I tried Hope Macaulay's yarn and I'm not impressed ... | Hope's Wool Review

[@caitlinalb]

At 5:47 I think you have maybe said the wrong price for the 500g - just because getting 3x 200g at that price would be cheaper! I don’t intend on ordering I was listening whilst crocheting and thought… hang on, don’t think that maths lol

[@madeinthemoment]

omg you’re right! 500g is $51 !!!!! My whole order cost $83 so I think that’s where my brain got that number

[@caitlinalb]

@@madeinthemoment I probably only noticed because it’s a higher price 😅 also it’s something I would do!

[@enragedkonchu7422]

​@@madeinthemomentpaying $51 (presumably USD) for 500g of ROVING? I'm a spinner and just... No! No no no!!!!!

[@Heeyitsmika]

So tru 50$ in my country can get me 5 uniqlo shirts that lasts me 8-10 yewrs before it looks worn out.

[@ruththinkingoutside.707]

8:58 .. an anecdote on shipping.. I have ordered from the UK recently from small makers .. from sterling jewelry, art print and a shirt.. none of them cost more than $22 .. and I know the shirt weighs more than some yarn.. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Webs Yarn in Mass.. but you walk through aisles and aisles of nearly every yarn you can imagine .. ((I have banned myself from visiting again until I finally finish the last couple things😅)) For many businesses, when you have an order to ship, you take a slip and go around to each place and get the required amount of whatever.. someplace that has a literal warehouse like Webs, an order pick could be a long walk.. For a business with a literal handful of different items? I’m really struggling with the fact that shipping can get THAT expensive.. even from over the pond..

[@raycreveling1583]

I'm no yarnologist but, the word "yarn" is doing a lot of work here. I can't imagine making something with roving and wear it on my body where it's exposed to heat, friction and moisture. It's going to felt... a lot.

[@lucillereczek3201]

The only thing I think to use for roving is thrummed mittens. But given how they advertise it, that wouldn't be my first thought if I was a new knitter that does't scroll through ravelry patterns when I'm bored. But maybe it might be my preference for anything worsted weight and lighter with some ply in in it, but making something with roving only or any loosely plied yarn is going to be pill city a week or two after wearing.

[@Ddalgiichigo]

I do and I have no problems… like over time it does felt a little but I don’t mind that look😂 I love the look of roving even when it felts… I even machine wash occasionally bc I’m just that Sadistic 😂

[@hannahcampanelli4330]

I honestly think it would fall apart before it even felts. This whole line feels really deceiving. Yarn is made from roving but is not the same thing. Yarn is made in steps (spun singles and then plied) which actually allows it to hold up to everything.

[@tmtb80]

​@@Ddalgiichigoyou are a radical!!!!!

[@LawnOrnament]

As someone that got duped into making a pure roving blanket as a baby fiber artist, yes. Roving is for turning into yarn. You can’t make anything with it unless you just want to hang it somewhere and never touch it (or look at it too closely bc if you do it will shed and deteriorate). I made a brown/grey roving blanket that looked like old lady hair and shed everywhere, any time you thought about it too hard you would end up with wool in your eyes and mouth.. It was so gross and so so expensive🤣🤣what a dingus i was😅

[@kaylaf.a620]

It feels like Hope’s wool was made without ANY consideration for the fiber arts community and was made for the instagram influencer girlies to take cute pics of them making chain stitches to post on their stories

[@madeinthemoment]

I think you're right. I'll be interested to see what happens when the patterns come out. Like who buys the yarn and makes the pieces.

[@deedeec102]

One thousand percent. She is marketing to an audience that has no clue. And her “product” has minimal production cost because it is not spun… it is basically died roving in two sizes.

[@ultraviolet3826]

Haha I feel like this comment made me understand the price for the chain bow a little more after seeing how little the ball works up to 😂

[@catie1899]

yarn strands like that also wont make you a durable garment, it's gna be felting/ falling apart depending on how it's used in no time - and then you threw away god knows how much money for nothing

[@Therese504]

I would never use either of these yarns. I can't see any sense in making products that will obviously fall apart with the least bit of wear. I have no problem calling out blatant fast fash money grabs. Hope M. should be ashamed

[@ruthb3619]

As someone who lives in Northern Ireland, the fact that she buys her wool in from NZ and Uruguay is bizarre to me. We're a heavily rural country with a LOT of sheep farming - I can head out from my house in any direction and hit a field full of sheep within five minutes. I'm sure cost is the main consideration here, and I'm not an expert in yarn production so maybe there are reasons on the processing side to go abroad, as well as maybe something to do with the sheep breeds that thrive in different climates (although New Zealand isn't THAT different from us climate-wise). I know NZ yarn has a bit of prestige around it as well, but it's not like Irish wool doesn't. IDK, especially for a company that prides itself on sustainability, it feels a little like running an orange juice company based in California with fruit you import from Brazil.

