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A few months back I was making a lot of hats with the goal of donating them. To keep costs down I’d been only purchasing value yarns. You know, the cheap stuff. But after making a few hats that were exceptionally scratchy I decided that I wanted to test out a lot of different yarns and choose the best quality for my budget for these hats. Basically, I was on a mission to find the best cheap worsted yarn.
I have long had a few go-tos for cheap yarn like Red Heart Super Saver, Loops and Threads Impeccable, and I Love This Yarn in acrylic. But I realized that I can purchase other yarns for a good price that I might like the quality of better. And so I set out to compare all of my options and find the best cheap yarn in my most often used weight, 4-Medium.
What is Medium Weight Yarn?
So yarn has a weight and then it has a weight which is the same word but means different things even though it’s literally the same word. It’s unnecessarily confusing, if you ask me. One weight is, like actual weight, as in how many grams or ounces does the amount of yarn you are purchasing in a skein weigh. That’s why some of those really big balls of yarn are called things like “Pound of Love” because it’s 16 ounces.
The weight we’re concerned with today is actually the diameter or thickness of the yarn. The weight of yarn runs from 0-Lace Weight to 8-Jumbo. Today we’re talking about 4-Medium Weight Yarn.
Worsted & Aran – Both Medium Weight Yarns
Just because a yarn is medium weight that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the same thickness as another medium weight yarn. On the thinner end of the spectrum is worsted weight yarn (sometimes also called afghan yarn) and on the thicker end is aran weight.
For this project I purchased medium weight yarns of both worsted and aran classifications.
Yarn Halo
When talking about the weight of a yarn it also counts the halo of the yarn.
Halo, I suppose to put it crudely, is how much the yarn fuzzes out. You know those yarns, like chenille yarn, that have a string in the center and fluff attached to it? Even though that yarn has a very thin core all of that fluff is included when determining the weight (thickness) of the yarn. The more halo a yarn has the less definition and more fuzzy the finished crochet piece will be. For this yarn comparison I’m looking for good stitch definition and purchased only low halo yarns that don’t appear fluffy.
How Yarns Were Selected
I decided for budgetary reasons that I would need to be able to make a hat for $6 or less. This was the first criteria. Because some yarns are only offered in jumbo sizes, like a full pound, I estimated how many hats I could make from that whopper and divided out the cost per hat. If it was less than $6 each I gave that yarn a go.
Since it looks like the vast online stores offer free shipping at a certain purchase price, I decided not to count the cost of shipping in the yarn.
No Prints, Only Solids
Often yardage for the same collection of yarn varies between solids and prints. For this review I only used solid color yarns avoiding any heathers, stripes, speckles, or marls.
Color Selection
I feel like when I’m yarn shopping, good bright colors are more difficult to find than, say, neutrals. I decided for this project to try and test brighter shades. The colors I opted to purchase yarns in include cobalt blue, light blue, teal, coral, mustard, and bright pink. Basically I purchased whichever yarn I liked the best from each collection within my preselected color palette. Not exactly scientific but oh, well, this is arts and crafts, after all.
To Keep Things Fair…
I purchased all of these yarns with my own money and did not accept any product from retailers or brands. I did, however, purchase yarn on sale to help keep the costs of this post down.
The Crochet Pattern Used for All Hats in this Post
To keep things consistent every hat in this post was made from the exact same pattern, the Alex Beanie Free Crochet Hat Pattern. I think that this hat is neither feminine nor masculine but has a little bit of flair to it thanks to some crossed double crochet stitches.
This hat averages a make time of 4 hours for me including weaving in ends and adding a vegan leather garment tag. That time increased when the yarn was a real bear to work with or if it was so coarse it hurt my hands making me take frequent breaks. To keep things as consistent as possible between hats as far as tension goes, I made these hats back to back rather than spreading the project out over a few weeks or months. I hooked a minimum of 2 hours per day until all of the yarn was tested.
The Particulars of Each Yarn
For each worsted weight yarn tested you’ll find the particulars including:
- Brand Name, Collection, Color
- Yardage
- Weight in Grams, Weight in Ounces
- WPI (Wraps per Inch)
- Suggested Crochet Hook Size
- Price Paid, Suggested Retail Price
- Number of Solid Colors Available
- How Many Yards it Took to Hook The Review Hat
What is WPI – Wraps per Inch?
Wraps per inch is a great way to determine the thickness of a yarn. To find the WPI you simply wrap the yarn around a ruler between the hash marks for an inch. How many times the yarn wraps around the ruler with the pieces of yarn touching but not overlapping is the Wraps per inch.
In this review the greatest WPI in yarns marked as medium weight came out to 9 wraps per inch. The smallest was 14 wraps per inch. Though these are both considered medium weight yarns per the manufacturers, that’s a huge difference in the actual size of the yarn.
Why Wraps per Inch can be Helpful.
Say you’re working on a project where you need a lot of colors. And maybe you need to source colors from multiple brands to get everything you need. But if you used that yarn that had a WPI of 14 with one with 9 WPI your project will be incredibly wonky because they can’t hook up a project that is the same size with such different diameters.
Over the course of testing 21 worsted weight yarns I found that 10-WPI was the most common found in 10 out of our 21 brands. So say I decide to use yarns with a WPI of 10 for my upcoming project. I can pull colors from any brand that has a WPI of 10 giving me a broader selection. Now sometimes things will go a bit wonky but for the most part I can shop colors within these 10 brands knowing that more than likely they will all play well together. Cool, right?
