Caron Simply Soft Light

I'm moving up with the pros, trying out lighter weight yarns ever since my local craft store brought in a new product line: Caron Simply Soft Light. I'll be a beginner pro in no time. (I've read that modern crochet fashion is going with the finer yarns instead of the bulkier look.)

Typically, I'd say that over 85% of the yarns in American department stores are the bulkier ones (medium, bulky, and superbulky). Finer yarn is in very limited selections here; try baby colors or sock yarn for the most part, no thanks. These stores need to catch up with the times. (Like it would be cool to have a sport weight or dk cotton blend in our stores.) I've never seen a yarn specialty store in my vicinity. (A specialty yarn shop might be helpful but also very pricey.)

Since I really like Caron Simply Soft in medium size I was really giddy to try out the new Caron Simply Soft Light. I think it's the American version of dk weight. It feels lighter to me though. I'd say it was more like sport weight unless I'm mistaken. Crochets with ease. I just hope that this product line is successful so that Caron will add a lot more color selection.

Learning to work with different size hooks can be daunting.  Even worse, finding the hook needed to match the gauge is still a frustrating task for me.

JUST STICK WITH TINY HOOKS
If you seem to do neater work when the pattern calls for a small hook size then you're like me.  You may also find it uncomfortable switching to larger hooks after using very small ones.

SMALL HOOKS, LACE YARN
Another thing that I wish is that stitches looked just as neat with larger hooks as with small ones.

Lace yarns, small hook

Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I also like crocheting with the lace yarns because thicker yarns tend to come apart for me. (written 5/17/11)

If you're ever curious or anxious about crocheting with more than one color you may start with using two then venture to even more colors. I wanted to give this a try too.  After working a few patterns it didn't take long to figure that adding more than one color was going to be a lot of work. Just using one color leaves me with so many loose yarn ends. I just knew that by adding more colors even more loose ends would result and that I would jump ship. Also, my expense would multiply. So one day I got the guts to try an ombre yarn. Ombre is a french word meaning shades. By using this ombre yarn I was able to incorporate numerous colors into my work without breaking the bank or my hands.

Beside hooks, you also need to choose yarns.  I've found that I like some yarns better than others by far. As a beginner, I am warming up to the threads and finer yarns. It may have something to do with the pattern designs of my choice. I have tried cotton, mercerized cotton, and acrylic. Although the pattern may call for a different fiber, I always go for the cheaper yarns for practice sake. Not that the quality is cheap, just that the price is cheap. I've seen silks and other pricier fibers sold at comparable prices by Asian merchants on eBay. One day I'll try them.

I found a way to sample Caron Dazzleaire yarn.  A local dollar discount store carried it for a very brief time.  I spotted it in the craft aisle, then came back later to purchase it. The supply was nearly depleted when I got back! With only a few colors left to pick from, I decided to try three: summer rose, mahogany, and pinot noir.  I was hesitant at first because I already have so many different yarns stashed away, but not like this one!  It's an amazing soft and plush fuzzy type yarn. As far are working with it, I like making simple stitches rather than patterned stitches. It gets tangled and kinky to take the stitches apart. But you can reuse it as good as new. This is the newer version according to their website. You should try it.

As a beginner I really don't have many crochet supplies. So I'm on a hunt around my house and in discount stores to find bargains. After all, I don't yet know how far I will get in this craft. If it ends up being a phase
of sorts then it's all the more fitting to keep spending low. Right?!

Hooks you can shop for locally. But there are better deals through merchants from Asian countries. So far I have purchased hooks from the local department store, from an American ebay merchant and from Asia. So far I like working with the soft aluminum hook (2.0 mm) versus the steel one because steel applies more pressure to my fingers. (written 3/23/11)