Lion Brand is Crap

[dragonfli]

This has been very informative for me. I think I am going to go ahead and make the afghan out of the Lion Brand Homespun because I saw a varigated fall color that was just georgous!! However, I do believe that I will use another yarn with it, just for sturdiness. I was considering Caron SS to keep with the softness theme. I am so in love with Caron SS yarn!!! I can't have enough!! I wish they had more colors in the SS though. I want some fall colors like browns, golds, oranges, olive or fall greens etc. and some verigated colors would be nice. The shadow and tweed just aren't "varigated" enough for me. I want a blend of vibrant (not bright) colors. I have searched web-site after web-site and I can't find any of these colors. I also looked for the Red Heart Soft Touch and can't find it anywhere. Oh well!!!!

 

What do you all think? Would Caron SS work up well with the Homespun?

[Lisaizme]

I think homespun would be great for an afghan.

 

It is. It makes the coziest and most scrumptious afghan you can imagine. I made one and gave it to a friend who has cancer and she loves it.

[Lisaizme]

Don't jump in and commit yourself to a queen size afghan until you know you like the way the yarn works up...unless you like buying a lot of yarn you won't use and are willing to send it to me.

 

[Sylviaf]

I like Homespun, Microspun, Lion Cotton and right now I love Glitterspun. I really haven't had any trouble with any of it, except for fringe on Homespun. I'm also sad not to find Cotton-ease anymore. I also love that it is readily available, especially in stores that regularly issue coupons.

[Harvestar]

I bought $10 per skein cotton yarn at the upscale yarn store and it splits as bad as the microspun. I think it's just how that kind of yarn is made (how it is twisted together since I don't think it has plies).

[goldi316]

Here is a blog entry (not mine!) that some of you might find interesting. It's a comparison of Lion Brand vs. higher quality yarns. The gist is that you may be surprised to find that some of the higher end yarns are actually less expensive in the long run.

 

This may be true, but keep in mind that not everyone has easy access to a LYS where these higher end yarns are carried exclusively, while Lion and other similar brands are carried in the big chain stores in enough variety and quantity that they often are more convenient to get.

 

We could argue on ad infinitum over this subject, which has been discussed before, but it still boils down to a matter of personal preference. I for one have never had any of the problems with Homespun that I have read others complaining of. It is, and will remain, one of my absolute favorite yarns. I also love working with those higher end yarns when my budget allows, and thus I get the best of both worlds and never run out of projects to work on because of a lack of materials. I come from the era when pretty much all that was available to the average crocheter was good old Red Heart and it's euivalents, so I for one appreciate the variety that is now offered without breaking the bank for me!

[Krystal16]

I have used the Pound of Love, and only because it's cheap. I agree that it splits horribly. BUT, if you're a knitter too (which I am on occasion) splitting isn't really an issue. I'm not a novelty yarn person, so can't really talk about the rest.

[Natasha]

This may be true, but keep in mind that not everyone has easy access to a LYS where these higher end yarns are carried exclusively, while Lion and other similar brands are carried in the big chain stores in enough variety and quantity that they often are more convenient to get.

 

We could argue on ad infinitum over this subject, which has been discussed before, but it still boils down to a matter of personal preference. I for one have never had any of the problems with Homespun that I have read others complaining of. It is, and will remain, one of my absolute favorite yarns. I also love working with those higher end yarns when my budget allows, and thus I get the best of both worlds and never run out of projects to work on because of a lack of materials. I come from the era when pretty much all that was available to the average crocheter was good old Red Heart and it's euivalents, so I for one appreciate the variety that is now offered without breaking the bank for me!

 

I had found that link quite informative and eye-opening and thought others might, too. I'm sorry if I was out of line.

 

Now, I'm off to sort through the Lion Brand in my stash....

[Happy_Hooker]

I can't remember where I heard this, (I believe it was from someone at one of those specialty shops.) but there are only three or four main yarn companies... all of it is just marketing... Kind of like what they do with cars now.. a rebadge (Like the Plymouth Voyager van and the Chrysler Town and Country Van...) Chrysler and Plymouth are the same co...

I have crocheted four "Coming Home" poncho's out of the Lion Brand Homespun... no problems persay... It does stretch, but that has a lot to do with how loose your stitches are as well... I think it is just like anything else out there... I am one of those people who believe you get what you pay for... but why should we have to??? I REFUSE to pay $13 for one skein of yarn... it is ultimtely going to be used and abused just like the 'cheaper' stuff...

