My Thoughts on Lion Brand's Homespun Yarn

In choosing Lion Brand's Homespun for one of the versions of my upcoming By the Sea CAL, there was a certain amount of "Homespun? I've never worked with that before!" response. So, I thought it was important to explain why I chose this yarn, and give a little help in thinking about using it.

            http://www.mainlycrochet.org/store/p316/Every_Which_Way_Shawls_pattern.html

      I obviously like it- I have designed many patterns for the company over the many long years I've been a designer, and am always very happy with the project. It is truly the most forgiving yarn I've ever worked with- if you worry about your stitches not being even, this will make your work look FABULOSO.
The color range is impressive-81 colors!- and many are Impressionistic as well. That color range and the way they work together was my prime motivator in its use. I wanted to create a series of squares that evoke memories of seaside pleasures, crocheted snapshots, if you will, of by-the-sea memories.
(Here I am, with the illustrious Kathryn White-Don Patty photo)

It does have its quirks- don't we all?!-so I'm going to run through a few of them in case you are nervous about trying it.....

Homespun is a bulky weight (size 5) that is mostly acrylic.It is spun like a boucle, where it has a thin runner yarn (or thread) that creates its great texture. See how I've separated it below.

I, personally, treat this yarn differently than most standard acrylics. I always make a knot at the end to keep the fibers from unwinding, and all loose ends are treated this way until I'm ready to weave them in .Yes, I'm usually one of those terrible people who waits until the whole piece is done and then has a loose ends marathon.My suggestion for this yarn is quite different from my usual behavior.

In the granny square below, pretty on the front, rather hairy on the back, I recommend ends be
worked thus:

Your ends have knots(which means, leave a little more than you usually would). Clip the knots, and weave into the channels created by your sts on the WS.

 I am very much NOT a fan of working loose ends as you go, With this yarn in particular, the likelihood that those ends are going to slip, with the possibility of the yarn fraying, is just too great to justify any supposed time saved. 

I would also suggest something that is somewhat politically incorrect in the crochet community: once those ends are woven in, I stitch them on the WS with a sewing needle and coordinating thread, to make sure with absolute certainty that the ends don't slip. The nature of this yarn makes this very easy to do invisibly. There's nothing worse than throwing a piece in the washer and having to weave in ends again. Doing this will prevent that from happening ever. And Homespun washes and dries beautifully!

You can't really see the handing stitching when it's finished (below)

Many years ago, I designed The Big Easy http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-bigez.html, and made myself one that I wore and wore until one of my daughters relieved me of it. Because I imagine this throw being used to cover vacationing small people with ice cream covered body parts, you will want to enjoy its extreme washability for many years to come.

Crocheting with it feels different than regular worsted. A bit hard to explain, but I'd say that each stitch takes a different kind of deliberateness than a standard worsted weight acrylic. I don't personally think it's hard to work with, just different,  though very easy to get used to, especially since it both works up quickly and feels so absolutely wonderful as a finished project. If your throw is going to be a gift, expect true delight from the recipient- Homespun projects just feel so good!

It's also made in America! See what Lion Brand has to say about it.....

https://youtu.be/Jn7sGPGPMgo

and to add a little Joni Mitchell romance to your sea dreams stitching....
https://youtu.be/uWmtZtCebNk