Torn Between Two Yarns

C'mon....sing with me!

Torn between two yarns
Feelin' Like a fool
Lovin both of them is breakin' all the rules....

Ok...Ok....Simon Cowell would tell me not to give up my day job. But I am admitting that I love both natural fiber....and **Dare I say it???** Acrylic. Yes Plain ol' acrylic....which I will call POA. The yarn that we all happily crocheted and knitted with before the "natural fiber'' craze.

But....I also love wool, mohair, and all those wonderful novelty yarns too.

I have heard it argued that POA doesn't hold up well -- that it pills, goes out of shape and generally makes a project that's worth the 1.99 a skein you paid. A "you get what you paid for'' sorta thing.

I have to argue with that. I made an afghan for my son years and years ago when he was little. It was the first afghan I ever crocheted -- and I made it with *gasp* Red Heart from Walmart. $1.26 a skein -- 5 skeins.

So, after years of being dragged all over the place, taken on multiple car rides and vacations, thrown on the floor, slept on by numerous pets, being used as a tent, and enduring the washer and dryer over and over and over and over and over and over again....this afghan should look like heck. Right??

Wrong. It still looks great. It hasn't pilled. Hasn't lost its shape. The color hasn't faded. It still looks great.



Now I have bought cheap acrylic yarn that was just poopie. Like that Pop n' Yarn walmart sold a few years ago. Oh my....that stuff was just so coarse, thick and plasticy that it was just icky to crochet with. (I didn't knit at that time). But I have several brands of acrylic worsted weight that I just love -- including Red Heart.

But I also have plenty of wool, mohair, alpaca, cotton and other natural fibers in my stash, too.

So, I'm not what they term a "yarn snob'' -- I'm addicted to yarn period. I don't care what they make it from...I can find a project that fits whatever sort of yarn catches my eye. Cheap, expensive, weird....in my years of crocheting and knitting, I've tried it all.

I've heard all sorts of arguments on the subject. It ranges from long-time knitters saying that those who knit with huge needles using novelty yarns aren't "real'' knitters, to those who say that they will never knit or crochet with anything that isn't natural fiber.

For me, it's a question of loving the craft. Fashion, and popular culture is going to change -- and knitting/crochet patterns change with the times. Funky, different fabrics and making homemade garments and accessories is the In-Thing right now.

Isn't that cool?????

I remember when the hobby section of most stores had a couple knitting pattern books and maybe a book like "I Taught Myself to Crochet'' and a few skeins of yarn. There just wasn't much to choose from -- and I had to listen to all sorts of "grandma'' jokes when I was teaching myself to crochet 15 years ago. It seemed like nobody crocheted who was under 60. And a few people knitted, but not in public.

Now you see knitters and crocheters everywhere. Garment patterns are cool, trendy, and fun to make. And, hobby sections have magazines, books, notions, hooks, needles -- all sorts of things for crocheters and knitters. I even saw a booklet at the checkout counter called "Knitting Scarves'' And hobby magazines mix the crafts now -- knitting and crochet associating together in the same magazine!!! Imagine that!!

Handmade items are finally cool! There are so many yarns, colors, fibers and textures to choose from now! And no more grandma jokes! They teach knitting and crochet at school now. Knitting and crochet clubs are considered fun!

Wow! What I love is finally COOL!! I feel vindicated!!!

So I'm not going to apologize for knitting and crocheting with every sort of yarn that catches my eye. I have proof that $1.26 per skein acrylic yarn can stand up to long hard use. And I've also made beautiful things out of very expensive yarns as well.

I love yarn! All sorts of yarn! And I knot it up into all sorts of neat things with whatever craft -- knitting, crochet, tatting. I'm a fiber arts snob. If it can be knotted....I'm gonna knot it!

A world without yarn is chaos! :)

All psyched up now. Gotta post this and go knit something!!!

TTFN!!