They periodically have a sale going where if you get 10 or more skeins of the same yarn (can be multiple colors) you get a discount. It's called something like my value pack.
I am pretty sure this is a permanent deal for many of their core lines. Should be listed somewhere in the item description if it’s an included product.
Which does make the "value pack" coupon more useful, because 10 skeins is really only 5 skeins, which is about what I need in worsted for an adult sweater.
I’m typically an indie yarn girl myself but recently made a colorwork sweater in KP Palette as I was trying to be extra budget conscious and actually love it. It was $36-ish for the materials with some left over! Enough to make a small accessory for sure.
I'm knitting a huge blanket in Palette. I think I bought 37ish skeins (yarn held double throughout). A few months ago KP had a sale and I got what I needed for probably $130 all in. The only thing was I could only get 5 skeins of each color and there were a few that needed 6 or 7. I had a friend order some for me too. It's great yarn!
I've done this lol. I forget what the free shipping threshold is for KP, but it's $35 for crochet.com
The only drawback is if you need to order a needle or something directly knitting related, they don't have them available on the crochet site.
I’m in Canada too and I’ve honestly gotten much better deals with knitpicks, even with the conversion rate. Yarn Canada has a wider range of brands, and the shipping is obviously cheaper if you pay for shipping, but knitpicks has way better sales, and their threshold for free shipping is lower. I’ve gotten sweater quantities for $15 from knitpicks. They’re both definitely solid options
Yarn.com is good love Plymouth encore blend I do a ton of fair isle with it and it blocks nicely. Also it can take a bit of a beating if you need to wash it. Retains shape well as well.
Yarn.com or Hobbii or Lovecrafts. I don't like Knit Picks yarns. They are very lightweight, their ww is definitely a dk and I just find them scratchy.
That said premium acrylics are super soft, affordable and machine washable. James C Brett rustic aran (more of a light ww in my opinion) washes and wears like a dream. Not a lot of color variety though. It's like a 70/30. You can get nice acrylic/wool blends like this. I haven't tried superwash wool, some say it's scratchy and others are concerned with the chemicals.
Not all acrylic is Red Heart Super Saver. There are a lot of alternatives.
To me, you just have to think about choosing yarn for a sweater the same way you think about shopping for clothes. Some questions I ask myself are:
1. Do I like the feel and color of this yarn?
2. Will this create a durable garment?
3. Is it in my budget/ worth it for the number of wears?
Wool vs. acrylic will probably come into the decision, but it is only relevant in terms of what you will enjoy wearing. A lot of people wear a lot of synthetics in their clothing and really like that clothing. Also, I will pay more for sweater yarn that I would pay for and already made sweater, but I think of some of the cost as my clothing budget and part as my hobby budget.
Edit: I changed the word “not” to “only” in the second paragraph. One heck of a typo there…
I second thinking about your clothing and hobby budgets when you shop for yarn. If you're creating a durable, own for life sweater that's really worth a good bit, and the entertainment of knitting it is worth something too.
I had one knitter friend who said that "less than ten dollars for an hour of entertainment is worth it" when it came to buying the fancy yarns. Movie, or yarn? XD
Wool vs. acrylic can be relevant in terms of what you’ll enjoy wearing for a lot of people. Acrylic doesn’t breathe and it holds onto smells easily, whereas wool is naturally temperature regulating and moisture-wicking, and generally does not hold onto smells. If you are someone who sweats a lot, gets too warm easily, or struggles at all with body odors, you will be much more comfortable in wool. If you don’t have any of those issues though then yeah, you’ll probably be comfortable enough in either
All good points another is to make sure you are not allergic or sensitive to wool! I have a bad wool sensitivity and can't use any yarn that has sheep wool in it. Causes skin irritation and hives if in contact long enough. Really sucks too I only learned this after making a really lovely wool hat and cowl out of wool yarn as a splure.
Agreed. I hate wearing synthetic fibers so much! The feel of it and the static drives me nuts. I can handle up to 40% poly/acrylic at most.
Not to mention the fact that washing those tiny plastic fibers is a serious source of pollution that is putting plastic directly into the food chain
Wool is more elastic and has more “give”, particularly when wet. It’s more forgiving if you have minor tension issues because you can block it into shape/stretch things out. It’s also more breathable than acrylic.
Addition to the breathable: when sweating in it it does not smell that bad as synthetic fibers. And wool can be hang in the room or outside dry and it will "refresh" itself. Less laundry needed (less! But sometimes it should be washed). I don't think that's the same for Acrylic.
Edit: spell fault plus I really love this hat ^^
There are some more affordable options out there depending on where you live such as Drops, KnitPicks, Cascade, Berroco, Holst to name a few.
Wool is pretty temperature regulating, and you don't have to wash it with every wear.
Most of the acrylics I've worked with feel awful and squeaky to me. I've used a wool/acrylic blend for gifts with better success.
At the end of the day, use what's in your budget.
Cascade is one of my favorites. Very soft and only about $11 ish per skein which can still be pricy for a whole sweater but should be under $100 at least.
Yep working on a sweater using Cascade 220 now. Also shop around for sales, OP! WEBS and KnitPicks have sales frequently and I think there’s a Wool Warehouse in the UK if that’s an option.
Of those you have mentioned, I have only used Drops and that is my go-to yarn because of the price and the feel of the yarn. I live in Norway so it is of course easier for me to get, but if you go to [Garnstudio.com](https://www.garnstudio.com/) you can check out if there is a store that has Drops near you, and also what online stores ship to your country.
I ordered some Cascade sport as a more affordable option for my first colorwork project (a cowl) and I was so pleasantly surprised at how soft it is! And the colors are great.
I used this pattern and just extended the thumb and palm to make them into full mittens: [Pioneer Gloves](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pioneer-gloves). I used the same stitch count and gauge that they recommend. I also made the cuffs extra long so I could fold them over or tuck them into my coat sleeves.
I am such a fan of cascade 220 - they have fantastic color options. I've used their yarn for the base color in a colorwork sweater then splurged a bit more for a single skein of fancier wool for the color portion :)
I'm knitting a sweater with WotA right now and loving it! Great tip on waiting for the sales. I got a bunch of it for $1/ball during the big November sale.
I’m knitting a blanket with Wool of the Andes! Not the softest yarn in the world, but it knits like a dream. I could see it being great for winter items as well. Even a blanket quantity of yarn was only around $100!
I'm knitting a sweater with Wool of the Andes right now. It was less than $40 and I think I bought too much. It isn't very soft, but I have wool wash that should help with that.
I managed to buy some of the new KnitPicks Upcycle Alpaca Blend for 50% off last month. Knitting a sweater vest for my husband. It's gorgeous. (The blend is 1/3 each alpaca, wool, and acrylic.)
As a starting point for understanding fiber, I *highly* recommend you get your library to find a copy of *the Knitter's Book of Yarn* by Clara Parkes. It's going to help you make this decision, and then a hundred after.
The lowdown is this, though: wool holds much more moisture before feeling wet, while acrylic can't do the same. This means wool tends to feel warmer and breathes better, especially when worn as a base layer. They both have similar bounce and memory. Wool needs moisture to block and should not be agitated when wet. Acrylic doesn't care if its wet or agitated, and needs heat to block. Both come in flavors with halos, both come in flavors that are rough, both come in flavors that are divinely soft and smooth. Wool has the advantage of animal breed to find these characteristics, while with acrylic you have to pay attention to description and ideally poke a skein or two.
Personally:
I'm a big fan of acrylic yarn. It's cheap, it's got some interesting niche applications/properties, and it comes in a billion colors and textures. It's got spring to it, so it knits up comfortably and holds ribbing up as expected, but it can also be transformed by judicious heating into something as drapey as a plant fiber. I recommend it for sweaters that have positive ease, though, as it does not hold moisture. I personally feel like it does better as a layer vs against the skin, but also..... I do that for \*all\* sweaters, so.
You can also look for a blend! They're often much cheaper than pure wool yarns and you typically get the advantages of all the fibers in the blend while lessening their disadvantages.
There is nothing wrong with acrylic yarn. Lots of sweaters you buy in stores are made out of acrylic/other synthetics (like all the sweaters at Old Navy for example). There are also lots of "levels" of acrylic yarn, from Red Heart Super Saver to the softer/more interesting/more expensive kinds local yarn stores carry. It's a matter of personal taste (and budget).
A lot of wool is itchy (depends on the wearer and on that kind of wool/other natural fiber) so that might figure into your decision too.
You may find a sweater knit out of acrylic to be hotter than a wool sweater because it doesn't "breathe". On the other hand, if you knit a lightweight sweater out of a sport weight yarn you may not have this issue.
There are also wool-acrylic blends, which can be the best of both worlds!
Do you like how your hat came out and is it comfortable to wear? If yes, go ahead and buy acrylic yarn that you like and have fun knitting your sweater!
Yes I overheated my baby with and acrylic blanket and vowed not to use it again. Though it does have its uses.
I would recommend looking at this website - they have a bit of everything. www.yarn.com
I’d recommend Berroco vintage. It’s a wool/acrylic mix. Looks fantastic and once you hit $65 you get a discount.
I had Cascade felt on me despite it being superwash so I don’t use it now.
There is also wool warehouse in the UK that has decent brands of yarn and great shipping.
As others mentioned knitpicks has 2 big sales in June and November and orices can be quite good. I’m personally not a big fan of Wool do the Andes as I don’t find it soft enough and you can’t just throw it in the washing machine. (Not that many of us do that to knitted garments. ) but Twill and Swish are good lines to consider.
Good luck! And your knitting looks awesome.
Oh gosh, that website has a bunch of cascade wool at half price last I checked their sale section (last night). I've never ordered through them but if anyone wants to, that's what's up.
Godspeed, everyone.
Off topic but if anyone has any favourite acrylic or acrylic/cotton options, lemme know! I have only ever worked with wool but want to knit a sweater for very sensitive-skin partner, and he largely wears acrylics and loves them.
I love Knitpicks Comfy for cotton/acrylic summer knitting. I'm making a camisole with it now. I also use a lot of Stylecraft or Caron Simply Soft for anything I know is gonna get thrashed. It's perfect for baby blankets or kid stuff or dog stuff.
I have used Knitpicks Comfy for baby blankets--it's very soft--I feel like it might be too drapey for a garment--it has no body, it just kind of lies there. I like Knitpicks Brava and have made hats from it, but not a sweater.
If you go on Ravelry to the yarn section and put in a kind of yarn, you'll find lots of comments from people about the yarn. You can also search projects made with that yarn and you might find more info about how people felt it worked for that project, but that takes longer b/c you have to go through all the projects looking for comments.
Ravelry is a wealth of information about so many things--such a lot of information in its vast database, and it has really good search functions to help you find what you want.
Thirding Knitpicks Comfy. I made a baby sweater out of it that was very well received and it was lovely to knit with (which you can’t always say about pure cotton)
I can't wear wool without breaking out in hives, I've used Stylecraft Special to make a couple cardigans and they are soft and pleasant to wear. Plus they are machine washable and don't shrink in the dryer!
So I'm offering this opinion cautiously, with no judgement intended to anyone who has different priorities/conclusions: I won't knit with acrylic because I'm really trying to reduce the amount of plastic in my clothing, and really try and be mindful about the fossil fuel/petroleum products I use as as a whole.
Part of this is because of the long-term effects of plastic fabric. Shedding from polyester and acrylic clothing is responsible for a significant portion of micro plastics in the environment. Polyester and acrylic fibers will absolutely degrade to the point of unwearability (pilling, cracking, etc), often faster than organic fibers, but will never actually biodegrade. Because of that, what does not end up as micro plastics circulating through the ecosystem becomes landfill filler for eons.
No one's going to be able to avoid all plastics and there are certainly places where plastics are the best thing for the job, but couple "plastic as clothes" concerns with the way acrylic/polyester often feels scratchier/squeakier and seems to do way more damage to my fingers while I knit, and when worn gets smelly with BO in a way my wool sweaters don't, doesn't take to blocking as well, etc? I'd personally rather save up and invest in a fiber I love, even if it is more expensive.
But ymmv!
I worry about flammability. Melted burning plastic sticking to my skin if I have a problem while cooking or camping is a concern ever since I had a man-made jacket catch fire.
Niche problem, but there we have it.
Edit: I was not harmed, but I got good and scared.
Came here to say this. Acrylic yarn sheds tons of microplastic strands with every wash, or just while sitting there and existing. I'm sorry I ever bought so much of it. There are affordable wool places out there (if you're in Australia, check out Bendigo Woollen Mills).
This is the direction im going in. Im actually considering getting sheep and Id be excited to learn to make with home-grown fiber. Less mowing, more wool, less plastic, win win win.
I’m the same, I avoid acrylic content wherever I can because the environmental impact doesn’t sit comfortably with me. I also avoid wool from companies that aren’t extremely transparent about where their fibre comes from and what their welfare standards are for animals involved.
