Summer time brings out all the cotton yarns, smaller needles, and lightweight knitting patterns. I don’t think many of us fancy sitting around with chunkier needles and thick warm fluffy wool (why do I look forward to that already though, love the big yarn so much and also that reminds me of pancakes) if we are knitting anywhere outdoors. Or even indoors if you don’t have the ac running. The cost of our utilities is really getting to me, so I only turn ours on when it’s absolutely necessary.
So where I live, there aren’t any yarn stores. We have Wal Mart. That’s it. And our next nearest town that’s larger than ours is two hours away, so it was a bit of a problem when I was just starting out. I had to wait when I was so excited!
Ever since I started knitting, I’ve ordered my yarn from the two companies I first heard of upon googling yarn. Wool and the Gang and We Are Knitters (with a couple other brands here and there). Very similar yarns. I started out with their thick Peruvian wools, which are 100% comparable. People often ask and I always tell them, you can use them interchangeably in my patterns that call for either one brand (also in case you’re wondering, lots of people use Lion Brand thick n quick to replace the wool).
With the cotton, it’s a little trickier. You can use them interchangeably. I’ll even use both brands in one project. However, there are a few differences, starting with their structure.
Wool and the Gangs Shiny Happy Cotton Features
1. Aran/worsted weight yarn
2. 100 gram skein measuring 155 yards
3. Suggested needles size 4-11 US
4. Costs $13.00 per individual skein
Wool and the Gang Shiny Happy Cotton check it out here.
We Are Knitters “The Cotton” features
1. DK weight yarn
2. 100 gram skein measuring 232 yards
3. Suggested needle size 8 US
4. Costs $12.90 per individual skein
WAK cotton check it out here.
While both brands are 100% cotton, there is a difference in the way these two yarns work up.
Shiny happy cotton is a thicker, heavier, yarn. Your finished piece knit with this yarn will yield an amazingly gorgeous drape. It’s even heavier than the “anxiety” hoodies that are all the rage. 100%, a sweater knit with shiny happy cotton can be an anti anxiety sweater. First, because of your skills that you should be so proud of, and second, because of the heavy yarn.
“The Cotton” is a smaller and more lightweight yarn. I use this often for my summer knit projects, because it’s so light. It knits up quick and you won’t be having much body pain or needing as many breaks, even when you’ve got a full panel on your needles! Idk about you guys, but my lower back gets so sore if I knit every day in a row for awhile. It’s a struggle. If you knit a cardigan or pullover with this, it’s still going to be lightweight! It is absolutely perfect for anything summer.
The pros and cons to both cottons are similar. They’ve got a wide array of beautiful colors to choose from, which is seriously a difficult task.
They are both fun to work with and I love the way the finished pieces look. If I’m going for a heavier feel, I go with WATG. Lighter, I go with WAK.
If you’ve ever knit with the big yarns and big needles, these cotton projects seem to take forever! It’s hardly a con of the yarn, just a con of life. Haha.
The yarns tend to split if you’re not careful. This happens a lot when I’m doing knitting through the back loops for increases or decreases. The needle with her stuck on a single ply of yarn and it just almost shreds apart. So you do need to knit carefully to avoid that!
Overall, these two yarns are both great and I absolutely love knitting with them! Let me know your thoughts or tips/tricks you’ve learned!
happy love co 