Tag: Yarn review

I recently received my latest box from King Cole and did an unboxing video. Together with the video, I thought that a blog post for the King Cole unboxing would be fun, as well. This way you can get to know the yarn a little more and get a closer look at it.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. What that means is that I may receive compensation when you purchase through my links at no additional cost to you. I am a King Cole Brand Ambassador and this post is part of our ongoing collaboration.

To see the video of the unboxing, please click below.

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To find your local store that stocks King Cole yarns, click HERE

Or, if you need to shop online, click HERE for my LoveCrafts affiliate link

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Let’s dive in and take a look

I had 4 projects in mind when I placed the order for the yarn that’s in this box. As we go through each of the yarns, I’ll give you a little hint of what project will be made with which yarn any why I chose that particular yarn for that project.

If you’d like to download a handy “Caring for your makes” sheet that I’ve created, simply click HERE for the free pdf download.

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King Cole Stormy

Big Value Super Chunky

The King Cole Stormy Big Value Chunky yarn really called out to me when I was first exposed to it. The colors that are offered are such a lovely variety and it’s a nice, chunky yarn that just cries out to be a throw… A cabled throw! When I swatched with it, it worked up super quickly, didn’t split and I didn’t find any knots in it, either. There’s a beautiful marling in the yarn that gives it a dimension and I can’t wait to work up the throw with it.

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King Cole Subtle Drifter Chunky

A stunning blend of acrylic, wool and cotton is used to create the King Cole Subtle Drifter Chunky yarn. In addition to being soft, the blend of fibers also maintains the firmness that cotton is usually known for. It is a lighter chunky yarn that I think will be ideal for making a scarf out of. Using this particular yarn, I have found a simple, beautiful, and squishy stitch pattern to use. Depending on how much I have left, I may make a matching hat as well. 🙂

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King Cole Cottonsoft DK

The King Cole Cottonsoft DK is exactly that – SOFT! It’s such a lovely cotton to work with. This particular yarn is even one that can even be used with the “Knitted Knockers UK” program (if you’re not familiar with Knitted Knockers, it’s a wonderful program where volunteers knit prosthetic breasts for breast cancer survivors that have undergone a mastectomy). This is a true DK weight yarn that I’m planning on using for a dishcloth that I designed. It’s soft and I like and how light the yarn is so that the stitches can really shine.

If you’d like to check out the dishcloth that I made with the King Cole Cottonsmooth dk, click HERE for the free knitting pattern.

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King Cole Drifter 4ply

The King Cole Drifter 4ply is an absolutely gorgeous yarn! It’s a 4ply yarn that we in the US call fingering weight yarn. This is wonderful for shawls, clothing and possibly even socks. It’s a very generous ball containing approximately 437 yds / 400 m; so you can easily make a one-skein project with these beauties. What really drew my attention to this yarn was the tones and varieties of purples in it. There are lighter and darker tones, as well as mid-tones and whites. For me, this called out to be shawl. I’ve been playing around with a half-pi shawl idea and I think this yarn is going to be perfect for that project.

I hope you enjoyed the King Cole unboxing with me. They really do have amazing yarns and I hope that you give them a go. Which ones would you like to try? I’d love to know!

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To find your local store that stocks King Cole yarns, click HERE

Or, if you need to shop online, click HERE for my LoveCrafts affiliate link

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Disclosure: For the yarn review of Cotton Socks yarn by Mary Maxim I was not provided the yarn as a gift. I decided to review it on my own, therefore writing a totally honest review. Also, below are affiliate links; I am an affiliate with those companies and highly recommend them. As an affiliate, when you purchase from those links, you allow the companies to pay me a small commission without costing you a penny more, which allows me to continue making free content. Thank you for your support!

If you’re looking for your next favorite hook, click HERE to check out Furls!

Let’s talk about the yarn!

Like a lot of crafters out there, I enjoy a monthly subscription of the crafty-kind. So, I recently began a monthly Sock subscription with Mary Maxim.

I recently received two balls of Cotton Socks yarn and it called to me to make a Tunisian shawl instead. My first impression is that it’s so soft and squishy. Plus, I was very happy when I saw that the ball contained a whopping 470 yards! And, it’s machine washable!! That’s a big win – win!

Yarn Details:

• Mary Maxim Cotton Socks
• 56% Cotton, 35% Acrylic, 9% Polyamide
• 3.5 oz / 100 g; 470 yds / 430 m
• #1 Superfine weight
• Gauge: 30 sts x 42 rows on US 2 / 2.75 mm = 4″ x 4″ or 10 cm x 10 cm

There’s a center pull that the company starts off for you, making the yarn easy to start from the center. And, there wasn’t a lot of tangling either. I came across a knot in one of the balls that I received, which is acceptable and falls within industry standards.

The cotton blend is a good alternative to wool if you’d like to make a gift for someone that might be allergic. The drape of the fabric created with this yarn is absolutely scrumptious. For the shawl that I’m designing, I used a J hook / 6 mm and it played so nicely together.

The colors!

The color I used is called “Naturally.” This color has hints of cream, light brown, whites and light teal blues. It’s super soft to the touch and doesn’t split hardly at all. Plus, Mary Maxim offers Cotton Socks yarn in four different colors:

1. Earthy: Blues, browns, whites and pinks
2. Naturally: Cream, tan, blues and whites
3. Rosy: Light and dark pink, grey and white
4. Winey: Light and dark bergundy, purple and white

Cotton Socks yarn retails on the Mary Maxim website for $6.99 US dollars (as of July 12, 2022). It has 30 online reviews and a 4.6 star rating. If you’d like to get your hands on some of this lovely yarn, please click HERE for my affiliate link.

Would I recommend?

Although this yarn is marketed as sock yarn, this is absolutely lovely to work with for shawls. I may even try knitting or crocheting a top. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, YES!

 

I hope you enjoyed learning about this yarn as much as I did. When you make something with it, could you please tag me @handmadebystacyj or #handmadebystacyJ? I’d love to see what you create!

Stacy J

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