Hello, lovelies!
This post contains affiliate links, which costs you nothing extra, but helps me a little!
I’m currently hunkered down in an ice storm here in KY.
With the Comfy & Cuddle Throw Pattern drop at the beginning of the month, I’m really excited to share my experience with a new(ish) yarn from Lion Brand.
I mentioned last week that last Christmas I wanted to make a soft blanket to cuddle up under. I’m obviously glad that I did with this wintery mix.
For a few days, I spent time looking for a soft, chunky yarn that would lay nicely on the couch when not in use. I also wanted to be able to throw it in the wash, since for most of the time, the only guy I’d be cuddling under the blanket with was my dog, Brady.
I finally settled on Lion Brand’s Cover Story, and man am I glad.
I thought I would share with my readers an in-depth review of my experience with working with these giant cakes of yarn.
Texture
Cover Story is super bulky chenille yarn. In my experience, it is comparable to Bernat Blanket yarn. A part of the appeal to this yarn is that it is super soft AND machine washable, making it perfect for all ages.
Since I am always crocheting, texture means everything to my hands. I have callouses caused by rough yarn in the past. This yarn glided through my hands making it actually pleasant to work with. In fact, it made going back to crocheting with my worsted acrylic yarn feel course.
When your product is made, whether it be a pillow, blanket, or headband, there is definitely the squish factor. When I’m cuddling under my throw, I seriously can’t stop squeezing the bobbles. I think that sounds worst than I’m meaning it to, get your mind out of the gutter.
When one of my pattern testers, Mandy, did a “twist test” to compare it to Bernat Blanket yarn, she found that Cover Story was thicker and more full. Therefore, I sized up a bit in hooks when designing my throw pattern, also liking the effect it had on the design.
Size
Best thing about this yarn?
There is so much of it in one skein! The yarn has 547 yards in one skein! Seriously, these are huge!
Now personally, I like weaving in tails in a crochet pattern, but if you’re one of those people that don’t, this is the yarn for you. In my Comfy & Cuddle blanket, there are only 4 tails to weave in throughout the entire throw. To use Bernat Blanket yarn (220 yards), there would be 10 ends to weave in!
Unwinding
My least favorite part about crocheting has to be yarn tangling. I can’t stand tangled yarn! When a skein comes tangled, there is about 2 minutes of me trying to undo it’s knots before the scissors are coming out.
That being said, this skein unwinds as used like a dream. There was no tangling unwinding the yarn and when I had to frog several rows while designing.
Perhaps that doesn’t mean much to you, but its so important to me (being the mess that I am) that I just had to put an entire section for it.
Availability
At the time of posting this review, Cover Story yarn can be found on Lion Brand’s website.
The only store I have found that sells the yarn in person is Joann.
Amazon has a selection as well, which is nice if you have Amazon Prime!
Price
Upfront, this yarn seems expensive, starting at $32.99 on Lion Brand’s website. The price per yard compared to Bernat Blanket yarn is a little more expensive.
For me, the quality makes it worth it.
PLUS…
This is no guarantee, but a lot of times, you can find promotions on Joann’s website. For example, at the time posting this, Cover Story yarn is $19.99. There is also a 20% off coupon applicable to the entire purchase, making the subtotal of the yarn 15.99. My favorite feature during this pandemic has been their curbside pickup!
Inconsistencies
Is it an honest review without including things I didn’t find attractive about this yarn?
The number of knots in each skein can range from 3 to 6 in my experience. To me, I kind of expect that with a skein so massive.
I suppose my main complaint about the yarn would be a few instances of discoloration. I worked with 4 skeins (two in gray and two in white). While working with the yarn, I found some instances of discoloration in two out of the four skeins. Picture is below:
That being said, these instances seemed rare. I was able to trim some of the chenille, so it wasn’t noticeable in the blanket. I’ll also add that none of my pattern testers reported anything like this in the yarn they used.
Summary
Is this yarn worth the purchase?
YES!
Is this yarn absolutely perfect?
No, but it has become my favorite super bulky chenille yarn for sure! I’d said it’s pretty close to perfect… at least it was for the pattern I used it for!
So don’t walk, run to check it out! And while you’re at it, whip up a Comfy and Cuddle blanket!
Here are the affiliate links where you can find this yarn.
Joann website (can offer curbside pickup!)
B R A N D I
A M A N D A
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