Loops & Threads Creme Cotton – ‘Creme’ of the Crop?

Loops & Threads Creme Cotton yarn has been on the racks for quite some time now. First being released in a ball-style skein, it was removed and repackaged into normal skeins and brought back to stores. I first tried this yarn out last year on a tote bag that I made for myself but wasn’t quite 100% sure on it.

Here’s one thing to know about me – I love Loops & Threads. Known (to me) for their affordably-priced Impeccable yarn and non-wool sock yarn, Perfect Pair, this brand has been one of my favorites for years.

So how does Creme Cotton size up to the other yarns available in the Loops & Threads line?

A Quick Look

Available at Michaels Stores, Creme Cotton is widely available for most crafters in the U.S. If there is not a Michaels near you and you’d still like to try it, there is always the purchase online option as well to have it shipped to you!

Available Colors

Creme Cotton is available in a range of 14 beautiful colors. These colors range from neutrals to bright summery colors and even calming dusty colors perfect for fall.

This yarn is, however, missing a lot of staple colors that would make this yarn more of a fore-front pick for me. There is no black or other deep colors like red, purple, or deeper greens. If you are looking for specifically one of the 14 colors they have, then great! Just be aware – if you are working on a project, make sure the colors you want are offered before starting.

Skein Quality

Here’s the big issue that I have with this yarn – they have a ton of work to do in terms of skein quality.

While the yarn itself is beautiful, working with it out of the skein is a nightmare. I purchased quite a few balls of this yarn, including Light Grey, Pumpkin, Mustard, Creme, and Deep Teal. Almost every single one of these skeins was loaded with knots.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had issues with knots either. This yarn was recently repackaged from a ball-style skein to a more normal skein version. Reading up on reviews for the old version, it seems that knots may be more prevalent in the new skeins, but I’m not 100% sure on that one.

Oddly enough, I generally found more knots at the beginning of the ball rather than the end/center of the ball. I’m not sure if there’s a correlation, but just an interesting observeration.

On top of the knots – I also had a pretty bad problem with yarn barf. This was a particular issue with the light grey ones purchased most recently. It’s not a good impression when you buy a new skein of yarn and immediately as you go to start, you end up with yarn barf stuck in the middle of the ball of yarn.

Feel & Softness – Working Up & Finished

Starting off a project, it’s hard to ignore the fact that it’s quite a bit softer than normal cotton yarn. This is most likely due to the fiber content being not only cotton but also nylon. It does, however, tend to feel a bit dry or dusty while working up for a period of time.

I mean, it’s cotton, so it’s going to feel a bit dry – but I figure it’s something to note.

Finished projects with this yarn feel just as soft as the skein. They have a wonderful feel and drape and are great for wearable projects! You do have to be weary though of a few things – notably pilling and stretching.

Older purses and projects I have made with this yarn tend to have some with pilling in areas where they are rubbed on a lot – for instance, the backs of purses or even the armpit/side of a shirt. The bag also seems to have stretched a bit in some areas, though this is to be expected with the yarn content.

Ease of Use

Usually, I love chainette-style yarns. They’re easy to work with and generally are less splitty than their ply’d counterparts. They have a nice structure and are generally strong enough to withstand most anything I throw at it.

This yarn, unfortunately, doesn’t quite follow those expectations. It splits like crazy. That, combined with the knots and yarn barf in the skein, it makes it fairly difficult to work with.

The downsides of this yarn aren’t without it’s upsides, however. I absolutely love the feel of this yarn working up. It’s extreme softness pre-wash as well as post-wash makes it hard to skip past, no matter the issues in the quality of the skein.

Wash Durability

For our wash test, I did two different “wash” swatches:

• One washed per the instructions on the label – hand wash cold, dry flat
• One washed with my normal laundry with cold water and dried on low heat.

First off – let’s talk about the handwashed swatch. For the handwash swatch, I went ahead and washed using normal laundry detergent in a bowl of cool water. I let it sit for a few minutes before laying out on a towel to get as much water out as possible. Laying the swatch flat, I gave it a few hours to dry while I got to work on my other swatches.

Handwashed, the yarn feels almost the exact same as it did before washing. Honestly, after working with acrylic for the past few reviews (which change drastically after washing), it was refreshing to find a yarn that looks and feels just as good as it did hot off the hooks!

Look-wise, the swatch looks just as great, if not better, after a quick handwash! It really opened up the holes, straightened out the edges, and fluffed up the stitches.

The real wildcard here – the wash/dry cycle!

While machine washing and drying is not on the label, I figured there was no reason to not give it a shot. Being a Cotton/Nylon blend, I didn’t expect it to really mess with the fibers, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I already know it pills quite a bit in high-use areas, but hey, it’s worth a shot!

I will say, I see why they ask you to handwash projects made with this yarn – you can definitely tell it looks quite a bit different (and yes, it did shrink a bit, but not by a ton). It still feels the same as it did before, but it does look quite a bit more uneven and more unruly than before. I think in the future, I’ll stick to handwashing this yarn, as intended.

Final Thoughts

While the yarn feels great and has a fantastic drape, I do have quite a few gripes about it.

First of all, the amount of knots in the yarn is insane. Having to stop every few rows of my project to cut a knot out and reconnect it is extremely annoying and almost enough to put myself off using this yarn again.

The main reason why I do still use this yarn? I love how it feels and I absolutely love the colors it comes in. I’ve used it personally few bags including tote bags and purses, but I’m sure it would make a great wearable garment. Just keep in mind that pilling may also occur in high-traffic areas, so a bit of higher maintinence may be needed to keep those projects looking tip-top!