The Not so Technical Side of this Review – My Opinion
So when it came to documenting how I felt working with each yarn I emailed myself. If something wasn’t working well there were oftentimes a bit of profanity. And other times there were lots and lots of exclamation points and words like “love” thrown around. There is nothing technical about my opinion, but as I worked with each yarn I noted the following:
- How well did the yarn center pull? Did it come out easily or did I have to draw it out by hand every few stitches?
- Did the yarn have tangles that needed to be coaxed out?
- Was there waste having to cut and remove sections that could not be untangled?
- Did it feel soft or coarse? Did it cause irritation to my hands?
- Does the yarn split easily? Is it a beginner friendly yarn?
- How many joins were present in the skein?
- How was stitch definition?
- Overall happiness or displeasure with the yarn? Would I use it again?
And basically if anything was neither spectacular nor awful I didn’t address it.
Keep in Mind…
I only tested a single skein of each yarn. And sometimes I might have just come across a bad (or good) skein. Because of costs, and because I have already made 21 of the same freaking hat over and over, I decided to give each yarn a one and done test. A chance to put their best foot forward, I suppose.
All in all, I spent about 94 hours testing the yarns here in this post. In the future I’d like to run another test using a second skein of each yarn. But first I’ll have to get over the repetitive trauma of hooking up the same freaking hat over and over. Just kidding! I actually just have a few afghans I’m really keen to finish up :)
If you’d like to help us out here with this review please feel free to leave a comment with the brand and your experience with any worsted value weight yarn, even yarns we didn’t cover today. Your comments will help us round out our experiences for the best info available for anyone trying to find the best cheap yarn!
Let’s Find The Best Cheap Worsted Yarn
All opinions are my own. If you’ve had a different experience than I have and want to weigh in on any of the yarns reviewed here, please leave a comment with your experience at the end of this post. Thanks!
Looking for a yarn in particular? Jump to any yarn in this review:
Worsted Weight Yarn with a WPI of 9
Of the 21 brands only 2 had a WPI of 9, the thickest of all of the medium weight yarn tested. Here you will find details for Caron One Pound and Lion Brand Pound of Love Yarns.
Caron One Pound
Brand: Caron. Collection: One Pound. Color: Aqua. Price Paid/Suggested: $9.59 / $11.99
I’ve hooked so many things using Caron brand yarns, mostly the cakes. I love the Caron Marble Cakes and you can’t go wrong with the classic striped Caron Cakes. Today we’re going to be checking out their solid value yarn, the Caron One Pound.
As I worked with this yarn I noted a few things… The yarn was slightly coarse, something I noted as I began working with it but not something that caused me any trouble. Also as I started I could tell it was on the thicker side of medium weight yarn. Though I was using the recommended hook size, I did feel that I should have sized up to an I hook.
I didn’t encounter a single join knot in the entire 812 yards, which I thought was impressive. Buying the yarn on sale at Joann, I was really happy with the quality and amount of yarn I got for the price. In fact, I was pretty excited when I realized that I can hook up 4 hats from one skein and each hat cost me only $2.40 in yarn.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Caron One Pound?
Pros: Lots of yarn for the price. No tangles or join knots encountered. Does not split easily. Beginner friendly. Good stitch definition. Nice variety of solid colors.
Cons: Slightly coarse.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. Overall I was pleased with my experience with Caron One Pound and I will definitely use it in the future. The large amount of yarn in the skein and the fact that I didn’t hit a single join hopefully means less ends to weave in on future afghan projects. Awesome! I’m also loving I can make so many hats to donate for such a good price.
Buy Caron One Pound: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Lion Brand Pound of Love
Brand: Lion Brand. Collection: Pound of Love. Color: Cherry. Price Paid/Suggested: $9.97 / $13.99
I’ve used a lot of Lion Brand Yarn over my many decades as a crocheter and really looked forward to using Pound of Love. I was disappointed that there weren’t as many solid colors available as other brands but figured that for the price, I’d be willing to work with the limited color range.
However, I was frustrated with this yarn from the get-go. Trying to center pull out came a huge tangle that I spent about half an hour untangling. A few rows into the ribbing for the hat there was a crazy change in the thickness of the yarn. In fact, you can easily see the difference in size of stretchy band. It even looks like I dropped or added stitches. Halfway through the band (around 33 rows) there was a knot so big that I removed a tangle that was HALF of the weight of the skein. I tried to untangle it for a while before I got frustrated and tossed it in the trash and continued back with the skein.
As I worked through I hit 4 joins, but there honestly could have been more in the tangles I cut out and threw away. Initially I was super excited about Lion Brand Pound of Love because I could potentially make 5 hats from 1 skein that would cost less than $2/apiece. Instead I spent a lot of time untangling, cutting, weaving in extra ends. By the time I finished this hat that looks even worse in person, I decided I’m not interested in using this yarn again.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Pound of Love?
Pros: Lots of yardage for the price.
Cons: Uneven thickness causing visible distortions in finished hat. Less color options than similar yarn. 4 joins in skein. Threw away about half of the yarn (by weight) for tangles I couldn’t undo or just got too frustrated to continue to try and work out.
Overall would I recommend it? No. Which is a real shame. I know it’s possible I just got a really, really bad skein but the experience was so frustrating and I had such a good experience with other yarns for this review that I just don’t see myself ever coming back to it.
Buy Lion Brand Pound of Love: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Worsted Weight Yarn with a WPI of 10
The most common thickness of the yarns tested had 10 wraps per inch. In fact, almost half with 10 out of 21 medium weight yarns tested had a WPI of 10. That means all of these yarns should work well together if you need to source yarn from multiple brands.
