Guilty Pleasures

Archives

  • March 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021

Categories

  • Blog
  • Crochet Patterns
  • Crochet Tutorials
  • Featured
  • Knitting Patterns
  • Learn to Crochet
  • Patterns
  • Reviews
  • Uncategorized
18
1K
18
0
99% Coffee 99% Coffee
99% Coffee 99% Coffee
  • Homepage
  • Blog
  • Patterns
    • Crochet Patterns
    • Knitting Patterns
  • Learn To Crochet
  • Yarn Reviews
  • Contact Me
  • Blog
  • Featured
  • Reviews

Lion Brand Truboo – Your Summer Yarn Boo?

  • June 28, 2022
  • Savannah
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

With the unusual high summer heat showing up for us in the Chicago area early on, so did my search for summer yarn choices. As usual, cotton was a forefront runner, but so was one of my favorite fibers – bamboo.

Bamboo yarn has been making the rounds the past few years – being used in some sock yarns and even being used by itself for a light, silky feeling yarn. So how does this yarn work and is it worth picking up for your next project?

A Quick Look
AvailabilityCraft Stores In-Store/Online or Online at LionBrand.com
Fiber Content100% Rayon from Bamboo
Structureplied
Skein Size241 yd/3.5oz (220 m/100 g)
Price per Skein$6.49 USD
A quick look at Lion Brand Truboo
Available Colors

Lion Brand’s TruBoo comes in a range of 27 beautiful colors – hitting almost any color you would need in a few different shades.

At my local Michaels, not all of these colors are available. Nor are they all available at any Michael’s I’ve been to (admittedly I’ve only been to a few since I live in a pretty rural area). I’m not sure if some of these are brand exclusives, but I wish I could find more colors in-store as opposed to having to order online for colors my local stores don’t carry.

If you can’t find the color you’re looking for at your local craft store – check out the Lion Brand Website for all colors available!

One thing to note – there is no black, but there are some beautiful darker shades of grey that do come close.

Overall, I love the colors available – they are perfect for spring and summer! I wish there was a nice dark black or some nice dark emeralds and rubies, but given the season this yarn is meant for, the colors are a perfect fit.

Skein Quality

Lion brand is doing a fantastic job here – I have been using Truboo for quite a few projects. One of these involves using quite a few skeins for a single project.

Personally, I have not had any issues with knots, breaks in the yarn, or discoloration through skeins. Granted, I purchased all of my yarn for my big projects at the same time within the same dyelot.

The only issue i’ve noticed with this yarn – sometimes, the skeins appear a bit messy on the outside. I think this may be due to how slippery and silky the yarn is, as it just kind of glides over itself. I’ve only had it with a few skeins where it unraveled quite quick, but otherwise haven’t had any major issues.

Feel & Softness – Working Up & Finished

Truboo has an exceptionally soft feel both working up and finished. If you’re looking for something super soft that will hold up well over washes, this is your yarn!

Progress on my spring/fall sweater showcasing Truboo

Not only is it extremely soft, but oh my, the drape is absolutely beautiful! I can see this yarn being used for a ton of things from summer garments to shawls and even accessories.

I’ve been using this yarn for a spring/fall sweater, it’s light and perfect for those Chicago seasons where it’s 30 degrees in the morning and 80 degrees in the evening! While the sweater is not yet done – it’s so soft and cool to the touch, making it a real joy to work with, even during those hot summer days.

Ease of Use

So let’s first start off with probably the first thing everyone’s heard about this yarn. Yes, it’s splitty. This is the first thing I heard about this yarn – how splitty it was. The first time I picked it up, I never wanted to work with it again! I was using an aluminum hook and had issues with my yarn splitting constantly. Thankfully, though, there are ways to mitigate the splitting and make it a bit easier to handle.

Using a wooden hook will help give you more grip while working rather than the yarn sliding all over an aluminum hook

The best way i’ve found to work with this yarn is by using a wooden hook. A wooden hook will give you some more grip to make it (hopefully) a bit easier to work with. With the aluminum hook, I found that the yarn would slip off often and cause me to go between the strands a bit too fast, causing more splitting than necessary.

I won’t say a wooden hook will fix all your issues, but it will help! The yarn is still quite splitty and I still had to work a bit more to keep it from splitting during my swatching, but overall I had a better time with the hooden hook vs other ones.

