Yarn Review: DMC Creative World Woolly

Let's start with the legal stuff; although the yarn featured in this review was given to me by DMC Creative World, the review below is entirely my own opinion.  I have received no payment for this review nor do I intend to!

Information on the brand

Woolly is a DK merino wool from DMC Creative World.  According to their website, it comes from Australia and is 100% natural and renewable.  

Information about the yarn

Woolly natural Knitting 50g, ~125m,/~136yds
Content: 100% wool superwash
Wash: machine wash, 40 degrees
Recommended hook size: 4-4 1/2mm, US 6-7
Recommended needle size: 4-4 1/2mm, US 6-7
Cost: £4:50 - £5:00 per 50g skein

Woolly in colours 061 and 063

First Impressions

There's 36 colours in the range, and they are really modern and vibrant, with a mix of pastels, neutrals and brights and I think there's even more colours to be added soon.  The merino in the yarn makes it nice and soft, and so would work well for any items of clothing you make that are going to be close to the skin.

Crocheting with the yarn 

I liked this yarn a lot.  I'd forgotten how nice it is to work with real wool stuff and not squeaky acrylic.  Woolly is not at all splitty which means it glides easily on the hook and creates even, well-defined stitches.  There were no annoying knots in the skein either.  I decided to make a pretty ripple cowl for a friend who loves purple using the free pattern from Crochet from J, and it worked up very quickly.  I realised about halfway through that I was crocheting pretty tightly (it's habit; I have to consciously not crochet tightly which is actually harder than you would think) and so this took away the natural hang of the fabric but I was still very pleased with how it turned out.  The yarn itself is strong and has a slight stretch and flexibility to it, and like other merinos will be warm in the cool and cool in the warm.

Final thoughts

This would be a great yarn for jumpers, cardigans and other items of clothing that you want to be soft against your skin, whilst being able to chuck in the wash.  In fact, the patterns that DMC have available are exactly those, although sadly, only knitting patterns.  It would actually also work well for amigurumi, as it's not at all fuzzy like some merinos can be.  It's not cheap though, and so I'd probably save it up for my very special projects.   

Christmas Came Early!

I am a very lucky girl this week for two reasons:

Number 1 - Chicago baby!

A few months ago, I was very lucky to be selected to be one of six paediatric specialists from the UK to be sponsored to travel across the Atlantic to the windy city of Chicago to attend the biggest paediatric audiology conference in the world.  And finally, the time is now!  I am so excited to make my first ever trip to America (I know, I know, I'm in the minority as almost everyone has been to the States before) and I'm even more excited knowing that there's a pretty good chance it will snow whilst I'm there! I don't think there is likely to be anywhere that will get me in the Christmas spirit more than going to America two weeks before the big day; I can't wait to see the snow, the Christmas lights as well as the Willis (Sears) Tower and am already planning a trip down the river too to get some great views of the skyline.  It's such a great opportunity and I can't believe I was lucky enough to be chosen.

Number 2 - A Christmas gift from DMC Creative World

This week I was contacted by DMC Creative World who had seen my myboshi review, and wondered if I would like some samples of their other products to review.  What answer could there be other than yes please!

Today, the samples arrived and I am very excited!  Here they are:

Cottons, Merinos, wools and patterns - yes, Christmas has definitely come early!

I have looked at these Natura Just Cottons for a while now and am very happy to finally have some in my possession.  And what a beautiful colour selection:

And these Woolly merino wools are some of the softest yarns I have squeezed: 

These unusual aspen wools have got scarf written all over them:

 And my mind is already spinning with ideas for these crochet threads:

DMC were also kind enough to send me a little inspiration for these beautiful yarns; three of their pattern books: 

                                     

Unfortunately with my trip I'm going to have to wait for a few days before I can really get my hands on these, but it's definitely going to be something for me to look forward to when I get back, and to try and squish in before Christmas - exciting times :D xxx

myboshi Yarn Review

As 'myboshi' is a new product, I thought it would be a good place to start for a yarn review.  To get the legal stuff out of the way; the review below is my own opinion and the yarn from my own supply.  I have received no payment for this review, I just thought it would be a nice thing to do!  

Information on the brand

myboshi was developed by two German Skiiers, Thomas and Felix who learnt to crochet whilst at a remote ski resort in Japan.  Whilst it's gathering popularity in Europe, it's only just coming over to the UK and so it's quite hard to find much more about myboshi in English.  It's being distributed by DMC, and as well as yarn, there are crochet hooks, labels and patterns available too.

Information about the yarn

myboshi original No1 50g ~ 55m ~ 60 yds
Content: 70% Polyacrylic, 30% merino wool
Wash: machine wash, 30 degrees
Recommended hook size: 6mm, US J/10
Recommended needle size: 6/7, US 10
1 hat ~120g
Medium hat = head circumference 53-56cm
Large hat = head circumference 57-60cm
Cost: Around £4 per 50g ball

First Impressions

The colour range for myboshi is outstanding.  The 36 colours in the collection include neutrals, pastels, brights and neons and so give a modern, young, unisex feel.  The merino in the yarn makes it feel soft and warm but without looking whispy.  It's actually softer to touch than it looks.  The yarn is nice and chunky and perfect for it's intended purpose; outdoor winter hats.

Crocheting with yarn 

This yarn is pretty nice to crochet with.  It works up especially fast to make a hat in a hurry.  It's very slightly splitty, but not so much that it's problematic.  The merino/polyacrylic blend means that it has a bit of stretch in it, but not enough to loose shape.  For a chunky yarn, it was easy on the hands. I found that the patterns in the small guide were clear to follow if you've crocheted before, but would probably be tricky to follow if you were new to crochet.  I also found that I needed a fair few more rounds in order to make a long enough beanie to cover my head although this could be because I crochet very tightly.

Final thoughts

I'm a fan.  myboshi yarn gives a polished finish that means even simple stitches like half trebles (UK terms) produce a professional looking hat.  myboshi beanies are easy to make, and would be perfect as a beginner project, although the patterns aren't the clearest I've seen.  I'm sure it could be used to make scarfs and gloves easily and would make great gifts for christmas.