Apr
okay so shawl in a ball yarn
So I made my first Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball project back in spring 2022 and honestly I picked it up because it was on sale at Michaels and the color gradient looked cool. Didn’t really think it through but that’s kinda how I roll with yarn purchases. The whole point of this yarn is that it’s basically pre-planned for you – the color changes are already there so you don’t have to think about striping or joining new colors or whatever.
The yarn itself comes in like a 450-yard ball which sounds like a lot but goes faster than you’d think. It’s a category 3 light weight yarn, so not super chunky but not fingering weight either. Good middle ground if you want something that works up reasonably fast but still has some drape to it.
what actually works with this yarn
Lion Brand pushes their free patterns on the label obviously but you don’t have to use those. I mean you can, they’re fine, but the yarn works for pretty much any shawl pattern that calls for similar yardage. Here’s what I’ve tried:
- Basic triangle shawls – just increase on every row or every other row until you run out of yarn
- Virus shawl pattern which everyone and their mom was making in 2022
- Chevron patterns because the color changes look cool with the zigzag
- Simple granny stripe but turned into a shawl shape
The thing is you gotta remember that one ball makes ONE shawl. You can’t really do a bigger project unless you buy multiple balls and honestly matching dye lots on this yarn is gonna be impossible because of how the colors work.
that virus shawl I mentioned
So spring 2022 I made a virus shawl with the colorway called Chrysocolla which is like these teal and purple and pink transitions. Was watching old episodes of The Office for the millionth time while making it. The virus pattern is pretty straightforward once you get the repeat down – it’s basically clusters and chain spaces that create this cool textured look. Works up in a semicircle shape.
Used a 5mm hook I think? Maybe 5.5mm. The pattern calls for one size but I always go up a hook size because I crochet tight and this yarn can get kinda stiff if you work it too tight. You want that drape for a shawl or it’s just gonna be a weird triangular blanket that doesn’t sit right on your shoulders.
One ball was exactly enough for the virus shawl pattern. Like I finished the last row and had maybe 2 yards left over. Cutting it real close which made me nervous the whole time tbh.
the annoying part nobody tells you
Okay so here’s what drove me crazy – the joins in the yarn. Because it’s a gradient, Lion Brand has to join different color sections together, and sometimes those joins are ROUGH. Like not smooth at all. I hit two knots in my Chrysocolla ball that I had to cut out and rejoin myself because they were just nasty thick knots that would’ve looked terrible in the finished piece.
When you cut out a knot you’re messing with the planned color transitions which is literally the whole point of buying this yarn. So then you gotta decide if you overlap the colors when you rejoin or if you just accept that there’s gonna be a weird skip in the gradient. I did the overlap thing and it wasn’t super noticeable but still annoyed me on principle.
Also the yarn splits sometimes when you’re working with it. It’s a 3-ply I think, and if your hook catches it wrong you end up splitting the yarn and having to back out and redo the stitch. Happens more with smaller hooks in my experience.
other colorways I’ve used
After that first one I got kinda hooked on the concept (pun not intended but I’ll take it). Tried a few other colorways:
- Calming Desert – this one’s cream to tan to rust colors, very neutral
- Mindful Mauve – purples and grays, probably my favorite
- Tranquility – blues and greens, very ocean vibes
The names are all trying to be like zen and peaceful which is whatever. They’re just color names. But it helps to know what you’re getting because buying online you can’t always tell how the transitions actually look.
gauge and hook size stuff
So Lion Brand recommends a 5mm hook but like I said I usually go bigger. If you want a lacier more open shawl go up to 6mm or even 6.5mm. The fabric will be more drapey and use less yarn per square inch which means your shawl might end up bigger.
If you go smaller like 4mm you’ll get a denser fabric that’s warmer but also stiffer. Depends what you want I guess. I made one with a 4.5mm hook in winter and it was actually nice as a thick shawl for wearing around the house but it didn’t have that elegant drape you usually want.
Gauge matters less for shawls than for like sweaters or whatever because you’re not trying to fit a specific size. You’re just making a triangle or semicircle and it either covers your shoulders or it doesn’t. But it does affect how far your yardage goes.
actual patterns that work well
Besides the virus shawl here’s what I’ve done or seen people do successfully:
Simple granny triangle: Start with a chain, do groups of double crochet with chain spaces between them, increase at the beginning and end of each row. Mindless TV crochet. Takes maybe 8-10 hours total depending on how fast you work.
Crochet crowd’s simple triangle shawl: Mikey has a pattern that’s literally just double crochet increases and it shows off the color changes really well because there’s no texture to distract from the gradient.
Lost in time shawl: This one’s more advanced with a lacy pattern but it’s really pretty. Might need to go up a hook size for this because the pattern is already pretty open.
Just winging it: Honestly you can just start with a chain and make up your own increase pattern. As long as you’re adding stitches evenly you’ll get a triangle shape. The yarn does most of the visual work for you.
comparing to other gradient yarns
I’ve also used Caron Cakes and Bernat Pop and some other gradient yarns and here’s the thing – Shawl in a Ball is specifically designed with longer color sections. Caron Cakes transitions happen faster and you get more repeats of the color sequence. Bernat Pop is even faster color changes, more stripy looking.
For an actual shawl I think the longer transitions of Shawl in a Ball work better. You get these subtle fades instead of obvious stripes. But it’s also more expensive usually. Caron Cakes you can sometimes find for like $5-6 on sale, Shawl in a Ball is usually $8-12 depending on where you shop.