[@rakoontail]

thats exactly what i was thinking! theres so many local farmers she could get wool from, and im wondering if she outsources on purpose to make it more 'exotic' or to justify the price.

[@rexzs794]

UK wool is massively undervalued as well, though I think she can underpay Uruguayan farmers more.

[@GlasPthalocyanine]

I'm working my way through spinning to knitting, using all sorts of fibres to learn from. It makes no sense to ignore locally produced wool, unless it doesn't take colour well or maybe the wool is a bit "crunchy" and best used for carpets. She should include some information on her shop site. Presumably, her customers care about sustainability and that information could inform their choices. Also, it's a way for Hope to demonstrate that she has thought this through.

[@ghoultooth]

@@rexzs794Depends, Scottish wool is quite pricey

[@xlifexwithxlithiumx]

the reason is probably ethical reason, the states doesnt have great regulation

[@jasminv8653]

Using unspun roving as 'yarn' is one of the most bizarre and pointless trends imo. It will never hold up like yarn does, because it is *not* yarn. It also sounds like the sort ou got, being corriedale ('normal' sheep and not merino) would be great for spinning at home and incredible for felting. The fact that they've got access to such fibres and they're marketing them so 'wrong' for knitters and crocheters instead of spinners and felters is beyond me.

[@Treegona]

Fisherman's sweaters are sometimes knit from roving yarn, to encourage felting. That adds an extra level of wind protection. But for a bag, bralette or oversized slouchy sweater/cardigan? No.

[@jasminv8653]

@@Treegona and there you have it, felting being the end goal! Very different from usual modern knitting.

[@MadHatta555]

Just seems like a tremendous waste for a material that is pretty labor intensive and honestly not that comfortable. She probably could have made 2 tops if the rove was spun into an actual chunky yarn.

[@rachelhansen2417]

I’ve fine all four crafts, and I fully agree. Roving is wonderful-when used properly.

[@jessicapolomsky4798]

I work at a charity thrift store. When ever something pilly comes in made from roving and unsalable, I grab it to spin with.

[@OkayestChemist]

If given a skein of the colossal wool, I would 100% split and spin it. It’s a gorgeous color, but I’d feel so guilty making something out of it raw

[@Ddalgiichigo]

Guilty???

[@misspoppyp]

@@Ddalgiichigo Mainly because it's a waste of wool. That is perfectly good wool in a beautiful color, but if worked in the state that it's in, it will just end up felting and pilling and turning into a big ball of unusable/unwearable fluff.

[@eekabee]

I was thinking this when I saw it. That's a stunning blue I bet it would spin up so nicely

[@robingrimm3443]

@@Ddalgiichigo seconding the ‘waste of wool’ opinion, 200g of fingering weight yarn can be like 800m long and can easily make an entire shawl that will last as a usable garment ages longer than a hunk of roving would

[@josieposie1]

the colossal wool isn't yarn, its roving. Nothing has happened to it to make it yarn. i would spin it into yarn.

[@SprocketsandLupins]

I use Corriedale in needlefelting. That "skein of yarn" is exactly how you get it for needlefelting. It's not spun at all. You basically pull at it with your hands to get fibers of lengths you want to felt. It's like she's just bought up needlefelting fibre and is selling it as "yarn" for an insane price!

[@sharks2571]

My Hope Mcauly hot take is that it isnt actually a sustainable company. Yes, they may do 'slow fashion' and have sustainability certifications for their supplies, but any product that can only be worn a few times before it looks VERY worn, and maybe a dozen times before it starts falling apart, just isnt sustainable. I see lots of photos of Dylan Mulveny (who we stan) wearing Hope Mcauly pieces and they always have such heavy pilling and just dont really look good, unless they are being worn for the first time, and that just isn't sustainable. Especially when its high quality fibre that could have been spun into beautiful and hard wearing yarn thst could be made into clothing that lasts a lifetime

[@ItsTaphonomy]

I wish I could give you a million likes because this is EXACTLY what I was thinking as well. The 'sustainability' is all lip service, unfortunately.

[@TJtheBee]

Here's my thing: if it wears out as quickly as fast fashion crap does, is it *really* slow fashion? Or is it overpriced, overworked disasters that only look pretty in photos? I could appreciate the art of it if it was just that, but trying to convince people that this is "slow fashion" is just BS.

[@jesusisdefinitelynotarelig7515]

my thoughts exactly!

[@tornamiadirr]

shipping yarn/fiber from New Zealand and Uruguay is also not very sustainable!

