When yarn BLOOMS.

This is the term I was not aware of for some time, I just knew that there are yarns that 'fill out the little spots in the pattern nicely" and the yarns that do not. Those that do not BLOOM, give a nice strong detail to your pieces and show off patterns very well.
But many times, my Granny Squares looked 'poor', skinny, like they are not filled out right.
So I kept looking and asking questions, untill one of my more experienced friends mentioned, that I am looking for yarn that BLOOMS.

Makes sense now.


These are two samples of the same thing.
One is made from yarn that does not BLOOM, the other from BLOOMING yarn.
Both yarns are the same thickness and the same hook size was used.

Can you see what I am talking about?

Knit Picks CotLin DK Yarn - 3 STARS

This cotton blend yarn fits nicely within my collection of Shine Sport, as it is almost the same wieght and thickness.

These are the colors I added. As you can see, these two yarn lines are so close in their looks that I had a hard time separating them without having their labels on.
****picture comming

1. Lilac -darker shade of purple, not as dark as Shine Sport Serenade
2. Creme Brulee - reminds me a dark banana yellow
3. Sea Foam - nice shade of tourqiose
4. Flamingo - light pink-almost powdery peach
5. Linen - true brownish tan
6. Moroccan red -red red

Color choices:
I picked a few colors of CotLin DK because they were just a little gentler and softer.

Feel of the yarn:
CotLin is great for filling up the empty spaces in your palette selection, but I would not pick this thread up for a project alone. Not for one that has to be worned, touched and used on the regular basis. As I worked on my granny squares, I found that the more I handled this yarn, more tiny fuzzies appeared. When you squezee the ball, it gives you hat 'crunch or squeel' feeling. I think it is due to 30% linen in it. This is not necessary the bad thing, I am just comparing my experiences to other yarn, like Shine Sport is.

CotLin DK is a good choice to suplement your stash, will work well at a price of$ 2.79 per 50g.

 I give this yarn three stars.

Knit Picks Shine Sport gets Five stars

One of my favorite yarns to use is Knit Picks Shine Sport.

Every color addict should have stash of this cotton blend.

It is perfect weight for my crochet projects. Here is what you see on the label.

Color options:
There are many bright and pure colors in this line, many lights, darks and anywhere in between. If you've seen my work, you know how much I love colors. Not many yarn brands have wide palette of colors for me.
And if you can't find color you need, Shine Sport can be easily augmented with CotLin from Knit Picks. I also found that Simplicity

These are all the colors I have in my stash: 

1. Willow  2. Cream   3. Blush  4. Crocus   5. Serenade?   6. Chartreuse   7. Macaw   8. Reef
9. Aquamarine   10. French Blue   11. Robot   12. Wallaby   13. Bison  14. Pageant    15. Sky
16. Hydrangea
17. Cosmopolitans  18. Clementine 19. Dandelion  20. Wisteria
white and black

Make sure to get an extra ball of white, as it is part of almost every block. I always get two whites and one black no matter what yarn selection.

Fell of this yarn:
Shine Sport has very soft, sleek feel to it. It is pure joy to work with as it slides on your hook like butter. It does not split as you poke your crochet hook through the loops. Little spaces are filled just right. There is a touch of shine that accents your pattern. This shine does not come from some artificial additions, it comes from how it is made or twisted, Most of all, I like that no little fuzzies tangle on your hook or fuzz over the pattern. It is clean work.
I use 3.5mm crochet hook. Anything bigger feels nice but creates a piece that is way too soft for me. I like my finished work to hold its shape nicely, so 3.5mm is great.
I also think it helps to have tighter stitches when it is time to wash it.

Cost:
For $2.49 / 50g ball, it is great deal. Good price, good color selection, many colors and fun to work with. You might get free shipping too.

Love it!

Shine Sport gets FIVE STARS !!!