 

My friend gave me a heart attack when she purchased three $13 skeins of yarn and asked me to make her wedding veil... I know when you are talking wedding, a $30 something veil is a lot less than a traditional veil would have cost, but when you usually pay $4- $6 a skein... TOTAL sticker shock. I was afraid to even work with it!!! NOW... if she got married say, 5 mos later, LionBrand has THE SAME yarn out there and I could have paid about 1/2 for the same finished product. To me that sucks...

 

I do like the LB Microfiber... currently working on a scarf project right now.

Haven't ventured out far from FunFur, Microfiber and Homespun as of yet...

I've done one project on the Jiffy T&Q (Scarf) and One with the Lion Boucle.

Both came out fine.

 

In the defense of the hoity toity yarn shops out there, not all of their yarn is expensive... I have found a few $5 skeins which is not at all unreasonable. There is something to be said about them that you WILL NEVER get at Michaels/Joann's Etc... I was lucky enough to find another skein of the same yarn for a project I had put to the side almost six months later... Had that been Michaels, there would have been no chance of the same dye lot being there 1 month later let alone 1/2 a year. Maybe I was just lucky, but I don't think they go thru stuff as much at those shops...

[Suebee42]

(Like the Plymouth Voyager van and the Chrysler Town and Country Van...) Chrysler and Plymouth are the same co...

 

I get where you're going, but Plymouth has been entirely defunct for a few years now... I think almost 10 years now... it's all Daimler Chrysler.

[Happy_Hooker]

I get where you're going, but Plymouth has been entirely defunct for a few years now... I think almost 10 years now... it's all Daimler Chrysler.

 

You are correct... and that itself is under another umbrella co... GM... If history repeats itself I am pretty sure we will have a "GM" of yarn soon enough!!!

[Suebee42]

I get where you're going, but Plymouth has been entirely defunct for a few years now... I think almost 10 years now... it's all Daimler Chrysler.

 

You are correct... and that itself is under another umbrella co... GM... If history repeats itself I am pretty sure we will have a "GM" of yarn soon enough!!!

 

Nope, GM is GM, and Daimler Chrysler is Daimler Chrysler -- though they are currently working together on hybrid car technology.

 

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/gm_chrysler_hybrid.html

 

(hubby works in the auto industry)

[Happy_Hooker]

Nope, GM is GM, and Daimler Chrysler is Daimler Chrysler -- though they are currently working together on hybrid car technology.

 

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/gm_chrysler_hybrid.html

 

(hubby works in the auto industry)

 

 

SEE... This is why they shouldn't do this with yarn too... If that happens then we really won't know where it's coming from... I'm telling you, if GM starts making yarn... I'm out!!!

[irish_leeny]

I'd buy GM yarn if I could redeem the yarn labels for a Corvette...or one of my dream cars, a 1969 black Chevelle SS!

[DesertCrocheter]

I love it!!! Redeem your yarn labels, like S&H green stamps, for stuff, up to, and including, the car. What a fabulous idea! Sure beats the lemonade glasses I remember my mom getting with her stamps. Patty

[cat3crazy]

Here is a blog entry (not mine!) that some of you might find interesting. It's a comparison of Lion Brand vs. higher quality yarns. The gist is that you may be surprised to find that some of the higher end yarns are actually less expensive in the long run.

 

I read this blog and found it to be very interesting. The bottom line that this person was trying to say is that Lion Brand yarn is NOT inexpensive. Some of the yarns that are being called 'higher end' do not cost as much when you compare by yardage. But it is difficult to do the comparison since several of the 'lower priced' yarns do not list yardage on their packaging!

 

If you are on a budget and want to get the best value for your money, then you have to do the comparisons. You can NOT trust advertising.

 

I know that not everybody has a good local yarn shop. I wish you all did. I prefer shopping where the employees are knowledgeable about the product and can answer questions when I run into a problem. If we don’t support the LYS then they will not be able to stay in business and then our choices will become more limited.

[Carol]

I read this blog and found it to be very interesting. The bottom line that this person was trying to say is that Lion Brand yarn is NOT inexpensive. Some of the yarns that are being called 'higher end' do not cost as much when you compare by yardage. But it is difficult to do the comparison since several of the 'lower priced' yarns do not list yardage on their packaging!

 

If you are on a budget and want to get the best value for your money, then you have to do the comparisons. You can NOT trust advertising.

 

I know that not everybody has a good local yarn shop. I wish you all did. I prefer shopping where the employees are knowledgeable about the product and can answer questions when I run into a problem. If we don’t support the LYS then they will not be able to stay in business and then our choices will become more limited.

 

Good points.

