First Crochet project

[Explosion_Of_Colour]

I've been wanting to do a crochet blanket for a few months since going crochet mad with the art of crochet mag, and I found this lovely pattern:

http://www.allcrafts.net/f.php?url=www. ... oject.html" target="_blank

It says to use 4-ply worsted-weight yarn, which I'm very clueless about - I have lots of colour choices at a local shop but I think nearly all of them are DK - is 4 ply thicker? Wondering whether to use Debbie Bliss stuff but again have no idea what I'd use!

I'm hopeless!

Bex

[Rose]

I have never heard of DK yarn so I googled it and from what I read it sounds as if it is a 4 ply yarn. You should ask the employee's at the local store they should be able to tell you if it is a 4 ply or not. I also had to google Debbie Bliss and from what I have read it comes in many plys all the way from baby to bulky.

Actually you can use any of these yarns they will just give you a different size for the finished products. Baby yarn would be the smallest and bulky yarn would give you a larger finish and you would have to adjust the size of the crochet hook to accommodate the size of the thread.

[RosemaryH]

4 ply wool is thinner than DK. So if you did it in DK it would come out thicker and larger than the 4 ply version.

If I remember correctly the thicknesses of wool runs something like: 2 ply, 3 ply, 4 ply, quickerknit, DK, aran, chunky.

Rosemary

[kell]

I know nothing about yarn or crochet, but just wanted to say - that afghan looks so gorgeous - I want one for myself!

[Cecilia]

Hi, I found this conversion chart. Not sure if it will help. You have to scroll down towards the end.

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/tips/convert.htm" target="_blank

[Explosion_Of_Colour]

Thanks for all the info - I think I understand what I need now. 200g of 11 colours is mad though! I'm thinking cotton rather than acrylic unless cotton is much more expensive? Are there any good places/brands that do nice bright colours like the pattern shows?

Going to investigate the internet possibilities tonight and then go to my local store tomorrow to see what they have

Thanks again,
Becky

[maggs]

What a gorgeous blanket

[hada56]

whatever type yarn you choose, just remember this: 100% cotton is heavy and will stretch in time, but acrylic, or acrilic blends, tend to be lighter in weight and most likely won't stretch as much. HTH!

[Explosion_Of_Colour]

Ooh I didn't know that - thank you!

I think I'm assuming that cotton will be softer than acrylic, but maybe not - quite looking forward to getting my colours now

[Rose]

Red Heart Yarn is the brand that I use and they have a very wide variety of colors.

[pamelam]

For my knitting I use Simply Soft by Caron and it is extremely soft. Red Heart is very good also.

[2Danes]

Cotton can get heavy, imho, but that being said, I'm knitting an afghan using 2 strands of Lily's Sugar'n Cream.

You can choose any yarn that you want, just remember that (as said above) your size will be different if you use something other then 4ply. Also, remember to check what hook size the yarn requires, all of this will have an effect on the finished afghan.

DK (double knit) is a lighter yarn then 4 ply. When you're looking for yarn, read the details about it, if it is category 4, then you should be able to use it

Bernat makes a wonderful yarn, and Joann Fabrics has a store brand that is good too.

Good luck!! Please post pics too

[hada56]

Cotton is very soft to the touch, but depending on brand, I assume there are some less soft than others. There are acrylics that are very soft to the touch, you just have to find one you like.
I can't offer advice on brand names, because I live in Mexico and our most popular is Omega and Tamm.
Just go with whatever you like the best. Good luck!

[Explosion_Of_Colour]

Thank you all for the advice - I eventually decided to try out the acrylic stuff I've been buying since January when I got in to the whole crochet idea (far too many colours in the house already!) So I've made a start:



Now thinking I may change the pattern as the original has 11 colours and mine will be 12.

Bex

[Mabel Figworthy]

oooh, pretty -- you've made a great start!

[maggs]

Great start, lovely colours

[stitchingmae]

i am so jealous I would love to learn to crochet!!

[carolanne]

Thanks for all the info - I think I understand what I need now. 200g of 11 colours is mad though! I'm thinking cotton rather than acrylic unless cotton is much more expensive? Are there any good places/brands that do nice bright colours like the pattern shows?

Going to investigate the internet possibilities tonight and then go to my local store tomorrow to see what they have

Thanks again,
Becky

I think cotton would be much heavier. I like the acrylics. They are soft and cuddly. And you don't have to worry about shrinkage. I don't recognize the brand so it must have something to do with where you are. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[K1nS]

I love the colours

[carolanne]

Thank you all for the advice - I eventually decided to try out the acrylic stuff I've been buying since January when I got in to the whole crochet idea (far too many colours in the house already!) So I've made a start:



Now thinking I may change the pattern as the original has 11 colours and mine will be 12.

Bex

I just looked back and found you had already made a start before I put in my bit. I think your colors are great. I have made several striped afghans that were just planned as I went along and I've been pleased with all of them. So, you look like you were off to a good start. Hope it is going well.