Yarn review: Lauren Aston Designs Chunky Merino

Lauren Aston Designs (LAD) merino chunky yarn is my all-time favourite chunky yarn. It’s colourful and soft and Lauren is a knitting queen. I get a fair amount of questions about it so here is my in-depth review which will hopefully answer any questions you have and maybe convince you to give it a go.

The ‘Wool You Be Mine’ Sweater made with chunky merino in Natural White and Poppy (limited edition colour).

Need to know
Price : £13.00 for 200 g (130 m). 4 hanks for £46 (12% off).
Fibre : 100 % merino wool
Needles: 10 -15 mm (I like to use 12 mm).
Colours available : 25
Suitable for felting: Yes

This yarn isn’t plied but is spun and is light and fluffy despite being a chunky yarn. It’s very easy to knit with, even with unhappy hands from all the hand washing. Click here to browse.

Chunky merino in Sage, Bubble, Lilac, Bubblegum and Emerald.

Colours
The super chunky merino is available in 25 colours and they’re all available pretty much most of the time (which can’t be said for We Are Knitters and Wool And The Gang). The photos of the yarn on her website are true to life and the range is excellent. If you sign up to one of the subscription boxes there are secret limited edition colours which you can order anytime so really, the crafting possibilities are endless.
My favourite colours: Mink Blush, Lilac, Sky and Soft Peach.

Texture
The LAD chunky merino is chunky but it is much lighter than other chunky yarns. It’s nice to wear under a coat without feeling like a toddler in a one-piece ski onesie and it’s very soft against your skin. Every person is different but I have very sensitive skin and chronic, persistent eczema and it doesn’t irritate me at all and I can wear it with nothing underneath. It will need de-bobbling with wear but this is the same for any chunky wool based yarn but if you look after it well, it will stay looking lovely for a long time.

The company
In addition to having excellent products and patterns, LAD have really good customer service. They reply to emails pretty quickly (especially current circumstances considering - we’re currently in the third UK lockdown because Covid. If you reading this from far away in the future, be proud of yourself that you made it ❤) and if there are any issues with your order, they keep you updated and are very considerate of you as a customer. The yarn is packaged all with recyclable packaging and it looks beautiful and is very much a gift for yourself.

Recommended projects
If you’re looking for a knit kit using this yarn, I’d recommend the Button (Kn)it Up Cardigan. It’s a really good project for beginners but also a great TV knit for more experienced knitters. An alternative if you just want to purchase the yarn, is the Seaside cardigan which is available for free on this site. It uses simple techniques and 12 mm needles so it’s a great beginners project.

FAQ

How does this yarn wash?
This yarn needs to be hand washed and with a wool friendly detergent. It will take a long time to dry - several days and possibly longer if it’s chilly. I recommend spot washing where possible and if it smells worn to air it out before putting into storage.

How does this yarn wear?
Very well. It behaves like wool does and needs a little extra looking after. This little extra care will ensure your garment will last and this is what slow fashion is really about.

How accurate are the images online?
Very. The colours are exactly how they look online.

What about crocheting?
I’ve tried crocheting a kind of granny square jumper with it and it didn’t work out so well. But I would like to try again. I think perhaps a chunky crochet cardigan so watch this space.

Summary
I love this yarn. The only downside is that the price isn’t that accessible but considering it’s 100 % merino, you couldn’t shop-buy a knit for £46 (4 hanks are needed for a cardigan) made of the same fibre. I have no criticisms of it and in my opinion, it’s the best chunky yarn out there.

Other makers’ projects

Left - right - @maisieknitsx in the dreamy cardigan @knit.one.purl.one in her own design in and @_abbycreates in her brioche scarf and rainbow cardigan.

Note: All opinions my own, I’m in no way affiliated with Lauren Aston Designs - I’m just a huge fan girl.

The best chunky yarns

Chunky knits are my favourite - they’re cosy, comfy and you can walk around basically wearing a hug. Currently all my garment patterns are made with chunky yarn and they knit up quickly and are great if you’re looking for a TV knit. Chunky yarn is generally more expensive and yarn choice is generally more limited than other yarn weights and because your project is generally more of an investment, picking which yarn you want can be tricky.

