will people look down on my projects if i’m not using £25 a skein indie dyed boutique 100% natural yarn?? oh that’s good to know about the other yarns, i’ve tried flora but not the others so will definitely keep in mind! ahh i definitely will! why is it that the scratchiest yarn is always the prettiest 😭😭😭
Thank you for your info. Yarn snobs, I find are the majority on RU-vid and what really gets me is the first thing they tell you is to become a patreon, because this is the only way they earn money. They always use the yarn the designer suggests and then by the way are quickly going on a trip to work so hard for their podcasts. I'm a sock knitter and mainly use Regia. My daughter is still wearing socks 10 years down the line. All she does is put all her socks in a net washing bag and 30c in the wash. She dries them flat and don't know if that makes a difference. Thank you and keep up the good work I need it
definitely! i agree, im always blown away by the yarn choices too. i get it for a very special or rare colour but sometimes i just think it looks like any old yarn but cost a bomb! ooo ive never tried that one before, will put on my list to try next time!
@@issyknitsI recommend Regia for socks. It's not quite as soft as Cascade Heritage (which I adore), but it is harder wearing. Regia do loads of lovely self striping yarns, and they seem to change up the designs/colours all the time, so you can often get end of line sales. West Yorkshire Spinners do good sock yarn too, although it's less often on sale and I think a little bit more expensive.
When I first started knitting and watching RU-vid, I was shocked at the price of yarn. I’ve learned to find the high quality and affordable yarn. I will be using Drops Nepal yarn this year for my colorwork. I’ve purchased quite a bit of Drops Bell for two tops so I hope I’ll like that too. Thanks for the information.
I’m a Drops fan too there merino is non muesling safran is a great cotton Belle knits up the same sandes garn Lina, drop Nepals great most of the drops yarns are and the tweed yarn is great too. I do buy hand dyed occasionally and occasionally Rowan if I find a good deal on eBay but not a sweaters worth
I just finished a colourwork cardigan for my mum with Drops Nepal and it’s blocked out beautifully. So affordable and soft, I think Nepal overdelivers on quality 🙂
Been knitting for 50 yrs and am amazed at how little new knitters are taught when they learn. The newest scam are designer who seem yo only be able to make a basic raglan unless it invokves a strand of mohair with a strand of hand dyed. That is a 150-400 dollar sweater! How about the sweaters made with double and triple strands! New designers are not taught the importance of ggauge and think that the label is all that matters. You can make anything as long as you get gauge first. Ignore the recommended yarn and needles, get a $7.95 EZ book and read it. Knitting Almanac is the name. Watch videos from established knitters and designersamd read their.books. If they don't have literature but they are selling $15 per pattern basic cabled raglans in $35 per skein yarn then you might want to have a second look. Make gauge swatches, wash and block and keep a detailed journal for them.
definitley agree! i’m often surprised by the fast timeline of “i learned to knit!” and “hey guys buy my pattern” 😂 such good tips, and i hadn’t thought about keeping a journal of gauge swatches which i will endeavour to do!
How did your projects in drops Nepal do on pilling? The one sweater I made with it pills a lot, but I don’t know whether that is because of the looser gauge or the yarn inherently
i haven’t had that experience but i’ve heard others say the same! my items were colourwork sweaters (with different yarns mixed in) and scarves etc so a sweater solely made from nepal may behave differently. i will keep an eye out for it!
I knit a sweater in Drops Nepal with a tight gauge and it pills so much. I absolutely regret knitting a sweater with it and I would never recommend anyone to do so. I have never seen any wool behave so badly.
👏 “Knitting shows “ that are basically commercials for expensive yarn are nuts. They get that yarn for free and get $ to advertise. I lost my patience and stopped watching a very popular Canadian RU-vid “knitting show” when the two , wealthy sister hosts not only pushed expensive skeins but casually talked about how everyone who wants more knits than they can manage to complete themselves should, just like these ladies, simply hire someone else to knit for them. 😮. 🙄
Thank you for the video! I always appreciate cost-effective high quality wools. Cascade brand overall is my favourite, I wish it will be more available in Spain. I would also mention Filcolana, BC garn and Mondial. Their quality is def cost-effective, as for me
Well as as a fifty year knitter, 10 yrs in a venerable Yarn store, I was all prepared to dis your choices. Bad me …. Your choices are great. Factory made sock yarns of all sorts are usually predominantly wool, washable and not too scratchy, Drops and Sirdar make some of the most affordable yarns out of lovely natural fibres. I live on the west coast of Canada and knit with Drops cotton (Aran weight) and baumulle Lin by drops as for my jumpers . Frequently layered both under and over other natural fibres. Washable, cozy and not itchy. I know all the reasons for using acrylic, but none of it warrants a couple of hundred years breaking down in the landfill until it becomes microfibre pollution.