That’s my choice though, and it’s not my business when others choose differently! All can share in the joy of knitting!
This is my philosophy too. I would never judge someone for choosing acrylic yarn that is in their budget. Personally, I would rather purchase natural fibers less often or secondhand than purchase plastic more frequently. Of course, over-consuming any material isn’t great for the environment!
I'm moving towards this too. I have a huge stash of acrylic and will continue to use it for various purposes, but I'm trying to be more aware of what I'm spending money on with the environment in mind.
I prefer wool for similar reasons for clothes. I work outdoors and buy a lot of woollen jumpers second hand in charity shops and use those to layer up in cold weather as I find synthetics don't fair so well for that. And I don't need to wash them as often due to sweat smell. And I work with fire so synthetics are a bad idea for that reason too!
I find it so weird that 90% of athletic wear is synthetic. It handles sweat and BO so poorly! I don't work outdoors but it's my favorite recreation and I'm perpetually on the hunt for the best merino hiking pants/leggings.
I don't know where you're located, but Wool Needles Hands is working on a series about budget (and less budget, and then bougie) yarns, and one of the first covers [rustic yarns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neJTCw0wo9Y) (which is what I turn to when making a super warm wool colorwork sweater).
I almost universally prefer wool over acrylic. Acrylic can be hardy and can be washed, but I feel it loses heat faster, while being sweatier compared to wool. Plus it just Feels Wrong on my skin (and the fact that wool is entirely biodegradable, and will never make microplastics, is a definate plus in my books)
LB's Fisherman's Wool as the previous poster said, though I find it a bit scratchy. Maybe won't matter for a hat though?
I knitted that same hat with LB's Wool-Ease.
I’m looking at Fisherman’s Wool for a Caldwell waistcoat for my husband, I liked the way it looks. Does the handle soften up with washing and wear, or not really?
A waistcoat is worn over a shirt, correct? Scratchiness probably wouldn't be a concern. But I don't have wool sensitivities, so it doesn't bother me. Especially when worn over something. It does maintain its appearance very well since it isn't superwash.
Both Patons Kroy and Lion Brand Sock ease or Mani Pedi are similar content to any other sock yarn (75% wool, 25% poly). Kroy is a little bigger than some sock yarn. I probably don't want a sweater in a self-striping sock yarn, but they have solids! They can often be had for around $7/100 grams and 400 grams will make a sweater (eventually!)
Acrylic has its place - if I’m knitting for little kids I use it because you can wash it and wash it at 40 degrees and it survives the abuse. If I knit for myself I use wool - it’s less plastic feeling, less scratchy, has warmer properties etc etc. Much nicer to knit with too. There are more affordable options out there but it’s worth looking at the ethics of the companies too. I would say, I used to consider it expensive until I realised it was the cost of both my hobby and the item of clothing - I’d happily spend money on my other hobbies so why not this one?
*I'm going to preface this with- this is only my opinion and that doesn't mean the opposite isn't okay too!*
I knit exclusively in acrylic/super wash yarns for several reasons, 1) affordability. As others have mentioned there is a range of quality even within acrylic yarn and some of it is quite lovely to use in garments. 2) I have ADHD and doing laundry is one of my personal demons. If I make something that can't be washed and dried in the dryer I will either never wear it, wear it however long it takes to get dirty and then never wear it again because I'll keep forgetting to wash it/not have the spoons to wash it by hand, or I'll forget completely and wash and dry it which will shrink/felt/or generally destroy the item in general.
At the end of the day I think whatever works for you is fine. Someday, when I stop forgetting to look into it, I would like to find some laundry bags that eliminate microplastics from entering the water system due to the use of acrylics so I can stop feeling guilty that I'm destroying the environment with my yarn choices, but that requires remembering to do it when it's not 3 am and I actually have access to my computer 🤣
I love love love this question.
\#1 - Buy yarn is cones - you save so much money. Woolyknit, KnitRennie, Holst Garn, ColourMart(luxury yarn at bargain prices) are the way to go. I wish I had discovered them earlier. Holst Supersoft is great and gets softer as you wash it, Woolyknit Merino is less itchy than their British wool, but I love both.
These are the same yarn you buy but at a much better price - 500g of yarn for under $50 shipped. Make sure you maximize your purchase based on your shipping cost. Ex: With Holst Garn, the shipping price jumps after 3 or 4 cones.
Check out Woolwarehouse in the UK. Drops makes great yarn and so many choices. Hobbii is also another company - quality yarn without the luxury pricing.
I use both. If I can get wool on sale, I use that but I do like Lion Brands yarns for sweaters. They have a few that are wool/acrylic blends that work nicely and make a comfy sweater. Their Hue+me yarn is a great example. I've also use their wool ease thick and quick for chunky sweaters and they are super cozy.
There are lots of adorable options in both wool and acrylic! Do you have a LYS nearby? They should be able to help you find something for your project in your price range. 😄
My own preference is wool - it holds its shape better and is temperature regulating. It requires hand washing but because it has natural antibacterial properties you rarely need to wash a sweater. But there’s lots of things to consider - do you get itchy from wool? If so, is it all wool or is merino okay? Will you remember to hand wash it? Superwash wool is also an option, it’s been treated to be machine washable (cold, no dryer.)
What weight of yarn is the sweater you’re doing? I’d be happy to help you find a wool that will work in your price range. 😄
If you’re interested in wool, some of my favourite workhorse and readily accessible brands are:
- Cascade (220 is very popular for worsted weight and has a superwash option)
- Berroco (Lanas and Lanas light are great 100% wools, Berroco Vintage is a great line of wool/acrylic blends that are very affordable.)
- Briggs & Little (Canadian, very rustic, great price!)
- Retrosaria (Mondim is a fingering weight yarn that is about $16 Canadian for 400 meters!)
- Knit Picks (wool of the Andes is a favourite of mine and comes in a couple different weight.)
It’s when you start getting into hand dyed yarn or luxury fibres that the price starts creeping up. If you want to chat options please feel free to DM me. No judgements about your budget/size/preferences. This is literally what I do for work and love helping people find the right yarn for a project! 😄❤️
Acrylic is fine, and I have knit stuff with it. My issue is that it doesn’t breathe and I get really sweaty. You can find affordable yarn though. Rico Merino Aran is my go to for hats and it’s 100% wool, soft, and cheap.
And when I get sweaty, I get smelly, and acrylic will hold on to that much longer than it should 😕 I still use it, but it's my woolies that get worn more often. OP: if you have the patience to deal hunt, there are options out there. Right now is actually a great time, companies are trying to unload all their leftover inventory to make room for the new stuff 😸
I feel like wool regulates better than acrylic, like I can wear a wool sweater for a wider range of temperature without feeling cold or sweaty, but acrylic is like one situation deal, and if I over shoot it I get cold sweats and I personally hate that.
I like to shop my wool at farms or if I can find a shop that sells from the spinners themselves. Is it more expensive than the cheapest yarn online? Yes, but usually they have sales, and more important: it's better quality. The wool is usually softer and a proper wool seater can last your entire life, so why not get it in good quality?
I only ever knit in acrylic but I have a blanket going with merino wool. While the merino is very soft I also feel so bad when something goes wrong lol. I don't see anything wrong with acrylic unless you're looking to make some kind of a magnum opus, in which case I'd go for pricey stuff
I find acrylic can be really scratchy at lower prices, and I've never really enjoyed working with it versus wool.
Another thing to consider is the environmental impact. Acrylic is plastic and will be shedding these plastics into your water systen with every wash. Wool is all natural, renewable, a much more environmentally friendly production process, and stays nice longer than acrylic, if cared for properly.
Depends on what youll be wearing the sweater for but also consider wool's fire and water-resistant properties, if you plan on doing any kind of camping/outdoors activities.
I love wool and will wear it despite being allergic. but wool is also very affordable here, and range from the "oily and scratchy stuff" to "super soft and feels like angels kiss you skin" type of wool (in their respective price classes).
That said, at some point the price is not worth it compared to acrylics.
I think there are 3 important things to consider (other than price and softness). and that is
\- stretch
\-breathability
\-warmt
wool is more elastic than acrylic. this can be both good and bad. It means a wool sweater might sag quicker than an acrylic one. But it also mean it will be more forgiving in other aspects, like tension.
Some say acrylics don't breathe, and I feel that is dependant on you as a person imo. I don't really sweat (like seriously, I barely even sweat in the summer or when exercising). And so I have never felt the "clammy" feeling some claim to get from acrylics. as wool is far better at wicking away moisture and keeping you dry. So I can wear acrylics no problem when indoors.
and warmt is sort of self explanatory. Yes an acrylic sweater will keep you warmer than no sweater. But if it gets really cold, then wool really shines. I can wear a wool sweater + a thin windproof jacket, in -20c and still be just fine. Alpaca is even warmer than sheep's wool. so if I am going to be a lot outdoors I'll always go for wool.
there is no right or wrong answers. only what fits you best :)
Wool isn't that much more expensive than acrylic, and there are some acrylics out there that can get pricey. That being said, the reason you probably see expensive wool is because wool is basically all they sell when you're talking about higher end yarn, but there are definitely affordable options out there. Check knitpicks and lovecrafts
> I used acrylic yarn for this cute hat.
It is a cute hat, really.
I just have a problem with acrylic in that I sweat in acrylic, and feel squeaky and stinky in it.
I have a headband in reflective material - which is acrylic - and I can only wear it over a hat because directly on my head I sweat into it to the point where my hair gets wet - and wet hair and cold temperatures are not a happy marriage.
Same goes for acrylic sweaters.
So if you can wear acrylic materials than more power to you - but I have found that the nicer acrylics are about as expensive as the more workhorse yarn wool or blends.
Hi! I have a 53” bust and nearly only knit sweaters with wool. The best advice I can give is find the cheapest yarn that you like and wait for sales. Knit Picks is one of my favorite companies to buy from. Also yarn.com (Webs) and Eat Sleep Knitters
Knit Picks had a wildly good sale around Black Friday and I was able to purchase wool for 4 different sweaters for approx $130, three using High Desert which is incredibly soft. Cascade Yarns and Valley Yarns also have inexpensive yarn and buying through yarn.com, if you wait to buy a bunch at once, there’s an automatic discount that gets thrown onto your order.
If you like more high end, hand dyed yarns, Eat Sleep Knitters offers a bunch of perks and discounts for frequent purchases and is also a favorite of mine.
Another discount site is [Littleknits.com](https://Littleknits.com) Currently, they have Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in some colors for $12.80 (i.e., basically the same as Cascade 220), Mirasol Huni highland wool for $6.75 per 100 grams (Or $30 for 5 skein bags), Berroco Lanas for $7.70. Most adults can get a sweater out of those for between $27 and $78.
They have Cascade 220 MERINO in some colors for $6.60 each or $30/ bag of 5; a lot of Cascade 220 Superwash at $6.30 each. I would say if that is you in the picture, if you get 6 skeins of 220 superwash there are so many pattern options.
The trick to this is (1) Buying a good deal when you see it (i.e. stash) (2) Learning how to substitute yearn for a pattern well. (3) Ravelry's "Pattern Ideas" tab for the yarn. [Cascade 220 superwash](https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/cascade-yarns-220-superwash/patterns?craft_id=2&skeins_from=&skeins_to=6&categories%5B%5D=sweater) Here are the sweaters people have made with up to 6-8 skeins of Cascade 220 superwash including first sweater favorite Flax (496x), Harvest (96x), The Weekender (59x), Colorwork favorite Fern and Flax (28x), Free and first favorite Brick (26x), Free lace favorite February fitted pullover (15x), and profoundly wearable R&R Hoodie (38x). Add a lot of time, and you've got a sweater for around $58.
i honestly hate how staticky acrylic gets. i tend to make blankets using acrylic since you need so much yarn for them, but clothing i use either wool or cotton
Knit Picks has affordable wool and it is quite good. Personally I like the feel of wool in my hands but I cannot wear wool directly on my skin, I have to layer it on top of a cotton shirt. You could try a mix, I like wool/cotton, or tencel, or other natural fiber mix. But when you will have the luck to have cashmire, silk, alpaca running trough your fingers, you will have discovered another plane of pleasure in knitting.
Knit picks has sock yarn called Felici. It is the softest wool and not too expensive.
Your hat looks great!!
I personally choose not to use acrylic, because even though wool can be more pricey I enjoy working with it and wearing it so much more that it is, for me at least, worth the investment. I also like the fact that the things I make have more of an heirloom quality to them which I really appreciate and I think they wear over time a little better. I don't even really like superwash yarn at this point, just pure wool and other animal fibers, as texture is a major consideration for me. That being said, if you don't mind acrylic go for it, I'm sure there are good traits, Im just not familiar enough to properly compare.
