My First Caron Cakes in Cherry Chip. Yarn Review

I'm sure you've heard about Caron Cakes by now. And if you have not, let me tell you how wonderful they are. 

Disclosure: this is not a paid review, and I wasn't compensated for it in any way. I simply want to share my own experience. 

I bought my first ever Caron Cakes roll of yarn in Cherry Chip color a few days ago. Today, I bought my second roll in the same color so I could finish my project.

This yarn is made of 20% wool and 80% acrylic. There are 7.1 oz (200 g) in each roll. That's approximately 383 yards or 350 meters. 

One roll should be enough for a smaller project like a scarf, or maybe a couple of hats. But for a bigger project, such as a baby blanket, you will need at least two if you are using an open, lacy stitch. For something more dense, you'll need three rolls, perhaps even more depending on the size. 

Here is what I love about this yarn:

• It's soft to touch and easy to work with.
• The colors are bright and beautiful.
• This yarn is self striping. It has a very abrupt color change, which most variegated yarns don't.

Here is what I don't love about this yarn:

• The price! $7.99 for 7.1 oz is pricey. Let's say you want to make a dense stitch baby blanket. The cost of yarn would be at least $24 (plus tax). Ouch! 
• Because this yarn has 20% wool, the finished items should be hand washed. Let's say you gift the pricey baby blanket mentioned above to a busy new (or not new) mom. I doubt she'll have time for all the hand washing. 

But! 

As I mentioned above, I already bought two rolls of Caron Cakes, and I do intend to buy more. This yarn is sold at Micheal's exclusively. But did you know that Michael's offers coupons all the time? You can always find one online, and they accept them on smart phones. Hint, hint.

I can think of many beautiful items that can be made from this yarn that won't require frequent washing. For example, a gorgeous, special occasion shawl or a bright winter poncho would only need to be cleaned/washed once a season.

Crochet Doll Basket and SanyDoll Reborn Baby Doll Review

Disclosure: This is not a paid or sponsored review. I was not in any way compensated for writing it. I purchased the doll and I post this review because I solely want to share my own opinion. 

This little precious thing is going to be my new model for crohcet newborn and doll outfits. 

I purchased this doll through Amazon for $89.99

Quite pricey, but well worth it!

Some of the dolls there look incredibly realistic, which to me is unsettling. So I chose a doll that cannot be mistaken for a baby.

The doll measures 18 inches in length, about the size of a small newborn. 

The doll came in a lovely knitted sweater and hat outfit, cute onesie and adorable socks. It has a magnetic pasifier, a small bottle, and a cute elephant pillow. 

I was surprised how much interest my sons (who are 7 and 5) showed towards the doll. They actually like giving it its pacifier and bottle. They hold the doll very carefully and give it soft kisses. So cute!

And here is the first crochet item I made for my doll. I made this basket with super soft and chunky Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn and size K/10.5 (6.5 mm) hook. 

This basket measures 18 inches long and 11 inches wide. I don't think this is a suitable item for a real baby (perhaps only as a photography prompt), but it's perfect for a doll or perhaps a kitten. 

It's very easy and quick to crochet. 

The pattern is available in my Etsy shop. 

Yarn Review: Snuggly Wuggly Big! by Loops & Threads

Disclosure: This is not a paid or sponsored review. I was not in any way compensated for writing it. I post it because I solely want to share my own opinion.    

This is by far my favorite yarn for baby blankets! If you followed my blog for a while (or simply browsed through it), you probably noticed that I've made tons and tons of baby blankets.

One skien of Snuggly Wuggly Big was enough to make the blanket,
the hat, and the booties. 

 

This is a light weight (category 3, baby sport) 100% acrylic yarn. It is soft and easy to work with. All of my blankets that I've made with Snuggly Wuggly turned out wonderfully, and I didn't regret a single time my yarn choice.

Snuggly Wuggly works well for open and lacy stitches.

The yarn comes in a variety of beautiful solid colors. There are also variegated options for this yarn (thought I personally only have used the solid ones so far).

This yarn comes in two size skeins - a big one (14 oz, 1263 yd) and a small one (5 oz, 446 yd). I always buy a big one as it is more cost efficient.

Green is my favorite color. I loved my green
Snuggly Wuggly blankets the most.

I buy my Snuggly Wuggly from my local Michael's, where it's sold for $9.99.

But as many of you probably know Michael's often offers a 40% and occasionally 50% off for one regular priced items discount coupons. I don't always have coupons printed out with me, but luckily Michael's accepts coupons on smart phones. So whenever I know I'll be running errands and Michael's will be on my way, I stop by to purchase my Snuggly Wuggly. And even if I don't have a printed coupon, I use the one on my iPhone.

This blanket is one of the most popular on my blog. My free
pattern is available.

One thing I wish I could include in my review is my perspective on how this yarn and finished items look like after a few washings. But, unfortunately, I cannot do that. All the blankets I've made so far with Snuggly Wuggly I either gifted away or sold. I've never washed any of them.

Another open stitch blanket. The pattern is available in my shop.

But according to the label, this yarn is machine washable and dryable. However, it should not be bleached, ironed, or dry cleaned.

This blanket is popular for baby boys. The pattern is available in my shop. 

I didn't include the pictures of all the blankets I've made with this yarn. But more than a half of my blankets were made with Snuggly Wuggly. 

Sharp Crochet Hook Review

Disclosure: I received a free Sharp Crochet Hook and Pattern Book ($10.99 value) to test and write a review. The opinions expressed below are completely my own based on my own experience.

A couple of weeks ago I was offered to write a review for a Sharp Crochet Hook, a special kind of hook for crocheting through fabrics. I agreed to test the hook and write a post sharing my honest opinion.

As I received the hook in the mail, I opened the packaging right away and closely examined the hook. I noticed that the hook has a distinct pointy head, though I realized it’s not as sharp as I expected it to be.

Next, I tried the hook on different fabrics. First on a towel as I wanted to add some lacy charm to my bath towels for a while. I must admit I was disappointed. The hook does pierce the thick towel texture, but I expected it to do it with more ease. I had to employ some effort in piercing it through. 

Next I tried poking holes with the Sharp Crochet Hook on an old receiving blanket. I just wanted to see how it would work on flannel. It worked better than on the towel! 

Finally, I decided to make a complete project using the Sharp Crochet Hook. I have some dinner napkins that I wanted to add crochet trim to. The fabric of the napkins is 50% cotton, 50% polyester blend, and I used size 10 crochet cotton thread. At first it was quite difficult, but as I progressed it became better.

To make this lacy edging, I made a round of single crochets directly into the napkin edges using the Sharp Crochet Hook. Then I switched to a steel hook size 1.25 mm to make the lace trim.

To see how the Sharp Crochet Hook works compared to a regular hook, I tried crocheting the edge with a regular steel hook size 1.25 mm, which looks slightly smaller than the Sharp Crochet Hook. I don’t know what size the sharp hook is as it doesn’t say neither on the hook, nor on the pattern book. 

I found that the pointy head of the Sharp Crochet Hook has an advantage over the regular size 1.25 mm hook. Though I realized that with a bit more effort it’s still possible to make the trim with the regular hook.

My conclusion: The pointy head of the Sharp Crochet Hook is an advantage!

However,

* The head is not sharp enough to easily pinch the fabric. 

* The Sharp Crochet Hook comes only in one (unknown) size, which doesn’t work equally well with different kinds of fabrics. For example, this hook would not work with a delicate handkerchief fabric as it leaves big holes. It would be more practical if the hook came in different sizes. 

*With only a bit of extra effort, a regular steel hook size 1.25 mm can be a thriftier option (especially if you already own it).