Definitely not for absolute beginners, but totally terrific for ADHD minded people like me. Caron Marshmallow Cakes are a bit of a surprise, even to me, a seasoned crocheter.
I'll admit, some of the colors are pretty trippy, so I found it a bit difficult to choose which color journey I wanted to take. My life is a bit chaotic right now, and I thought I needed something cheerful, bright, and bold for my neutral decor.
Best of all, they also have solid colors of this yarn if the colors are making your brain spin... BUT once I started a pillow face, I realized the colors are pixelated in the most perfect way. That's what surprises me.
In This Project
Try The Pillow Pattern
Test your skills and make the pillow I just made with this yarn. This is the colour choas crochet pillow pattern.
Colour Transitioning
Usually, when coloring in yarn, we expect something like Red, White and green, and then it restarts again as red, white, and green. It feels like a forced repeat that looks obvious in the pattern. To some, the love it, but for me, depending on the project I don't enjoy that.
The colors cycle through, transitioning and doing the opposite effect as they cycle. So it would be red, white, and green... then back to white and red, and so on. So the transitions don't have a definite stopping point.
Choosing the Right Stitch
In crochet samples, it's easy to do rows of single crochet, or whatever, going straight across. However, if you choose different stitches, it can make yarn like this more interesting, as it does on my pillow.
For myself, I considered the crochet sedge stitch and went with it. The primrose stitch would be a second close option for me. The way the stitches play with themselves helps break up the boredom of just a standard back-and-forth stitch.
Take a look at the two tutorials below and let me know what you think. The stitch multiples are given if you like the stitch and want to try it on something else. Even with the darker yarn, the stitch texture, through the bounces of light, reveals itself.
Chaotic Coloring
While the balls look chaotic, know that there is strategy in the way they are dyed. Even if you opt for regular stitches, which is okay too, the colors will still blend, as you can see.
For myself, a 14" pillow doing both faces only takes 1 ball of yarn and a quick evening to make it.
The Boucle Yarn
The yarn has two cores twisted together. You have a strand that is boucle. This is pronounced as 'boo-clay'. It's the short pile of fuzzy yarn you can see. The other core is a standard flat yarn, meaning no fluff projection like regular yarn. It's the boucle that will make it difficult for new crocheters to find the stitches, especially on the beginning chains. However, for people who know what they can see in the chain, it may be slow going across the chain, but then you will get the swing of it, and the rest of the rows or rounds will reveal itself.
Of course, your fingertips to locate stitches are always a plus in crochet.
Yarn Details
The yarn is a medium #4 weight yarn. It's a mix of 64% nylon and 36" acrylic. It recommends a 6 mm / J/10 crochet hook or 6 mm / US 10 knitting needle.
It is machine washable and dryable; see label instructions for more details on caring for the yarn.
The yarn is 7 oz (200 grams) and 356 yards (325 meters) long.
I have found the yarn 'put out' is generous, and I don't feel I need to overbuy it for it to go the distance.
If you get addicted to this yarn, don't blame me. It's a fun one.
Amy says
Your review is spot on and making a pillow from this plush squishy soft yarn was ideal. I made a sweater with it and am now making many more! i love this yarn and think caron should make this a staple in their line but with rainbow solids, less chaotic color changes. They remind me of the groovy cloud cakes. I want to see these all the time. The yarn is my favorite to work with. I even liked the brown ones and I dislike brown. Apparently not anymore! thanks for the epic review as always!!!