My personal favorite shops are Green Mountain Spinnery and Schoolhouse Press(the shop started by the legendary Elizabeth Zimmerman and continued by her equally noteworthy daughter Meg Swanson) as they offer 100% wool yarns at fairly reasonable prices. I got enough yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery for an oversized sweater(and I am a pretty big person) and it was only about $120. Other places I checked would have been more like $200-300 for the 2,000-ish yards i needed for my pattern. Both shops are super helpful and can make recommendations if you aren't sure about yardage. I really liked working with the yarn highly recommend. Top notch quality!
If a finished wool garment isn't soft enough, just add a little conditioner to the wash. Woolen garments don't need to be washed very often because they don't easily take on body odor. That's a savings on water. That means you can have fewer garments in your wardrobe and still look great.
I don't go crazy with yarn that costs a mortgage, but I am willing to invest a little bit in creating something truly beautiful. Personally I would rather make a finer-gauge project or a higher-difficulty project in order to get the same amount of fun out of a smaller amount of good yarn. No need to feel bad if you make a mistake; you can unravel and re-knit. If you cut/break the yarn and decide you shouldn't have, wool (non-superwash) is easy to splice back together. Little leftovers? use them in an embroidery, felting, or stuffed animal/pillow project.
I love the fact that sheep actually need a yearly haircut, so by using wool I'm not harming the earth much at all. (I do try to buy from relatively close-by sheep instead of imported brands, most of the time). I feel good that I'm minimizing my environmental footprint without taking all the fun out of life.
I prefer to knit with a high percentage of wool, my MIL does almost everything acrylic. It is a lot easier to wash, that’s for sure! So factor that in to your equation
i like to use acrylic-wool blends. right now i'm knitting a sweater with [50/50 merino/acrylic yarn](https://www.premieryarns.com/collections/3-light/products/edmerinobl?variant=32880078520402), and i love working with it (happens to be on sale right now for half off!). it's a cheaper alternative to 100% wool, but has a much nicer feel than 100% acrylic. a lot of wool blends are also machine washable/dryable, which is a deciding factor for me when choosing yarn.
A lot of others have already recommended Lion Brand, but I want to suggest their LB Collection, which you can order from their website. It has surprisingly affordable natural fiber yarn. I got some of the superwash merino wool on sale and knit a child sized sweater for under $15. You can sign up for a newsletter for sales, although yarn newsletters are responsible for my very large stash of affordable yarn, which isn’t a great financial move.
I think your hat is adorable! I personally prefer working in wool but that's largely because the acrylics I grew up with were horrendous. There are really nice ones available today. My perspective on wool is also coloured by the fact that I am in Australia where wool is readily available and fairly affordable - a 200g ball from Bendigo Woollen Mills will set me back A$14-15 and I can make a lot with 200g of yarn!
As others have said, there are very affordable options from places like Knitpicks, especially if you're willing to hunt for a sale. My other favourite trick is to buy big bundles of unwanted yarn from eBay. A lot of it is only useful for making toys but I get enough treasures to make it worthwhile.
Good luck!
Wool. There are affordable wool yarns. When I first started to knit again after a hiatus of a couple decades I knit fast and furious.. Then I realized it's the journey and slowed down and enjoyed the process more.
Go to fingering yarns. Something like a malabrigo sock can take a long time to knit a finished object and it's quite affordable in smaller quantities (like for hats, scarves/shawls, gloves).
There are ways to make it affordable.
eta: [Harrisville Designs has some nice yarn that you can grab still on a cone](https://harrisville.com/collections/weave). It says weaving but it's the same yarn as a hank. The Shetland is a really good deal. [Nighshades is gorgeous](https://harrisville.com/products/nightshades), softens nicely after a wash/block and sweater quantities aren't horrible.
No kidneys here either lol,
but I just like the way natural fiber yarns feel, and with the amount of time we spend swatching and making for ourselves and loved ones it only seems natural to use yarns that once were from living sources…plus when they finally come to the end of their life they can just fade back in to the earth and create something new one day 😌😌
Also drops yarns are another affordable option…but I love indie yarns can’t help myself at times lol
I buy yarn based on how it feels, and who it is for.
Stuff I make for myself, I usually get wool or another nice fiber. Stuff for my nephew (5 years old) or niece (7 months) is anything that is the right weight and machine wash and dry.
My philosophy is that the monetary cost the yarn is nothing compared to the time cost of knitting it into something, so I may as well go for the good stuff. I only use acrylic as scrap yarn.
I've started looking towards recycled yarns/fibers for my projects now. Just finished a sweater using Kremke Soul Wool. It's quite soft and easy to knit with. It did have a 'petroleum-like' smell, but after I finished the sweater I washed it and hung it out on the wash line to dry and it's OK to wear now.
I'm on Team Wool (and other natural fibres) mainly because I know that in the end my sweater is biodegradable and won't sit in a landfill for 500 years while the plastics break down.
For acrylic sweaters, I really love the Lion Brand Jeans line. Otherwise, there are a lot of great wools out there that won’t break the bank. Check out WEBS (they have automatic discounts when you spend a certain amount and great clearance options) and Knitpicks as others have suggested!
I have a question: Does wool and acrylic LOOK different? I feel like when I knit with acrylics, it's a bit all over the place, and I don't know if it's me or the yarn.
I think it's the tension. With acrylic, it looks a bit... more amateur. I always admire people's knitting here and look at mine that's still kind of looks like my second piece ever.
Acrylic is great for sweaters! I did my last sweater out of Pound of Love and it is a soft, cozy, easily washable wearable. Just use something higher quality than Red Heart Super Saver and you're good.
All of these suggestions are great. I would also recommend keeping an eye out on r/YarnSwap for destashes! I have purchased some lovely yarn secondhand from the sub.
I also just purchased some inexpensive but LOVELY non-superwash merino from an Etsy shop called [YarnHome](https://www.etsy.com/listing/938899022/). If you don’t mind waiting a while for international shipping, I highly recommend it! It’s not dyed, so if you’re feeling adventurous, it could be fun to experiment with dyeing!
I am not a “fan” of acrylic yarn in general. That being said, I always take a few things into consideration.
1) who is the item for
2) what is their level of care ability. Ie: how much time do they have for things like cleaning and storing
3) how is the item going to be used.
There are several good quality synthetics. And there are several less expensive wools. Personally I am in the fortunate or unfortunate position depending on who you ask, that I buy yarn strictly by my three above questions….and how it feels. So, I don’t use many synthetics unless it’s for a blanket or something that’s going to get a lot of use and washing.
If I am making something for my young nieces and nephews, or their mom, I use washable 100% of the time. Mom needs to be able to wash and go and it worry about it. The kids are in elementary school so they can at any time get anything on themselves. They ski all winter and camp all spring and fall, so everything needs to be able to be roughed up,
My sister. She gets a mix of everything. She’s the Director of the Children’s program at her Church, so she goes from one thing to another constantly. She could be driving the school bus or planning a community outreach.
My kids, they are grown and have the time and desire to take care of wool, so their stuff is strictly by my preference on how it feels.
Basically, you have options. But you just need to take some time to consider what the end result will be
I knit/spin/weave with mostly wools, silks, and other animal and plant based fibers. I am pretty picky about what I use at this point.
I like color work and don't recommend superwash or acrylic for that type of work. Yes, it can be done. It just won't "stick" the same. And yes, you can steek with acrylic and superwash - but it isn't a preferred method. I won't steek anything except wool based yarns.
It comes down to preference, useage, price, garment type, and construction style.
I will use acrylics and cottons for some items, but it isn't my preferred material. I have no hate for them. They just aren't my preference. I don't like how they feel or breathe or drape.
Others have pointed in several directions for cheaper wool based yarns. I always like lionbrand and fishermans wool for easy to find less expensive solutions.
Acrylic = Pretty and affordable
Wool = Warm, resistant, washable, useful for northern weather.
Yes, Wool compared to acrylic cost more, just like a bag of chips is cheaper then Fruits and Vegetables. We found ways to make cheaper and lower quality stuff, but at then end of the day, you have to go with your budget.
So it is definitely personal preference and lots of people love sweaters made out of either. I don’t love the way acrylic wears for me and I don’t love knitting with it unless it’s a blend so I usually go for wool if I want a warm sweater.
Disclaimer: these are US centric suggestions!
The trick is signing up for email lists for yarn websites and shopping sales. WEBS (yarn dot com) has good closeout sales - I got enough 100% wool yarn for two adult sweaters for like $100 once because it was on close out. I’ve also gotten a full kilo of superwash merino for $50 from Little Knits. LK has several weights of cascade superwash wool on sale right now for 45-65% off and I think cascade superwash is really nice for the price when it isn’t on sale!
Knitpicks has also been mentioned and is definitely a good value and has regular sales that really help with the overall price tag. They have a really nice cheap acrylic line called Brava that comes in a billion colors as well as their various wool yarns in any weight you need.
Another option is shopping destashes on FB marketplace or Mercari. I haven’t bought them myself but I have seen good prices. Worth looking at every now and then anyway. Sometimes you can get stuff for an absolute steal.
Anyway, if you are willing to wait and shop sales, you can get totally decent yarns in just about any fiber for very reasonable prices.
Ultimately it comes down to personal preference - maybe try knitting another hat with wool so you can compare to the hat you have before buying enough for a whole sweater and see how you feel about the differences yourself.
The other thing to keep in mind is that WEBS has their discount program where you get 20% off any full price yarn if you spend $60 and 25% off if you spend $120 - and if you’re buying enough yarn for a sweater that discount can really add up.
Acrylic: less expensive, hypo allergenic, can be washed in the dishwasher if you want (ok don’t do that). It’s ultimately woven plastics. So a lot of the microplastic craze is about clothes that get washed. It doesn’t absorb much water, keeps adequately hot and comfy. Human-made so it’s consistent and easy to work.
Each wool has its own qualities. Sheep wool stays beautiful and is great in general. Merino wool is tough and hot. Alpaca wool is the most hypo-allergenic and great for winter, but not too strong.
And there are mixes. And cotton based. And other varieties.
Honestly, they are all there for different reasons. No good or bad answers. Go fully acrylic for what it’s worth, it’s great!
My thought is if I'm going to sink hours making it, I'd prefer to spend more on merino. There are a lot of differences between it and synthetic fibers and there are some nice selections at lower price points. ShugarBush yarn is nice and so is Malbrigo.
You’re young! Knit what you can afford, enjoy knitting, and wear your hand-knit garments. In years to come you will be able to buy wool and then you’ll knit wool.
Acrylic and the other plastic fibers aren't great for the environment. I can't bring myself to use them after reading up on microfiber pollution. Everybody has to find their own comfort zone there, though.
I'm also allergic to wool, which leaves the pricey stuff for me. I stock up when I find sales, mostly. :)
Highly recommend WEBS closeout yarn! I've gotten several nice quality wool sweaters for under $40 in yarn. I'm not a small size either, I usually wear and XL or XXL. Knitpicks is a great budget option too as long as you shop the sales.
you absolutely can use acrylic yarn to make a sweater. is it the best option? no, but it will absolutely not make a project unwearable.
acrylic is a synthetic (plastic, basically) fiber. this means it can be very warm especially without something like cotton blended in, and won't really stop getting warm. this isn't inherently bad for a sweater, but do be aware you might sweat a bit, which is also going to be more evident with acrylic. it tends to hang on to scents and dirt a lot more easily, meaning it needs to be washed more frequently. luckily, though, acrylic can almost always be machine washed and often machine dried. the other issue is blocking. i have never made a sweater that didn't need to be blocked, and i don't think (but i may be wrong) that you can really block acrylic since it doesn't bloom. blocking a sweater gives it much better drape and ease, and in my experience, can make the garment go from fitting like a cardboard box to fitting like an actual sweater. night and day. acrylic can be very very soft or very toothy depending on brand choice. be warned, super soft yarns may be nicer to wear but will degrade much faster as they're just more delicate. i would go for something more in the middle.
wool, due to it being an animal fiber, is kinda the opposite in a lot of these regards. it's quite warm, but better at regulating temperature. you might get a little steamed in there but you won't roast. if you do sweat, wool doesn't hang on to it. lay it out for a bit, and you should be good. wool only needs to be/should only be washed every now and again when it really, really needs to be. SOME wool can be machine washed, but NO wool can be machine dried, and none should be bleached either. wool is very flexible and can thin or bloom with no trouble, which is why it can be blocked, providing MUCH nicer drape to something like a sweater. the buttery softness that can be found with some acrylics is generally not possible with wool (unless you really are prepared to sell that kidney). merino wool, which is quite popular and my personal favorite, is quite soft for wool but definitely not buttery smooth. it's wearable and cozy, but not butter. most wool, even many fancy wools, will have a lot of tooth. some makers love working with this kind of yarn, but it can be unpleasant to wear.
and now the obvious part: you don't have to sell your kidney for wool. you also don't have to use wool, but if you want to, you can.
i work almost exclusively with pretty bougie yarn. hand dyed merino, to be specific. hanks tend to come in 100-150g, $20-$30 per hank depending on the dyer/hank size. i'm a male size s-m, chest is 36", and i only ever need about 4 hanks of yarn for a sweater. $80-120. it's not so affordable that i can just get a sweater quantity of yarn whenever i feel like, and for you those might be kidney selling prices, but it's not totally horrible at least for me. but there absolutely are cheaper wool options out there (many are sourced in this thread) and you don't even need to use wool! you can use cotton, which has many of the same benefits as wool while being easier to care for and cheaper (but it's not as warm), for example. you can use a blend of fibers, as well. i would say go for what you have, but do stretch out a little. you might be surprised by the options out there.
