Yarn Review – Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted
Are you looking for a great value yarn for home decor crochet projects? Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted is the new addition to the Paintbox range, and perfect for home decor. Read on to find out more about the paintbox recycled cotton worsted yarn, projects tips and where to get yours.
Why Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted?
As a crocheter I love trying new yarns. There is so much choice available, my little yarn shop can’t possibly stock even a 1 percent of all available yarns so I buy a lot of it online. Unless you are brand loyal it can be difficult to know what yarns to try, what you will like, colours etc and so I like to share my favourites and while I was designing the On the Bias Tote this yarn was released.
It also happened that the colour of the yarn which I used was discontinued and I like to try to use something that is readily accessible so it was a perfect reason to break my no new design yarn rule and get my hands on this.
I am definitely a fan of Paintbox Yarns already. This is the house brand of Lovecrafts and so I didn’t hesitate too much in deciding that I was going to try it. So, now the bag is finished and I can share what I think. I’m going to try and keep it brief and logical.
Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted – the info bits
This is a 100% recycled cotton yarn. It’s made in Turkey and has the OEKO-TEX mark of approval. I confess right now I don’t entirely understand what I means, but I include it for full informational purposes and understand that’s a good thing in terms of recycling and sustainability.
It comes in 100g 155m/169yd balls and is an Aran or Worsted weight – which is unusual for cotton yarns that are readily available in the UK. Available in 10 shades this yarns regular price is £3.50 a skein. It is also available in packs of 5 or 10 in a single colour.
So far, so good. My initial thoughts are that there are less colours available than the wider range of paintbox yarns. The price is reasonable – generally 100% cotton comes in a 50g skein starting at £2. seems reasonable.
What does it feel like / look like
I’m a big feeler of yarn. I love it the most when its soft to work with. I generally make projects that will use 1000+ meters of yarn. I’d rather not get dry hands working with it – it doesn’t stop me BUT it will make me pause. As soon as this yarn arrived and I felt it my first thoughts were – it’s not as soft as regular paintbox. And of course, I didn’t expect it to be because it is recycled yarn. It was, softer than I expected though and the colour a very rich and vibrant red/purple called Jam.
Working with Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted – stitch definition etc
As I worked with this yarn I noticed a couple of things – it wasn’t splitty, and there the stitch definition is great. The texture I was going for is immediately visble and feels amazing. I this this yarn is well suited to bag and home decor but I wouldn’t use this for anything that was wearable or a baby blanket – cotton is my go to for baby blankets. It’s just a little too rough for that in my opinion, and while it MIGHT wash and get softer, I don’t want it too.
I love it how it is. I think it’s a great option for bags – I used 2.5 skeins of paintbox recycled cotton worsted to make my tote. I should probably have followed the pattern and double stranded but I didn’t. I am confident if I had I would have a super sturdy bag but it might have been a bit of a job on my wrist. The band recommends a 4.5mm hook – which is what I used. Double stranded maybe a 5 and I could probably have gone down to a 4.
Yay or Nay Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted
For me YAY. As an option for bags, placemats, table settings – particularly things for outdoor use/garden. Any home decor projects really. I is easy to work with, isn’t especially rough on the hands and there is a reasonable amount of yarn on the skein. I am a fan of cotton yarns so the price for me is reasonable.
Also, my top tip for all paintbox yarns – and what I actually did, buy a multi pack especially when they are on sale. My only real disappointment is that there aren’t more colours available. I don’t know why, but I hope that the line takes off and they introduce more colours over time.
For project suggestions for using this yarn, check out the On the Bias Tote here
To get your hands on some Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted yarn go here
Don’t forget to pop into the facebook group and let me know what you think if you do get some – and share your makes.
Bye for now
B x