The yarns reviewed in this section include: Bernat Super Value, Big Twist Living, Brava Worsted, Craft Smart Value, I Love This Yarn, Mainstays Acrylic, Mainstays Anti-Pill, Red Heart Super Saver, Wander Acrylic.
Bernat Super Value Yarn
Brand: Bernat. Collection: Super Value. Color: Hot Blue. Price Paid/Suggested: $3.99 / $5.99
I’ve used Bernat Blanket Yarn many times in the past and I just love that super bulky yarn. Before this yarn review, however, I have never used any other Bernat yarn, but having good experiences with the Blanket yarn I was pretty excited. Unfortunately, however, I am not a fan of Bernat Super Value Yarn.
Right at the beginning I was irritated with this skein as a huge tangle came out when I attempted to pull the yarn from the center to get started. After cutting out a good chunk of yarn I got started and hit another tangle only 42 stitches into the skein. As I worked up the hat I encountered some tangles that I could get undone but it took time which was frustrating. There were four tangles that could only be cut out to get past. That means I had 8 extra tails to weave in when finishing this hat.
How did Bernat Super Value Yarn Stack Up?
I did experience some fairly extreme variations in the diameter of the yarn encountering a few places that were very thick or very thin. Though noticeable as I worked, these differences weren’t enough to be overly noticeable in the finished hat.
This yarn feels somewhat coarse in between your fingers but it isn’t bad enough that it caused me any discomfort. As I worked with it I found that the yarn splits like crazy making it a difficult yarn for new crocheters. Normally I can hook the Alex Beanie used in this pattern in about 4 hours. With all of the extra work, including hooking more slowly to avoid splitting the yarn, I spent just over 6 hours on one hat.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Bernat Super Value?
Pros: Inexpensive. Nice color selection. Good stitch definition.
Cons: Lots of tangles requiring cutting the yarn creating lots of tails to weave in. Yarn splits easily. Not beginner friendly.
Overall would I recommend it? Nope. I will always be a fan of Bernat Blanket, but I don’t think I will be buying Bernat Super Value again.
Buy Bernat Super Value: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Big Twist Living Yarn
Brand: Big Twist. Collection: Living. Color: Really Red. Price Paid/Suggested: $5.19 / $6.49
Though I’ve purchased yarn from Joann regularly, I realized that I haven’t really used their own brand of yarn, Big Twist. I grabbed a skein of Living yarn in the color Really Red before realizing there are only a total of 12 different colors available.
How did Big Twist Living Stack Up?
Honestly as I worked with my first ever skein of Big Twist Living I wasn’t overly impressed or disappointed. It’s a solid value yarn but the limited colors may make it difficult to incorporate in any of my crochet projects moving forward.
I did note that the yarn was a nice texture and didn’t cause any problem with friction. It also seemed to be very consistent in its thickness and it did not split easily. Overall it was a solid yarn to work with but one hat used most of a single skein making it one of the more expensive yarns with a cost of around $5 per hat. Though, I do have to say, they have a mustard color that I think would make some gorgeous hats!
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Big Twist Living?
Pros: Consistent thickness. Good texture.
Cons: Lack of color options. One of the more expensive yarns tested. Only available at Joann.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. Big Twist Living yarn was not a stand out but not a disappointment, either. With a lack of colors I don’t see myself purchasing this yarn again. But if I got a good deal on it I would consider making a solid color crochet project with it.
Buy Big Twist Living: Joann
Brava Worsted
Brand: Brava. Collection: Worsted. Color: Rouge. Price Paid/Suggested: $8.99 / $3.99
You might have looked at the suggested price and the price I paid and thought there is a typo there. But, no, I paid $5 more for a skein than I could have gotten it for. With this worsted weight yarn review my yarn stash has EXPLODED. It’s insane. Normally I would have purchased the yarn directly at crochet.com for $3.99 a skein but I wouldn’t buy just what I needed… I would have gotten a lot and I just don’t have the space for it all right now! And so I bought it at a premium on Amazon just this once.
How did Brava Worsted Yarn Stack Up?
For all of the yarn I reviewed I weighed each skein as soon as I got it to make sure I got all of the yarn I paid for. This skein of Brava Worsted was the only one that was short by weight. The package shows it should way 100 grams and it was 97 grams. I wouldn’t sweat 3 grams, but in all fairness, that is one of the things I checked.
That smidge of missing weight was literally the only negative I experienced with my skein of Brava Worsted. And, truth be told, this is one of my all-time favorite worsted yarns to work with. The texture is great, not overly soft so it doesn’t easily split making it great for new hookers. It also isn’t coarse to the point of causing me friction issues. The thickness is perfection, no fuzzy spots, no places where the yarn changes at all. I didn’t encounter any tangles or joins. And when purchased directly from We Crochet you can make a great quality single hat for less than $4.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Brava Worsted?
Pros: Nice color selection. Gorgeously vibrant hot pink color (LOVE IT). Consistent thickness. Good texture. Doesn’t split easily. Great for beginners. Good value for quality.
Cons: Only available at $3.99 a skein at We Crochet or Knitpicks. Also available on Amazon but price increases $5/skein and very limited color range.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. I always love Brava Worsted and this review was a great reminder I should use it much more often! When looking for the best cheap yarn, Brava tied for first place!