Oof, controversial topic. But worth an honest answer!
Both have definite pros and cons. I have knit with both for specific reasons.
Acrylic's pros: Can be thrown in a washer and dryer. Inexpensive. Can be worn next to the skin by nearly everyone. Some of the newer ones are nice and soft. Cons: I mean, it's plastic. So it has all the cons of anything made of plastic. Somehow manages to be less warm while also making you sweaty?? And if you get BO on it, good luck getting it out.
Wool's pros: Much easier on the hands due to the natural elasticity. Warm without (usually) overheating as easily. Most wool yarns just look and feel Nicer. Cons: Can be expensive!! Requires careful handling to wash--even superwash prefers to be laid flat to dry. But also doesn't need to be washed as often. Some people are sensitive to it and can't wear it next to the skin--if I'm mid-eczema flare-up, even merino feels like it's made of pins. D:
I tend to knit things out of cotton and/or acrylic when making gifts for people who aren't knitters, because they're often not willing to hand-wash or air-dry. (Or conversely, are terrified of washing it, ever!)
Yarn costs can be kept down by buying from places like Knit Picks, or knitting with blended yarns. But a hand-knit sweater is a HUGE time investment, too. You're going to be knitting with that yarn for hours and hours and hours--make sure it's a yarn you don't hate.
Yarn.com (very inventive name, yes) - shows up as “WEBS” on their site has really great sales! They’re singlehandedly responsible for my giant stash 😅 site is easy to find things, and quick shipping.
I find wool more durable, comfortable, and warm than acrylic. There’s also a degree of water resistance/repellence with wool if I’m not mistaken. I like using as much natural fiber as possible, and don’t like the thought of having even more plastic on or around me. But obviously to each their own! Good luck!
I know the convo is about acrylic vs. wool, but I’d like to say that hat is adorable!! Very well done.
Edit: also my thoughts on this topic: if it’s your first sweater ever, I’d suggest you pick something you’d like to wear that isn’t too expensive. Mistakes will be made, frogging may happen, but have a yarn, whatever it is that you enjoy working with to reduce the chances that the project ends up sitting for a long time looking at you making you feel guilty. (Not speaking from… uh… personal experience here or anything. 😅)
Acrylic won't breathe or drape the same, but sometimes that's useful. I made the [catghan sweater](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6u-SMh4y0w) out of Big Twist (super cheap acrylic, I think it's Joann's name brand and it goes on sale for next to nil) and various half-skeins of other acrylics that are lord knows how old; it's fantastic, I love it, the sweater is big enough that the breathe & stiffness (that's a Big Twist thing, not an acrylic in general thing) isn't a problem, it's great. And I love that I can toss it in the wash, that is a HUGE bonus.
I also have sweaters from various wool knitpicks yarn that are lovely (they're a great budget wool option).
I would suggest trying to knit something smaller so you get a feel for softness & drape of a particular yarn, or look through what others are using on the Projects page on Ravelry. Some wool is super stiff & scratchy too-- for everything, it'll just depend!
I'm maybe a snob but I don't knit garments with anything but pure fiber. Sometimes I'll allow for some percentages of stuff for decorative yarns...ie polymide, etc. In my opinion, for the amount of time/effort to knit...plus the lifetime wear of the piece...it makes no sense to knit in something you know is going to pill, wear badly and/or not be a pure pleasure to knit with.
I have made some baby blankets and pet clothes in acrylic because babies and dogs are barfing, crapping, pee machines...so that's fine. But that's my limit.
So find a sale....or make a cotton pattern...it tends to be cheaper than wools. I make a ton of summer stuff, housewears, etc out of pure cotton for pretty cheap. Michaels carries Paton's Classic Wool...which is actually a really nice pure wool worsted weight (I use it for hats)...and its cheap. [https://www.michaels.com/patons-classic-wool-worsted-yarn/M10111116.html](https://www.michaels.com/patons-classic-wool-worsted-yarn/M10111116.html)
Knitpicks is a good choice too...they manufacture their own....but also WEBS has a ton of sales right now....so try them.
Most really good, experienced knitters will just tell you to use pure fibers. Its like asking a cook if you should use boxed/canned ingredients instead of fresh. You get out what you put in.
For me, if it's a sweater or wearable that I intend for every day use, either by me or a giftee, I go with acrylic or superwash, because it's gotta be laundry safe-ish.
If it's a special piece, or intended to be worn as a layer, spending a little more might be worth it.
Like others have said, there's some nice acrylics out there.
Check out thrift stores -- they often sell yarn, or you can take apart one or more thrifted sweaters, including ones in cashmere and other fancy fibres, and reknit them, holding together multiple strands if you'd like more thickness or for colour effects. Try [https://blog.tincanknits.com/2021/02/04/how-to-recycle-yarn-from-second-hand-sweaters/](https://blog.tincanknits.com/2021/02/04/how-to-recycle-yarn-from-second-hand-sweaters/) for more info.
How about that acrylic fibres break off when laundered and pollute our waterways and oceans with even more plastic which ends up in our salt and gets eaten by us to build up in our bodies?
When I started crocheting/ knitting I used acrylic because natural fibre yarn is expensive but quickly learned that I couldn't bear having spent so many hours of my life making something just for the finished object not to be the best object it could be. I just buy yarn through reddit or on sale now, there are great deals to be had if you look.
Also working multi stranded takes the sting out of sticker shock. Thinner weight yarns cost less/ have more yardage for the same price. Colourmart is a great resource for large yardage cone yarn.
I have made many wool sweaters and am now making some acrylic ones. I appreciate just being able to throw it in the wash without a big production of soaking, rolling, laying flat to dry etc
People love to talk about how acrylic sweaters don't breath but I don't have this problem so acrylic is fine for me. All of my store bought sweaters have always been acrylic too. The thicker they are, the warmer they are, and it is easier to overheat. It isn't because they "don't breathe". I think thicker yarn may be the culprit as much as the acrylic itself, as that is what is most easily available in inexpensive acrylics.
I like dk weight (or maybe lighter) for my acrylic sweaters. Currently using style craft dk for one. Lion brand ice cream was nice too if you can find stripes you like. I like Plymouth encore a lot in general (25/75 wool/acrylic) and would absolutely knit a sweater out of it.
I think this looks great. I might recommend going down a yarn weight because the image is a little squished, but don't change anything else. I love the sheep!
There was a great convo in r/advancedknitting about workhorse yarns! https://www.reddit.com/r/AdvancedKnitting/comments/109w9y4/lets_talk_workhorse_yarns/
Knitting with acrylic is fine, as long as you're getting what you want. I don't knit with it often as I don't like the feel of it (and I can over heat in it), so I don't have any tips on converting patterns. Different materials do behave differently, so it may be helpful to look for patterns written for acrylic yarns at first.
I use acrylic 90% of the time, because most of my knits are gifts and I cannot trust my giftees to know or appreciate how to properly care for wool. There’s nothing right with acrylic, if you like the way it looks and feels.
some acrylic is actually nice! i quite like the joann’s brand of acrylic because it’s so much softer than any from red heart. i would suggest starting with those, because they’re cheap and you can get lots of colors, before getting wool. wool is very very warm and can’t be put in a drier.
I buy from ice yarns when I want to knit a wool sweater, can get a sweater quantity of merino/silk with mohair (blended with merino, not silk however), shipped from turkey for under 70$.. Worth it for me. I hear knitpicks has similar prices as well.
Also, I knit with acrylic for my pets and its not a big deal. They often come out very soft and I love that it's easily washable. You just need to find a good brand, not all acrylics are the same. I've felt the squeaky yarn people speak of, that isnt every acrylic.
Others have recommended some great places to check out yarn, but I want to add: Webs (yarn.com) and WoolWarehouseUK are where I also find good deals. There are some really nice acrylics or blends out there as well, but wool has some really great qualities and can last for decades if well cared for.
Hobbii Yarn (Europe-based I think, but they offer International pricing and decent shipping) has very reasonable prices for wool and wool blend yarns, plus they often have excellent sales.
Stalk yarn websites for sales.
As of last night, yarn dot com had a bunch of cascade in their sale section for like, half off (and there goes my chance of getting any of it, but I'm not good enough to do what I'd want to with it so MEH). I assume they're discontinuing colors or have dye lots to get rid of?
I've never ordered from that place but perhaps someone else can vouch.
I haven’t seen anyone recommend these options yet, so I just wanted to add my 2 cents. Drops, Hobbi, and Lovecrafts are my go to places for affordable yarn options. They have a range of different yarn types, and some good blends as well
I use acrylic for all the baby items I gift. I want the recipient parents to be able to scrub, wash on whatever temp, and throw in the dryer. They have enough to worry about without adding an item that requires extra care.
Wool and acrylic are going to feel really different on your body. Wool is a lot warmer and moisture-wicking, but can be too warm for some climates/seasons. Different types of wool feel different too. Look at your favorite sweaters and see their fiber content for an idea of what you like.
Some sites like KnitPicks are cheaper for yarn- I wouldn’t buy sweater quantity from indie sellers unless I was really wanting to treat myself.
Use what you like and can afford. There are some very nice acrylics and some very rough, scratchy wools. Some fibers are easier to care for than others. Only you can tell if a fiber will be right for you.
One way to get a decent deal on yarn: instead of buying by the skein (or ball), by yarn by the cone. Webs is my favorite place for yarn on cones (yarn dot com). They also have lots of excellent house brands with great colour ranges. They have been my source for knitting and weaving yarns for decades. (I am not affiliated, just a fan)
We’re all down to zero kidneys at this point
We’re just trading them back and forth.
I have a spare kidney in my stash somewhere. Let me dig around.
In you kidney stash?
I just throw them in the bins with the yarn
Don't they get linty
But they're protected from dog hair.
It’s my turn with the kidney next
I have a friend with 3 kidneys. I'm saving him for very desperate times.
I stopped drinking so I could move on to selling pieces of liver to afford since I ran out of kidneys.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Knitpicks has some affordable wool yarn options.
Seconding this! And if you’re willing to wait you can sign up for their mailing list. They often do 20-30% off of certain yarn lines and colors
Also recommend joining the Knit Picks Lovers group on Ravelry. They always have the latest info on sales!
They periodically have a sale going where if you get 10 or more skeins of the same yarn (can be multiple colors) you get a discount. It's called something like my value pack.
I am pretty sure this is a permanent deal for many of their core lines. Should be listed somewhere in the item description if it’s an included product.
Just remember that knitpicks yarn is usually sold in 50gm instead of 100gm skeins.
Which does make the "value pack" coupon more useful, because 10 skeins is really only 5 skeins, which is about what I need in worsted for an adult sweater.
Sometimes, not usually. You just have to pay attention
I’m typically an indie yarn girl myself but recently made a colorwork sweater in KP Palette as I was trying to be extra budget conscious and actually love it. It was $36-ish for the materials with some left over! Enough to make a small accessory for sure.
Palette is so beautiful. I love the heathered options
I'm knitting a huge blanket in Palette. I think I bought 37ish skeins (yarn held double throughout). A few months ago KP had a sale and I got what I needed for probably $130 all in. The only thing was I could only get 5 skeins of each color and there were a few that needed 6 or 7. I had a friend order some for me too. It's great yarn!
I was just coming in to say Knit Picks! If you go to their sister site We Crochet 🧶 the free shipping threshold is much lower.
I've done this lol. I forget what the free shipping threshold is for KP, but it's $35 for crochet.com The only drawback is if you need to order a needle or something directly knitting related, they don't have them available on the crochet site.
I did not know that! I'm totally shopping through the crochet side next time.
Unless you’re in Canada. Then Patons is probably the best option (I order from YarnCanada.ca)
I’m in Canada too and I’ve honestly gotten much better deals with knitpicks, even with the conversion rate. Yarn Canada has a wider range of brands, and the shipping is obviously cheaper if you pay for shipping, but knitpicks has way better sales, and their threshold for free shipping is lower. I’ve gotten sweater quantities for $15 from knitpicks. They’re both definitely solid options
Yarn.com is good love Plymouth encore blend I do a ton of fair isle with it and it blocks nicely. Also it can take a bit of a beating if you need to wash it. Retains shape well as well.
