After the recent Yarn Crawl, I have been making it a point to "shop my stash" when I get the urge to knit or crochet something new. This week I rummaged around and found 2 larger skeins of Lion Brand's Re-Spun - a yarn made out of recycled plastics, which helps keep bottles and other plastic waste out of the oceans as well as landfills. I try to do my part in terms of reducing my carbon footprint, recycling and making smart consumer choices, so I was curious about this and picked up a charcoal gray and a lighter gray color more than a year ago. I probably had a coupon, too.
The pattern is from the Yarnspirations collection, which recommends a pound of Caron yarn for the project. Since I didn't have any Caron in house, and I was curious about how this Re-Spun yarn would work up, I decided to give it a try, They are also comparable in terms of weight.
Fun story about this particular pattern. Several years back I downloaded this free pattern and began to crochet it in a dark brown yarn. I am not sure what my issue was but after 3 or 4 attempts, I had a mess that made no rhyme or reason. I was tempted to throw my hands in the air and give up, but I liked the look of the pattern enough to try one more time. I decided to attempt a smaller piece using the stitch pattern repeats, and thought that if I could get it down in a smaller piece, I could learn the pattern repeat and have a go at the larger shawl after that.
When I come across a pattern that perplexes me. I dig in. I'm not necessarily into frustration, but I think our brains are strengthened when we problem solve. I do this at work with software and complex data problems, and at home with knitting and crochet patterns. For my "learning" piece I selected 3 skeins of Red Heart Soft yarn (pictured below).
It worked up beautifully! I still wear this scarf when it's cold outside - and get compliments on it regularly!
Fast-forward more than a couple years, and I circled back to this pattern and wanted to finally tackle the full shawl. In keeping with my commitment to myself to use more of the yarn I have "in stock" here in my house before shopping for new, I dug out the Re-Spun in the dark and light gray colors.
I chained my 159 initial stitches and got moving along, and it wasn't long before I had it down and was zipping along. I have decided to use the darker gray for the majority of the shawl, but will insert 2 row sets of the light gray at equidistant intervals. I think it will look nice.
Now,... about my experience with this yarn.
I'm not particularly crazy about the feel and performance of this yarn. It's not very soft - understandably. It may soften up if it is washed, so I'll definitely be giving that a try once this is finished. It also seems to split more than I like. Suffice it to say I am stitching and grumbling and sighing and stitching some more. I'm stubborn enough that I will finish this, and wash it and then evaluate the process and materials (I'll post a follow-up review when I do).
I'm glad we are looking at recycling in the fiber arts. Plastic pollution is a serious problem, so I will continue to buy as much nice WOOL as I can, and seek out recycled options when available. I just wish this yarn was as tactilely pleasing as the colors are visually pleasing to me. It's also possible that as I work this pattern, I am grumbly because I remember how SOFT the other piece I did in this pattern was, and there's just frankly no comparison in terms of texture.
Lastly, I am using a J (6.0mm) hook and I think if I use this yarn again, I will go down at least to an I (5.5mm) and maybe even an H (5.0mm) hook which should give tighter stitch definition and perhaps (just maybe!) a more satisfying crochet experience.
After knitting 3 shawlettes, I was in the mood for a larger wrap, and remembered this pattern. I am enjoying the journey overall, and look forward to seeing how this yarn performs after finishing and washing.
There is a concerted effort to save and support the wool industry, worldwide. This is an important movement, as wool is not only sustainable but natural and non-toxic to Mother Earth! Still, plastics are not going away any time soon, so it made sense to me to give this recycled plastic yarn a whirl.
Have you ever tried a recycled yarn? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment and let me know!
(C) 2023 Stitch 'n Dish
I appreciated your honesty about the challenge of working with this new (for you) type of yarn. I hope you find your persistence yields a stylish addition to your wardrobe!