Buy Brava Worsted: Amazon | Knit Picks | Crochet.com
Craft Smart Value Yarn
Brand: Craft Smart. Collection: Value. Color: Pink. Price Paid/Suggested: $2.79 / $3.99
Craft Smart Value Yarn is the cheapest you can find at Michael’s stores. I always think of it as their direct competitor to Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. I love that they have so many color options with 63 solids including some super sassy neons. Unfortunately, a lot of the colors are online order only.
How did Craft Smart Value Yarn Stack Up?
As I worked with the yarn I noticed that the texture was coarse enough that I was taking regular breaks because of the chafing on my tension hand. I also noticed that the yarn has good stretch making it a solid choice for hats that you’d like to have a bit of give, especially if you’re making them for strangers. And this yarn absolutely does not split. It’s a great option for new crocheters.
With a decent amount of yardage you’re only 16 yards short to make 2 hats from a single skein.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Craft Smart Value?
Pros: Large color selection. Consistent thickness. Good stitch definition. Nice stretch to finished product. Good value.
Cons: Only available at Michael’s Stores. Many colors are online order only. Texture is coarse and can cause some chafing.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. I think this is a good option for new crocheters because the yarn is ideal because it doesn’t split, has some stretch, and gives good stitch definition, which can be super helpful when learning and having to go back and count stitches. The yarn is a bit coarse and did cause some discomfort when hooking over long stretches so I probably wouldn’t use it for a marathon crochet like a blanket I want to hook up quickly.
Buy Craft Smart Value Yarn: Michael’s
I Love This Yarn
Brand: I Love This Yarn. Color: Hot Rose. Price Paid/Suggested: $3.49 / $4.99
I Love This Yarn is a store brand sold exclusively at Hobby Lobby stores. They offer the most solid colors (70) out of any brand reviewed here. It’s a yarn I use a lot but I only buy it on weeks when they have 30% off. The sales rotate weekly so you can hit a sale frequently, if you need to.
How did I Love This Yarn Stack Up?
This yarn is nice and smooth and doesn’t split easily making it good for beginners. Though it doesn’t split, the yarn is surprisingly soft. I am so pleased that the finished hat is really soft and nicely stretchy.
When I first started to center pull this yarn a huge double tangle came out that was about half of the skein. It was a bit frustrating working with all of the yarn pulled out of the skein trying to keep my pets away to prevent any further issues. The tangles came out easily as I worked through the yarn, though, so it wasn’t all bad.
When purchased on sale you can make 2 hats from one skein at a cost of $1.75 per hat with a bit of yarn left over for the stash.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend I Love This Yarn?
Pros: Nice and soft. Good stitch definition. Doesn’t split easily. Good for beginners. Most solid colors offered of any brand reviewed. Good value for the price.
Cons: Only available at Hobby Lobby.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. Honestly, I actually do love this yarn and will continue to use it often.
Buy I Love This Yarn: Hobby Lobby
Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
Brand: Lion Brand. Collection: Vanna’s Choice. Color: Colonial Blue. Price Paid/Suggested: $3.29 / $4.99
When I first started this craft blog my go-to yarn was Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice. I would purchase it in store at Michael’s and get home and get after it. But before long it was harder to find in store and so I wound up changing to another yarn that was more readily available.
If you want to use Vanna’s Choice you’re probably going to have to purchase it online but it isn’t as available, even online as I’d like… Joann only carries 13 colors, Michael’s only offers it if you buy 3 skeins at a time. The best option is to purchase at Crochet.com
How did Vanna’s Choice Stack Up?
Even though I used to love this yarn in the past, this go-round I was less than pleased. Trying to pull the yarn from the center of the skein was an absolute no-go. With it constantly tangling I’d find myself taking the yarn off of my tension hand, pulling out a good number of yards to sit on my lap, then re-wrapping the yarn around my fingers… it made for slow progress which was really frustrating. Plus the yarn was slow to work with because it splits very easily. I was surprised that I got such good stitch definition on the finished hat but I wouldn’t recommend this yarn for beginners.
As I also worked I made note several times about how different the texture has become. It was much more coarse than I remembered. And I took frequent breaks because of how uncomfortable I found holding it to be. Another thing I noticed was a ton of static. I’m not sure if this was more weather related, but no other yarn crackled and popped as I worked with it.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Vanna’s Choice?
Pros: Good stitch definition.
Cons: Availability. Less colors than most other brands. Texture can cause discomfort when using. Splits easily. Not beginner friendly.
Overall would I recommend it? No. This is another one of those yarns I really wish had worked out well but when you can find other yarns more easily, with a lot more colors, that in and of itself is enough for me to exclude this yarn from my recommendations.
Buy Vanna’s Choice Yarn: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart | Crochet.com
Mainstays Acrylic Yarn
Brand: Mainstays. Collection: 100% Acrylic. Color: Teal. Price Paid/Suggested: $2.98 / $2.98
Though I’ve seen Mainstays Acrylic yarn at Walmart on my runs to the store I’ve never actually purchased it before that I can remember. Since I do my grocery shopping online and order it to be delivered to the house, I was able to conveniently add a skein to my grocery order to be delivered right to the house.
How did Mainstays 100% Acrylic Yarn Stack Up?
The first thing I noticed when I received the yarn was that the color I received was nowhere near the color as it appeared on my screen when I placed my order. All in all, since this was a hat to donate I wasn’t terribly concerned with the difference in the color. But if I was working it with other colors this might have thrown everything off kilter.
With only 12 colors available, Mainstays Acrylic yarn has the third least options out of 21 different yarns. The quality of the yarn didn’t stand out as either fantastic or terrible. It doesn’t easily split making it a good yarn for beginners and provides really good stitch definition. It’s not overly soft or coarse. I ran into no knots and not a single tangle.
