In our previous episode, I decided to push the envelope with my knitting and make a sweater for the first time. Having chosen the pattern and design, it was now time to choose the yarn.
A dirty little secret the knitting community never seems to talk about is that this hobby can be seriously expensive. Authors and bloggers nostalgically recall their parents and grandparents knitting to save money on clothes, but these days, at least to me, knitting doesn’t seem to be the money-saver it used to be.
Exhibit A: I searched Etsy for some handmade sweaters. They run anywhere from $150 -$300, depending on material.
Exhibit B: This chart, by Lion Brand, of how much yarn is needed for some common projects. Let’s say you wanted to make a sweater for a large adult, using Paton’s Classic Wool (a well-known big box brand) At 1800 yards, you’ll spend more than $56 on materials. And you still have to knit the damn thing! Of course, the knitting magazines will tell you that the finished object will be a beautiful heirloom piece; that you can’t put a price on quality.
That may be true, but I shouldn’t need to spend half a paycheck at my local yarn store. So I evaluated several yarns by the following criteria:
Cost: How much the project would cost, using this yarn?
Feel: A vague, but important measure. Does the yarn feel luxurious? Do the stitches show up beautifully? Is it a joy to knit with, or does each squeaky stitch feel like a chore?
Color: I am looking for a denim-like, calm blue color – nothing too bright or too muted.
Care Instructions: Can I throw this in the washing machine, or do I have to hand wash?
I knit up a 4″ x 4″ swatch using each of the following yarns:
Paton’s Bulky Wool
Fiber: 100% wool.
Cost: $7 per ball x 17 balls = $116.67
Feel: There is nothing that feels as good as real wool on your needles. Up close, the stitchwork shows up beautifully; from afar, the knit fabric looks excitingly luxurious – almost as if it were created just for your project. It feels great against the skin, and even smells (yes, I do huff fibers) fantastic. Being wool, it naturally resists moisture, and overheating you.
Care Instructions: Hand-wash only. 🙁 Not that I wash my outerwear much, but life happens. I prefer garments I can throw into the washing machine.
Verdict: I absolutely love this yarn, but I am looking for something machine-washable. Plus – I’m pretty new at this sweater thing, so I would like to practice with something less expensive first. Maybe next time?
Big Twist Chunky
It’s nice and inexpensive and the blue is pretty much the color I was looking for..
Fiber: 100% acrylic.
Cost: $4.49 per ball x 7 balls = $29.93
Feel: Unfortunately, this swatch left much to be desired. It feels scratchy against the skin – definitely not a good thing for a large garment like a sweater. The stitch definition was pretty clear, but it only served to highlight the rope-like texture of this yarn – imagine knitting with something like twine.
Care Instructions: Machine washable.
Verdict: This yarn taught me why it’s important to swatch before starting a new project. All wound in a ball it looked appealing, but when finally knit this yarn was not what I was hoping for. The idea of making a sweater for under $40 is appealing, but it is much better to upgrade your yarn and end up with something you love.
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky
This is actually the yarn called for in the sweater pattern.
Fiber: 80% acrylic, 20% wool.
Cost: $8 per ball x 12 balls = $67.97
Feel: I’m usually not a fan of acrylics, especially in garments – they are hot, they don’t breathe, they don’t protect you from moisture, and sometimes they even squeak when you move! But this acrylic/wool blend seems to have the best of both worlds. It has the excellent stitch definition of the Paton’s, and *almost* the same lovely feel against the skin. The color is a bit darker than I anticipated, but this is an interesting tale of two yarns – in the day, the swatch looks almost like a very dark denim, while at night it looks almost completely black. I can dig it!
Care Instructions: Machine washable. Oh yeah!
Verdict: Feels almost as good as the Paton’s, while being cheaper. The color isn’t quite the blue I was hoping for, but it opens up new possibilities. Not to mention I got it on sale at Jo-Ann. I think we have a winner!
Funny story. I was at Newport Beach knitting these swatches when a man came up to me, incredulous. “You’re knitting – on the beach!”
“I guess I am.” I ironically replied.
“I…didn’t know you could do that!” He admitted.
Wherever we go, we knitters and crochet artists are ambassadors of our craft. I don’t swim, I don’t surf, and I don’t suntan, but for me, knitting is what takes an ordinary day at the beach and turns it into a meditative, relaxing vacation. Let’s hold up our needles and show the world how blessed we are to have this hobby.
In our next episode: beginning with the back of the sweater!