My First Time Trying Universal Yarn: First Impressions & Review

by | Sep 27, 2022

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Have you ever tried yarn from Universal Yarn? I tried it for the first time, and I’m excited to show you my first impressions and initial review of their products.

Universal Yarn recently sent me some yarn to try out, and I wanted to share my first impressions and review with all of you.

7 colors of universal yarn with white marble background

If you’ve never tried Universal Yarn before, they offer a wide range of high-quality yarn for knitters, crocheters, and fiber artists.  These yarns are soft and easy to work with and come in a wide variety of colors and fibers. I’m definitely looking forward to using more of their yarns in the future.

If you’re thinking about trying Universal Yarn, or if you’re just curious to hear my thoughts on their products, keep reading!

 

Let’s look at the yarns that I received:

 

Cotton Supreme

Cotton Supreme is a soft, pliable cotton yarn that I think would work well for garments and accessories.  It doesn’t have the stiffness that you find in many cotton yarns that are often used for dishcloths.  If you like to make really high-quality, soft, luxurious washcloths or face cloths, this yarn would work well for that.  This is definitely a more premium quality cotton yarn.  Cotton Supreme is sold in a hank, so you’ll need to wind it first before using it.

light blue cotton supreme yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #4 Medium
  • Fiber Content: 100% Cotton
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Care Instructions: Machine Wash / Dry
  • Colorway: Powder Blue
  • Price: $12 per skein
  • Available in 45 colors

 

 

Cotton Supreme Waves

Cotton Supreme Waves is similar to the regular Cotton Supreme yarn, but it is dyed as a self-striping yarn cake.  The feel and quality are the same, but it is one category thinner with a different dye style.

colorful cotton supreme waves yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #3 Light
  • Fiber Content: 100% Cotton
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Care Instructions: Machine Wash / Dry
  • Colorway: Abalone
  • Price: $12 per skein
  • Available in 18 colors

 

Wool Pop

I think Wool Pop would be great for garments and accessories as well.  The fiber content includes both bamboo and Superwash wool, which would work well for spring and summer projects.  This yarn has an incredible softness, with no scratchiness at all.  The fibers in this yarn take the dye differently, so some of the fibers have less color to them, giving a neat, subtle depth to the colorway.  Wool Pop comes in a hank, so you’ll need to wind it before using it in your project.

light pink wood pop yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #3 Light
  • Fiber Content: 50% Bamboo, 35% Superwash Wool, 15% Polyamide
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Colorway: Darling Pink
  • Price: $15 per skein
  • Available in 30 colors

 

Vireo

I think Vireo would be ideal for spring and summer projects.  The texture and fiber content of this yarn would make a lovely, breathable fabric with an excellent drape.  It does split a little because it is a yarn with a looser twist to it, but that is normal for this type of yarn.  The looser twist allows the finished fabric to drape nicely.

peach vireo yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #4 Medium
  • Fiber Content: 80% Tencel, 20% Wool
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Care Instructions: Machine Wash / Dry
  • Colorway: Featherlight
  • Price: $16 per skein
  • Available in 16 colors

 

Uni Merino

Uni Merino (formerly known as Curio) is a nice-quality sock yarn.  The superwash merino wool is super soft, and the nylon adds a bit of durability.  I think this yarn would be great for other projects as well, including lightweight garments and accessories.  This would make a lovely sweater!

lavender uni merino - curio yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #1 Superfine
  • Fiber Content: 75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Care Instructions: Machine Wash / Dry
  • Colorway: Wisteria
  • Price: $14.50 per skein
  • Available in 50 colors

 

Bamboo Pop

Of all the yarns I received, this one has the widest selection of colors, with more than 70 colorways available! Bamboo Pop is a cotton and bamboo blend, which is awesome for summer garments.  This yarn would make a great summer tee or wrap.

light mint green bamboo pop yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #3 Light
  • Fiber Content: 50% Cotton, 50% Bamboo
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Colorway: Lily Pad
  • Price: $11 per skein
  • Available in over 70 colors

 

Bamboo Pop Sock Solids

If you love making socks, but you don’t want to use wool, this Bamboo Pop Sock Solids yarn is perfect for you.  It’s made from bamboo and cotton, with a touch of an elastic synthetic fiber that gives the finished socks nice elasticity.  I have not made socks with this yarn yet, but I have knit socks out of elastic sock yarns in the past.  The elastic fibers help keep the socks from stretching out over time.

grey bamboo pop sock yarn with white marble background

  • Weight Category: #1 Superfine
  • Fiber Content: 55% Bamboo, 37% Cotton, 8% PBT
  • Skein Size: 100g skeins
  • Colorway: Moondust
  • Price: $12 per skein
  • Available in 22 solid colors, also comes in multis

 

Testing the Yarns

I chose two of these yarns to make swatches with to see how the finished fabrics felt, and what it was like to work with the yarns.

