Saturday 26 April 2014

Hobbycraft and The Women's Institute : Yarn Review



Firstly, I'd like to thank Hobbycraft and the WI for the samples of yarn they sent for this review.

The Women's Institute has launched it's own exclusive brand of yarn through the Hobbycraft retail chain. A donation from the sale of each ball of yarn will be given to the National Federation of Women's Institutes. It's the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK with over 212,000 members.

There are four types of yarn in their new range, Premium Acrylic, Soft and Cuddly, Soft and Silky and Heritage Yarn.


Heritage - Unique Shetland
100% wool
4ply
50g
215 metres
3.25 mm needles/crochet hook
hand wash

I was keen to see this yarn, as regular readers will know about my obsession with all things Shetland. I decided to try some traditional Shetland lace samples, using one needle size down, one up, as well as the recommended needle size. The yarn has a rustic look and texture with 9 colours in the range. I'd be interested to try these muted colours out in the Fair Isle style of knitting too.

Here's what they say on their website,
100% Shetland wool, made in the UK. This manufacturer has been spinning yarn since 1798 and has the reputation of stocking the world's best Shetland and Lamb's wool qualities. A family company which prides itself on the ability to manufacture 10-12 tonnes of yarn each week all of which is spun using 100% green sourced electricity. - See more at:

'100% Shetland wool, made in the UK. This manufacturer has been spinning yarn since 1798 and has the reputation of stocking the world's best Shetland and Lamb's wool qualities. A family company which prides itself on the ability to manufacture 10-12 tonnes of yarn each week all of which is spun using 100% green sourced electricity.'  
                                                         
soft and Silky
100g
4ply
304metres
100% microfibre acrylic
3.25mm needles/crochet hook. 

This yarn is just as the name states, soft and silky. I received two colours out of the 15 in the range and decided to make one knitted and one crochet sample. Both worked up really well and I could see myself buying this for making washable baby items.

Premium Acrylic
100g
DK
4mm needles / crochet hook
282 metres
machine washable

This yarn has 20 vibrant colours in the range. I tried this yarn with a 4mm crochet hook and found it soft to the touch. For a budget affordable yarn it was nice to work with and I could see myself using this for a baby blanket requiring frequent washing.

Soft and Cuddly
4ply 
50g
125metres
machine washable

I didn't have any samples of this yarn but here's what they say about it from their website, 'this super soft range has been created to offer an anti pill fibre...ideal for a wide range of baby clothing...'

Hope you enjoyed this review. 
Have you tried this yarn? Are you a member of the WI?

Heritage Yarn
100% Shetland wool, made in the UK. This manufacturer has been spinning yarn since 1798 and has the reputation of stocking the world's best Shetland and Lamb's wool qualities. A family company which prides itself on the ability to manufacture 10-12 tonnes of yarn each week all of which is spun using 100% green sourced electricity.
- See more at: http://www.thewi.org.uk/media-centre/latest-press-releases-and-statements/the-wi-cast-on-with-hobbycraft#sthash.9NrtM0eU.dpuf