Dollar Tree Yarn

While looking around our local Dollar Tree for crochet tools and yarn I invested in three skeins, each $1.25, to test out. Disclaimer: I have used the Just Chenille before now, but I couldn't remember if I liked it or not.

I tested the chenille first, which is the color Mint and comes in a 50 gram/65 yrd skein. This is a fairly nice, soft chenille yarn that doesn't fray much (a little when I frogged it). The stitch definition is about what you'd expect from this kind of fiber, but it's decent to work with and I liked the result.

With it I made this wee plushie loaf cat and had a bit to spare (not enough to make another one.) Although I don't use chenille yarn much at all I'd buy this again.

The second skein I tested was one I've never seen for sale at Dollar Tree before, a Yarnspirations/Red Heart Crafties acrylic yarn in White. The skein was 50 grams/93 yards. From the beginning I noticed how very stiff and scratchy the yarn is -- almost exactly like vintage acrylic gets from age -- so I wouldn't say it's appropriate for a wearable or any kind of throw or blanket.

This is how much of a granny square I was able to get out of the skein with a tiny bit leftover. It wasn't horrible, but it split a bit and the texture was unpleasant. I felt at times like I was working with rope.

There are far superior acrylic yarns on the market (if you thrift them, you can sometimes get them cheaper than even dollar store prices) so I would not recommend this yarn even for crafts.

My third and final test was with this Just Yarn Teddy in Bright Turquoise, with 50 grams/109 yards of 62% acrylic and 38% polyester yarn. This is in texture like a shreddy chenille or a very old, worn out eyelash yarn, soft but in the decaying sense of the word, and has an odd, almost disintegrating twist that seems to split if you breathe hard on it.

I made a mini bear out of it, although it doesn't much look like Sarah Abbondio's pattern. This is because this yarn has almost zero stitch definition, and it's impossible to count stitches or keep track of them. A little over half the skein made the bear, as you can see from the leftover ball, but oy. The stitches come out looking old, so the project looks like it's ancient instead of just-made.

This was such an unpleasant yarn to work with I not only can't recommend it, I want to slap a warning label on it: Please do not buy. I would make five blankets out of that white Crafties yarn before I'd use this yarn again.

I am glad that out of the three skeins I bought one was decent enough to make me want to purchase it again. I'm also grateful to know not to invest in the other two. :)