For one swatch, I decided to crochet alternating rows of double crochet and single crochet in the Vireo yarn.  The yarn did split a few times, as I expected because it is a looser-twist yarn.  This is not a quality issue, but rather, a normal attribute of a looser-twist yarn.  However, one of the benefits of yarns with a looser twist is that the finished fabric drapes better.  My finished swatch definitely has a lovely drape and texture and is very soft against the skin.

For the second swatch, I used the Uni Merino yarn to knit a bit of garter stitch.  This swatch is soft and stretchy, with the springiness of wool, but without the scratchy feel that some wool yarns have.  This is because the yarn is made from Superwash Wool, which is treated to make it machine washable without felting (shrinking).  When wool is treated to become Superwash Wool, it loses its prickly feel and becomes nice and soft.

 

 

Quality

Are Universal Yarns Good?

Overall, I think the yarns from Universal Yarn are of very nice quality.  Of course, I have not made a project from all of these yarns yet, but when you have experience using different types of yarns, you can tell a lot about a yarn by the look, feel, and texture.

7 colors of universal yarn with white marble background

Each yarn feels great against the skin, and I can tell they would make beautiful finished projects.  They have a good assortment of fiber contents, colors, and yarn weights as well.  I think it’s important to have yarns that cover different seasons of the year.  Not everyone lives in a climate that requires hats, scarves, or heavy sweaters.  Not everyone stops knitting or crocheting when the weather warms up, either.  So I appreciate that they carry yarns for year-round projects.

 

Pricing

The yarns that I received from Universal Yarn range in price from $11 to $16 per skein.  These yarns are more of a luxury yarn with a higher-end look and feel than some yarns available in major craft stores.  So they may not be the most inexpensive yarns available, but they do have a unique selection of fiber contents that you may not find at your local craft store.

 

Would I Recommend Universal Yarn?

Yes, I think they sell quality yarns that would make beautiful finished projects.  However, I think whether these yarns will be a good choice for you will depend on what you’re looking for.

If you’re looking for the most budget-friendly yarns you can find, you can find lower-priced yarns elsewhere.  If you’re just wanting a basic, machine-washable acrylic yarn, you can get those from several brands.  But if you’re looking for higher-end, natural fiber yarns that are not typically available from big box craft stores, Universal Yarn is definitely worth checking out.

I hope this has been helpful in giving you an overview of what’s available from Universal Yarn.  Have you tried any of their yarns?  I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Universal Yarn

Where is Universal Yarn made?

The Universal Yarn company is based in North Carolina, but their yarns are sourced from outside the U.S.  Of the yarns I have received so far, some of the yarn labels do not mention the country of manufacture.  However, the labels that do mention where the yarn was made say, “Made In Turkey”.  So I would assume that many of their yarns are likely made in Turkey.

Where can I buy Universal Yarn?

These yarns are available in many local yarn shops all over the U.S., as well as a few shops in Canada.  You can find a store that carries Universal Yarn near you right here.

However, if you prefer to shop online, there are several online retailers that sell Universal Yarn.  Many of these are local yarn shops that have an online store as well.  You can also purchase directly from Universal Yarn on their website.

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5 Comments

  1. Mary Kuhner

    I’m currently 2/3 of the way through crocheting the Pineapple Peacock shawl from their Universal Major self-striping yarn. It’s the nicest yarn I have yet worked with: soft, non-splitting, working up to an interesting stitch texture, and the color changes are interesting–though none of the colors on offer were exactly what I wanted.

    The project uses two balls. One was impeccable and one had some minor issues with frizz and thick spots, but was usable.

    I am looking around for another project to do with this yarn, because I really enjoyed it.

    Reply
  2. Debi

    I love Universal Yarn! My crochet learning curve was greatly facilitated by using their Rozetti Lumen yarn. It’s discontinued now, but it was a ribbon type yarn. This kind of yarn doesn’t split, catch, drag, or any of those obstacles that are frustrating when trying to get in the momentum of crocheting.
    I’ve a whole tote of Cotton Supreme DK.
    Also, premier yarns sells Universal Yarn on their website. Some of discontinued lines are in clearance section.
    So, if you’re Venturing into luxury yarn without spending $25-45 for a hank, this is a good place to start.

    Reply
    • Yay for Yarn

      Thanks for sharing your experience with Universal Yarn, Debi!

      Reply
  3. Suzanne

    Would these yarns be appropriate for a weaving project?

    Reply
    • Yay for Yarn

      Hi Suzanne. I do not weave, so I would not know for sure whether they would work well for weaving. However, I think they are nice quality yarns overall, so perhaps they would make a good weaving project.

      Reply

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