My cat knocked over my whole yarn stash the other day and I realized I have like six balls of various gradient yarns just sitting there. Probably should make more shawls or stop buying yarn but we both know that’s not gonna happen.
the fiber content thing
It’s 97% acrylic and 3% rayon I think? Something like that. Point is it’s not natural fiber so if you’re anti-acrylic this isn’t for you. But the acrylic means it’s machine washable which is actually great for something you’re gonna wear and potentially get dirty or spill coffee on or whatever.
The rayon gives it a little bit of sheen which makes it look slightly fancier than basic Red Heart Super Saver acrylic. Not fancy fancy but like… nicer than the cheapest option.
It doesn’t breathe super well because acrylic, so wearing it in summer is kinda pointless unless you’re in aggressive air conditioning. Fall and spring it’s perfect. Winter it’s okay as a layering piece but not warm enough on its own if you’re actually outside in cold weather.
blocking your finished shawl
Okay so I never used to block anything because I was lazy and also didn’t really understand the point but with shawls it actually makes a difference. After you finish, wet the whole thing (I just soak it in the sink with a tiny bit of wool wash even though it’s acrylic), squeeze out excess water, then pin it out to dry in the shape you want.
For a triangle shawl you pin the top edge straight and the two side edges at an angle to make a nice triangle. For a semicircle you pin the straight edge and curve the rest. Let it dry completely before unpinning.
This opens up any lacy patterns and makes the whole thing lay flatter and look more professional. Takes like 24 hours to dry usually. I use foam blocking mats but you could probably use towels on a carpet or—wait actually don’t do carpet because of the fibers, towels on a flat surface works though.
when one ball isn’t enough
Sometimes you want a bigger shawl or you’re making something else entirely. I tried making a baby blanket once with three balls of the same colorway and that was… interesting. The color transitions didn’t line up between balls obviously so I had to think about how to join them.
I ended up doing stripes – finished one ball completely as horizontal stripes, then started the next ball. The gradients went in the same direction so it kinda worked but you could tell it wasn’t one continuous gradient. Not bad looking just not the same effect as a shawl where the gradient flows naturally around the shape.
For a bigger shawl you could use two balls and do a different construction. Like make two triangle shawls and seam them together into a rectangle, or do a wingspan style shawl where you work from the center out and use one ball for each wing. Haven’t tried that myself but I’ve seen people do it.
summer 2024 project
Most recently I made one in summer 2024 with the Serenity colorway which is like seafoam green to pale blue. Used a really simple V-stitch pattern – just double crochet, chain 1, double crochet in the same stitch, skip a stitch, repeat. Creates a nice open fabric with a subtle texture.
Made this one specifically because my friend was going through a rough breakup and I figured a handmade thing might help? I don’t know, seemed like a nice gesture. Took me about three evenings of crocheting while half-watching YouTube videos.
The V-stitch pattern worked up faster than the virus shawl and I actually liked how the color changes looked with it. The open stitches let you see more of the gradient at once instead of having it compressed into tight texture.
fixing mistakes in the middle
If you mess up halfway through and have to rip back, the good news is the yarn holds up okay to frogging. I’ve ripped back whole sections before and the yarn doesn’t get too fuzzy or damaged. Just wind it back into a ball as you go so it doesn’t tangle.
The bad news is ripping back means you lose track of where you were in the color gradient and it can mess with your mental plan of how the colors would fall. Not a huge deal but mildly annoying if you were expecting a certain color to hit a certain section of the shawl.
what doesn’t work great
Tried to make a hat once with this yarn and it was just weird. The color transitions are too long for something small like a hat so you end up with mostly one color and then a bit of transition at the top or brim. Defeats the whole purpose. Stick to shawls, scarves, or larger items.
Also tried a chevron blanket and while it looked okay the back-and-forth of chevron pattern means the colors don’t flow in one direction, they kind of zigzag which can look messy depending on the colorway. Works better with patterns that build in one direction like triangles or rectangles with rows all going the same way.
Temperature blankets or planned pooling – forget it, this yarn isn’t designed for that kind of controlled color work.
where to buy it cheaper
Michaels with a 40% off coupon is usually your best bet. Joann’s carries it too sometimes. I’ve seen it at Walmart but limited colors. Online on Lion Brand’s website they sometimes have sales but then you pay shipping unless you hit the minimum.
Webs / yarn.com sometimes has it and their prices are decent if you’re ordering other stuff anyway. Never seen it at local yarn stores because it’s a big box brand.
Check clearance sections because sometimes they discontinue colorways and you can get them cheap. Got a ball of some purple colorway for $4 once because they were getting rid of it. Made a perfectly good shawl, didn’t matter that it was discontinued.
care instructions reality check
Label says machine wash cold, tumble dry low. I’ve done that and it’s fine but the shawl can lose some shape in the dryer. I usually machine wash cold then lay flat to dry or hang it over a chair. Maintains the shape better and you don’t risk any weird stretching from the dryer heat.
It doesn’t pill much which is good for acrylic. Some acrylic yarns pill like crazy after a few washes but this one holds up pretty well. The colors don’t fade either which is nice.
Don’t iron it obviously because acrylic will melt but you probably weren’t planning to iron a shawl anyway.
That’s basically everything I know about working with this yarn. It’s not complicated – you buy the ball, you pick a pattern or make one up, you crochet until you run out of yarn, you block it if you want it to look nice, done. The color changes do the heavy lifting so even a simple pattern looks impressive to people who don’t crochet.