Wash Durability

For our wash test with this yarn – I followed the instructions on the back of the skein. I did wash the swatch in a lingerie bag on with cool water and laid it flat to dry on the patio in the early morning.

My first reaction to the washed skein was how soft and silky the yarn still felt. Sometimes after washing other yarns, after washing, you have issues like it deforming or having a bit of a weird feel to it. Washing this yarn did absolutely nothing to it’s softness – or the drape! It still feels fantastic both before the wash and after the wash.

Both photos (unedited) show the before and after wash swatches respectively side-by-side.

One thing I did notice, however – while the yarn was just as shiny, I did notice a slight discoloration in the yarn after the wash. It is very slight, but just noticeable enough to note.

While the unwashed swatch (left) seems to be a bright orange, the swatch that was washed (right) does appear slightly duller than it was prior to washing. I would chalk it up to the lighting being different, but even in different light I was able to notice it just slightly.

Final Thoughts

Truboo has been on the market for some time – and it’s no secret why this yarn is perfect for summer. The silky, smooth texture is perfect for summer tees and camis and even other projects that need that light feel with fantastic drape.

I think this yarn would be perfect for summer clothing, scarves, and maybe even a few home projects! If you’re looking at this yarn for a blanket for fall – it may not be the best. While the yarn itself creates some beautiful fabric, the outcome is more “cool” than “cozy”. Maybe perhaps for a light summer blanket, but I wouldn’t suggest it for a warm cozy blanket for fall or winter.

Is it worth it? Is the beautiful drape, shine, and feel worth the extra effort for this splitty yarn? 100% yes. For me, it’s worth the fight for how beautiful it turns out.

What were your first impressions of Truboo? What kind of projects have you made with this yarn? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

savgue_7dfwch
8/10
Total Score
  • Availability & Affordability
    7/10 Good
    How available the yarn is based on locations it's sold at, how it's sold (online/in-store), and how affordable it is.
  • Available Colors
    10/10 The best
    A look at how many colors this yarn comes and the quality of those colors.
  • Skein Quality
    10/10 The best
    Judges the yarn on the quality of the skein itself - this includes any knots, sudden color changes, color accuracy throughout, etc...
  • Feel/Softness
    10/10 The best
    How soft the yarn is in the finished project/test swatch.
  • Ease of Use
    3/10 Bad
    How easy is the yarn to use throughout the project - includes splitting and how difficult it is to work with normally without having to change how you work on the project.
  • Wash/Blocking Durability
    9/10 Amazing
    How well the yarn blocks or washes (depending on fiber). Includes how much the yarn pills and how the yarn may feel/look after a wash vs before.

The Good

  • Extremely soft
  • Beautiful sheen to projects made with this yarn
  • Light and perfect for summer clothing articles
  • Quite affordable ($.026/yd)
  • Wonderful Drape
  • Available at multiple sources

The Bad

  • Split-City
  • Difficult to work with, especially with slippery hooks and needles. Would suggest wooden or something with more of a grip.

Related

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • Bamboo
  • Lion Brand
  • Review
  • Truboo
Savannah

My name’s Savannah – I’m a knitter, crocheter, gamer, and avid crafter. I was taught to crochet by my grandmother at 10 years old and she continues to be one of my biggest inspirations in my life. Aside from knitting and crocheting, I also dabble in Web Development, new Crafts, Gardening, Gaming, and am presently working as an IT Specialist in higher education.

Previous Article
  • Blog
  • Reviews

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

  • June 14, 2022
  • Savannah
View Post
Next Article
  • Blog
  • Crochet Patterns
  • Featured
  • Patterns

Modern Herringbone Coasters – A Free Pattern Perfect for Summer

  • July 11, 2022
  • Savannah
View Post

Get the Newsletter!

Subscribe for free to emails to stay in the loop on new patterns, new reviews, and blog updates!