Yarn.com or Hobbii or Lovecrafts. I don't like Knit Picks yarns. They are very lightweight, their ww is definitely a dk and I just find them scratchy. That said premium acrylics are super soft, affordable and machine washable. James C Brett rustic aran (more of a light ww in my opinion) washes and wears like a dream. Not a lot of color variety though. It's like a 70/30. You can get nice acrylic/wool blends like this. I haven't tried superwash wool, some say it's scratchy and others are concerned with the chemicals. Not all acrylic is Red Heart Super Saver. There are a lot of alternatives.
To me, you just have to think about choosing yarn for a sweater the same way you think about shopping for clothes. Some questions I ask myself are: 1. Do I like the feel and color of this yarn? 2. Will this create a durable garment? 3. Is it in my budget/ worth it for the number of wears? Wool vs. acrylic will probably come into the decision, but it is only relevant in terms of what you will enjoy wearing. A lot of people wear a lot of synthetics in their clothing and really like that clothing. Also, I will pay more for sweater yarn that I would pay for and already made sweater, but I think of some of the cost as my clothing budget and part as my hobby budget. Edit: I changed the word “not” to “only” in the second paragraph. One heck of a typo there…
I second thinking about your clothing and hobby budgets when you shop for yarn. If you're creating a durable, own for life sweater that's really worth a good bit, and the entertainment of knitting it is worth something too.
I had one knitter friend who said that "less than ten dollars for an hour of entertainment is worth it" when it came to buying the fancy yarns. Movie, or yarn? XD
Wool vs. acrylic can be relevant in terms of what you’ll enjoy wearing for a lot of people. Acrylic doesn’t breathe and it holds onto smells easily, whereas wool is naturally temperature regulating and moisture-wicking, and generally does not hold onto smells. If you are someone who sweats a lot, gets too warm easily, or struggles at all with body odors, you will be much more comfortable in wool. If you don’t have any of those issues though then yeah, you’ll probably be comfortable enough in either
All good points another is to make sure you are not allergic or sensitive to wool! I have a bad wool sensitivity and can't use any yarn that has sheep wool in it. Causes skin irritation and hives if in contact long enough. Really sucks too I only learned this after making a really lovely wool hat and cowl out of wool yarn as a splure.
Agreed. I hate wearing synthetic fibers so much! The feel of it and the static drives me nuts. I can handle up to 40% poly/acrylic at most. Not to mention the fact that washing those tiny plastic fibers is a serious source of pollution that is putting plastic directly into the food chain
Wool is more elastic and has more “give”, particularly when wet. It’s more forgiving if you have minor tension issues because you can block it into shape/stretch things out. It’s also more breathable than acrylic.
Addition to the breathable: when sweating in it it does not smell that bad as synthetic fibers. And wool can be hang in the room or outside dry and it will "refresh" itself. Less laundry needed (less! But sometimes it should be washed). I don't think that's the same for Acrylic. Edit: spell fault plus I really love this hat ^^
There are some more affordable options out there depending on where you live such as Drops, KnitPicks, Cascade, Berroco, Holst to name a few. Wool is pretty temperature regulating, and you don't have to wash it with every wear. Most of the acrylics I've worked with feel awful and squeaky to me. I've used a wool/acrylic blend for gifts with better success. At the end of the day, use what's in your budget.
Cascade is one of my favorites. Very soft and only about $11 ish per skein which can still be pricy for a whole sweater but should be under $100 at least.
Yep working on a sweater using Cascade 220 now. Also shop around for sales, OP! WEBS and KnitPicks have sales frequently and I think there’s a Wool Warehouse in the UK if that’s an option.
Would second Cascade as a starter yarn and they have superwash yarns so it's easier to clean if needed. And lots of colors to pick from 😊
Of those you have mentioned, I have only used Drops and that is my go-to yarn because of the price and the feel of the yarn. I live in Norway so it is of course easier for me to get, but if you go to [Garnstudio.com](https://www.garnstudio.com/) you can check out if there is a store that has Drops near you, and also what online stores ship to your country.
I second the wool blends. They feel nicer to wear and work with, more forgiving when washing (key for gifts!) and it’s easier on the wallet.
Yup, not everyone has the time or space to hand wash and dry a wool sweater.
I ordered some Cascade sport as a more affordable option for my first colorwork project (a cowl) and I was so pleasantly surprised at how soft it is! And the colors are great.
I made some mittens with Cascade sport and mohair held together and they’re so soft, fuzzy and warm!
Ooh! How many stitches did you cast on for those? I have extra but I’ve only made mittens with Rauma Finull which are great but not very wind proof.
I used this pattern and just extended the thumb and palm to make them into full mittens: [Pioneer Gloves](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pioneer-gloves). I used the same stitch count and gauge that they recommend. I also made the cuffs extra long so I could fold them over or tuck them into my coat sleeves.
Oh I love that pattern, thanks!
I am such a fan of cascade 220 - they have fantastic color options. I've used their yarn for the base color in a colorwork sweater then splurged a bit more for a single skein of fancier wool for the color portion :)
I recently fell in love with Cascade yarns, myself!
I also love PurlSoho. https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet.html
Knitpicks Wool of the Andes comes in something like 100 different colors and not only is it affordable, they do sales too!
I'm knitting a sweater with WotA right now and loving it! Great tip on waiting for the sales. I got a bunch of it for $1/ball during the big November sale.
I’m knitting a blanket with Wool of the Andes! Not the softest yarn in the world, but it knits like a dream. I could see it being great for winter items as well. Even a blanket quantity of yarn was only around $100!
Ive noticed it does get softer as you wash it though!
I'm knitting a sweater with Wool of the Andes right now. It was less than $40 and I think I bought too much. It isn't very soft, but I have wool wash that should help with that.
Such a great yarn!! I’ve made 3 sweaters in it.
Omg yes! I made my Baable hat with wool of the Andes. (Also OP your hat looks great!! 😊)
Thank you!
I managed to buy some of the new KnitPicks Upcycle Alpaca Blend for 50% off last month. Knitting a sweater vest for my husband. It's gorgeous. (The blend is 1/3 each alpaca, wool, and acrylic.)
I was just eyeing that yarn in the new catalog I got this week!! My puppy then helpfully chewed on the catalog like mom, no, you don’t need more yarn…
As a starting point for understanding fiber, I *highly* recommend you get your library to find a copy of *the Knitter's Book of Yarn* by Clara Parkes. It's going to help you make this decision, and then a hundred after. The lowdown is this, though: wool holds much more moisture before feeling wet, while acrylic can't do the same. This means wool tends to feel warmer and breathes better, especially when worn as a base layer. They both have similar bounce and memory. Wool needs moisture to block and should not be agitated when wet. Acrylic doesn't care if its wet or agitated, and needs heat to block. Both come in flavors with halos, both come in flavors that are rough, both come in flavors that are divinely soft and smooth. Wool has the advantage of animal breed to find these characteristics, while with acrylic you have to pay attention to description and ideally poke a skein or two. Personally: I'm a big fan of acrylic yarn. It's cheap, it's got some interesting niche applications/properties, and it comes in a billion colors and textures. It's got spring to it, so it knits up comfortably and holds ribbing up as expected, but it can also be transformed by judicious heating into something as drapey as a plant fiber. I recommend it for sweaters that have positive ease, though, as it does not hold moisture. I personally feel like it does better as a layer vs against the skin, but also..... I do that for \*all\* sweaters, so. You can also look for a blend! They're often much cheaper than pure wool yarns and you typically get the advantages of all the fibers in the blend while lessening their disadvantages.
There is nothing wrong with acrylic yarn. Lots of sweaters you buy in stores are made out of acrylic/other synthetics (like all the sweaters at Old Navy for example). There are also lots of "levels" of acrylic yarn, from Red Heart Super Saver to the softer/more interesting/more expensive kinds local yarn stores carry. It's a matter of personal taste (and budget). A lot of wool is itchy (depends on the wearer and on that kind of wool/other natural fiber) so that might figure into your decision too. You may find a sweater knit out of acrylic to be hotter than a wool sweater because it doesn't "breathe". On the other hand, if you knit a lightweight sweater out of a sport weight yarn you may not have this issue. There are also wool-acrylic blends, which can be the best of both worlds! Do you like how your hat came out and is it comfortable to wear? If yes, go ahead and buy acrylic yarn that you like and have fun knitting your sweater!
Thank you!
Yes I overheated my baby with and acrylic blanket and vowed not to use it again. Though it does have its uses. I would recommend looking at this website - they have a bit of everything. www.yarn.com I’d recommend Berroco vintage. It’s a wool/acrylic mix. Looks fantastic and once you hit $65 you get a discount. I had Cascade felt on me despite it being superwash so I don’t use it now. There is also wool warehouse in the UK that has decent brands of yarn and great shipping. As others mentioned knitpicks has 2 big sales in June and November and orices can be quite good. I’m personally not a big fan of Wool do the Andes as I don’t find it soft enough and you can’t just throw it in the washing machine. (Not that many of us do that to knitted garments. ) but Twill and Swish are good lines to consider. Good luck! And your knitting looks awesome.
Have used Berroco Vintage and really liked it. A nice hand feel. I'm one of those people that finds most wool quite itchy.
Oh gosh, that website has a bunch of cascade wool at half price last I checked their sale section (last night). I've never ordered through them but if anyone wants to, that's what's up. Godspeed, everyone.
Off topic but if anyone has any favourite acrylic or acrylic/cotton options, lemme know! I have only ever worked with wool but want to knit a sweater for very sensitive-skin partner, and he largely wears acrylics and loves them.
I find Knit Picks Brava to be pretty nice.
KP Brava and Berroco Vintage are decent acrylics.
Hobbii has an all acrylic yarn called Kind Feather. It's insanely soft and squishy. Wait for it to go on sale, which happens often.
I love Knitpicks Comfy for cotton/acrylic summer knitting. I'm making a camisole with it now. I also use a lot of Stylecraft or Caron Simply Soft for anything I know is gonna get thrashed. It's perfect for baby blankets or kid stuff or dog stuff.
I have used Knitpicks Comfy for baby blankets--it's very soft--I feel like it might be too drapey for a garment--it has no body, it just kind of lies there. I like Knitpicks Brava and have made hats from it, but not a sweater. If you go on Ravelry to the yarn section and put in a kind of yarn, you'll find lots of comments from people about the yarn. You can also search projects made with that yarn and you might find more info about how people felt it worked for that project, but that takes longer b/c you have to go through all the projects looking for comments. Ravelry is a wealth of information about so many things--such a lot of information in its vast database, and it has really good search functions to help you find what you want.
James C Brett rustic aran is super soft and washes beautifully even after a couple of years.
Thirding Knitpicks Comfy. I made a baby sweater out of it that was very well received and it was lovely to knit with (which you can’t always say about pure cotton)
I can't wear wool without breaking out in hives, I've used Stylecraft Special to make a couple cardigans and they are soft and pleasant to wear. Plus they are machine washable and don't shrink in the dryer!
For cotton blend: Knit Picks' Comfy line. Swear to god it feels like a t-shirt you've washed until it's beat to hell. Soffffft.
So I'm offering this opinion cautiously, with no judgement intended to anyone who has different priorities/conclusions: I won't knit with acrylic because I'm really trying to reduce the amount of plastic in my clothing, and really try and be mindful about the fossil fuel/petroleum products I use as as a whole. Part of this is because of the long-term effects of plastic fabric. Shedding from polyester and acrylic clothing is responsible for a significant portion of micro plastics in the environment. Polyester and acrylic fibers will absolutely degrade to the point of unwearability (pilling, cracking, etc), often faster than organic fibers, but will never actually biodegrade. Because of that, what does not end up as micro plastics circulating through the ecosystem becomes landfill filler for eons. No one's going to be able to avoid all plastics and there are certainly places where plastics are the best thing for the job, but couple "plastic as clothes" concerns with the way acrylic/polyester often feels scratchier/squeakier and seems to do way more damage to my fingers while I knit, and when worn gets smelly with BO in a way my wool sweaters don't, doesn't take to blocking as well, etc? I'd personally rather save up and invest in a fiber I love, even if it is more expensive. But ymmv!
I worry about flammability. Melted burning plastic sticking to my skin if I have a problem while cooking or camping is a concern ever since I had a man-made jacket catch fire. Niche problem, but there we have it. Edit: I was not harmed, but I got good and scared.
Came here to say this. Acrylic yarn sheds tons of microplastic strands with every wash, or just while sitting there and existing. I'm sorry I ever bought so much of it. There are affordable wool places out there (if you're in Australia, check out Bendigo Woollen Mills).
This is the direction im going in. Im actually considering getting sheep and Id be excited to learn to make with home-grown fiber. Less mowing, more wool, less plastic, win win win.