[@jennacided6502]

This was my thought as well. Yes, the resources they use may be ethical and sustainable, but if the pieces don't hold up very long then it's just slower, more expensive fast fashion. A lot of the main pressing issues about the fast fashion industry still very much apply here even if these aren't necessarily fast. Plus, overseas shipping is one of the main drivers of greenhouse gas so even if it is ethical and sustainable on the resource end, they're still actively harming the planet. It kind of seems hypocritical for this company to try to co-opt the "slow fashion" label/trend/movement because slow fashion is about, you know, usable pieces (that do less harm than the huge fashion industry does right now) and also pieces that you can wear for a long time. It feels like they took the concepts of eco-friendliness and slow fashion and are just using that as marketing for overpriced, underwhelming product

[@juliam221]

I don’t think you should feel bad about the bows. My opinion is that she can price them that way but if people buy them thinking they cost more to make than they do, it feels disingenuous to me. If they know the production costs and still want to buy it then I don’t have a problem with it. Even if I wouldn’t buy it myself it’s their choice. I think what you did is important, the consumer should be informed about stuff like this, a few generations ago people had much more knowledge about how clothes were made whereas now if it’s not your hobby many people don’t know what is a price that just takes into account ethical labour/ethical sourcing of materials vs a markup

[@samkadel8185]

It's pretty scummy to to sell those bows at that price point. I wouldn't be that mad if it were, like, 5-15 bucks, but selling those at 80 dollars is just a blatant scam.

[@flootzavut30daychallenge]

@@samkadel8185100% agree with you both

[@addaptinginthedark]

I know this is an old comment and I'm jumping on way after the fact, but I agree with you. It's also pricing like that that makes people sneer at those of us who are doing home-made and actually charging appropriately. They see a silly chain bow for 80 dollars, and then something handmade and complex for 80 dollars, and if they haven't been educated, they think they're the same quality, and then when they realize the bow was a rip-off they think all hand-made are marked up like crazy. I think Em was absolutely in the right to tell people what they were buying and why it wasn't worth that.

[@mossryan4027]

I'm sorry but I literally gasped when that tiny panel was all you could make with 1 skein, I know you usually need more than 1 skein for most projects but that's such a little amount it's disappointing. Loved the bag and bralette!

[@madeinthemoment]

I gasped too. I was shocked haha. And thank you !!!

[@gogglespisano24]

Before I go further: Those bows are $80?!? I used to make them for my daughter, in the am, before she went to school, if we didn't have ribbon that matched her outfit. Yes anyone can charge what they want, but this is BLATANTLY taking advantage of people. I don't even think the priciest yarn that is on the market would cost that much for those bows. Wow. That takes some kind of nerve.

[@knitwitchpgh]

Unless theyre a PAINFULLY slow crafter

[@looseleaflyra]

wait i’m sorry that’s so cute, making them quickly in the morning so they’d match her outfit is the sweetest thing ive ever heard.

[@Venya9]

These products are definitely for the influencers and not the knitting/crochet community as a whole. I think the roving (colossal wool) could lend itself to felting and spinning etc. but if I'm completely honest I think you can get pretty good, still ethically sourced roving for cheaper unless Hope has exactly the colours you want. I think the 1kg of yarn off cuts is actually super nice price for someone who does fiber arts like felting! I used to work with something similar when I still felted.

[@viktoriaschmied6627]

the cut offs could probably also work for spinning as little flecks of colour in an otherwise basic shade, presuming most of them are roving anyhow or so losely spun you can just brush them easily into roving bits

[@Ddalgiichigo]

Yeah I buy my roving for a fraction of the price… and she doesn’t have much of a nice colour selection imo… don’t understand the hate for roving though lmao 🤣 there are many who like to use it…

[@twiggyvlogs6441]

Yeah I thought maybe to spin the scraps but also, fluff for spinning is usually not that exy anyway

[@twiggyvlogs6441]

@@Ddalgiichigo my hate for roving is more that it gets used on the wrong projects like, certain yarn companies will be like, knit your first sweater with this wildly expensive roving and it'll be like, ok, that is not easy to knit with, you're going to make mistakes as a beginner and it isn't very forgiving to pull out, and then, when you do finish your garment it will wear poorly because it's roving. But for the right project it's awesome, so yeah, that's my wee rant about it 🤷‍♀️

[@Ddalgiichigo]

@@twiggyvlogs6441 I’ve made many projects with it, cardigans, sweaters and, more 🤷‍♀️ they’ve help up

[@Amb-tastic]

The no needle/hook size is bonkers, and I’m also pretty sure the colossal is milled to be combed top and HM is selling it as yarn.

[@gracefoster7587]

They have needle sizes for the chunky yarn on their site. Still not a very good sign if it’s not on the actual label though. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added it to the site later when people complained/were confused as to what needles/hooks to use and haven’t able to print out new labels for the actual yarn.

