Today I’ll be doing a quick review and tell you my thoughts on Caron Blossom Cakes. I picked this yarn up for a blanket pattern test for Becky of MeasuredAndStitched (who’s surprised? not me lol) from Michael’s. I really didn’t feel like going to the store and sifting through all of the different types of yarn for this blanket, so I took to the internet.
** the views expressed in this post are my own. I purchased this yarn myself and have not received compensation for my review. there may be affiliate links throughout. purchasing through these links will not change the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission **
The sample that Becky made was using a size 3 Caron Cake (Ripple Cotton, I think). Maybe it’s just me, but working with size 3 yarn makes it feel like things don’t work up quickly. I learned to crochet (and knit) using large yarn and equally large hooks and needles, so I always saw quicker gratification in the items working up quicker. I also go into projects with finer yarn knowing that it’s going to take a while to see results, so it doesn’t bother me. I don’t know why size 3 yarn messes with my head so much.
Anyway – I got the OK from Becky to use a size 4. I’ve actually never worked with a Caron cake from “the cake shop” before, and they were on sale at Michael’s, so I decided to go with it. I really like the look of variegated yarns and I’m a sucker for yellows and pastels. The color I chose was Tropical Bloom. It has yellow, pastel purples, and even some neutral colors with some pops of fuchsia. Caked up, it looks gorgeous.
Have you ever started a project and absolutely hated the way the colors were pooling in the first few rows? That was me with this yarn. Worked up in a primary HDC (half double crochet) stitch pattern, it looked so brown. Normally I love browns. Ask my sister, she took me to get my nails done before I got engaged and much to her dismay, I picked a brown color (she still hasn’t stopped making fun of me for it). However, I really was looking forward to mostly purple and fuchsia with a little bit of yellow and brown.
Not gonna lie, I really thought about scrapping the whole thing, returning the yarn, and picking something else. But alas, I kept going. And I actually started to like it.
I’m glad I didn’t take it back. Now that I have ~ 1/3 of the project done, I can really see how it can be called Tropical Bloom. The colors complement each other beautifully, and I’m so excited to see the finished item “bloom” (see what I did there? ;))
Here are the specs:
- Weight & yardage:
- 8 oz./227 g.
- 481 yds./440 m.
- 61% cotton, 39% acrylic
- Machine washable and dryable – this is HUGE for me
- Size 4/medium weight yarn
- The label recommends a US Size H-8/5mm for both knitting needles and hooks. (I personally am using a size J-10/6mm hook for my project and love the drape – my most favorite hooks are the Dots hooks from WeCrochet, but if those aren’t in the budget, these ergonomic hooks are great too!)
Pros:
- It’s tubed and not spun. The tubed design helps with not splitting the stitches.
- The stitch definition is amazing. This is likely due to the tubed design of the yarn.
- The color changes are subtle and it makes for a smoother color transition.
- The finished fabric is so soft.
Cons:
- It’s a little fuzzy
- If one fiber of the tube gets cut, the whole thing could fall apart.
- Still a bit too much brown for my liking lol
- The cotton content makes it a little rough on the hands.
- Kind of expensive
Aside from blankets, I could see this used in accessories. It feels a little heavy to be used for an actual shirt. I would maybe make a shawl or even a scarf with this if I weren’t using it for a blanket.
Would I buy this yarn again? mmmmmm maybe, but I think I’d really have to be in the mood to use it & it would almost have to be the recommended yarn for a pattern. I think if I didn’t have a test coming due with it, I would put it right in my stash boxes, where most yarns go to die.
The Mediocre Homemaker 