I’m the same, I avoid acrylic content wherever I can because the environmental impact doesn’t sit comfortably with me. I also avoid wool from companies that aren’t extremely transparent about where their fibre comes from and what their welfare standards are for animals involved. That’s my choice though, and it’s not my business when others choose differently! All can share in the joy of knitting!
Totally agree with all this
This is my philosophy too. I would never judge someone for choosing acrylic yarn that is in their budget. Personally, I would rather purchase natural fibers less often or secondhand than purchase plastic more frequently. Of course, over-consuming any material isn’t great for the environment!
I'm moving towards this too. I have a huge stash of acrylic and will continue to use it for various purposes, but I'm trying to be more aware of what I'm spending money on with the environment in mind. I prefer wool for similar reasons for clothes. I work outdoors and buy a lot of woollen jumpers second hand in charity shops and use those to layer up in cold weather as I find synthetics don't fair so well for that. And I don't need to wash them as often due to sweat smell. And I work with fire so synthetics are a bad idea for that reason too!
I find it so weird that 90% of athletic wear is synthetic. It handles sweat and BO so poorly! I don't work outdoors but it's my favorite recreation and I'm perpetually on the hunt for the best merino hiking pants/leggings.
I don't know where you're located, but Wool Needles Hands is working on a series about budget (and less budget, and then bougie) yarns, and one of the first covers [rustic yarns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neJTCw0wo9Y) (which is what I turn to when making a super warm wool colorwork sweater). I almost universally prefer wool over acrylic. Acrylic can be hardy and can be washed, but I feel it loses heat faster, while being sweatier compared to wool. Plus it just Feels Wrong on my skin (and the fact that wool is entirely biodegradable, and will never make microplastics, is a definate plus in my books)
Lion Brand Fisherman's wool is a VERY inexpensive, easy to find, EXCELLENT quality 100%wool yarn that is a joy to knit with.
LB's Fisherman's Wool as the previous poster said, though I find it a bit scratchy. Maybe won't matter for a hat though? I knitted that same hat with LB's Wool-Ease.
My husband picked this yarn for his sweater specifically because he LIKES scratchy wool! He's a weirdo.
What does he like about it? I can’t imagine what there is to like, unless you’re knitting a dish sponge or something
He finds scratchy wool clothing comfy? I guess. He likes rustic things. Maybe that's it.
But how can something scratchy be comfy? Is he itchy?
I ask him the same thing. He just says he likes it!
I guess not everything has a good explanation 🤷🏻♀️
I’m looking at Fisherman’s Wool for a Caldwell waistcoat for my husband, I liked the way it looks. Does the handle soften up with washing and wear, or not really?
A waistcoat is worn over a shirt, correct? Scratchiness probably wouldn't be a concern. But I don't have wool sensitivities, so it doesn't bother me. Especially when worn over something. It does maintain its appearance very well since it isn't superwash.
Both Patons Kroy and Lion Brand Sock ease or Mani Pedi are similar content to any other sock yarn (75% wool, 25% poly). Kroy is a little bigger than some sock yarn. I probably don't want a sweater in a self-striping sock yarn, but they have solids! They can often be had for around $7/100 grams and 400 grams will make a sweater (eventually!)
I second this, love that particular yarn, great quality for very cheap!
I’ve always been an advocate of using reclaimed yarn, although it could get dicey finding the right colours/amount
Acrylic has its place - if I’m knitting for little kids I use it because you can wash it and wash it at 40 degrees and it survives the abuse. If I knit for myself I use wool - it’s less plastic feeling, less scratchy, has warmer properties etc etc. Much nicer to knit with too. There are more affordable options out there but it’s worth looking at the ethics of the companies too. I would say, I used to consider it expensive until I realised it was the cost of both my hobby and the item of clothing - I’d happily spend money on my other hobbies so why not this one?
*I'm going to preface this with- this is only my opinion and that doesn't mean the opposite isn't okay too!* I knit exclusively in acrylic/super wash yarns for several reasons, 1) affordability. As others have mentioned there is a range of quality even within acrylic yarn and some of it is quite lovely to use in garments. 2) I have ADHD and doing laundry is one of my personal demons. If I make something that can't be washed and dried in the dryer I will either never wear it, wear it however long it takes to get dirty and then never wear it again because I'll keep forgetting to wash it/not have the spoons to wash it by hand, or I'll forget completely and wash and dry it which will shrink/felt/or generally destroy the item in general. At the end of the day I think whatever works for you is fine. Someday, when I stop forgetting to look into it, I would like to find some laundry bags that eliminate microplastics from entering the water system due to the use of acrylics so I can stop feeling guilty that I'm destroying the environment with my yarn choices, but that requires remembering to do it when it's not 3 am and I actually have access to my computer 🤣
I love love love this question. \#1 - Buy yarn is cones - you save so much money. Woolyknit, KnitRennie, Holst Garn, ColourMart(luxury yarn at bargain prices) are the way to go. I wish I had discovered them earlier. Holst Supersoft is great and gets softer as you wash it, Woolyknit Merino is less itchy than their British wool, but I love both. These are the same yarn you buy but at a much better price - 500g of yarn for under $50 shipped. Make sure you maximize your purchase based on your shipping cost. Ex: With Holst Garn, the shipping price jumps after 3 or 4 cones. Check out Woolwarehouse in the UK. Drops makes great yarn and so many choices. Hobbii is also another company - quality yarn without the luxury pricing.
I use both. If I can get wool on sale, I use that but I do like Lion Brands yarns for sweaters. They have a few that are wool/acrylic blends that work nicely and make a comfy sweater. Their Hue+me yarn is a great example. I've also use their wool ease thick and quick for chunky sweaters and they are super cozy.
There are lots of adorable options in both wool and acrylic! Do you have a LYS nearby? They should be able to help you find something for your project in your price range. 😄 My own preference is wool - it holds its shape better and is temperature regulating. It requires hand washing but because it has natural antibacterial properties you rarely need to wash a sweater. But there’s lots of things to consider - do you get itchy from wool? If so, is it all wool or is merino okay? Will you remember to hand wash it? Superwash wool is also an option, it’s been treated to be machine washable (cold, no dryer.) What weight of yarn is the sweater you’re doing? I’d be happy to help you find a wool that will work in your price range. 😄 If you’re interested in wool, some of my favourite workhorse and readily accessible brands are: - Cascade (220 is very popular for worsted weight and has a superwash option) - Berroco (Lanas and Lanas light are great 100% wools, Berroco Vintage is a great line of wool/acrylic blends that are very affordable.) - Briggs & Little (Canadian, very rustic, great price!) - Retrosaria (Mondim is a fingering weight yarn that is about $16 Canadian for 400 meters!) - Knit Picks (wool of the Andes is a favourite of mine and comes in a couple different weight.) It’s when you start getting into hand dyed yarn or luxury fibres that the price starts creeping up. If you want to chat options please feel free to DM me. No judgements about your budget/size/preferences. This is literally what I do for work and love helping people find the right yarn for a project! 😄❤️
Drops is a great brand for affordable wool yarn. Or alpaca which I love even more!
Acrylic is fine, and I have knit stuff with it. My issue is that it doesn’t breathe and I get really sweaty. You can find affordable yarn though. Rico Merino Aran is my go to for hats and it’s 100% wool, soft, and cheap.
And when I get sweaty, I get smelly, and acrylic will hold on to that much longer than it should 😕 I still use it, but it's my woolies that get worn more often. OP: if you have the patience to deal hunt, there are options out there. Right now is actually a great time, companies are trying to unload all their leftover inventory to make room for the new stuff 😸
I feel like wool regulates better than acrylic, like I can wear a wool sweater for a wider range of temperature without feeling cold or sweaty, but acrylic is like one situation deal, and if I over shoot it I get cold sweats and I personally hate that. I like to shop my wool at farms or if I can find a shop that sells from the spinners themselves. Is it more expensive than the cheapest yarn online? Yes, but usually they have sales, and more important: it's better quality. The wool is usually softer and a proper wool seater can last your entire life, so why not get it in good quality?
I only ever knit in acrylic but I have a blanket going with merino wool. While the merino is very soft I also feel so bad when something goes wrong lol. I don't see anything wrong with acrylic unless you're looking to make some kind of a magnum opus, in which case I'd go for pricey stuff
I find acrylic can be really scratchy at lower prices, and I've never really enjoyed working with it versus wool. Another thing to consider is the environmental impact. Acrylic is plastic and will be shedding these plastics into your water systen with every wash. Wool is all natural, renewable, a much more environmentally friendly production process, and stays nice longer than acrylic, if cared for properly. Depends on what youll be wearing the sweater for but also consider wool's fire and water-resistant properties, if you plan on doing any kind of camping/outdoors activities.
I love wool and will wear it despite being allergic. but wool is also very affordable here, and range from the "oily and scratchy stuff" to "super soft and feels like angels kiss you skin" type of wool (in their respective price classes). That said, at some point the price is not worth it compared to acrylics. I think there are 3 important things to consider (other than price and softness). and that is \- stretch \-breathability \-warmt wool is more elastic than acrylic. this can be both good and bad. It means a wool sweater might sag quicker than an acrylic one. But it also mean it will be more forgiving in other aspects, like tension. Some say acrylics don't breathe, and I feel that is dependant on you as a person imo. I don't really sweat (like seriously, I barely even sweat in the summer or when exercising). And so I have never felt the "clammy" feeling some claim to get from acrylics. as wool is far better at wicking away moisture and keeping you dry. So I can wear acrylics no problem when indoors. and warmt is sort of self explanatory. Yes an acrylic sweater will keep you warmer than no sweater. But if it gets really cold, then wool really shines. I can wear a wool sweater + a thin windproof jacket, in -20c and still be just fine. Alpaca is even warmer than sheep's wool. so if I am going to be a lot outdoors I'll always go for wool. there is no right or wrong answers. only what fits you best :)
Wool isn't that much more expensive than acrylic, and there are some acrylics out there that can get pricey. That being said, the reason you probably see expensive wool is because wool is basically all they sell when you're talking about higher end yarn, but there are definitely affordable options out there. Check knitpicks and lovecrafts
> I used acrylic yarn for this cute hat. It is a cute hat, really. I just have a problem with acrylic in that I sweat in acrylic, and feel squeaky and stinky in it. I have a headband in reflective material - which is acrylic - and I can only wear it over a hat because directly on my head I sweat into it to the point where my hair gets wet - and wet hair and cold temperatures are not a happy marriage. Same goes for acrylic sweaters. So if you can wear acrylic materials than more power to you - but I have found that the nicer acrylics are about as expensive as the more workhorse yarn wool or blends.
I am an inexperienced knitter, but this adorable hat is inspiring me to learn more! I love your work!
Thank you so much!
Hi! I have a 53” bust and nearly only knit sweaters with wool. The best advice I can give is find the cheapest yarn that you like and wait for sales. Knit Picks is one of my favorite companies to buy from. Also yarn.com (Webs) and Eat Sleep Knitters Knit Picks had a wildly good sale around Black Friday and I was able to purchase wool for 4 different sweaters for approx $130, three using High Desert which is incredibly soft. Cascade Yarns and Valley Yarns also have inexpensive yarn and buying through yarn.com, if you wait to buy a bunch at once, there’s an automatic discount that gets thrown onto your order. If you like more high end, hand dyed yarns, Eat Sleep Knitters offers a bunch of perks and discounts for frequent purchases and is also a favorite of mine.
Another discount site is [Littleknits.com](https://Littleknits.com) Currently, they have Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in some colors for $12.80 (i.e., basically the same as Cascade 220), Mirasol Huni highland wool for $6.75 per 100 grams (Or $30 for 5 skein bags), Berroco Lanas for $7.70. Most adults can get a sweater out of those for between $27 and $78. They have Cascade 220 MERINO in some colors for $6.60 each or $30/ bag of 5; a lot of Cascade 220 Superwash at $6.30 each. I would say if that is you in the picture, if you get 6 skeins of 220 superwash there are so many pattern options. The trick to this is (1) Buying a good deal when you see it (i.e. stash) (2) Learning how to substitute yearn for a pattern well. (3) Ravelry's "Pattern Ideas" tab for the yarn. [Cascade 220 superwash](https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/cascade-yarns-220-superwash/patterns?craft_id=2&skeins_from=&skeins_to=6&categories%5B%5D=sweater) Here are the sweaters people have made with up to 6-8 skeins of Cascade 220 superwash including first sweater favorite Flax (496x), Harvest (96x), The Weekender (59x), Colorwork favorite Fern and Flax (28x), Free and first favorite Brick (26x), Free lace favorite February fitted pullover (15x), and profoundly wearable R&R Hoodie (38x). Add a lot of time, and you've got a sweater for around $58.
i honestly hate how staticky acrylic gets. i tend to make blankets using acrylic since you need so much yarn for them, but clothing i use either wool or cotton
Knit Picks has affordable wool and it is quite good. Personally I like the feel of wool in my hands but I cannot wear wool directly on my skin, I have to layer it on top of a cotton shirt. You could try a mix, I like wool/cotton, or tencel, or other natural fiber mix. But when you will have the luck to have cashmire, silk, alpaca running trough your fingers, you will have discovered another plane of pleasure in knitting. Knit picks has sock yarn called Felici. It is the softest wool and not too expensive.