[@francesmenefee1153]

You should totally try to spin it into an "actual" skein of yarn! You'd get more usage out of it and might make for a fun video? 🤔 enjoyed the video! When Hope first became popular I really did like the color scheme of one of her pieces and wanted to recreate it, thus how I found out about roving and how ridiculous it is to make clothing from it!

[@madeinthemoment]

I've never tried spinning before so maybe I should !!! And yeah I remember seeing her pieces right when I was starting out. Her color combos are amazing I just don't love the fit of most of them. The way her business has grown so much is impressive though.

[@alphabetsoup5587]

HIGHLY recommend!! I bought a roving-like acrylic yarn from Michaels and had a lot of similar issues. I picked up spinning and now I have had a ton of fun making it into yarn and using it for other crafts.

[@LualaDy]

@@madeinthemoment I 100% approve the spinning project!!!! OR, if you can't or don't want to spin, perhaps you could do a collab video of someone you know who spins

[@coquigirl0789]

@@LualaDyJillian Eve comes to mind for a collab!

[@lizabethhampton4537]

@@coquigirl0789 best crossover idea ever

[@pennypom640]

If you ever need 25mm+ needles in the future. Im a glass blower. I’ve always wanted to make some crochet or knitting needles. I’ve made a few crochet hooks for myself when I needed a custom size. I work in borosilicate glass as well so it’s a lot stronger then at glass that makes up the stuff you see at a store

[@helenlee1611]

That is so cool!!!!

[@melaniemacalister]

Omg that’s so cool!!!

[@pialynn9619]

You ever thought of starting an Etsy shop? I’m always on the hunt for pretty plastic free craft materials (and others probably are too)!

[@flootzavut30daychallenge]

Oh that would be so cool

[@ulawan5]

The fact that the "colossal" roving is corridale is driving me nuts because that is the PERFECT type of wool for beginning hand spinning

[@evelepic216]

Oooof as a New Zealander all I can think is that I bought incredible quality Corridale roving for $25 for 500g, and it wasn't advertised as yarn either 😬

[@susiele]

the new hair looks so good!!! also the label not having a recommended needle size is a bit strange to me

[@AndreaAlexander]

I don't understandddd because anyone can go online (or to a yarn store or fiber festival) and find literally pounds and pounds and pounds of corriedale/any other kind of roving for a fraction of the cost... I also don't understand why an Irish brand (aka a region of the world with so. much. wool. production.) would sell merino wool instead of supporting their local wool industry 😑😑😑

[@laurdrawz3693]

Uk sheep don’t have very soft wool, a lot is used for the carpet industry. A lot of breeds round here have wool that’s just too scratchy for clothing

[@AndreaAlexander]

@@laurdrawz3693 I just went to the Scottish Yarn Festival a few weeks ago and bought so many UK-local, clothing-appropriate wools! 😅

[@fredhasopinions]

@@laurdrawz3693 I have two or three sweaters knitted from UK and Irish wool (not by myself though, I haven't gotten that far into my knitting journey yet) and they're a little bit rough around the edges but super comfy and warm in winter! definitely usable.

[@00metta00]

​@@laurdrawz3693 As a Scottish person, I have numerous skeins of Shetlandic wool and made clothes out of them and I wouldn't call them scratchy or unwearable 😂

[@sarahgreiner2694]

Corridale is less soft than merino due to micron size, so I'm not surprised it was scratchier/less soft. I don't like trying to use roving as yarn, as it can pull apart or pill so much. I would be more likely to spin it up into regular yarn.

[@madeinthemoment]

That makes sense! I've never worked with it before so I just wasn't expecting it. And yeah, definitely seems like it would be better to be used in weaving or to spin into yarn.

[@jfm14]

Was just gonna say this. Some of the first wool I ever spun was deep plum Corriedale top; it's great for beginners. I'm assuming she went with that over Merino for the Colossal Wool because it tends to be more durable, takes dye just as well, and is also common and readily available for a good price. It doesn't pill and felt _quite_ as easily as Merino, but I'd spin it too.

[@agustinalima]

I’m from Uruguay and out of curiosity looked up merino wool here. The size she sells, without shipping or taxes, goes for 560uyu pesos. In Uruguay, that same wool costs around 150uyu pesos without taxes at resell value. The difference is much better than what I’d imagined given it was shipped across the world to be honest, but it’s still 4 times more expensive. It is nice to know that she wasn’t just selling them at crazy prizes though, as I think the price is justifiable with shipping and the processing in the UK.

