I am a new knitter, and yarn can be scary sometimes. I love looking at beautiful skeins and petting them in the shop, but when it comes to actually sitting down and making something, I don't always want the added pressure of the cost of the yarn in my brain as I'm trying to practice knit 2 togethers.
I picked up two skeins of Plymouth Encore Chunky to make a set of scarves for an under-five
friend of mine (and his beloved stuffed humpty dumpty). I liked that it had a decent amount of acrylic and would stand up to some wear and tear, and I liked that it came in a few bright colors. It's washable, and the price is right too!
What I didn't expect is that it would be a dream to knit with. Bulky yarn can sometimes be loosely plied, but this has a tight twist which means I rarely ever split it with my needle tip - perfect for TV knitting. Because of the weight, it knits up incredibly fast, and the color changes are pronounced enough to keep things interesting, and not so dramatic that they create weird effects in the finished piece. Best of all, the mix of wool and acrylic makes the yarn quite "grabby" - perfect for anyone beginning who might need to frog a row (or 60). I am making a hat that has had four different versions of the crown, and the yarn looks and feels as good as the day I bought it despite ripping it back and starting again. It doesn't slip off my metal DPNs, either!
So if you're a new knitter looking for something to practice with, or a more experienced one looking for something to work with that's fast and practically indestructible, give the Encore a try!