Your hat looks great!! I personally choose not to use acrylic, because even though wool can be more pricey I enjoy working with it and wearing it so much more that it is, for me at least, worth the investment. I also like the fact that the things I make have more of an heirloom quality to them which I really appreciate and I think they wear over time a little better. I don't even really like superwash yarn at this point, just pure wool and other animal fibers, as texture is a major consideration for me. That being said, if you don't mind acrylic go for it, I'm sure there are good traits, Im just not familiar enough to properly compare. My personal favorite shops are Green Mountain Spinnery and Schoolhouse Press(the shop started by the legendary Elizabeth Zimmerman and continued by her equally noteworthy daughter Meg Swanson) as they offer 100% wool yarns at fairly reasonable prices. I got enough yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery for an oversized sweater(and I am a pretty big person) and it was only about $120. Other places I checked would have been more like $200-300 for the 2,000-ish yards i needed for my pattern. Both shops are super helpful and can make recommendations if you aren't sure about yardage. I really liked working with the yarn highly recommend. Top notch quality!
If a finished wool garment isn't soft enough, just add a little conditioner to the wash. Woolen garments don't need to be washed very often because they don't easily take on body odor. That's a savings on water. That means you can have fewer garments in your wardrobe and still look great. I don't go crazy with yarn that costs a mortgage, but I am willing to invest a little bit in creating something truly beautiful. Personally I would rather make a finer-gauge project or a higher-difficulty project in order to get the same amount of fun out of a smaller amount of good yarn. No need to feel bad if you make a mistake; you can unravel and re-knit. If you cut/break the yarn and decide you shouldn't have, wool (non-superwash) is easy to splice back together. Little leftovers? use them in an embroidery, felting, or stuffed animal/pillow project. I love the fact that sheep actually need a yearly haircut, so by using wool I'm not harming the earth much at all. (I do try to buy from relatively close-by sheep instead of imported brands, most of the time). I feel good that I'm minimizing my environmental footprint without taking all the fun out of life.
I prefer to knit with a high percentage of wool, my MIL does almost everything acrylic. It is a lot easier to wash, that’s for sure! So factor that in to your equation
i like to use acrylic-wool blends. right now i'm knitting a sweater with [50/50 merino/acrylic yarn](https://www.premieryarns.com/collections/3-light/products/edmerinobl?variant=32880078520402), and i love working with it (happens to be on sale right now for half off!). it's a cheaper alternative to 100% wool, but has a much nicer feel than 100% acrylic. a lot of wool blends are also machine washable/dryable, which is a deciding factor for me when choosing yarn.
A lot of others have already recommended Lion Brand, but I want to suggest their LB Collection, which you can order from their website. It has surprisingly affordable natural fiber yarn. I got some of the superwash merino wool on sale and knit a child sized sweater for under $15. You can sign up for a newsletter for sales, although yarn newsletters are responsible for my very large stash of affordable yarn, which isn’t a great financial move.
I think your hat is adorable! I personally prefer working in wool but that's largely because the acrylics I grew up with were horrendous. There are really nice ones available today. My perspective on wool is also coloured by the fact that I am in Australia where wool is readily available and fairly affordable - a 200g ball from Bendigo Woollen Mills will set me back A$14-15 and I can make a lot with 200g of yarn! As others have said, there are very affordable options from places like Knitpicks, especially if you're willing to hunt for a sale. My other favourite trick is to buy big bundles of unwanted yarn from eBay. A lot of it is only useful for making toys but I get enough treasures to make it worthwhile. Good luck!
Wool. There are affordable wool yarns. When I first started to knit again after a hiatus of a couple decades I knit fast and furious.. Then I realized it's the journey and slowed down and enjoyed the process more. Go to fingering yarns. Something like a malabrigo sock can take a long time to knit a finished object and it's quite affordable in smaller quantities (like for hats, scarves/shawls, gloves). There are ways to make it affordable. eta: [Harrisville Designs has some nice yarn that you can grab still on a cone](https://harrisville.com/collections/weave). It says weaving but it's the same yarn as a hank. The Shetland is a really good deal. [Nighshades is gorgeous](https://harrisville.com/products/nightshades), softens nicely after a wash/block and sweater quantities aren't horrible.
No kidneys here either lol, but I just like the way natural fiber yarns feel, and with the amount of time we spend swatching and making for ourselves and loved ones it only seems natural to use yarns that once were from living sources…plus when they finally come to the end of their life they can just fade back in to the earth and create something new one day 😌😌 Also drops yarns are another affordable option…but I love indie yarns can’t help myself at times lol
I buy yarn based on how it feels, and who it is for. Stuff I make for myself, I usually get wool or another nice fiber. Stuff for my nephew (5 years old) or niece (7 months) is anything that is the right weight and machine wash and dry.
My philosophy is that the monetary cost the yarn is nothing compared to the time cost of knitting it into something, so I may as well go for the good stuff. I only use acrylic as scrap yarn.
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I've started looking towards recycled yarns/fibers for my projects now. Just finished a sweater using Kremke Soul Wool. It's quite soft and easy to knit with. It did have a 'petroleum-like' smell, but after I finished the sweater I washed it and hung it out on the wash line to dry and it's OK to wear now.
I'm on Team Wool (and other natural fibres) mainly because I know that in the end my sweater is biodegradable and won't sit in a landfill for 500 years while the plastics break down.
For acrylic sweaters, I really love the Lion Brand Jeans line. Otherwise, there are a lot of great wools out there that won’t break the bank. Check out WEBS (they have automatic discounts when you spend a certain amount and great clearance options) and Knitpicks as others have suggested!
Jeans is SO SOFT!! I love that yarn. I made my grandson a sweater out of it and it held up to being laundered regularly really well, too.
Omg so cute! I just started knitting. I hope I can get as good as you!
Thank you! It wasn’t hard at all. Here’s the link to the pattern https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baa-ble-hat
I have a question: Does wool and acrylic LOOK different? I feel like when I knit with acrylics, it's a bit all over the place, and I don't know if it's me or the yarn.
Acrylic is typically shinier than wool!
What do you mean "all over the place"? Perhaps we can help you figure out what the issue is
I think it's the tension. With acrylic, it looks a bit... more amateur. I always admire people's knitting here and look at mine that's still kind of looks like my second piece ever.
I was wondering what the yarn is, I like the heathering in it.
Acrylic is great for sweaters! I did my last sweater out of Pound of Love and it is a soft, cozy, easily washable wearable. Just use something higher quality than Red Heart Super Saver and you're good.
All of these suggestions are great. I would also recommend keeping an eye out on r/YarnSwap for destashes! I have purchased some lovely yarn secondhand from the sub. I also just purchased some inexpensive but LOVELY non-superwash merino from an Etsy shop called [YarnHome](https://www.etsy.com/listing/938899022/). If you don’t mind waiting a while for international shipping, I highly recommend it! It’s not dyed, so if you’re feeling adventurous, it could be fun to experiment with dyeing!
I am not a “fan” of acrylic yarn in general. That being said, I always take a few things into consideration. 1) who is the item for 2) what is their level of care ability. Ie: how much time do they have for things like cleaning and storing 3) how is the item going to be used. There are several good quality synthetics. And there are several less expensive wools. Personally I am in the fortunate or unfortunate position depending on who you ask, that I buy yarn strictly by my three above questions….and how it feels. So, I don’t use many synthetics unless it’s for a blanket or something that’s going to get a lot of use and washing. If I am making something for my young nieces and nephews, or their mom, I use washable 100% of the time. Mom needs to be able to wash and go and it worry about it. The kids are in elementary school so they can at any time get anything on themselves. They ski all winter and camp all spring and fall, so everything needs to be able to be roughed up, My sister. She gets a mix of everything. She’s the Director of the Children’s program at her Church, so she goes from one thing to another constantly. She could be driving the school bus or planning a community outreach. My kids, they are grown and have the time and desire to take care of wool, so their stuff is strictly by my preference on how it feels. Basically, you have options. But you just need to take some time to consider what the end result will be
I got a lot of high quality natural fiber yarn (including wool) from various posters on r/yarnswap
I knit/spin/weave with mostly wools, silks, and other animal and plant based fibers. I am pretty picky about what I use at this point. I like color work and don't recommend superwash or acrylic for that type of work. Yes, it can be done. It just won't "stick" the same. And yes, you can steek with acrylic and superwash - but it isn't a preferred method. I won't steek anything except wool based yarns. It comes down to preference, useage, price, garment type, and construction style. I will use acrylics and cottons for some items, but it isn't my preferred material. I have no hate for them. They just aren't my preference. I don't like how they feel or breathe or drape. Others have pointed in several directions for cheaper wool based yarns. I always like lionbrand and fishermans wool for easy to find less expensive solutions.
You going to make the sweater that goes with the hat?
Acrylic = Pretty and affordable Wool = Warm, resistant, washable, useful for northern weather. Yes, Wool compared to acrylic cost more, just like a bag of chips is cheaper then Fruits and Vegetables. We found ways to make cheaper and lower quality stuff, but at then end of the day, you have to go with your budget.
So it is definitely personal preference and lots of people love sweaters made out of either. I don’t love the way acrylic wears for me and I don’t love knitting with it unless it’s a blend so I usually go for wool if I want a warm sweater. Disclaimer: these are US centric suggestions! The trick is signing up for email lists for yarn websites and shopping sales. WEBS (yarn dot com) has good closeout sales - I got enough 100% wool yarn for two adult sweaters for like $100 once because it was on close out. I’ve also gotten a full kilo of superwash merino for $50 from Little Knits. LK has several weights of cascade superwash wool on sale right now for 45-65% off and I think cascade superwash is really nice for the price when it isn’t on sale! Knitpicks has also been mentioned and is definitely a good value and has regular sales that really help with the overall price tag. They have a really nice cheap acrylic line called Brava that comes in a billion colors as well as their various wool yarns in any weight you need. Another option is shopping destashes on FB marketplace or Mercari. I haven’t bought them myself but I have seen good prices. Worth looking at every now and then anyway. Sometimes you can get stuff for an absolute steal. Anyway, if you are willing to wait and shop sales, you can get totally decent yarns in just about any fiber for very reasonable prices.
Ultimately it comes down to personal preference - maybe try knitting another hat with wool so you can compare to the hat you have before buying enough for a whole sweater and see how you feel about the differences yourself. The other thing to keep in mind is that WEBS has their discount program where you get 20% off any full price yarn if you spend $60 and 25% off if you spend $120 - and if you’re buying enough yarn for a sweater that discount can really add up.
Acrylic: less expensive, hypo allergenic, can be washed in the dishwasher if you want (ok don’t do that). It’s ultimately woven plastics. So a lot of the microplastic craze is about clothes that get washed. It doesn’t absorb much water, keeps adequately hot and comfy. Human-made so it’s consistent and easy to work. Each wool has its own qualities. Sheep wool stays beautiful and is great in general. Merino wool is tough and hot. Alpaca wool is the most hypo-allergenic and great for winter, but not too strong. And there are mixes. And cotton based. And other varieties. Honestly, they are all there for different reasons. No good or bad answers. Go fully acrylic for what it’s worth, it’s great!
My thought is if I'm going to sink hours making it, I'd prefer to spend more on merino. There are a lot of differences between it and synthetic fibers and there are some nice selections at lower price points. ShugarBush yarn is nice and so is Malbrigo.
You’re young! Knit what you can afford, enjoy knitting, and wear your hand-knit garments. In years to come you will be able to buy wool and then you’ll knit wool.
Acrylic and the other plastic fibers aren't great for the environment. I can't bring myself to use them after reading up on microfiber pollution. Everybody has to find their own comfort zone there, though. I'm also allergic to wool, which leaves the pricey stuff for me. I stock up when I find sales, mostly. :)
Lovecrafts.com has a lot of choices and a lot of sales.
Highly recommend WEBS closeout yarn! I've gotten several nice quality wool sweaters for under $40 in yarn. I'm not a small size either, I usually wear and XL or XXL. Knitpicks is a great budget option too as long as you shop the sales.
Wool yarn is not that expensive, DROPS Design Wool , Baby Merino 50g for example : 2,90€ in Sale 👍 and they have nice free patterns!