[@itskaihora]

Hey! I'm from Uruguay too, and actually, we export most of our *good* quality 100% merino wool. The first brand that comes to mind that does this, is malabrigo (but there are others for sure). While there are some family-own businesses that do sell here, like Espacio Lana, the prices are rather expensive, around $300 or $500 in the case of Manos del Uruguay,,,,, just so you know

[@joyatodd]

Is that price for raw baled wool or for washed and carded fibre? I'd expect the latter to be pricier.

[@Trulaella]

I am really impressed with your transparency…letting us know you had a bias up front was mature and ethical, and definitely makes you stand out among a sea of people dispensing their unsolicited opinions as objective facts. I think that disclaimer shows a keen sense of self awareness and it made me happy to see that kind of positive influence online 🙂

[@jfm14]

I audibly gasped when you said those hair bows were going for $80. That's just criminal!

[@conor8185]

every time i see someone knitting (or suggesting/promoting others, particularly beginners, to knit) with roving, i become a crotchety 75 year old "KIDS THESE DAYS!!" grandpa. it just ain't right. especially when it comes to thick/chunky roving-- it looks cool for instagram photos but it's completely impractical, so impractical in fact that in my experience chunky roving projects are very literally unusable in actual day to day life. roving, after all, is intended to be spun _into_ yarn. roving often isn't even called "yarn", just "fiber", because that's what it is. it's spinning fiber. it's just not strong enough to form a practical project without some amount of spinning. that isn't to say that one _can't_ directly knit or crochet with it--- it's an art form, do as you please! at the same time though, physics exists, and no matter how cute a roving project is or how much someone enjoys it, it's still going to behave like roving. when unspun it pills like crazy, felts with ease, and gets itchier-- not softer, as is typical of almost any yarn-- with use. roving pieces literally cannot withstand use. the fiber they're made from is literally not designed to handle it. none of these factors will make for a sustainable, slow-fashion, minimal consumption maximum use wardrobe, will it? plus, someone intending to knit with roving (especially at this price point) needs to be aware of how the project will (or in this case will not) hold up so that they can either manage their expectations, or do whatever they can to ensure it remains intact as long as possible. hope/hope's company absolutely did not decide what factors roving has. but they did choose to utilize an inherently unstable fiber for their "sustainable" brand, and they also have always catered to non-fiber artists. there's reason to believe a lot of people will be picking up hope's yarn as relative beginners, and may not already know what they need to be prepared for with such a fiber. i dunno, all of that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. what i do think would be cool, though, is to pick up that box of scraps and spin some ACTUAL yarn with it, which would end up having a super cool kind of spincycle yarns-esque multicolored marled look AND would be durable enough to actually wear, and could have a reasonable thickness meaning you'd actually get good yardage for the price. considering spincycle's popularity, i'd argue a lot of knitters would love to _buy_ that yarn too, even if it diverts from macaulay's usual branding.

[@Ddalgiichigo]

You should mind your buisness tbh… I’ve used roving for years and my pieces are still holding up to this day… some may be fluffier than they once were 😂 but I like that. Y’all getting angry over us liking to use different fibers are weird and I’m so done with this comment section 💀

[@aspenisthebest]

@@Ddalgiichigo did you even read the comment? They were actually giving useful advice and being kind. You're the rude one in this situation. Roving is not meant to be knit with. That is just a fact, but like the commenter said, in the end, you can do whatever you want. It's not like it's illegal. If it works for you, then congratulations, but you can't be mad at someone for educating others and giving helpful advice that will save them a lot of time and money.

[@Alex-bx3wr]

@@Ddalgiichigo Are your pieces still holding up? Genuinely curious :)

[@dave6794]

i crochet on a daily basis and i dont mind spending more money if its worth it but this is a total „pay for the name“ situation here. i also think it’s ridiculous to only include 3 colors and dont put any effort on the labels-i wouldn’t buy this at all

[@elllie3630]

Omg so true the pay for the name

[@gracefoster7587]

I feel the same way. I’ve spent $100 making a sweater but it is EXACTLY how I want it so I definitely don’t feel bad about the price anymore. Hope’s yarn is overpriced imo. I checked We Are Knitters, and they have roving that is approx the same as Hope’s but it’s cheaper and you get a bigger skein. This is more expensive than the other fiber art influencer yarn sites

[@Hal0630]

As someone who has been crocheting for exactly 3.5 weeks (with currently no plans to look into knitting) I think the bag you made was cute af 😂 impractical, sure, but I think you did a great job, mismatched colors and all!

[@melanie_meanders]

oeko tex is pronounced like eco-tex. mulesing is them removing a part of the sheep’s tail to make it easier to shear them but is super cruel and painful for them. no mulesing is industry standard now, i’m hoping oeko tex is next! they’re an awesome swiss company

[@vainhedgepig]

Not to make it easier to shear but to prevent flystrike where the sheep gets eaten alive by maggots. But there are other alternatives which cause less pain and ultimately selective breeding could do a lot to help resolve the issue. Mulesing is banned or deemed unnecessary in most other countries.