[cgd]

I went to my LYS once, but their hours are such that it seems to me they're not very hospitable to anyone who has a regular job outside the home. They close at 4:00 or 4:30 most days, except Tuesday, when they stay open til 7, but I can't come then. Sat. they're open 10-2. Once I went there during posted hours, and they were closed anyway. So hell yeah, I'd rather visit Wally World or Michael's or order on-line from Joann. The LYS doesn't seem to want or need my business--in fact, in a medium-sized city such as this, I don't see how they stay in business.

 

I finally made it actually IN there once, and everything was so expensive. They didn't have what I was looking for either. The LYS where I live in my experience is a bit too precious for my taste, at least for working outside the home women on a budget.

 

Back to the original topic--the only LB I've tried is Homespun, and I got frustrated with it being hard to work. Maybe when I'm a bit more experienced I'll try it again. But I like the look of the Thick-n-Quick and the Microspun.

[Yearnin' for Yarn]

We don't have an LYS in my town, either; there is one in a town about 45 miles north of here and one in a town 55 miles south of here. The one north of here is mainly a frame shop, so it has a limited selection of yarn, but what they do have is overpriced.

 

I recently visited the LYS in the town south of us for the first time, and while it had an excellent selection, the prices were more outrageous than can be imagined.

 

I had written down the yarns I was interested in and the prices they are available for at various places on the Internet, and often the LYS's prices were at least $3-$4 more per skein.

 

I am sure locals shop there for ease and to support a local business, but I simply cannot afford to shop there when I can get what I want for so much cheaper on the Internet (including any shipping charges). I dont' get to shop on the Internet very often, so when I can get LB at the local Walmart for a reasonable price, and since I consider it a fairly good quality yarn (I've not had many problems with it), I do buy LB and Caron and Bernat since that is what my Walmart carries.

 

Nicole

[Happy_Hooker]

I went to my LYS once, but their hours are such that it seems to me they're not very hospitable to anyone who has a regular job outside the home. They close at 4:00 or 4:30 most days, except Tuesday, when they stay open til 7, but I can't come then. quote]

 

FINALLY, someone else said it!!! That is a big problem I have with them too... Like I said, the prices really aren't that different, but if we can't get in there, Michaels and LB are looking a lot better at 6pm.

[harmonise]

I do agree some of it is awful, but not all...

 

I ADORE Lion Brand Wool-ease Chunky yarn. It's wonderful to crochet and knit with. I use a 9.00 mm hook to make it easier to work with. I'm not thrilled with Homespun, as I've found that anything I've made with it tends to stretch out horribly, and the quality isn't consistent. The Lion Wool is okay, although I don't think I'd go out of my way to get it again. I've found 100% wool in LYSs that are better quality. I haven't tried Jiffy yet, but people who have say it's great to work with. The Jiffy Thick and Quick was too rough for my liking.

I used Wool Ease Thick and Quick to make a lapghan for my step-son going to college in Cleveland. (What I bought on sale just happended to be his school colors! ) I bought it because it was SOOO soft and the colors were beautiful (navy and heather gray). I used I think an N hook and made it a simple ripple alternating the colors. It turned out georgeous, soft and very warm on those cold winter nights in the dorm common area!

[harmonise]

I just bought an Afghan book that has an afghan pattern I want to try. It is made up with Lion Brand Homespun. The picture looks good, but do you think that the afghan would stretch out of shape? Have you used the homespun on an afghan before? Maybe I should use another type of yarn, I haven't purchased the yarn yet . . . . .

 

I checked out a Vanna White afghan book from the library recently and almost all of the designes were made with Homespun...my she is talented! Just a thought...if you're concerned with stretching, you could use a strand of sportweight or thread along with it.

[harmonise]

I've been looking at that. I'll have to grab some to play with!

 

Our Michael's doesn't carry it . They have most other styles but not that one. I got about 9 skeins (one at a time I think) using 40% off coupons in some kind of forrest green (my favorite color). I found a pattern on LB's website last year using it and I can't wait to make it...by the time I collected all the yarn earlier this year it got too warm to work on an afghan! I will probably start in September.

[harmonise]

I will say that knitting with Homespun blows. I don't see how people can knit prayer shawls with that stuff: when I was knitting it my thoughts weren't especially prayerful. :-) Crocheting it is much easier.

 

I don't knit but a couple of friends at work who do tried it (Homespun) after they saw me chrocheting with it and they said the same....twisting like crazy. I couldn't believe it since I had such wonderful results with no problems (except finding the loops of the starting chain! ) but I saw it with my own eyes from a VERY experienced knitter. Hmmm, wonder why that is?

[mamaoso]

I will say that knitting with Homespun blows. I don't see how people can knit prayer shawls with that stuff: when I was knitting it my thoughts weren't especially prayerful. :-) Crocheting it is much easier.

Knitting homespun is easier for me, then crocheting it...