A Guide to Autumn Yarn
Your seasonal handbook for the handmade
There’s a lot to love about autumn. Falling leaves, starry nights, pumpkin spice lattes… For many, it’s the favourite season. This can be especially true amongst makers as this season gives us plenty of opportunities to craft. From novelty makes such as pumpkins to stylish accessories and warm garments… none of it would be possible without the one thing that we all love: yarn.
In this guide to autumn yarn, we’re going to take a closer look at all the latest releases and help you find a project with that cosy, seasonal feel. There are many different yarn weights for this season, from double knits and arans for handmade garments and super chunky yarns for warmer, bulkier accessories. The yarns in this guide so far are from Sirdar and King Cole, but we’ll likely be adding to this as the season goes on. I’m going to start with some of our autumn classics and lead into our brand new ranges; so, let’s take a look!
Hayfield Bonus Aran 400g is the classic Autumn Jumper choice. These huge balls of yarn are nearly a kilometer long for only £10.95, and go hand in hand with cable knits and classic aran jumper patterns. It’s a great choice for Autumn/Winter garments on a budget; the 400g ball is like buying in bulk. You can make an adult size aran jumper for less than £40, and depending on selected size, one ball will complete a children’s garment.
If you're like me and you don't enjoy the scratchiness of pure wool, you'll love what Sirdar did with this acrylic blend for Hayfield Bonus Aran. At 20% Wool, the softness and spring is definitely there, but with the added sturdiness and thread length of acrylic. I've recently finished a crochet top with this yarn, and I have to say I love crafting with Bonus Aran. The garment is the perfect thickness for layering up in autumn months, and there’s plenty of yarn leftover for matching accessories. It’s also a great feeling while you’re knitting or crocheting to know that you definitely won’t run out of yarn!
Next we have another aran from Sirdar: Jewelspun. Originally released in 2020, Jewelspun is a self-striping pure acrylic yarn that looks beautiful and feels amazing. Babes in the Wool currently stocks 8 nature-inspired colours, and my favourite shade is Sandstone Sunset, pictured below.
These rusty stripes look gorgeous, and this timeless colourway will always be in fashion during autumn. Check out the free patterns section of Edition #29 for a Jewelspun sweater from Sirdar. Each shade of this yarn is so autumnal you really can’t go wrong!
This is a range that came out last year and we’ve restocked it for the season ahead. Adventure is another acrylic/wool mix from Sirdar; the 80/20 split makes it extra snuggly. It’s also the chunkiest yarn in our autumn guide, meaning it partners perfectly with chunky accessories such as hats and scarves. The shades are inspired by arctic scenes and with just 2 or 3 balls you can make a stylish handmade statement with your craft.
Adventure is my pick for Sirdar's best chunky yarn. These 200g balls both feel and look luxurious, with a super soft finish to keep you warm in colder months.
This line has been flying off the shelves at Babes in the Wool, and it's not hard to see why. Made of 90% Acrylic and 10% Alpaca, these giant 150g cakes feel seriously soft and knit up very well—the durability of the acrylic is enhanced by the natural silkiness of the alpaca, creating strong, sleek, and springy finished garments.
In addition to its quality fibers, Harvest DK boasts a powerful dye. 8 farmland-inspired shade ranges knit into bold divergent stripes. This yarn is self-striping, meaning each cake contains its own colour pattern that appears in the finished garments. Each of the 8 King Cole patterns designed for Harvest make stunning garments, and there some fabulous favourites to look out for, including ponchos and blankets! Some of these projects are available as a complete knit kit so make sure you check out our website for more information (click here). See the video below for a complete run down of this yarn from King Cole!
You can browse King Cole Harvest patterns above. Some of my favourites from this collection are patterns 5785 and 5787. These makes are so cosy and seasonal, they’re perfect for Autumn. As Harvest comes in bigger yarn cakes, you can make a blanket with just 3 balls!
King Cole Homespun DK
If you liked King Cole's Galaxy DK, you'll love Homespun DK. This Merino Wool/Alpaca/Acrylic/Viscose mix is perfectly blended into 10 stunning speckled natural shades. Spun into a 175 metre donut ball, Homespun looks great as single-coloured garments and can knit or crochet into any double knit pattern with a 4mm needle/hook. And it's only £2.99, so you'll find your finished projects aren't as expensive as you'd expect.
My favourite shade is Midnight Sky. It's such a deep blue, and its dark purple and light blue speckles give the colour a hazy effect. You can see Midnight Sky knitted up in pattern 5799, a stylish men's jumper.
King Cole has 10 Homespun patterns available, from hats and mittens to full jumpers and cardigans. The one I like the most is pattern 5794, a fitted round-neck jumper with subtle cable-stitched sleeves in light blue Sea Breeze.
King Cole's mega chunky line BIG comes in 7 bold single colour shades, and it is exactly what it says on the ball band: big! If you pick up this 100% acrylic yarn, make sure you have a 15mm hook or needles to work with. Perfect for cushions, throws, fluffy cardigans, and even ottomans, Big Value BIG is an autumn arrangement at an amazing price.
Like Sirdar’s Adventure, BIG is ideal for chunky knits and works up really fast when making accessories such as scarves.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this overview of our 2021 autumn yarns. We have more new lines on the way for this season so there will be plenty more to come over the next month or so. We’ve been really impressed with some of the yarns released this year, and it makes a nice change from last year when there were lots of shortages! Hopefully this guide will be useful for planning your next project. Make sure you look out for some of these newbies in Yarn Corner!
