J’Adore Tuesdays: Knit Picks’ Brava Worsted Yarn

Last week, Knit Picks was giving away a free skein of Brava yarn (any weight) with purchase with a code provided in their newsletter. I take advantage of these moments whenever they come up, and I’ve never been disappointed.

I’ll try not to make this a love letter to Knit Picks (I admit it, I’m obsessed with everything they do and make) and focus on the yarn. Last time I participated, they were giving away a free hank of Biggo. I leapt on that without a plan and ended up making a cowl a couple months later. This time, I had a plan. I promised a coworker a baby Jayne hat, so I decided I’d be using Brava Worsted and take advantage of getting one of my needed skeins for free.

I would buy this yarn again in a heartbeat. Brava is 100% acrylic yarn, and it is oh so soft. What you can’t feel when you pick up the skein is how cushy the knit fabric is going to turn out. I frequently paused my knitting just to squish the fabric between my fingers. It’s so comfortable. I imagine this being great yarn for, say, mittens or slippers or even teddy bears.

The yarn did not split easily. I’m the type of knitter who, if a yarn is going to split, will split the yarn. It happens all the time, usually if I’m knitting too fast when not looking. While working on the hat last night, I tried to ignore my hands, let them do what they know how to do. I had no splits. The twist of the yarn is secure enough that my needle did not split it at all. I was pleasantly surprised with this.

The yarn is machine washable and can go in the dryer at low. I tested this this time. My stitches did loosen a little bit, but my project held it’s overall shape. Now, the hat is pretty much all stockinette, aside from the ribbing. I can’t guarantee how well, say, lace would hold up after going through the washer and dryer. In that case, I might just wash it and lay it flat to dry or re-block it if necessary.

The best part about this yarn? It’s affordable. I realize, one of my skeins was free, but a regular skein of Brava Worsted costs $2.99 for a skein. All of Knit Picks’ yarn is affordable like this. See why I’m obsessed? Quality product for a good price.