[@emmad4308]

​@vainhedgepig it's very commonly done here in Australia, because we have so many flies. Doesn't make mulesing any less cruel though. To give context about how common it is, I was confused as a kid on why lambs had tails and the adults didn't. Was even more confused when I saw footage of English sheep with tails. That's how common it is. Pretty sure we are one of the last places it's commonly done.

[@Ivy-od1qu]

In America, mulesing is recommended for most sheep. However, more vets are prescribing pain meds and local anesthetic/numbing for the procedure. It's done for both preventing flystrike and making shearing easier, plus its usually done when the sheep are less than a week old.

[@catlikescows]

I raised lambs and I'm a vet student: the most common way of docking lamb tails is with elastics, similar to castration. Contrary to popular belief, it's not very painful when done 1-2 days after birth. It's practical on longer wooled sheep or show lambs. Also because sheep are idiots and sometimes the mother will nibble the lamb's tail off and when that happens it's just safer to dock it. It's certainly less painful than flystrike, I'll say. It's not cruel, it's practical. I wish people who don't have experience with ag would understand that health, practicality, and safety needs to trump what activists deem 'welfare' and comfort of the animal.

[@nancyreid8729]

Two different procedures/terms at work here; DOCKING is taking most of the lamb’s tail off; they do tend to get really funky (shit covered) tails if left long, and that does lead to flystrike. Done at birth and usually with an elastorator, it is relatively painless, and they forget all about it within about 10 seconds. MULESING is entirely different; it is also done to eliminate flystrike, but it involves removing a strip of skin from the inside/back of each rear leg. It heals and scars over, but with no wool there, the poop doesn’t stick and then there is no flystrike. It is incredibly painful and usually done without anesthesia (or at least used to be), and is considered very inhumane. It is also done primarily to the Merino breed, as they have wool everywhere. You can Google either of these terms or look them up on Wikipedia too, no need to take my word for it; but I did raise sheep for a bunch of years, and have docked and castrated many lambs.

[@itskaihora]

I'm Uruguayan and the fact that is really rare to find high quality merino wool here baffles me. I've been crocheting and knitting for about two years, and i'm allergic to most wool and acrylic blends (kinda ironic). And as I said, It's really hard to come across this type of quality yarn as it's really expensive ($10 per skein approx on a good day). I travel to Argentina now and then, and I get to buy Uruguayan merino wool for $2 a skein... it's so crazy that I get to purchase something made in my country way cheaper someplace else.

[@joyatodd]

Mariino probably is double that price in NZ.

[@WhateverNr1]

I am having the worst day, but you shoving random things in this tiny purse made me burst out laughing! Thank you for that!!!

[@thebadpoet]

The knitting with roving or tops thing first crossed my radar in maybe 2014. People were arm knitting huge blankets which I can’t imagine lasted well. (Also, mulesing is controversial because on the one hand, it causes pain and trauma in the moment for the sheep when pieces of skin are removed around the rectum. On the other hand, it prevents incredibly painful, dangerous, and terminal botfly infections because those flies aren’t living in that wool and getting into the sheep. There are better ways of preventing botfly, but wool producers saying they don’t do mulesing really deserves further interrogation to see what methods they are using, which may be equally painful or traumatic to the sheep.

[@mashawinchell1554]

I don't think that's a justification for mulesing. If it were me having my body used as a commodity, it would seem obvious that (a) they need to prevent botfly infections, (b) they can't do that through skinning me, esp without anesthetic

[@DayanaraDays]

As a spinner, this has me cackling! You can get a whole fleece for $80. 😂 What, why, who would ever, and omg I can not!

[@LoversHarts]

I wonder if the bulky roving was meant for weaving instead? I don't see how anyone could practically use it directly as yarn, but guess it's on brand with the rest of Hope's products

[@madeinthemoment]

I think it would be better for weaving or spinning! The little panel I made is so heavy, I couldn't imagine a whole cardigan made out of this roving....

[@silkvelvet2616]

A few years ago, (pre2020)there was a massive craze for using tops to knit blankets. They look so lush and cozy...... for 5 minutes, and then they just look messy.

[@anneoneill537]

I would use it for spinning.

[@emmao6578]

@@silkvelvet2616 yes, I remember seeing several family friends buy gorgeous squishy blankets, at least 2 of these families had large still quite young dogs and I'm pretty sure their blankets did not survive very long 🥲

[@wooogie672]

that level of platinum is really hard to achieve; your hair looks great!!