And because I can make 2 hats from a skein at a cost of about $1.49 apiece with some leftover yarn, this is definitely a yarn that I will use when working up items to donate.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Mainstays 100% Acrylic?
Pros: Price for quality. Good stitch definition. Doesn’t split. Good for beginners. No knots or tangles in my skein.
Cons: Only 12 colors. Only available at Walmart. The color I got wasn’t what I was expecting.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe but leaning toward a yes. Again, I won’t be using this for anything that I need a lot of colors for, but if you need a basic shade you can work it in with other brands. Or if you just need a single color or if colors don’t really matter, you’re going to hook up something for a great price.
Buy Mainstays 100% Acrylic: Walmart
Mainstays Anti-Pill Acrylic Yarn
Brand: Mainstays. Collection: Anti-Pill Acrylic. Color: Fuchsia. Price Paid/Suggested: $2.66 / $2.66
Another Walmart exclusive yarn, Mainstays Anti-Pill is like the store brand of Premier Anti-Pill yarn. I was again able to order this yarn with my weekly grocery shopping making it a convenient purchase. For this yarn, the color I received matched my expectations from the online image I purchased from.
How did Mainstays Anti-Pill Stack Up?
At the very beginning of this yarn I encountered a huge tangle when I tried to pull the yarn from the center of the skein. It didn’t take much effort or coaxing to remove it which was great. The yarn is a nice texture and easy to work with. It doesn’t split easily making it beginner friendly. The yarn is a bit squishy and the stitch definition is a bit less defined than other brands of worsted yarn.
This line of yarn features only 5 colors (black, white, a darker gray, mint green, fuchsia) which is disappointing because it is a good yarn. But since I can only make a single hat from a skein, though it was the cheapest yarn I purchased at $2.66, it wasn’t the best value.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Mainstays Anti-Pill Yarn?
Pros: Doesn’t split easily. Beginner friendly. A nice yarn to work with.
Cons: Only available at Walmart. Only 5 colors.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. Though I liked this yarn enough that I would work with it again I probably won’t just because of the lack of colors offered. And though it is cheap to purchase, it isn’t the best bang for the buck.
Buy Mainstays Anti-Pill: Walmart
Red Heart Super Saver
Brand: Red Heart. Collection: Super Saver. Color: Blue. Price Paid/Suggested: $3.77 / $4.49
Red Heart Super Saver is definitely the first yarn I think of when I consider “Value Yarns”. It’s been around for ages and has no dye lots meaning you can buy a few skeins today and a few skeins next year and they should match up well. That doesn’t mean it always will, in my experience, but you have a better chance of it working out well than other brands.
How did Red Heart Super Saver Yarn Stack Up?
Since I have worked with this yarn quite a bit in the past I already have an idea of what to expect. The yarn always leans from slightly coarse to really coarse for me. When I was first crocheting it was the only brand I used because the price was right. But as I became more confident in using more expensive yarns I found myself limiting use of Red Heart Super Saver yarn for things where the texture wouldn’t matter as much… Like for punch needle rugs and home décor items.
This yarn doesn’t easily split but it also doesn’t provide the best stitch definition because it fuzzes out a bit. Overall because of the cost it is a good yarn for beginners to practice their skills.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Red Heart Super Saver Yarn?
Pros: Inexpensive. Lots of Colors. Probably the most easily available yarn. Also available in jumbo-sized skeins for large projects.
Cons: Coarse texture.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. I’ll definitely use Super Saver yarn for projects where I’m not concerned with the texture. But for items that you want to snuggle up in or wear, I’d avoid Red Heart Super Saver.
Buy Red Heart Super Saver: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Wander Acrylic Yarn
Brand: Wander. Collection: Acrylic. Color: Surf. Price Paid/Suggested: $5.00 / $5.00.
This was my first ever experience with Wander Acrylic but I’ve been obsessed with Furls Crochet Hooks. On a recent hook order I decided to tack on a few skeins of Wander Acrylic yarn in Thatch and Surf.
Honestly, I didn’t even intend to use it for this yarn review because at 120 yards for a $5 skein I was like, there’s no way I can make a hat for less than $6 but guess what? You can! Apparently, and very oddly, every other yarn in this review requires between 150 and 197 yards of yarn to hook up the Alex Beanie but, no joke, this hat took exactly 120 yards of yarn. I was sure this was a fluke and hooked up another hat in the thatch color. 120 yards on the nose, again. And each skein had a little ball of leftover yarn so the skeins actually contained more yarn than stated. But, to be fair, this is not an adult-sized hat. It’s a fit more appropriate for children.
How did Wander Acrylic Yarn Stack Up?
So because it takes an entire skein of yarn at $5.00 this is the most expensive yarn on this list of the best value yarn… But the texture is so soft and squishy and shiny and lovely that I will use it to make more hats. That being said, being squishy and soft means that this yarn splits like the dickens. Because I had to carefully place my hook, it took me about 6 hours to hook up an otherwise 4 hour hat and the stitch definition, especially in the crossed doubles, isn’t great. That being said, Wander Acrylic is fab but definitely not a beginner friendly yarn.
Because the skeins are small you will likely have a lot of ends to weave in. I did have 1 join in the skein but it was tied so loosely that I untied it and didn’t have to cut the yarn.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Wander Acrylic Yarn?
Pros: So soft. So shiny. Good number of colors including some pretty on-trend shades.
