Tuesday 11 November 2014

Trying Something New......











The kind people at Deramores asked me if I would like to try some of their yarn.

I get asked a lot if I will try things out and review them. 

I tend to always say no.  

I said yes, because of one thing really.

When I was a little girl, my mum knitted......a lot. I remember being dragged around to local yarn shops whilst she checked out what was available. Now, it seemed to me, that every village, town and surrounding area we visited, had a yarn shop. I seemed to always be in one.

Not so much now in this day and age.

With fewer yarn shops in villages and highstreets, online yarn shopping is the way to go for many. It's absolutely great that places like Deramores exist so that we can have a huge choice of wonderful yarns all under one roof. 

The problem I find is this. 

I stick to the brands I know. The ones that I have seen (and felt) from 'real' shops. I know that a huge part about choosing a yarn is its 'feel'. When choosing yarn online, you get a feel for it's colour and it's texture, but you just cannot grab it and see if it's what you want, like, need. If you don't have a local yarn shop, how on earth are you supposed to have ANY ideas as to what the yarns are like?

I do always love when other crafters use and talk about yarns I have never used or come across before, as it's the only way I can get a sense of what it would be like in reality. I value this feedback a lot in terms of online purchasing. I also know that many crafters are utterly honest in their opinions of products that they use, and I value that.

So, that's why I said 'Yes' to Deramores. 

They asked if I would like to try some Phildar Phil Coton 4 Yarn

When working with cotton yarn, I have only ever used King cole's Bamboo Cotton and Rico Design's Creative cotton. I was actually quite keen to try something else and see how it faired.









With the shades I wanted to make a  flower brooch. One that could be put on scarves and bags. I liked the idea of making it in cotton for its robustness. In the end, the grey colour didn't work as well as I had hoped, so I stuck with the pinks and the green which I think have worked out nicely





I was pretty pleased with the results. I used a pattern from this book.....






available here



...but I adapted it a little to suit me better.


This particular yarn comes in 50 shades which is pretty good. It fairs better in shade choice compared to King cole Bamboo Cotton (having only 32 shades) and Rico Creative Cotton (having 29 shades).

It states that this yarn has added Aloe Vera, which adds a 'softness and freshness' to the yarn.

It's a dk yarn that comes in 50g balls for £2.89.

So, what did I think of the yarn, as that's the most important thing here.....

Well, I was expecting the yarn to be softer in feel, for saying it was supposed to have added Aloe Vera for that very reason. I noticed that a review of the yarn on the Deramores site, had stated the very same thing. So I'm not sure that would be a 'sole' buying point for me. Having said that, when touching a brand new ball against a half used ball, the half used ball did appear a lot softer in touch. Maybe it softens up when it's being worked.

Whilst it's a very personal thing this, I generally prefer working with 100g balls. I had the same gripe with Rico Cotton. I mainly like to use cotton for pot holders, and find if I use 50g balls, I often have to 'knot' balls together on a project with a big block of colour which I find frustrating. This is a negligable gripe though, as 50g balls are often fine when working with small colour blocks and projects.

It was a pleasant yarn to work with. It didn't split whilst working with it (very important for me), and I liked the depth of colour in the shades that I chose. I thought the shade choice was decent all in all.

Would I buy it now I've used it in the 'flesh'? Yes, I think I would add it to my list of 'go to' cottons. I think I really like the look of some of the shades. 

Chanvre, mercure, tournesol are shades I think I'd quite like to have in my cotton stash for 'go to' projects, and I think the yarn would mix and match with any other dk cottons you had already, quite happily.

So, all in all, a nice yarn, and one I'd happily use in my cotton crafting projects.

The brooch is a happy, fun brooch, and it will go well on scarves, bags and cardigans, and being cotton, will withstand a lot of wear!

Happy week all.


xxx

p.s. This is a sponsored post by Deramores, but the makes and opinions expressed are entirely my own.