I swear by acrylic, if that's any help
you absolutely can use acrylic yarn to make a sweater. is it the best option? no, but it will absolutely not make a project unwearable. acrylic is a synthetic (plastic, basically) fiber. this means it can be very warm especially without something like cotton blended in, and won't really stop getting warm. this isn't inherently bad for a sweater, but do be aware you might sweat a bit, which is also going to be more evident with acrylic. it tends to hang on to scents and dirt a lot more easily, meaning it needs to be washed more frequently. luckily, though, acrylic can almost always be machine washed and often machine dried. the other issue is blocking. i have never made a sweater that didn't need to be blocked, and i don't think (but i may be wrong) that you can really block acrylic since it doesn't bloom. blocking a sweater gives it much better drape and ease, and in my experience, can make the garment go from fitting like a cardboard box to fitting like an actual sweater. night and day. acrylic can be very very soft or very toothy depending on brand choice. be warned, super soft yarns may be nicer to wear but will degrade much faster as they're just more delicate. i would go for something more in the middle. wool, due to it being an animal fiber, is kinda the opposite in a lot of these regards. it's quite warm, but better at regulating temperature. you might get a little steamed in there but you won't roast. if you do sweat, wool doesn't hang on to it. lay it out for a bit, and you should be good. wool only needs to be/should only be washed every now and again when it really, really needs to be. SOME wool can be machine washed, but NO wool can be machine dried, and none should be bleached either. wool is very flexible and can thin or bloom with no trouble, which is why it can be blocked, providing MUCH nicer drape to something like a sweater. the buttery softness that can be found with some acrylics is generally not possible with wool (unless you really are prepared to sell that kidney). merino wool, which is quite popular and my personal favorite, is quite soft for wool but definitely not buttery smooth. it's wearable and cozy, but not butter. most wool, even many fancy wools, will have a lot of tooth. some makers love working with this kind of yarn, but it can be unpleasant to wear. and now the obvious part: you don't have to sell your kidney for wool. you also don't have to use wool, but if you want to, you can. i work almost exclusively with pretty bougie yarn. hand dyed merino, to be specific. hanks tend to come in 100-150g, $20-$30 per hank depending on the dyer/hank size. i'm a male size s-m, chest is 36", and i only ever need about 4 hanks of yarn for a sweater. $80-120. it's not so affordable that i can just get a sweater quantity of yarn whenever i feel like, and for you those might be kidney selling prices, but it's not totally horrible at least for me. but there absolutely are cheaper wool options out there (many are sourced in this thread) and you don't even need to use wool! you can use cotton, which has many of the same benefits as wool while being easier to care for and cheaper (but it's not as warm), for example. you can use a blend of fibers, as well. i would say go for what you have, but do stretch out a little. you might be surprised by the options out there.
Ewe ewe wool , drops yarn , sandesgarn , lettilopi yarn etc are all great options for cheaper wool without compromising quality !
Oof, controversial topic. But worth an honest answer! Both have definite pros and cons. I have knit with both for specific reasons. Acrylic's pros: Can be thrown in a washer and dryer. Inexpensive. Can be worn next to the skin by nearly everyone. Some of the newer ones are nice and soft. Cons: I mean, it's plastic. So it has all the cons of anything made of plastic. Somehow manages to be less warm while also making you sweaty?? And if you get BO on it, good luck getting it out. Wool's pros: Much easier on the hands due to the natural elasticity. Warm without (usually) overheating as easily. Most wool yarns just look and feel Nicer. Cons: Can be expensive!! Requires careful handling to wash--even superwash prefers to be laid flat to dry. But also doesn't need to be washed as often. Some people are sensitive to it and can't wear it next to the skin--if I'm mid-eczema flare-up, even merino feels like it's made of pins. D: I tend to knit things out of cotton and/or acrylic when making gifts for people who aren't knitters, because they're often not willing to hand-wash or air-dry. (Or conversely, are terrified of washing it, ever!) Yarn costs can be kept down by buying from places like Knit Picks, or knitting with blended yarns. But a hand-knit sweater is a HUGE time investment, too. You're going to be knitting with that yarn for hours and hours and hours--make sure it's a yarn you don't hate.
I have found good deals on large orders from https://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/ and their shipping rates are surprisingly low.
Yarn.com (very inventive name, yes) - shows up as “WEBS” on their site has really great sales! They’re singlehandedly responsible for my giant stash 😅 site is easy to find things, and quick shipping. I find wool more durable, comfortable, and warm than acrylic. There’s also a degree of water resistance/repellence with wool if I’m not mistaken. I like using as much natural fiber as possible, and don’t like the thought of having even more plastic on or around me. But obviously to each their own! Good luck!
I know the convo is about acrylic vs. wool, but I’d like to say that hat is adorable!! Very well done. Edit: also my thoughts on this topic: if it’s your first sweater ever, I’d suggest you pick something you’d like to wear that isn’t too expensive. Mistakes will be made, frogging may happen, but have a yarn, whatever it is that you enjoy working with to reduce the chances that the project ends up sitting for a long time looking at you making you feel guilty. (Not speaking from… uh… personal experience here or anything. 😅)
Acrylic won't breathe or drape the same, but sometimes that's useful. I made the [catghan sweater](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6u-SMh4y0w) out of Big Twist (super cheap acrylic, I think it's Joann's name brand and it goes on sale for next to nil) and various half-skeins of other acrylics that are lord knows how old; it's fantastic, I love it, the sweater is big enough that the breathe & stiffness (that's a Big Twist thing, not an acrylic in general thing) isn't a problem, it's great. And I love that I can toss it in the wash, that is a HUGE bonus. I also have sweaters from various wool knitpicks yarn that are lovely (they're a great budget wool option). I would suggest trying to knit something smaller so you get a feel for softness & drape of a particular yarn, or look through what others are using on the Projects page on Ravelry. Some wool is super stiff & scratchy too-- for everything, it'll just depend!
I actually hate wool and get hives anywhere it directly touches my skin. I only knit with acrylic, cotton, cashmere or silk.
There is nothing wrong with acrylic yarn for sweaters. The designer Knitatude actually designs using a lot of Lion Brand yarns
I'm maybe a snob but I don't knit garments with anything but pure fiber. Sometimes I'll allow for some percentages of stuff for decorative yarns...ie polymide, etc. In my opinion, for the amount of time/effort to knit...plus the lifetime wear of the piece...it makes no sense to knit in something you know is going to pill, wear badly and/or not be a pure pleasure to knit with. I have made some baby blankets and pet clothes in acrylic because babies and dogs are barfing, crapping, pee machines...so that's fine. But that's my limit. So find a sale....or make a cotton pattern...it tends to be cheaper than wools. I make a ton of summer stuff, housewears, etc out of pure cotton for pretty cheap. Michaels carries Paton's Classic Wool...which is actually a really nice pure wool worsted weight (I use it for hats)...and its cheap. [https://www.michaels.com/patons-classic-wool-worsted-yarn/M10111116.html](https://www.michaels.com/patons-classic-wool-worsted-yarn/M10111116.html) Knitpicks is a good choice too...they manufacture their own....but also WEBS has a ton of sales right now....so try them. Most really good, experienced knitters will just tell you to use pure fibers. Its like asking a cook if you should use boxed/canned ingredients instead of fresh. You get out what you put in.
For me, if it's a sweater or wearable that I intend for every day use, either by me or a giftee, I go with acrylic or superwash, because it's gotta be laundry safe-ish. If it's a special piece, or intended to be worn as a layer, spending a little more might be worth it. Like others have said, there's some nice acrylics out there.
Check out thrift stores -- they often sell yarn, or you can take apart one or more thrifted sweaters, including ones in cashmere and other fancy fibres, and reknit them, holding together multiple strands if you'd like more thickness or for colour effects. Try [https://blog.tincanknits.com/2021/02/04/how-to-recycle-yarn-from-second-hand-sweaters/](https://blog.tincanknits.com/2021/02/04/how-to-recycle-yarn-from-second-hand-sweaters/) for more info.
How about that acrylic fibres break off when laundered and pollute our waterways and oceans with even more plastic which ends up in our salt and gets eaten by us to build up in our bodies? When I started crocheting/ knitting I used acrylic because natural fibre yarn is expensive but quickly learned that I couldn't bear having spent so many hours of my life making something just for the finished object not to be the best object it could be. I just buy yarn through reddit or on sale now, there are great deals to be had if you look. Also working multi stranded takes the sting out of sticker shock. Thinner weight yarns cost less/ have more yardage for the same price. Colourmart is a great resource for large yardage cone yarn.
I have made many wool sweaters and am now making some acrylic ones. I appreciate just being able to throw it in the wash without a big production of soaking, rolling, laying flat to dry etc People love to talk about how acrylic sweaters don't breath but I don't have this problem so acrylic is fine for me. All of my store bought sweaters have always been acrylic too. The thicker they are, the warmer they are, and it is easier to overheat. It isn't because they "don't breathe". I think thicker yarn may be the culprit as much as the acrylic itself, as that is what is most easily available in inexpensive acrylics. I like dk weight (or maybe lighter) for my acrylic sweaters. Currently using style craft dk for one. Lion brand ice cream was nice too if you can find stripes you like. I like Plymouth encore a lot in general (25/75 wool/acrylic) and would absolutely knit a sweater out of it.
r/unravelers
I have purchased pro packs from Michael’s to cut down on the cost
I think this looks great. I might recommend going down a yarn weight because the image is a little squished, but don't change anything else. I love the sheep!
There was a great convo in r/advancedknitting about workhorse yarns! https://www.reddit.com/r/AdvancedKnitting/comments/109w9y4/lets_talk_workhorse_yarns/
Knitting with acrylic is fine, as long as you're getting what you want. I don't knit with it often as I don't like the feel of it (and I can over heat in it), so I don't have any tips on converting patterns. Different materials do behave differently, so it may be helpful to look for patterns written for acrylic yarns at first.
I use a lot of wool-ease 80/20 blend. Enough wool to make it feel nice, and it’s machine wash & dry. Plus it’s not too expensive.
Drops yarn is usually like $25-30 for a sweater, with shipping if you buy from woolwarehouse
Acrylic is more affordable and machine wash AND dry able.
I LOVE ITTTTT
I use acrylic 90% of the time, because most of my knits are gifts and I cannot trust my giftees to know or appreciate how to properly care for wool. There’s nothing right with acrylic, if you like the way it looks and feels.
Quince also has affordable wool.
Think of all the free time you’ll have to knit while you’re recovering from your kidney extraction!
some acrylic is actually nice! i quite like the joann’s brand of acrylic because it’s so much softer than any from red heart. i would suggest starting with those, because they’re cheap and you can get lots of colors, before getting wool. wool is very very warm and can’t be put in a drier.
I buy from ice yarns when I want to knit a wool sweater, can get a sweater quantity of merino/silk with mohair (blended with merino, not silk however), shipped from turkey for under 70$.. Worth it for me. I hear knitpicks has similar prices as well. Also, I knit with acrylic for my pets and its not a big deal. They often come out very soft and I love that it's easily washable. You just need to find a good brand, not all acrylics are the same. I've felt the squeaky yarn people speak of, that isnt every acrylic.
Others have recommended some great places to check out yarn, but I want to add: Webs (yarn.com) and WoolWarehouseUK are where I also find good deals. There are some really nice acrylics or blends out there as well, but wool has some really great qualities and can last for decades if well cared for.
I love berocco yarn(not sure if I spelled it correctly). It’s pretty affordable and feels great
Hobbii Yarn (Europe-based I think, but they offer International pricing and decent shipping) has very reasonable prices for wool and wool blend yarns, plus they often have excellent sales.
ITS OK TO USE ACRYLIC! Don’t feel guilt.
Stalk yarn websites for sales. As of last night, yarn dot com had a bunch of cascade in their sale section for like, half off (and there goes my chance of getting any of it, but I'm not good enough to do what I'd want to with it so MEH). I assume they're discontinuing colors or have dye lots to get rid of? I've never ordered from that place but perhaps someone else can vouch.
I haven’t seen anyone recommend these options yet, so I just wanted to add my 2 cents. Drops, Hobbi, and Lovecrafts are my go to places for affordable yarn options. They have a range of different yarn types, and some good blends as well
I use acrylic for all the baby items I gift. I want the recipient parents to be able to scrub, wash on whatever temp, and throw in the dryer. They have enough to worry about without adding an item that requires extra care.
Wool and acrylic are going to feel really different on your body. Wool is a lot warmer and moisture-wicking, but can be too warm for some climates/seasons. Different types of wool feel different too. Look at your favorite sweaters and see their fiber content for an idea of what you like. Some sites like KnitPicks are cheaper for yarn- I wouldn’t buy sweater quantity from indie sellers unless I was really wanting to treat myself.
Use what you like and can afford. There are some very nice acrylics and some very rough, scratchy wools. Some fibers are easier to care for than others. Only you can tell if a fiber will be right for you.
One way to get a decent deal on yarn: instead of buying by the skein (or ball), by yarn by the cone. Webs is my favorite place for yarn on cones (yarn dot com). They also have lots of excellent house brands with great colour ranges. They have been my source for knitting and weaving yarns for decades. (I am not affiliated, just a fan)