Fiber Opinions You Keep to Yourself (Until Now)
Crocheters are a polite people. Well, unless you interrupt us while counting - then run for your life. And mostly we smile and nod when someone say things like “Oh that’s an interesting yarn choice!” and “I’m sure it’ll block out.”
But inside? Inside we are absolutely judging fiber content like it personally wronged us.
This is a safe-ish space. No yarn is being named to its face. These are the fiber opinions we all have but pretend we don’t, for the sake of group harmony and not starting a full on brawl at the yarn store…again…
Let’s begin.
1. “Soft” Means Absolutely Nothing Anymore
“Soft” is not a fiber description.
“Soft” is a vibe.
“Soft” could mean buttery luxury, or it could mean fine until you wash it once and it turns into felted despair.
If a yarn label’s main selling point is “SOFT!!!” in three fonts and no actual fiber explanation, I assume it’s lying to me.
Tell me:
Is it slippery?
Is it squeaky?
Will it pill if I look at it wrong?
“Soft” is marketing. I want facts.
2. Acrylic Isn’t the Devil…But It Is a Commitment
Acrylic yarn gets a lot of hate, and honestly? Some of it is earned.
Acrylic will:
Survive the apocalypse
Outlive you
Melt if you accidentally make eye contact with a dryer
But here’s the thing: acrylic has its place. Blankets. Kids’ stuff. Projects meant to be used, not revered like museum artifacts.
What we’re not going to do is pretend it behaves like wool. It doesn’t. And that’s fine. Just don’t lie to yourself and expect drape where none shall exist.
3. If It Squeaks, I Will Not Finish the Project
Some yarn squeaks on the hook.
Some people say, “You get used to it.”
I will not.
If a yarn sounds like it’s filing a complaint with every stitch, the project is done. I don’t care how pretty the color is. My nervous system has boundaries.
This is not a character flaw. This is self-preservation.
4. “Luxury Fiber” Doesn’t Automatically Mean “Pleasant Experience”
Ah yes. The luxury yarn.
It cost more. It feels fancy. It sheds like a nervous hamster.
Some high-end fibers:
Split constantly
Show every single mistake
Require handling instructions like a rare orchid
If I have to crochet slower than geological time to keep it from unraveling emotionally, I’m not relaxed!! I’m stressed expensively.
Luxury should not feel like a test of my moral character.
5. Cotton Is Honest, but It Will Not Help You
Cotton yarn does exactly what it says on the tin. No elasticity. No forgiveness. No mercy. Your joints will age in dog years with each row.
Miss a stitch? Cotton remembers.
Tension off by a hair? Cotton tells everyone.
Cotton is excellent for:
Dishcloths
Bags
Teaching you humility
It is not here to support your learning journey. It is here to document your mistakes.
6. Yarn With “Halo” Is Just Fuzz in a Trench Coat
Mohair. Alpaca blends. Anything described as “airy,” “cloudlike,” or “ethereal.”
Look. I get it. It’s beautiful.
But also:
You cannot see your stitches
You cannot frog without consequences
You will carry stray fibers on your clothes forever
Halo yarn is a lifestyle choice. If you choose it, you accept that clarity, counting, and personal space are no longer part of your life.
7. Hand-Dyed Yarn Is Gorgeous and Also a Risk
Hand-dyed yarn is art. It’s stunning. It’s one-of-a-kind.
It is also:
Potentially inconsistent
Color-pooling chaos
Emotionally dangerous if you didn’t buy enough
Every hand-dyed skein whispers, “This could be amazing… or it could be weird.”
And we buy it anyway. Because we are brave. And foolish.
8. “Beginner-Friendly” Yarn Is Often a Trap
If a yarn:
Splits constantly
Has no stitch definition
Hides errors like it’s protecting state secrets
…it is not beginner-friendly. It is beginner-hostile.
New crocheters deserve yarn that shows them what’s happening, not something that turns every stitch into a mystery blob.
Fluffy does not equal forgiving. Sometimes it just equals confusing.
9. Your Favorite Fiber Doesn’t Have to Be Justified
You don’t need to explain why you like wool, acrylic, blends, or something weird you found on clearance in 2009.
You can:
Like scratchy yarn
Hate popular fibers
Change your mind depending on the project
Crochet is already complicated enough without turning fiber preference into a personality test.
Use what works. Ignore the noise. Judge silently. That’s the tradition.
Final Thought: We’re All Quietly Opinionated and That’s Fine
Crocheters are united by yarn and divided by fiber opinions we pretend not to have.
We’ll keep smiling. We’ll keep complimenting projects. And deep down, we’ll continue making firm mental notes about which fibers we will absolutely never touch again.
And that’s okay. That’s wisdom.