ah amazing, i’m so glad you agree! i haven’t tried any drops cotton but will give it a try, currently knitting a dress in cotton and i love the feel against my skin!
Appreciated this video - thanks. I was dillying over drops Nepal so I'll give it a go. I like listening to knitting podcasts but so tired of the endless hand dyed expensive yarns that are almost always recommended.
I really like BC Garn yarns. A lot of options, many colors, and cost around 10euro for a 100 g. Another great option is Retrosaria Rosa Pomar. Their yarns start at about 5 euro, and their most popular one is 10.10 euro for a 100g of beautiful fingering weight. Doesn't pill, a huge color range, and very ecologically conscious
I agree, i have used both and have good results with both . Rosarios4 yarns, particularly their summer blends are also good and well priced. In London I know BC Garn are stocked at Loop and Retrosaria Rosa Pomar and Rosarios4 at Wild and Woolly who also have something called their Stash Depot where customers can buy and sell yarn for £2 per ball. Bargains can often be had!
in terms of yarns i’ve loved working with that are less expensive: knit picks swish dk and berroco vintage (both the dk and worsted weights) are a couple of my favorites. great for gifting accessories, i want to make a whole sweater out of one of them soon.
What does everyone think of Sytlecraft? I have used their arcylic DK for blanekts and it's actually great. I have not tried their natural fiber offerings so curious if anyone has any recs. I do often knit with the high end yarns and they are good but yah, budget can't always support that. I used to only knit with Lion Brand (I'm in the USA) and I actually really like Lion Brand.
I agree that there is a lot of yarn snobbery out there and that itchiness is an issue for some natural fibres, but acrylic and all the polys are made from oil. Dyes are made from coal tar. Does the climate impact come into your yarn cost equation?
I love anything by Cascade and Malabrigo. I’m not sure how widely available it is outside of North America, but Lions Brand Fishermen’s Wool is a phenomenal deal for 100% wool, only available in natural colors, but pretty identical to Cascade 220 for, probably, 1/4 of the cost.
oh lovely i’ll have a look into them! i’ve definitely seen lions brand in the UK but will look for that specifically. i’ve had a few malabrigo’s on my list for a while but never taken the plunge, will have to try it out as lots of people are saying it’s very soft (and obviously colours are unlike anything else!!)
I think you are absolutely right - it is possible to find good quality knitting yarns that don't break the bank. I would like to put in a mention for Wooly Knits yarns , their sock yarn comes on 200g cones for £12 and I have found it to be hard wearing. My particular favourite is their British wool 4ply 500g cones which are £30 or £34 for merino. They also have regular sales across the range.
Winter Glow and Winter Glow solids are amazing- light but super warm!!! And if you play Monday Bingo, you get an additional coupon for $ off for 48 hours, on top of any sale price or multiple skein purchases (an all time perk of Hobbii), you can save a bunch on these.
I so appreciate that you brought up this topic! It seems like the elephant in the room within the knitting community. Will give Drops Nepal a go. Am lucky that Cascade Heritage is stocked at my local craft store down the street. Amazing!
it definitely does doesn’t it! it’s crazy how pervasive the idea that it’s normal and expected to spend £200+ on yarn for one sweater 😂 ah yay, hope you like it!
I loved this video. I'm sensitive to the itch too. Great to get some suggestions of yarns to try. Especially from a UK based person. I've got my eyes on knitting a jumper with hayfield soft twist which feels very soft and not too squeaky
yay i’m pleased it was helpful! i agree often yarns people love online are really hard to get here 😅 sounds gorgeous, haven’t tried that one but i’ll look it up!