[@madeinthemoment]

ahh thank you! I kind of shocked myself with how well it turned out. I use bleach London (which I just get from CVS). Not sponsored at all I just really like their stuff.

[@brendaleelydon-carpenter1554]

I kinda liked the purse, as a ridiculously oversized phone case/carrier type of thing!! The bow was a cute callback to the hairbow situation! 😁 Any time I've made a knit or crocheted purse/bag, I *ALWAYS* make a fabric lining for the inside, which also helps it last longer & not lose shape too badly. Dunno how well that would work trying to stitch to roving though; could work if you folded it over to the right/outside of the purse, like a little border, then you'd just catch the roving inside of a fabric sandwich. 😄 Okay, im only 15:04 minutes in, so I'll go finish the video now! 😊

[@hkandm4s23]

This reminds me of that weird trend a few years ago to have undyed roving blankets strewn artfully across your bed or couch in an Instagram picture. I was always like oh..... what a waste. How itchy that would be and my dog would ruin that on 10 seconds. Why not spin it up into actual yarn. Craziness.

[@LuxNovuz]

I'm late but this yarn looks like a good yarn to use for *specifically* doll hair, I brush out spun yarn to get it back to what that yarn is sold as for doll wigs. Definitely not great all around if they're selling you unfinished 'yarn' because at this point it's just fibre.

[@rougesunset]

Using the correct yarn for how it’s going to function as cloth is so important. I have some plotulopi (unspun pencil roving) but it’s specifically used for mittens and sweaters and is meant to meld together and sort of felt with wear. The loftiness gives warmth, and letting the unspun fibers do what they’re gonna do (felt!) makes the garments strong. You can’t have both the loftiness of unspun roving and expect to keep stitch definition.

[@silkvelvet2616]

I live in the UK and have never heard of this designer. I'm a full time potter heavily embedded in the fibre and textile community as I made yarnbowls and other tools for fibre and textile artists. Also, what you called roving is actually tops (at least here in the UK and Australia) . It's the first stage after scouring and carding fleeces. A suggestion for alternative uses, you could use it to make thrummed mittens. And I've been working on yarnbowls for Yarndale and Ally Pally while listening and half watching your videos. Those drama ones on your alterna channel are brilliant! It's so nice to learn all the details without taking sides.

[@silkvelvet2616]

And, after going through some of the comments, you're not supposed to use needles to knit with tops. You just knit with it how you did, by pulling it through by hand. About 6-8 years ago, there was a massive craze blankets made with tops. They were super expensive to make, like you'd need About 10kg to make a blanket. An indie dyer friend was stocking the tops for a while. The blankets always looked so lush and sumptuous, but very quickly looked awful, so the craze didn't last for long, about 6 months or so

[@susanoxburgh8835]

Completely secondary to your point but I'll definitely need to look out for your yarn bowls at yarndale this weekend!

[@silkvelvet2616]

@susanoxburgh8835 my stand is L11, please do swing by to say hi. I'll be there with my hubby. And not enough yarnbowls, its been a super busy 3 months and I've struggled to keep up

[@asmileisspecial]

Would you mind sharing where you sell? I’d love to check out your stuff! I keep missing all the big knitting festivals

[@silkvelvet2616]

@@asmileisspecial where are you based? I go all over the UK, my next one is Unravel at the Farnham Maltings in 4 weeks, then I'm in Norwich for the East Anglia Yarn Festival two weeks after that. Just look for the ceramic yarnbowls and you'll find me! I'll also be at The Sodbury Yarn Over, first weekend in April and then Wonderwool Wales, last weekend in April. Then I have a bit of a gap before the summer and autumn shows start up.

[@alifeeney572]

Wow I’m a needle felter and that colossal wool is the same as the roving I buy to felt. I would never classify that as “yarn”. I know people make blankets with wool roving but like you said, it pills, fuzzes out, and changes over time. If you put that amount of time into something you would want some sort of predictable lifespan of the material and it seems like this isn’t the right mixture of materials and process. You made a very cute bag and the colors are gorgeous ❤

[@mialemon6186]

I feel like the “roving blankets” trend has already been forgotten about because we learned the hard way 10ish years ago that roving does not work like this. 😂 But damn those blankets were so cute. I wish they worked.

[@AVery_Small-Fox]

I feel like that tiny bag would make a wonderful nest for a small kitten. Making cat beds/nests is the only thing I've ever used roving for because it felts so nicely.

[@kathernandez]

This isn't really a knit take but the colossal wool seems really nice for weaving or tapestry projects. It'll make really interesting textures. 😊

[@shesaknitter]

A size 35 knitting needle (or maybe even a 50) might work well. The top you made of the thinner yarn is really cute, Emma. I hope that it does not pill, though. Roving tends to pill when used for knitting. Thanks for the reviews!