Cons: Splits easily and hooks up slowly. Not beginner friendly. Not great stitch definition. Only available at Furls Crochet.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe leaning toward yes. Though I really enjoyed this yarn I don’t see myself using it tons. Simply put I like to hook stuff up quickly while I’m watching TV, or whatever, and this is a yarn you have to pay more attention to. I have been looking into hooking up hats for cancer patients and this yarn would be so lovely and soft and perfect for that, though!
Buy Wander Acrylic: Furls Crochet
Worsted Weight Yarn with a WPI of 11
Out of 21 yarns, 6 skeins had a 11 wraps per inch, making it the second most popular thickness in our search for the best cheap yarn in the medium weight category.
The yarns reviewed in this section include: Big Twist Value, Loops & Threads Impeccable, Patons Canadiana, Premier Anti-Pilling, Premier Basix, Red Heart Soft Baby Steps, Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek.
Big Twist Value Yarn
Brand: Big Twist. Collection: Value. Color: Dark Coral. Price Paid/Suggested: $2.50 / $4.49
Recently I have been looking for some colorful and inexpensive yarn to hook up some traditional granny squares. I found the perfect colors to work together within the Big Twist Value collection and decided to test out a skein, first.
How did Big Twist Value Yarn Stack Up?
Right from the get go I was a bit irritated with this yarn. The center pull tangled and the thickness of the yarn was really inconsistent going from thick to thin and back again. You can even tell on the ribbing of the beanie how uneven the weight is. Though I didn’t encounter any joins I did have many places I thought were joins where an oddly solid fluff of fiber was stuck in the yarn. I did try to trim this fluff away but cut through the yarn a few times and abandoned that plan. Since the yarn wasn’t super consistent anyway I wasn’t going to create a bunch of tails to weave in.
It’s unfortunate because the texture of this yarn is pretty soft and you can hook with it for a long time without any chafing. But that soft texture also means that it splits easily making it not the best yarn for new crocheters. Even with a softer texture, the stitch definition was decent which was a pleasant surprise.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Big Twist Value?
Pros: Lots of colors available. Nice texture.
Cons: Only available at Joann. Uneven thickness. Splits easily and works up slowly. Not good for beginners.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. Since I did find some fabulous colors for my grannies I went ahead and ordered them despite the cons. I got this yarn on sale for only $2.50 a skein and that plus the color selection was the driving factor. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for beginners, but it’s a good value for projects where you aren’t concerned with perfection.
Buy Big Twist Value: Joann
Loops & Threads Impeccable
Brand: Loops & Threads. Collection: Impeccable. Color: Royal Blue. Price Paid/Suggested: $3.99 / $4.99
In recent years I’ve used Loops and Threads Impeccable Yarn more than any other. They have good selection of colors that are convenient for me to purchase at a nearby local Michael’s store.
How did Impeccable Yarn Stack Up?
I did notice that this particular skein of Impeccable yarn didn’t quite stand up to my expectations. I had some issues with the consistency of the thickness of the yarn that made for visibly different areas of the test beanie. But overall the stitch definition was good and the yarn did not split easily making it a good option for beginners.
With 61 colors there are a good number of shades to work out your crochet projects but I’ve always been disappointed in the lackluster showing of purple hues.
Back in the day you could only purchase Impeccable yarn at Michael’s but Loops & Threads now has an Amazon storefront where you can buy from them, too, but it will cost you considerably more.
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend Impeccable Yarn?
Pros: Good stitch definition. Does not easily split. Good for Beginners.
Cons: Availability. Less colors than most other brands. Texture can cause discomfort when using.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. Impeccable will probably always be one of my favorite yarns. There are a lot of colors to choose from and it hooks up well.
Patons Canadiana
Brand: Patons. Collection: Canadiana. Color: Clearwater Blue. Price Paid/Suggested: $4.99 / $5.99
Though I’ve seen a few skeins of Patons yarn at the local craft stores I visit, this is my first experience with the brand.
How did Patons Canadiana Yarn Stack Up?
As it turns out, I really like Patons Canadiana yarn. The blue shade I ordered online was pretty dead on for the actual color which I was really pleased with. This yarn is really soft but it doesn’t split easily, setting it apart, in my opinion and making it one of the better value yarns I reviewed. The finished hat is really soft, almost luxurious, but you still get that good stitch definition
The Good, the Bad. Would I Recommend this yarn?
Pros: Good texture. Nice stitch definition. Doesn’t split easily. Good for beginners.
Cons: One of the more expensive options. Though they have a lot of colors, you might have to shop around to multiple retailers to have access to all 42 shades.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. Though it is one of the more expensive yarns in this review it is definitely one I will go back to. It was just a real pleasure to work with and I was so pleased with the finished hat. I think it would be a good option for me to hook hats for cancer patients.
Buy Patons Canadiana Yarn: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted
Brand: Premier. Collection: Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted. Color: Azalea. Price Paid/Suggested: $4.99 / $4.99
Many years back I had purchased a sampler of Premier cotton yarns from Michael’s and used it to hook up a whole bunch of crochet washcloths. The thing is this was a small project just meant to travel easily but my experience with the yarn wound up being very positive. Shortly after completing my cotton wash rags I bought a whole bunch of Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted yarn and made an afghan. It was so soft and lovely and I’m honestly surprised I haven’t hooked up more with this yarn.
How did Premier Anti-Pilling Yarn Stack Up?
Pretty excited about using this yarn again, it was one of the first hats I hooked up for this review. I found no knots or tangles in the skein and the texture was nice and soft. It split a tiny bit here and there so I did have to pay more attention as I hooked to make sure I didn’t do that. Once finished I had a nice and stretchy hat that was soft with pretty good stitch definition.