You May Also Like
View Post
  • Crochet Patterns
  • Featured
  • Patterns

Lavendar Fields Keychain – Free Pattern

  • Savannah
  • March 6, 2023
View Post
  • Crochet Patterns
  • Featured
  • Patterns

Fancy Puff Trivets – Free Pattern

  • Savannah
  • November 7, 2022
View Post
  • Blog
  • Crochet Tutorials

How To: Front Post (FPDC) and Back Post Double Crochet (BPDC)

  • Savannah
  • October 25, 2022
View Post
  • Blog
  • Crochet Patterns
  • Featured
  • Patterns

Season’s End Hat, A Free Pattern You’re Sure to Love this Season

  • Savannah
  • October 16, 2022
View Post
  • Blog
  • Crochet Tutorials

How To: Work Through the 3rd Loop

  • Savannah
  • October 16, 2022
View Post
  • Blog
  • Crochet Tutorials

How to Crochet the Puff Stitch in the Round

  • Savannah
  • October 16, 2022
View Post
  • Blog
  • Crochet Tutorials
  • Featured

How To: Crochet an I-Cord

  • Savannah
  • September 27, 2022
View Post
  • Blog
  • Crochet Tutorials
  • Featured

How To: Make a Magic Ring

  • Savannah
  • September 13, 2022
2 comments
  1. Cynthia Schoolcraft says:
    December 16, 2022 at 8:56 am

    Hi, my name is Cyndi. I found you this morning. I love the way you explain how tri do the stitches. I am 69 and a beginner crocheter. I am trying to make a baby blanket with dc. The problem is I forgot to count the stitches as I did the rows. Now it is getting shorter (not as wide as the beginning.) Short of taking the stitches out, is there any way I can fix it? Can you please help me? No one else will.
    Thank you so much!
    Cyndi Schoolcraft

    Reply
    1. Savannah says:
      December 16, 2022 at 10:39 am

      Good morning Cyndi!

      First of all, welcome to the world of crochet!

      One thing you can try to do is start increasing to get back to the same number of stitches you had – you can do this by simply doing 2 Double Crochet stitches into the same stitch to add one stitch to your row. I would suggest to do only one or two of these per row back to your original stitch count, as it can make it look a little funny.

      This will, however, cause your blanket to have that dip inwards before flaring back out, so I would only suggest this is you are only missing a few stitches. If you are missing a ton of stitches, it may be easiest to frog (unravel) back to where you find you started losing stitches and continue back from there to keep things even.

      The most common problem with the DC and losing stitches I find is that I either forget to add a stitch at the beginning or at the end of a row – I found a quick article that explains it fairly well how to find where you’re losing your stitch and how to fix it for the subsequent rows! https://schoolofcrochet.com/why-your-crochet-rows-get-shorter-and-how-to-fix-it/#wheres-the-missing-stitch

      I hope this helps! Frogging back work can be discouraging but it’s something we all have to do from time to time – the good news is you still get a beautiful project at the end! With just a little bit of attitude 😉

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Blog
20 Posts
View Posts
Crochet Patterns
11 Posts
View Posts
Featured
11 Posts
View Posts
Knitting Patterns
1 Posts
View Posts
Learn to Crochet
2 Posts
View Posts
Reviews
5 Posts
View Posts
Featured Posts
  • Lavendar Fields Keychain – Free Pattern
    • March 6, 2023
  • Fancy Puff Trivets – Free Pattern
    • November 7, 2022
  • Season’s End Hat, A Free Pattern You’re Sure to Love this Season
    • October 16, 2022
Instagram
Latest Reviews
Lion Brand Truboo – Your Summer Yarn Boo?
  • June 28, 2022
8/10
Very good
Loops & Threads Creme Cotton – ‘Creme’ of the Crop?
  • June 14, 2022
7/10
Good
Loops & Threads Perfect Pair – The Perfect Wool-Alternative Sock Yarn?
  • January 9, 2022
9/10
Amazing
A Look at Lion Brand Heartland Yarn
  • September 7, 2021
8/10
Very good
Loops & Threads Impeccable – A Review
  • September 7, 2021
9/10
Amazing
Author
Savannah
My name’s Savannah – I’m a knitter, crocheter, gamer, and avid crafter. I was taught to crochet by my grandmother at 10 years old and she continues to be one of my biggest inspirations in my life. Aside from knitting and crocheting, I also dabble in Web Development, new Crafts, Gardening, Gaming, and am presently working as an IT Specialist in higher education.
Get the Newsletter!

Subscribe for free to emails to stay in the loop on new patterns, new reviews, and blog updates!

Blog
20 Posts
View Posts
Crochet Patterns
11 Posts
View Posts
Featured
11 Posts
View Posts
Knitting Patterns
1 Posts
View Posts
Reviews
5 Posts
View Posts
99% Coffee 99% Coffee
  • Homepage
  • Blog
  • Patterns
  • Learn To Crochet
  • Yarn Reviews
  • Contact Me
Fiber Arts

Input your search keywords and press Enter.