Below are my favourite chunky yarns (plus a few I would love to try) with pictures of projects where I’ve used them. Hope this helps ❤

Wool and the Gang Crazy Sexy Wool - £16.99 per 200 g (80 m) available here

WATG Crazy Sexy Wool in Pink Lemonade

This yarn is the ultimate luxury yarn - it’s suuuuper chunky, soft and the colour range is amazing. It’s easy to knit with, good for beginners as you can really easily see your stitches and you can knit a beanie with it in about an hour. The only downside? The price. It’s expensive and definitely an investment if you want to knit something bigger than a beanie with it. Below I’m wearing the Hero Cardigan in pink lemonade which is the perfect shade of pink and one which I haven’t found anywhere else. I thought about getting this kit for a long time and get excited to wear it which is how we should feel about our clothes. I love it but its not budget friendly.

Lauren Aston Designs - Super Chunky Merino £13 for 200 g (130 m) available here

Hands down my favourite yarn. Ever. It’s so so soft (I have very sensitive skin and this doesn’t cause me irritation at all), the colours are amazing and it’s very reasonably priced for a luxury chunky yarn. You can get four hanks for £46 which is only a little more than a wool sweater from Zara and yours can be perfectly made for you and it’s much better for the environment. Not only do they have an excellent range, their customer service is on point. I’m a total fan girl and her Button (Kn)it Up cardigan is how my knitted cardigan obsession began and it’s my go to yarn. Can’t fault it.

Lauren Aston Designs yarn

Lauren Aston Designs yarn

Stitch and Story The Chunky Wool £9.99 for 100g (65 m) - available here

Stitch and Story chunky yarn

I really enjoy Stitch and Story. Everything is so cute and soft and I think they’re more beginner friendly than other yarn companies. The colours available are mostly soft pastels and the yarn is easy to work with and generally they are well stocked of all their colours. I’ve used it alongside The Wool and Crazy Sexy Wool in chunky cardi projects and it’s worked out fine so if you need a little more chunky yarn to finish a project, this is a good shout. PS. Their amigurumi is really cute too.

Stitch and Story chunky yarn and Lucy and Yak dungarees

We Are Knitters The Wool - £15 for 200g (80m) - available here

This is basically Crazy Sexy Wool’s sister. Same yarnage, same texture just in different colours. WAK have a slighter better deal on price but if you’re in the UK this is shipped from overseas so there is that to consider. Everything I said about WATG applies to this too - pricey but lovely.

We Are Knitters The Wool

Chunky yarns I own but are in my pile of WIPs

Sidar Adventure - £8.79 for 100 g (106 m) - available here

This is the first yarn I’ll knit something with once I’m done with Christmas projects. It’s much more affordable that other options due to it’s yarnage and it’s really soft. It isn’t 100% natural fibre but this does make it easier to care for and by the feel of it you wouldn’t really know. The colours available are more more limited than other options but this is a good choice if you love a neutral palette (I went for the red obviously!!) and it’s lighter than other chunky yarns.

Knitcraft Cosy On Up - £8 for 200g (80 m) - available here

Available exclusively from Hobbycraft, this yarn is 70% acrylic, 30% wool. It’s soft, fluffy and heavier weight - a perfect alternative to WATG and WAK. The fibre does pull apart easier than other chunky yarns and colours are again limited but it’s a nice option if you don’t want to invest in pricier options.

Drops Polaris - £4.50 for 100g (36 m) - available here

This yarn works out at roughly the same price as the Sidar Adventure but is 100 % wool. It has a limited colour range (again a very neutral palette) but is ideal for details such as duplicate stitch or cuffs. It’s similar to WATG and WAK but without the colour range but there are a lot of free patterns available on the Drops Design webpage so if you wanted chunky pattern inspiration to use with this yarn, it’s the perfect place to start.

As I’m based in the UK, these are all yarns I’ve either used or have in my WIP pile but there’ll be plenty more available in different parts of the world (I wish Lion Brand was easier to get over here!) If you have any other suggestions, please message me and I’ll include a list below for other options.

Hope this helps!

Abbie xoxo