Red Heart yarn--rant & rave

[crochet30]

What happened to Red Heart?! They have been such a mainstay of the knit/crochet world it is really saddening to see their quality/assurance control has seemingly become a secondary factor. They seem to no longer care about the customer at least not like 20 & 30 years ago. eek...did I say 30?

No dye lot (what a joke. whose idea was that!); the yarn is way coarser (obviously so they can sell new "soft" yarns at a higher price); and way too often the strands are not spun tightly enough or they go between thick & thin throughout one skein. My daughter was extremely frustrated when crocheting an American flag, and sometimes my little amigurumi characters seem deformed when a strand suddenly thickens.

Sigh......

[chichiwawa]

I thought that I was the only one! I too have noticed this lately. And it seems that the new colors they are coming out with are of the worst quality. It really drives me nuts. I have been loyal to red heart for a long time but I've been thinking about switching brands. What's a hooker to do?

[MyissaG]

I have noticed in some skeins how it goes from thick to thin. It does make it harder to have a good gauge when the yarn keeps changing.

[Lady_of_Roses]

I noticed the thick and thin problem when I worked on my Blue Star. I was hoping that was an oddity. But I guess with like 5 manufacturers going under, they're probably struggling to keep cranking out reasonably priced yarn at all. Hopefully things will settle down for the acrylic yarn manufacturers soon.

[Beaglelady]

Can't say I've had this problem yet and I use 99% Red Heart Yarns

[NanaJ]

I haven't noticed or had the problem with the thick and thin but I do know that it sure isn't soft like I remember it being way back when my mom was knitting for me as a kid. I almost hate to do anything in Red Heart "normal" anymore as it is not soft.

[Nutsaboutcrochet13]

Schnap! Red Heart is basically the only brand I buy! One because it's cheaper, two the color selection is great, and I haven't noticed this yet, I hope I can avoid it!

Come on, Red Heart!!!

[olive]

*** I'm so glad someone else mentioned the color thing. The colors looked the same in dim light but when I had the new baby blanket I made out at the airport it looked like it was 2 different colors!

[Moonstruck]

I just bought some RH yarn for an afghan. Same dye lot but the colors are quite different in the light. I did think it was really scratchy. I know my mother used it & I don't remember it being so rough. I really like the SS but it is more costly.

[Nicky]

I noticed that as well but I thought it had something to do with me being a beginner still. That stinks.

[Yaviiniia Loenla Enath]

I like that red heart super saver is coarse. I crochet cowboy hats, and red heart is the only yarn stiff enough.

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

Ok 2 things yes I notice the roughness sometimes and the thick thin too but it's not so much that I quit using the stuff though I use simply soft more mainly that is because I make alot of toys. The softness is really only a big deal with toys they don't get washed but anything that you wash gets really soft after a wash or 2. Now of cours my perspective is diff from someone who's been using the stuff for 20 yrs or so

[WendyLee]

I have noticed the change and I have quit using the yarn. I bought some to make an afghan for my granddaughter and it felt so rough in my hands that I could not imagine it as a cozy afghan. So now it sits in my stash waiting for me to decide to get rid of it!

[Addey]

I've only used a few skeins of RHSS. The first one I used I almost threw out. I could pull a few yards and then it got stuck. The yarn actually broke while I was trying to unstick it. It was clogged with all this undied fiber in the middle and was gumming up the whole works! It also was very rough and felt like it was tearing up my hands. That was the first and last blanket I'll make with it. It did soften up a bit after washing, but still, not worth the hand agrivaiton. Caron SS isn't much more expensive and so much easier to work with, I've only had 1 skein out of several dozen that had any real issues. Although, their color does tend to vary, even with no dye-lot.

[lynned1952]

Don't forget they put sizing on the yarn for handling purposes. I always run my finished projects through the rinse cycle to remove the sizing and let them air dry. I never put them in the dryer because then they get too soft and limp.