With 67 solid color options you can make just about anything with this yarn. The nice and soft/loose texture is one that will make projects with lovely drape, so it is great for afghans and especially scarves.
Using most of the skein for one hat, that makes this yarn one of the more expensive options.
The Good, the Bad. Would I recommend this yarn?
Pros: Great color selection. Nice texture. No knots or joins.
Cons: Splits a bit, making it less beginner friendly than other brands. More expensive than some of the ofther brands.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. Because of that lovely soft texture that you hook up with the yarn and awesome color selection, Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted is a yarn I’ll definitely be using again (and hopefully again).
Buy Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted Yarn: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Premier Basix Worsted
Brand: Premier. Collection: Basix Worsted. Color: Mustard. Price Paid/Suggested: $4.79 / $3.79
There’s something about the super value type of value yarns that make me pause for a minute… it looks like Premier Basix Worsted is the cheapest Premier yarn you can get. When you pay a lot less for something you expect to get a lot less quality. Honestly when I ordered my first ever skein of Premier Basix Worsted I didn’t expect a whole lot.
How did Premier Basix Yarn Stack Up?
As I first pulled on the center of my skein I noticed how easily it came out. Then I noticed how soft the yarn was. Though it’s a bit thinner than some of our other yarns, meaning it will hook up a larger project a bit more slowly, I was still pretty stoked about the yarn really quickly. Talk about a real turn of events!
This yarn does have that lovely texture that hooks up very nicely. You get a good stretchy, soft crochet fabric, that will have a nice drape to it. Now that softness is what I really don’t expect so much in a value yarn but it’s really here. As I worked up this yarn into an Alex beanie I emailed myself six (SIX!) times that I love this yarn.
I didn’t have any experience with the yarn splitting at all making it a good beginner yarn. Able to watch TV and hook my hat without constantly looking down seems like small thing but when you’ve only watched TV for the last month while looking down at a hat you’re hooking was a really pleasant thing :)
There were no knots or joins in the entire skein. Since I was able to get a skein for $3.79 I was able to make two hats from this yarn at a cast of $1.90 apiece. And with 69 colors (the second most number of solid color yarns on this list) you can find a color for any project.
The Good, the Bad. Would I recommend this yarn?
Pros: Amazing value. Good stitch definition. Very Soft. Does not split easily. Beginner friendly. No knots or joins.
Cons: I couldn’t find this yarn to purchase in any brick and mortar store.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. The softness of Premier Basix was on par with the more expensive yarns tested in this review. At such a low price point and with such a soft texture I could make TONS of hats for cancer patients and I just love that.
Buy Premier Basix Worsted Yarn: Amazon | Michael’s | Walmart
Red Heart Soft Baby Steps Yarn
Brand: Red Heart. Collection: Soft Baby Steps. Color: Strawberry. Price Paid/Suggested: $5.19 / $6.49
This is another one of those yarns I bought sort of on an impulse without realizing that there isn’t much of a color selection (only 9). Red Heart Soft Baby Steps is one of the more expensive yarns on this list but I was still excited to give it a try.
How did this yarn Stack Up?
I knew that because it is a “baby” yarn that this skein was going to be buttery smooth, and it is! The texture of this yarn is fabulous. And if you’ve ever used baby yarns before, at least in my experience, they seem to me to fall on the much thinner side of worsted weight meaning they hook up smaller items that take longer to make. So I was pleased to find Red Heart Soft Baby Steps had 11 wraps per inch.
Though the color selection isn’t great I was really happy with this peppy and vibrant Strawberry pink. As I worked with this yarn I experienced no knots and not a single tangle. Being so soft caused absolutely no irritation as I worked with it but that also meant that it split easily. I wouldn’t recommend it for a very green beginner but if you’ve had a little bit of experience the splitting of this yarn is doable.
The end result of this baby yarn is a lovely soft hat that is still adult-sized. Using up 145 yards of a 256 yard skein that costs around $5, this yarn hooks up a more expensive hat.
The Good, the Bad. Would I recommend this yarn?
Pros: Super soft.
Cons: Price. Lack of colors. Splits somewhat easy. Not new beginner friendly.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. If you’re looking for a super soft worsted weight yarn at a decent price, Red Heart Soft Baby Steps is a solid option. But the lack of colors limits the uses for this yarn.
Buy Red Heart Soft Baby Steps Yarn: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek
Brand: Yarn Bee. Collection: Soft & Sleek. Color: Hot Pink. Price Paid/Suggested: $3.49 / $4.99
I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby has been one of my go-to cheap yarns for years. Recently I had purchased a skein of Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek from Hobby Lobby when they were sold out of one of my common colors. The price is a bit more expensive for the yards you get but I was excited to see how this yarn stacks up to my Hobby Lobby brand favorite.
How did this yarn Stack Up?
Though the yarn is called “soft and sleek” it seemed to me to not be quite as soft as the less expensive Hobby Lobby Brand I Love This Yarn. Rather than being softer I found it to be a bit looser. It didn’t split when I worked with it but I felt like the stitch definition wasn’t as good and the overall hook looked messier than other worsted weight yarns I reviewed.
With 39 solid colors there is a decent amount of options when it comes to Soft & Sleek yarn but not as many other brands tested. Though I could only make a single hat out of the 232 yard skein I had a decent amount of yarn to add to the stash afterward and the cost for the hat was less than $4 having bought the yarn on sale.
The Good, the Bad. Would I recommend Soft & Sleek Yarn?
Pros: Price. Does not split easily. Beginner friendly.