21 comments:

  1. wow!!! danke für die bilder und inspirationen!!! iebe grüße von angie aus deutschland und einen schönen dienstag

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  2. Thank you for a very informative review. It is good to know details like whether the yarn splits and how it feels. I have the same problem with deciding whether to buy yarn online and try to see as much 'in the flesh' at shows and fairs and shops. The trouble is, if I don't make notes, they all become a blur and I am none the wiser next time I look at an online store. xx Kathryn www.crafternoontreats.com

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  3. What a fantastic review and your brooch is so pretty. I find some cotton yarn split very easily so this one sounds lovely to work with. Although like you I am not too keen on 50g balls. I like the idea of the aloe vera, I wonder if it has a softening effect on your hands as you crochet.
    Ali xx

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  4. Your review of this yarn is very helpful and informative, Vanessa. It is always good to hear other crafter's own experience of actually working with different products. The fact that this cotton doesn't split is especially useful to know. The little flower brooch you made with it is gorgeous, and I love the scarf it is shown on too.
    Happy week....keep cosy!
    Helen xox

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  5. Nice to read all that, even because I usually like to work with acrylics or wool blends!!!!
    Your brooch is lovely ( I own that same book, too!!!) !!!!
    happy week, xxxxx Ale

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  6. It's lovely to see cotton used and reviewed, as it's something I often use because I can't wear most wools. You've made a beautiful job of the brooch, and it's handy to know all the nitty gritty details such as what it feels like and whether it splits. The large range of colours is a definite bonus too. CJ xx

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  7. Lovely brooch! Also I love the contrast from the hot pink scarf against your black coat. Very pretty!
    Thanks for sharing your review. Have a lovely evening!
    xhaafner

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  8. My mother was also a knitter and I was always in wool shops. There were several close to where we lived. Now so many towns have no yarn shop at all. The brooch you made is really lovely. I'd never even heard of Phildar Phil Coton 4 so it's nice to hear what you think of it.

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  9. Nice brooch. I like that on a dark wintercoat. We need something to brighten up the day :)
    Thank you for sharing your feelings about the yarn. I tend to know where all the yarn shops are as well...
    Have a nice evening

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  10. Thank you for this post, wool shops in our small part of rural Wales are sadly lacking and I totally rely on being able to order online. I echo your thoughts on the safe feeling of using what you know, I try, test get used to a product.
    I appreciate your honest review.
    I love bamboo cotton too but will have a think about this new cotton in future makes.
    Helen

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  11. ...very very nice :-)
    Greetings from Reserl from bavaria

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  12. Great brooch and informative review.

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  13. Great brooch::: the pattern is from a Japanese book, but is not difficult to understand (even with diagrams)? Thanks

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  14. It is good to hear your honest review. xx

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  15. What a useful review Vanessa, the feel of a yarn is so important.
    Love the brooch you made, the colours look fab against your dark coat x

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  16. Vanessa, this brooch is really cute and fun! and looks great with a your lovely scarf!
    Thanks for your sincere comment with this yarn, I did not know this brand.
    Have a nice day and kisses from Catalonia!

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  17. Hi Vanessa
    We should write yarn reviews more often. I tend to stick with the brands I know and never dare to try something new in case I don't like it. The colors look divine, so clear and deep. I personally have a hard time to work with cotton as it tend to be very hard, not flexible like a wool blend. That is why I love my Tilda yarn... A cotton/acrylic blend. Love the brooch. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts about this yarn.
    Xxx
    Annette

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  18. Hola que tal? Me he dado una vuelta por tu blog y me encanta, me quedo como seguidora para no perderme ninguna entrada. Te dejo la dirección de mi blog por si quieres pasarte. Un saludo
    http://awesomeneedles.blogspot.com.es/

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  19. Thanks for the yarn review, really usefull to fellow yarn buyers :) How do you find cotton yarn for weaving in the ends? Was it bulky at all?
    Kate

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  20. I love Deramores and what you did was just stunningly beautiful!

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