[kkms]

i have noticed this problem not with red heart though. last night i was crocheting squares for my daughter blanket and i am using caron simply soft bone, chocolate and soft pink and i had run out of all and had to start new skeins and all three are a different consistency than the three previous skeins and the chocolate is not as soft as the others. i thought it was just me but i guess maybe not.

[Crocus58]

I just had to quit using RH unless I just can't find the color I need in any other brand. It's so rough on my fingers (though I know it will soften up after washing) that I just can't crochet for long with it and I'm a marathoner. I find myself using Caron pounders for my afghans now.

[lynned1952]

You're right, it IS rough on the hands. I find I use a ton of hand cream when I'm involved in a large crochet project. It seems like the yarn just soaks the moisture right out of my hands and they become dry and cracked.

[mizduck]

I'm getting ticked with homespun..the thick and thin thing.

[Trinket]

I agree. I've seen this a lot, too. I don't like how rough it is, either. I dislike how stiff my finished projects are when I use that yarn, but feel bad about washing something that isn't really USED yet.

 

Another problem I've been having with Red Heart is that I'm finding a LOT of knots in it. I usually had come across a couple knots know and then, but now there are a LOT of them. And I'm not talking about tangled yarn. I'm talking about where one piece of yarn ends and they apparently tied another piece to that!

[Tiga]

For everyone that wants to use RH for either price or color, wash it before you use it; stuff it into a leg of a pair of pantyhose, tie a knot on either side of the skein, and wash it on the gentle cycle. Dry it on low heat or the damp dry setting, and voila! no more itchy, scratchy yarn!

 

I did this with a skein of Watercolors that I used to make a hook case; I was in love with the colors, but was almost ready to throw the skein away my hands were so raw. I just added a little fabric softener, and all was well.

[sueb0154]

my problem with the red heart is that i am making a spiderman blanket for my son and when my first skein of red ran out and i started the next one they were different shades even though they were the same color. like a previous post they looked the same in the store and even at home until they were worked together. to me there is an obvious difference in the color. what's up with the no dye lot?? if there was a dye lot you would know they were the same. then one of the blues i had for it right in the middle of the skein it had a chunk of yellow fiber wrapped around it. i was able to remove it without cutting it but had a problem getting it off. i like some of the others remember my mom making stuff for me out of rr and it was alot softer back then. i know a scarf i made for my son this last fall was really rough and when i washed it the first time it did soften up some. and my hands do get really dry when i work with it. i like some of the other posts am now usins ss because it is a better quality and about the same price.

[lynned1952]

Well we could all contact the makers of RH and complain and ask them to correct the situation by using less or a different sizing. SS is a tad more expensive, so not using RH and switching to SS is a win/win situation for you and the manufacturers.

[misteph]

I can never get this yarn to soften up, no matter how I wash and dry the stuff!

I stopped using it altogether because I'm always disappointed with the scratchy finish. I've slept under softer ARMY blankets and that's the truth !

 

As for the no dye lot, even buying skeins with the same number on the label-all from the same bag doesn't guarantee the same color. I have a scratchy knit sweater that has 3 shades of blue in it. That was my last RH purchase.

 

Now I buy Simply Soft and Bernat for inexpensive acrylics. They are always soft and I love the new colors they are coming out with. Especially the Simply Soft Brites! Great for baby blankets and children's clothing. Okay-enough commercial.

 

Michelle in Southern AZ

[appy_lover]

Unfortunately I cannot get Bernat camo here anymore, so the only camo yarn I can get is RHSS. It is scratchy and stiff to work with, but it washes up ok. I haven't noticed differences in think/thin the same strand yet, but I did notice that a verigated skein that I bought was a lot bigger. It totally messed with my gage, grrrr... I had to frog the hat I was making several times.

 

I will say price and color choice wise, I gotta love this class. The hats I make need to be a little stiff for the brim to flare out right. RHSS is the best for that.