Cons: Less color selection. Loose texture causing a messier hook.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. Overall I’d say Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek is a good yarn. But at the end of the day, if you’re shopping at Hobby Lobby, I’d recommend I Love This Yarn over Soft and Sleek.
Buy Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek Yarn: Hobby Lobby
Worsted Yarn with a WPI of 12 & 14
Though most of the yarn in this review clocked in at a WPI of 10 or 11, we had 2 yarns that were thinner with a higher WPI of 12 or 14. Both are Lion Brand yarns. The yarns reviewed in this section include: Lion Brand Basic Stitch and Lion Brand Feels Like Butta.
Lion Brand Basic Stitch
Brand: Lion Brand. Collection: Basic Stitch. Color: Mustard. Price Paid/Suggested: $5.19 / $5.99
By the time I got around to hooking up a hat with my first ever skein of Lion Brand Basic Stitch I wasn’t looking forward to the prospect. Three of the yarns tested here already had been by Lion Brand and I got two no’s and one maybe as far as whether or not I’d work with their yarn again. Undeterred but not necessarily looking forward to the experience I got to work with Lion Brand Basic Stitch.
How did this Lion Brand Basic Stitch Yarn Stack Up?
With only 185 yards, Basic Stitch was definitely a much smaller skein than most I tested. And at $5.19 on sale, it was one of the more expensive options on this list.
But as I pulled the yarn from the center it came out smoothly and easily. Only a couple of rows into the band I emailed myself, “this yarn is just lovely”. And it is!
Nice and soft but not easily splitting Lion Brand Basic Stitch is a great yarn for beginners. The color was nice and vibrant and as the hat came together the stitch definition was impressive.
The Good, the Bad. Would I recommend Basic Stitch?
Pros: Soft texture. Doesn’t split easily. Good for beginners. Nice stitch definition. No joins or tangles in my skein.
Cons: Small skeins, more ends to weave in on large projects. Less color options than other brands.
Overall would I recommend it? Yes. In fact, I’ve already bought some more Lion Brand Basic Stitch Yarn to create an afghan with. Though more expensive than some of the other yarns I tested I just really liked this yarn and look forward to using it again in the future. It’s a premium I’m willing to pay for the quality.
Buy Lion Brand Basic Stitch: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
Lion Brand Feels Like Butta
Brand: Lion Brand. Collection: Feels Like Butta. Color: Royal Blue. Price Paid/Suggested: $4.99 / $4.99
Though Lion Brand Feels Like Butta yarn is marked as a medium weight yarn I really didn’t think that was accurate when I first started to pull the yarn from the skein. I had contacted Lion Brand customer service directly and was informed that the WPI would be estimated as between 8 and 10 WPI. But as I wrapped the yarn around a ruler I found that it was 14. Thinking that there might have been a mix up in the yarn I received, somehow, I ordered another skein in grey from another retailer. Again, it had a WPI of 14 which puts it as a light-weight yarn rather than medium weight.
Since I already did the work and since it is sold as a medium-weight yarn I’m including it in this review even though I don’t feel this is accurate.
How did Feels Like Butta Yarn Stack Up?
While most of the yarns on this list are made from acrylic Feels Like Butta is made from polyester. And the feel of this yarn is kid of odd… like yarn that has been treated with lotion, or something? But I do actually really like the texture and feel of the yarn.
It isn’t one of those smooth and consistent yarns, rather it has sort of a rugged and variable texture that doesn’t provide even or great stitch definition. The yarn didn’t seem to cause any chafing when I used it and I comfortably hooked the entire hat in one sitting.
Because the yarn is very thin compared to any other medium weight yarn on this list the hat created was very small. In fact I measured the width of the hat as it laid flat. Most of the hats were between 23 and 24cm with the absolute largest clocking in at 26 cm. The Feels Like Butta hat was only 21 cm wide making it considerably smaller than any of the others.
The Good, the Bad. Would I recommend Lion Brand Feels Like Butta yarn?
Pros: Like the feel of the texture.
Cons: I don’t think it’s actually a medium-weight yarn. No well defined stitches. Inconsistent thickness can make for messy looking projects. Not a lot of colors to choose from.
Overall would I recommend it? Maybe. So I’m totally torn about this yarn but at the end of the day I consider it a Light-3-Weight yarn and not a medium weight. Though I did think the texture was pretty neat, I’d only use it for projects where I’m more concerned with a plushy soft crochet fabric over one that looks nice and neat. I doubt I’ll purchase Feels Like Butta again.
Buy Feels Like Butta: Amazon | Joann | Michael’s | Walmart
That’s It! That’s All of the 21 Medium-Weight Value Yarns Reviewed to find the Best Cheap Yarn!
So what are our findings? Out of 21 yarns there are 9 that we recommend, 4 we don’t, and 8 we couldn’t really make our minds up about (maybes).
Our standouts that get a great rating for us? Caron One Pound, Brava Worsted, Craft Smart Value, I Love This Yarn, Loops & Threads Impeccable, Patons Canadiana, Premier Basix, Premier Anti-Pilling Worsted, Lion Brand Basic Stitch.
Our number one yarn? It’s a tie between Brava Worsted and Premier Basix. Both yarns were super easy to work with, had a nice texture that was both soft but still good for beginners and great color options. When purchased through Crochet.com Brava Worsted yarn is, I think for the quality, the best value of all worsted value yarns. And Premier Basix is just so easy to hook with!
Is there a yarn you love we didn’t review? Have you had different experiences with any of our yarns? Let us know in the comments!
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