What is there to say about a yarn that is “All That” in one 312 yard Acrylic & Wool skein?
A LOT!
Tied to a few Funky Crochet Hat Patterns, and in January of 2022, to a CUPCAKE 🧁, my ongoing affair with Scarfi started on December 11 2020. I know this as, divine intervention being what it is, I started creating inventory tags for all yarn purchases at that point.🔖 .
The story...In the early days of getting back into crocheting, decades after learning from my Nana, it was the height of the pandemic and before LYS’s (Local Yarn Stores) were on my radar. The big box craft stores were my discovery zones for all things yarn and I walked into them double masked, with a face shield and blue nitrile gloves...cause...it was what it was. I was a lot coming at you, but I was vibin’ this new fiber arts pull, and needed yarn sooo...
I had price thresholds that were VERY low (2.99), not only for my purchases but for those purchased for my BFF who was in New York City where eh-vah-ry thing was shut down, including craft stores. In most instances, with coupons and discounts added in, it cost me more to ship the yarn to her than it cost to buy it.
Anywhoo....a few trips in (lets just say 5 but it was really 10), I realized, I like hooking. With a goal to stay at my cost per skein threshold, albeit my skills were improving significantly, and knowing I was still on the struggle bus trying to figure out, what loops truly belong to the first stitch of the row, why were they so hard to see at 7pm and/or in dark colors, where did the slip stitch really go and what was the trick to get the back seam straight when working in the round, I did notice that some of the yarns I was attracted to had a little more sumpin’ sumpin’ going on, be it depth of color, variegation or an interesting texture and, were a few coins more, and by coins, I mean dollars.
Perhaps presumptuous, but even with the struggle bus items still to be figured out, I felt my crochet game was strong enough, to step out and up beyond the standard value priced 4/M that I was buying, and into this swirl of yarn-ie love simply titled “Scarfi”. Great name, but even better hand, color, loft and what I now know to be “bloom”. Whether its referred as ombre, gradual shading or self-striping, the flow of color is so well engineered that you can see the magic of it all in your minds eye before a loop goes on a hook.
The cream and black combo was my first purchase and with a coupon, made it kinda, sorta, not too much above my cost goal. It was perfect for a sample that I was making to align with Tester feedback on one of my first patterns I planned to published.
NOTE - Tester feedback is critical to publishing patterns and they have been essential in my Brand’s journey. Understanding that... Designers...stick to your vision even while building skills, cause if you don’t, you could end up with a hat that is much smaller than the grandiose swag you had planned as you try and honor/incorporate all the feedback. My issue, not theirs and don’t worry, I published the pattern that reflects the original vision with all of the appropriate tester feedback incorporated😉. The smallness of the sample aside...
...it was a WOW for how the yarn worked up and a OMG, as those weekly deals rolled in on my smart phone. Back to the big boxes I went, PPE right and tight. If there was another colorway I liked, it was added to the stash🛍🧶🛍
Like with other yarns I luved, I had to manage how much Scarfi I was purchasing as one doesn’t want to become one note but come on...Scarfi is the gift that keeps on giving esp when the average yardage for one of my Hat Patterns was around 200 yds.
Limited to some degree by what craft stores could offer, I fed my SCARFI needs via on-line purchases. Screen resolution being what it is, sometimes I liked the colorway when it showed up, sometimes not, but I have yet to include any of my Scarfi purchases "in whole", in a de-stash, as its simply good yarn that falls into my wheel house for a number of projects whether I finalize a pattern in it or not.
In being a good yarn, Scarfi is reliable, meaning, barring minor variations that are often linked to dye formulas (black and cream may show up in the hand just a little differently than coral and cream...if you know my background, you know how I know😉), it delivers the results needed without a lot of fuss. Some yarn barf and an odd knot on occasion, but neither are deterrents as Im known to splice and dice a skein, hank or ball at a creative hearts moment to achieve a specific aesthetic.
Fast forward, I get my first pattern accepted for publication in a national magazine, built on Scarfi in Pink and Silver that I purchased on line, and guess what...it came with Yarn support from who? Lion Brand Yarns! Which I didn’t need as a month earlier, luvin Scarfi soooo much, I had already tapped into Lion directly as an emerging Designer for yarn support and received a few amazing colorways for pattern development. I mean, I was a Scarfi sampling crocheting unicorn and wait for it...still bought more on line! That’s how much I vibed this yarn. Creme/Black, Cranberry/Black, Charcoal/Aqua, Cream/Teal, Pink/Silver, Ice/Gold, Mustard/Ice Pink and Im not saying how many skeins, but suffice it to say...I was covered.
So covered, I wrote and finalized two other patterns in Scarfie . “BEANIE-ISH” the last patterned offered in 2021 that comes with a “SHAWTY” version (yeah I used the word “Shawty”🤣), and CUPCAKE 🧁, the first pattern offered in 2022! Soft and luscious with its own cherry on top, Scarfi is a part of what becomes a CUPCAKE Most! On the social media posts it shows up in a couple of colorways which folks are really diggin’.
I could go on and on, but imma stop right here as...my BFF was and is right, Im outta control. I may need a Scarfi therapy group. Oooo yeah, I can bring cupcakes, real cupcakes and we can all talk about how much Scarfi yarn we have, new colorways on the horizon, why we luv it, what we are making right now and right next. Yup that’s the ticket!🤗🤗🤗
All this to say...if you havnt checked this yarn out, I encourage you to for all my mildly obsessive reasons already stated.
FYI...The pattern for the national magazine is scheduled to be published in Feb 2022, so Ill be lettin’ you all in on that Funky Head Gear Swag news as soon as it hits the stands. Until then...go on, get your Scarfi ON!
Here is how to get the Yarn! Click or copy and paste the link below to grab your skein. https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1026079&u=3075998&m=72611&urllink=&afftrack=
Note: In using the Affiliate link above, if you purchase this yarn via the link provided, I get a small percentage of the sale. 🤗🧶🤗
IG: @lionbrandyarn, #lionbrandyarn, #lionbrandyarns
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