Switching Yarns in a Tutorial or Finished Project

Switching Yarns

A crocheter brought to my attention and made an assumption that I must dislike the yarn if I am not using the recommended yarn or colours in a video tutorial or for the final photography of a pattern recommendation. I would like to share why I switch yarns and the purpose for it.

Years ago, I was required to match the yarns and colours to the projects exactly as written and presented by the designer. Some yarns I didn't have access to easily and this was before we were sponsored for yarn. I loved the pattern but I wondered, what would the project look like if I decided to switch colours or even change the brand completely?

Obviously, we were much smaller and finances were really tight. I didn't always have the brands on hand to demonstrate and create a duplicate pattern that a designer has done. I was crocheting projects that I could afford and with yarn I had access to.

Daniel and I thought about this further and came up reasons why we should switch brands or colours:

• A design can be really nice but it may not be hitting people's interest level too much. The same project done in a different colour gives a crocheter a different perspective of the same project. For many, it awakens creativity to see the possibilities that a pattern can do by just changing the colours.
• We also switch out the brands frequently for a few reasons.
  • Sometimes we don't have the brand in stock here at home to run with it. So we switch it to what we have here.
  • Sometimes, we think the project would have a different look or feel if the brand was switched. So we switch it to give a different perspective.
  • While we are given enough yarn to run the tutorials with, the sponsored yarn isn't a bottomless well of unlimited supply, we are accountable to the yarn we are given and use what are given. AND yes, I do buy some of the yarns you see on the tutorials and finished projects too.

To keep The Crochet Crowd fresh, our sponsorship includes the flexibility of us being able to switch brands and colours within the sponsors product lines. This flexibility is extremely important and gives us unlimited avenues to take a project for yarn types and colours.

So the next time you see me changing brands or colours, it's not because of a love hate relationship with the prescribed yarn, it's done intentionally based on what I have here at home and the inspiration we have to showcase the project from a different colour point of view.

Thanks for your question.