For a while now I've wanted to design another chunky blanket pattern. They are usually faster to create, super warm and cozy (cold Canada winters), and make amazing gifts.
In 2021 I designed the Winter Throw pattern using unlabelled bulky yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry & Etsy. Love the filet work on the blanket, but it would be nice to have one with fewer holes.
I asked in my groups for suggestions on really nice bulky #5 weight yarn and got way too many suggestions! lol There was no way I could try them all, so I went to LoveCrafts.com & picked 7 different brands to try. They are all labelled as #5 weight, they all suggest a J10 / 6 mm hook, except for the Hue & Me which suggests a 6.5 mm hook. Of course I didn't bring my 6.5 mm hook along since I haven't used it for years.....
Paintbox Yarns Simply Chunky (100% Acrylic, 149 yards / 136 meters, 3.5 ounces, $3.99/skein)
Stylecraft Special Chunky (100% Acrylic, 157 yards / 144 meters, 3.5 ounces, $3.99/skein)
Hayfield Bonus Chunky (100% Acrylic, 150 yards / 137 meters, 3.5 ounces, $3.49/skein)
King Cole Big Value Chunky (100% Acrylic, 166 yards / 152 meters, 3.5 ounces, $4.50/skein)
James C. Brett Chunky with Merino (70% Acrylic, 20% Polyamide, 10% Merino, 164 yards / 150 meters, 3.5 ounces, $6.99/skein)
Cascade Pacific Chunky (60% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 120 yards / 110 meters, 3.5 ounces, $8.00/skein)
Knit Picks Brava Bulky (100% Acrylic, 136 meters, 100 g, $3.99/skein)
So now I have a bunch of different bulky yarns (1 skein each), I also added Knit Picks Bulky Brava to the test, but forgot to add it to the photo. So how do I do a fair comparison?
I decided to make a hat pattern and create the same size with each brand of yarn. The hooks I used were the 5.5 mm & 6 mm Polkadot hooks from WeCrochet.com. LOVE these hooks! They are now my new favorite.
Each hat was made with the same stitch count, row count, crochet hook size etc. I kept track of the measurements after the increase rows, and at the end of the finished hat.
First Impressions
Not all yarns are the same lol. Right off the bat the Hue & Me felt a lot thicker than the other yarns. The Stylecraft and Paintbox yarns are almost the same. The Hayfield is probably the least soft of all the yarns. The Pacific Chunky is by far the softest, but it isn't 100% acrylic like the rest of the yarns. The Chunky Merino is also not 100% acrylic, but not as soft as the Pacific Chunky.
I had to scrap the Lion Brand Hue & Me, it was just way to bulky for a 6 mm crochet hook. After finishing the first hat with the Stylecraft yarn it was obvious that I would not be making all the hats the same size. Some of the skeins were too small for an adult hat, so there are now 2 sizes to the test lol.
Crocheting
The Paintbox was a bit disappointing. I thought it would feel softer. I've used Paintbox Aran & Dk yarns and really like them, so thought I would feel the same about the Chunky. It's nice, they have nice colors, but it's not soft enough. Love Crafts is also the only place to purchase the yarn and they are usually out of a lot of the colors.
The Stylecraft is nice, and if you purchase it from WoolWarehouse they usually have the colors available. Yes - it's based in the UK, but I have ordered from them many times with no issues.
I really like the Cascade yarn. Super soft and crochets a beautiful hat. Not the cheapest yarn though, too expensive for a blanket, but if you are going to create a hat, mittens or cowl, this would be a great yarn.
The Hayfield yarn is not one I would purchase again, unless I'm just making something for donating. Same with the King Cole yarn.
The James C. Brett with Merino is lovely! But again, not as affordable. If you want to make a gift or something special for yourself, this would be lovely yarn for that. A bit too expensive for a blanket though.
Knit Picks..... surprisingly I really like this yarn! I hadn't though I would. A few years ago I purchased some Knit Picks worsted and wasn't a fan. Ended up using it for hats that got donated to a local mission. The bulky yarn though is really nice! It could be used for any project.
All the yarns crochet well, no splitting or snags. They unravel well. Make great hats! :)
So which one would I pick for a blanket? I'm still not sure lol
I would like to try Premier Basix Chunky some time. Cost wise it's the best choice, but I don't like the worsted Basix, so not sure about the chunky. It's also hard for me to find, need a place that will ship it to Canada and not "break the bank" lol.
I hope this has helped you a bit if you are looking for bulky yarn for a project.
If you would like a review on DK weight yarns, comment below or send me an email :)
You can find the Beanie Pattern here on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bulky-yarn-test-hat