I couldn’t afford to buy the lovely hand dyed or rustic yarns that I crave. So I learned how to dye bare yarn, and how to blend and spin fiber into those rustic yarns I love. Buying acid dyes and fine bare yarn is much less expensive. Spinning on an EEW electric spinner is a lower cost entry to spinning.
Thank you for this. Just at the right time. I’m looking for yarn for a baby project. I know my daughter in law won’t hand wash so your suggestions are perfect
Hello loveee this video, as a viewer I just wanted to add that links to the yarns in the description box would be very helpful. And please give us affiliate links. It’s so nice to be able to support the people who give you the insight! Ofc the names alone are still great❤
yes of course! it’s from a vintage sirdar pattern book called “simply aran”, and it’s sweater no 2. i’ve never been able to find a digital version unfortunately but i’ve seen the book itself being sold online 💕
Thank you for talking about this. I think it’s fine for people to spend lots on yarn if they want to, but it’s also important for budgeting to be part of the online conversation so it feels normal not to be splashing out on your knits all the time!
definitely true! i agree, if people want to buy luxury yarn then they should do that (and some of it is so sooo gorgeous!!!) but it’s definitely not “the norm” and it can definitely make others feel a bit sheepish with their normal yarn when it’s pitched as such. definitely important to talk about it!
Thanks so much for this video. It's very helpful. I am wondering what pilling is like for these yarns in your experience? I've heard softer yarns tend to pill more, how did you find the pilling in your projects after some wear/use?
i would say minor for them all in my experience. someone commented that they found drops nepal to pill quite a bit but i haven’t found that personally!
Any chance anyone could compare any of the yarns mentioned to lana grossa merino / malabrigo in terms of prickleness? I've been on the hunt for a yarn that doesn't make me itch and honestly it's been such a bummer.. now that I think of it, I have wool/acryl mixes in store-bought items that are completely fine. Thanks for this!
Drops Nepal is itchier. Cascade Heritage is comparable to malabrigo I'd say for smoothness. It's a little less squishy I think, but that may be because I've only knitted chunky and DK malabrigo and Cascade is 4ply. I haven't knitted with any of the others to compare.
If you think about the cost per hour the best method of knitting at a reasonable cost is using fine yarns and joining or forming free knitting group at a library or coffee shop. Also focusing on skill development in stitches, shaping and fit adds a level of achievement especially when using a finer yarn. Longer to knit a piece, more muscle memory and hopefully at the finish you have a garment you can wear indoors and under a jacket
definitely, finer yarn creates the most lovely and wearable jumpers and as you say often works out less expensive! that said, they take a lot longer 😭 worth it, but long! i like the focus on developing skills too, it’s much more fun to knit challenging things than to knit plain for sure!
@@issyknits currently I’m making the Jayne jumper, by Madeleine Weston. Not a difficult pattern, more a meditative one. The 15 cm of one by one rib using 2.75mm has been very character building. 😉
@@stephaniegrace8623 😂😂 we must be kindred spirits because i’m currently working on a similarly long rib section for a fairisle cardigan on 2.75 needles as well! i’ve actually starting debated how much i even like knitting after all 😂😂
Wow your hair 😍 it’s like caramel!! I love drops anything so good and I can get it very local to me. I have knitted using cascade heritage and I wasn’t too happy with it I found that it grew so much but looking back maybe it did because the project was garter stitch? Do find after washing knits with this yarn it grows? Great video Issy ❤
thank you so much!! i’m loving it from autumn 🍂🧡 that’s really interesting! i haven’t had that but i’ve heard that about a lot of other superwash yarns so it may be because of that element of it, i suspect the texture plays a role too as ive only knitted it in stockinette. i havent machine washed my top but it didn’t stretch out during blocking, and the socks are fine in the machine (albeit obviously they are only socks so don’t have a lot of weight to it). now i had a really weird experience with another yarn where i did a lace stitch pattern and it stretched it sooo much, so i wonder if maybe it was to do with that?
In my experience merino always stretches a bit when wet and you have to dry it flat (I don't normally bother after the first block). I'd say cascade heritage is better than most (because of the nylon presumably) but it is still stretchy when wet.
I also find Nepal slightly itchy. I use cascade heritage all the time and it isn't itchy. I'd also recommend the drops merinos, although they do stretch like crazy when you wash them. Knit tight and stick to things that aren't going to need washed that often!
