The Crafty Princess Diaries

Tammy Powley’s Crafty Weblog

Super Saver Yarn Has Its Place

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Since I live in the south and most of what I make needs to be washable, I use a lot of acrylic and a little cotton yarn as well. Wool is totally out. I’ve done some work with bamboo, which I liked of course, but still acrylic tends to be my main source of yarn use.

Like most people, I started with Red Heart Super Saver. It’s inexpensive and pretty easy to find. As I became more proficient at crochet, however, I expanded into other brands like Vanna’s Choice and Bernat. And, yes, as most yarn crafters will tell you they are much softer than Super Saver. In fact, many knitters and crocheters have real issues with Super Saver. It’s got a reputation as cheap and scratchy. I won’t say this isn’t true. Even Red Heart has an acrylic called Soft Touch, so the company obviously offers an acrylic yarn that is soft and nothing like its Super Saver brand.

I’m writing all this, however, to say that Super Saver yarn does have a place in the yarn crafting world. First of all, it is a great yarn for those new to crochet or knitting. For less than $5, you can buy a hunk of yarn and even a hook or knitting needles and you are ready to start. That hunk of yarn can really go a long way too for a beginner who might want to start with small and easy projects like hats or fingerless gloves. How many crafts can you say that about?

It is also good for some charity projects such as making afghans or hats for adults. I used some turquoise and brown Super Saver yarn to make some hats for the homeless and even had enough left over to make a cover for an ottoman. The colors are great, and hey, I stick my feet on this thing, so it needs to handle some wear and tear.

And, then, don’t forget about our beloved pets. I have odds and ends of blankets and squares I’ve made up over the years that make for lots of cuddly spots for my furry friends. Here is Chanel enjoying an old afghan that I rolled up into a tube shape for her. This afghan is from back in my early days of crochet when I think I attempted to make a baby blanket from variegated Super Saver, but by the time I was done, the child was in college!

I would guess this afghan is at least 15 years old, and yet, it’s in great shape. So while I can’t claim Super Saver is my first choice of yarns to work with, I think too many yarn snobs out there dismiss it too quickly.

Author: Tammy

Welcome to the Crafty Princess Diaries, my weblog and site where I get to blab about my passion for crafts, primarily jewelry making, and my crafting career. My name is Tammy Powley, and I decided to call my blog the Crafty Princess Diaries because of this very dorky picture I have of myself and because my husband often refers to me as β€œthe princess and the pea,” which is just another way to say that I tend to be particular sometimes. Along with this weblog, I have a number of jewelry making books published.

5 Comments

  1. I agree completely, Tammy. I think Chanel does too πŸ˜‰

  2. Super Saver yarn is fabulous for afghans, it’s cheap and warm. It holds it shape when covering me on the sofa. I don’t notice the feel of the yarn because there’s always something between me and it. It’s either the top layer of blankets on the bed adding just the right amount of warmth, or another layer over my fabulous flannel sleepie pants and long sleeve sleepie shirt. I have an afghan that my grandmother crocheted 30 odd years ago, and it has gone with me everywhere I lived, and has been washed and dried many times, and is still in fantastic shape.
    That said it’s not good for a decorative shawl to wear to the opera with long dress and pearls, but who gets to do that very often. Not me.

  3. We need to look behind the primary use of materials to see how else we might be able to utilize them. I can see using that purple yarn in cord making, couching with machine or hand stitches, fringing, and weaving as just a few uses. It might even be useful in the bobbin if it is thin enough.

    Creative people can always think laterally. If something isn’t perfect for one use, we can think again how to take the material further in a different plane. I love the dollar stores and pound shops here in the UK for the items that can be utilized in my mixed media textiles and art work. There are some good items to be used for texturing, printing and stencilling.

    Thinking laterally can save lots of money and get our minds down paths we might not otherwise considered. I’d love to hear other uses of yarn than the obvious crochet or knitting please. I’m always happy to pick up a new slant that I haven’t considered before.

  4. Hi there. I have been searching everywhere for variegated baby colored yarn exactly like the yarn in your cat picture. I assumed it is red heart supersaver. I’m looking for the pink,yellow, blue and white. Do you know where I could buy some of this? Thanks Sheena

  5. Yes, it is super saver. Try any big box store like Michael’s (which is probably where I got this) or JoAnn’s. On-line, there is JoAnns.com and http://www.herrschners.com

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