Your Favorite Yarn for Afghans

[SharonW7]

Good morning,

 

I just have to rant a little bit. Ha! I've been knitting and crocheting for over 30 years. Learned how to do both with Red Heart yarn, which I have loved until recently. I just finished a baby blanket; was told it would "soften up" after washing. Well, it didn't. It is very stiff and scratchy. I would not give this afghan to a baby! So I don't think I will be using Red Heart yarn anymore. Seems each time I have bought it, the quality has gone down. Anyway, my question.....for those of you who crochet lots of afghans, what is your favorite yarn to use for them? I need some ideas for yarn that is relatively inexpensive and soft. Thanks for your ideas.

 

I may have to order on-line because the stores to buy yarn in my area have a very limited selection.

 

Happy crocheting!

 

Sharon

[texasredhead]

Try washing your afghan one more time and use liquid fabric softener. This works pretty well for me and when I put in the liquid I let the blanket soak a bit in it before I rinse. Otherwise, when I make afghans I use Caron Simply Soft or Bernats Baby Coordinates. For bablies you can also use Baby Soft from Lion Brand or Pound of Love. I never use red heart unless I just can't find the color I need. Another thing about the redheart for me is just because it is so rough, it really hurts my hands as it rubs over them. They do make a red heart soft now. You would think that they could just make theirs soft and not have another one that is!!

[Sylviaf]

Simply soft, Bernat Satin and Red Heart Soft are all nice yarns. I also like I Love this Yarn from Hobby Lobby, although some people here have complained that it doesn't hold up well. My daughter has knitted several things from the Bernat baby yarns that ended up being pretty affordable and very nice.

[alchemyfyr]

I love Bernat, Patons, and Caron Simply Soft. They are all affordable and very soft with pretty colors. I've only used RH to make a caterpillar toy and I found that it was rough going over my fingers too.

[crpstx]

I also use I Love This Yarn, in fact, just got some yesterday called Sierra Ombre. It is a beautiful multicolored yarn that makes a pattern almost like the self striping more expensive stuff. It is very soft and washes up nicely.

[grannyannie]

I've used Caron Simply Soft for most of my baby things. The stores around here have a very limited supply of yarn, also! I work with RHSS for other things and I would recommend washing it again with a liquid fabric softener. That usually does the trick for me. Can't say I'd give it to a baby though....Good luck!

[crochetmom2]

I love the Caron Simply Soft the best. It feels good to work it and the item is always cuddly when you are done!

[Feederofthepack]

Bernat Super Value is softer that RHSS. And almost as cheap.

[crochet.sandie]

I have recently been using the Mary Maxim Best Value yarn and find it quite soft. Of course, you can only get it at Mary Maxim which is severely limiting. I also like the I Love This Yarn, but recently heard some of the yarns have bled when washed (red particularly I think). I personally have not had this happen but I haven't used the red. I did have some spots on my peach yarn, which I think might have been grease? It did come off in the wash though. ILTY is very soft.

 

Red Heart has a new yarn they call Soft, which might be better for you?

 

I use a lot of the Vanna's Choice yarn of late also. Patons Berella 4 is comparable.

 

Oh, I just remembered - I wrote about the yarns I like in my blog a while back. I just found the post - April 26. Maybe that will help?

http://craftycorral.blogspot.com/2008_04_26_archive.html

[lilmari]

i like caron simply soft for baby blankets too! also pound of love is really good, bernat coordinates is ok but sometimes gets snagged on the hook. for thicker blankets i'll use jamie classic

[Craw]

I've fallen out of love with RHSS as well. I just finished a huge afghan with what I had in my stash and it came out stiff, even kinda crunchy. Bernat Super Value, Caron SS, and Caron One Pounders are good inexpensive yarns for afghans. So is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn. I've not tried that one yet but so many here rave about it that I'll definitely try it in the near future. Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice is a wonderfully soft, yummy afghan yarn but even on sale will run you a bit more than the RHSS ever would. Still, for that extra special afghan, it's a great choice, and if it's a baby afghan you're talking about, you won't need too many skeins.

[niqita]

Caron Simply Soft is cheapest at Wal-Mart and at Hobby Lobby I love this yarn

[cher49]

the 3 I use are red heart super saver,caron simply soft and lion brand pound of love.

[Lady_of_Roses]

For afghans made from my current stash, I would make them from Red Heart Super Saver, Caron Pounders, or possibly Caron Simply Soft.

 

I made a baby blanket once for someone else out of Bernat Satin and it was really nice to work with, but much pricier.

 

On a somewhat related note, my folks live in Canada, and my mom picks up Red Heart "Comfort" from WalMart which seems like supersaver yarn (comes in a pound ball), but it's a lot softer from the get-go. She uses it to make afghans and they don't even need washed for people to start snuggling up in them.

[Nila]

I've fortunately never had any major issues with rhss. However, I like Caron One Pound for afgans, personally. Caron brand has always seemed to me a tad bit softer the red heart anyways, and the one pounders are great. I love snuggling up under my blanket made from the stuff, and I didn't even bother washing it first to soften it up.

[HollyzHobbyz]

I love Simply Soft. I buy it online from Joanns.com most of the time, simply because the store doesn't always have the colors I want.

[HollyzHobbyz]

I love Simply Soft. I buy it online from Joanns.com most of the time, simply because the store doesn't always have the colors I want.

 

And I tend to get into trouble when I go to Joanns...

[Sockmad]

I get into trouble at all 'yarn' stores be it JoAnn's,Michael's or what have you. I agree about the Caron SS also the Caron One Pounders though I always wait for the One Pounders to go on sale. AC Moore has more color choices in the One Pounders than my local JoAnns or Michaels does. Of course it is the furthest away store as well! I am making six round ripples for Christmas this year and all will be made with Caron One Pounders with a bit of their no dye lot perfect match as well. Hope this helps,I do like Vanna's yarns as well but the price increase does not make it such a great buy anymore.

[Craw]

I do like Vanna's yarns as well but the price increase does not make it such a great buy anymore.

 

I know! I believe it started out at $1.99/skein, then jumped to $2.99 and now it's $3.99. Good marketing technique on their part to start out low to get you to try it and I do love it but will probably not be buying much more in the future. I have a little in my stash, but not much. Shoulda got more when I had the chance.

[CroJulee]

I really love Caron One pounders. They are absolutely amazing and work up beautifully in afghans.

[Triskele]

My very favorite yarn right now is I Love This Yarn by Hobby Lobby with LB's Vanna's Choice a close second and C&CRH TLC Essentials and RH Kids third. I like Caron's Simply Soft for baby stuff and small things. Haven't tried Caron's Pounders myself but hear they're nice.

[CLLinda]

I also use I Love This Yarn, in fact, just got some yesterday called Sierra Ombre. It is a beautiful multicolored yarn that makes a pattern almost like the self striping more expensive stuff. It is very soft and washes up nicely.

 

I love this yarn too. Good name for it. I am making a baby afghan in yellow and a jacket vest for my mom out of lilac.

 

It's a very soft, easy to work with yarn and does go on sale every so often. It's worth the money.

[dianejerry]

delete

[DoubleTreble]

My personal choice is the Caron One Pounder. I used to be a Red Heart fan, but have noticed a distinct lessening of quality. The Caron is slightly heavier/bulkier, but only marginally. And it is much softer and nicer to work with.

[Tracey4610]

Bernat Super Value is softer that RHSS. And almost as cheap.

 

 

I'll second that!!