Lion Cotton
Overall
Value
In terms of quality and softness it is on the highest end of the scale and has a smooth flow, very little hook grip and none of the little grits you run into sometimes with BHC. The yarn works up nicely with good stitch definition and the tighter wound 4 ply leaves fewer opportunities for split stitches without being too tight or cord like. I have yet to run into any defects (tied off ends, poor ravels or other problems) and have been very happy with the quality of this yarn. The manufacturer recommends a 4 mm crochet hook but I usually work this yarn in 3.5 mm or 3.75 mm at the most.
I bought my supply at stuff4knitting.com, where it is usually around $6 a ball but often goes on sale for $4. This is higher than BHC and LSC however the balls are significantly larger and the quality is top notch. As with most unmercerized worsted weight cotton yarns, a there are many colour options in ombres to please the dish cloth making crowd, but Lion doesn’t seem to feel the need to offer them at the cost of some decent staple solids like black, red and royal blue. The colour options were quite well represented on the website and were fairly accurate in comparing to the colours of the balls that were shipped to me.
My Lion Cotton Stash
- Poppy Red
- Paprika
- Sunflower
- Mustard
- Avocado
- Evergreen
- Morning Glory Blue
- Periwinkle
- Purple
- Fuscia
- Orchid
- Espresso
- Clove
I have found that stocking up a lot of white cotton yarns is a great idea. I have dyed them with hot water in a large glass bowl using not only liquid fabric dyes but,believe it or not, Kool-Aid.Check the Kool-Aid website. Talk about some fun and bright colors! Just put the colored yarn in a setting rinse of1/2 cup white vinegar to 1/2gallon cool water. Let soak about 30 min. Rinse in cold water until rinses clear. Dry.
Coo. My understanding was that acid dyes (like Koolaid) only worked on protein fibres (animal) and that you needed ones with a more alkaline PH for cellulose fibres (plant fibres like cotton, linen, hemp etc). Nice to know it works for some folks.