One more row of reasoning turned into 1 more colour transition when Caron Cakes was revealed in 2016 by Yarnspirations. Its purpose was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Caron Yarns, and the yarn presentation was converted into what we now know as a cake. It turned crocheters and knitters upside down with enthusiasm.
Besides Bernat Blanket, The Crochet Crowd owns more Caron Cakes patterns over time. It was a go-to for colour options. Our teaching library has a lot of Caron Cakes lessons, and this yarn changed my perspective on what crochet is, at least to me. We've been committed to this brand as the outcome of a finished pattern.
Find all of our patterns for Caron Cakes
In This Project
The First Time I Saw Them
This yarn is a retailer exclusive, which means someone like me wouldn't have a heads-up that it's coming to market. My first exposure was seeing someone in our social media post a picture of the shelf. The balls were turned up to reveal the top colours, and I didn't know the brand.
I have a loyalty agreement with Yarnspirations, so I may teach their patterns on YouTube, and once I realized it was a Caron yarn, I truly flipped out. There is a yarn that is so amazing and is in a brand I can play with.
I went to my closest retailer, nearly an hour away and found a full shelf, and it was like the heavens opened up. What colours to choose and take home with me?
Emergency Alert
This product was meant to be seasonal, with the potential for something more in the future, but it caught Yarnspirations by surprise with its popularity. In the first weekend after launch, this product had one of the highest sales in such a short time frame. So much so, the CEO of Yarnspirations called me to educate me about the product, but there was a hiccup!
They thought it could be popular, but from the first weekend it launched, it became clear that the 3-month program and the general supply for stores to last 3 months would be sold within a few weeks, and it literally wiped out stock in stores across North America.
Yarn is made well in advance of when you ever see it, and manufacturing locations are already scheduled to meet the yarn needs for the next 6 to 12 months. Emergency calls were made to get Caron Cakes back into the schedule immediately and to ship it out.
The demand was so high that the first batch was flown by cargo planes and dropped immediately to the retailer warehouses to get it back onto the shelves, which took about six weeks.
Meanwhile, the public was demanding Caron Cakes, and, of course, conspiracy theorists jumped in, creating a demand amid low inventory levels.
It upended Yarnspirations to realize there is something about the change in yarn presentation, and what else could be done with long self-striping yarn.
Changing of Yarn Presentations
The change of the cake format allowed us to see the colours we can play with and the exciting journey that lay ahead. It changed knitters' and crocheters' perspectives, prompting them to use the colouring as a milestone. The one-row theory before bed turned into "let me get this colour done first," which then would spill into the next colour, and the thrill of the journey is addictive.
Most of the yarns did well and were treated as seasonal delights, while other yarns held their own and earned permanent year-round stock levels.
What Are the Brands That Came (and went)
- Caron Anniversary Cakes (one giant ball wonders)
- Caron Anniversary Holiday Cakes
- Caron Baby Cakes
- Caron Big Cakes
- Caron Blossom Cakes (one of my favourites)
- Caron Cakes (original and favourites)
- Caron Chunky Cakes
- Caron Cinnamon Swirl Cakes (one of my favourites)
- Caron Cloud Cakes
- Caron Cloud Cakes Perfect Phasing
- Caron Coconut Cakes
- Caron Cotton Angel Cakes
- Caron Cotton Cakes (ultimate personal favourite of the brand)
- Caron Cotton Funnel Cakes
- Caron Cotton Lava Cakes
- Caron Cupcakes
- Caron Chunky Cupcakes
- Caron Painterly Cakes
- Caron Cotton Ripple Cakes (one of my favourites)
- Caron Crystal Cakes
- Caron Cupcakes
- Caron Groovy Cakes
- Caron Latte Cakes
- Caron Lava Cakes
- Caron Layer Cupcakes
- Caron Macchiato Cakes (one of my favourites)
- Caron Marble Cakes
- Caron Skinny Cakes
- Caron Slice of Anniversary Cakes
- Caron Smash Cakes
- Caron Spice Cakes
- Caron Sprinkle Cakes (one of my favourites)
- Caron Tea Cakes (highly loved this yarn for myself)
Yarnspirations, the manufacturer, has the most patterns for Caron Cakes and all of their brands in its free pattern index.
Coming This Year
Patterns for these products are available through Yarnspirations. You can use the filters to narrow down the choices. A tip I have is to enter the product name into their search, and the projects that were used will usually show up as well.
Yarnspirations has a nice homage for their 10-year anniversary coming later this year to keep an eye on them. I'm like you; I'm not made aware of changes in colour or any new cake types for this season until they roll out. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation.
Find all of our patterns for Caron Cakes
Leave a comment below on what your favourite Caron Cakes (are or were).
Ronnie Calem Calem says
Made one Hugs and Kisses blanket as a gift for my niece's new baby. My son saw it and requested two blankets for two colleagues who were both having baby boys. Then a friend asked for one for her first great grandchild. How could I say "no". Live the pattern, love the Caron Baby Cakes. Hate that the colores are so limited in the baby cakes.