[@ashleighsakiewicz5635]

Honestly, I found the video to be very informative from the view point of a knowledgeable consumer who is just giving an honest review of a product. This is especially good for the newer knitters/crocheters who perhaps don't know as much with regards to yarn products. Honestly, their prices are pretty steep considering that there are a lot of indie dyers that also source their products sustainably but at a more "normal price" for the yardage that Hope's was providing in each skein. I learned about roving material which I didn't really know about till now. You're videos on both channels are super informative and give endless good vibes even when the tea is getting deep. Thank you for your videos! They really are nice to have going in the background while knitting!! :)

[@NeptuneTart]

I'm sure someone else has commented already, but mulesing is done to prevent flystrike in sheep. Flystrike's when the folds of skin on a sheep are infected with flies. This usually occurs in wrinkles or folds that are damp/wet and contaminated with faeces. Flies love this kind of environment, so they'll lay their eggs in the folds of the sheep's skin. In as little as 12 hours after eggs are laid, fly larvae emerge and start feeding on the sheep's skin and deeper tissue. As you can imagine, flystrike's not a pleasant experience for sheep, and it can be fatal if not caught and treated early. It happens often around a sheep's hind because the folds of the skin are exposed to urine and faeces more easily. Mulesing is cutting flaps of skin on the sheep's hind and tail to create flat scar tissue. It's done on lambs up to around two or two and half months old, isn't done under anaesthesia and rarely involves sufficient pain management. It's a fairly traumatic procedure for the lamb. It's important to remember that mulesing only solves the problem of flystrike where the cuts are made and flat scar tissue forms. It won't prevent flystrike from happening anywhere else on the sheep. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but I know that mulesing is not done or tolerated on sheep farms in Scotland.

[@pokelover02]

Spinning, weaving, felting. There are so many better uses for roving other than knitting it up and wearing it. The designer is definitely creative, but it seems like her works are better suited for a runway rather than real life. Still, I thought you did a great job giving her credit where it’s due. Looking forward to more videos like this! (Also, I love your hair and top! 💙)

[@daxhopkins7312]

I've had a few packs of roving labelled as yarn, mostly from bulk hauls, one as a gift. It spun and felted fine, but it really confused me to see hook and needle size recommendations on what was clearly roving. Thank you for explaining that this insanity is not just my imagination or error.

[@yurikam8]

OOH I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT THIS!!

[@madeinthemoment]

hehe this has been cooking for a while, just had to wait for the yarn to arrive and work with it a bit. and thank you!

[@terrabelle9937]

I love your long-form crafting-related videos. I play them in the background when I'm making things or cleaning.

[@clairejohnson1299]

I think that this is a decent first intro into selling yarn and hopefully will be a great learning opportunity and she will eventually make really good yarn if she takes to heart what the fiber arts community has to say

[@SavageMinnow]

It's telling that she lives in Northern Ireland but doesn't use Irish or Scottish wool. I doubt she will be getting much better any time soon

[@silkvelvet2616]

​@SavageMinnow there's not enough available at the moment. One of my closest friends on the UK fibre circuit is a shepherd in Scotland. He has tosrnd his fleeces to Yorkshire to be supn because there are no spinning mills left in Scotland. There are a lot of people trying to get more focus on Scottish produced (I only know a couple of NI based indie dyers so can't offer any insight) fibres. The thing is, it's expensive to have your own fleeces processed. And there's still a low opinion of UK produced fleeces in general. It is slowly changing, but for now its still more niche than profitable

[@SavageMinnow]

@@silkvelvet2616 that's my point tho, is that there is Irish and Scottish wool sitting there needing to be processed, and instead she's importing wool and processing it. That's why there's no spinning mills where people can have their local fleeces processed, because they're busy processing imported wool.

[@ghoultooth]

⁠​⁠@@silkvelvet2616I’m from Yorkshire and that makes sense, we have quite the amount of spinning mills. Really sad to see Scottish Wool not being processed on Scottish land though, it used to be quite notorious in quality

[@eleanorboggs3308]

@@ghoultooth I'm from Yorkshire, too! They do a ton of tours around the Leeds mills that are really good - but, inside you can see that there isn't as much spinning going on as you'd expect for such big mills. Unfortunately, a vast majority of spinning mill work gets sent to Wakefield. Lots of history in the mills, though! I'd recommend visiting scrap in Sunny Bank Mills if you're ever in that area! It's a huge recycled craft supply store; they have a whole lot of surplus yarn going cheap. They also have the tours I was talking about - going inside, you can see how a lot of the mills are preserved for history.

[@fraukeswollke]

LOL never heard of her before but I loved the video😂 I just checked the website and there are informations about yardage and needle size for the chunky wool, so they have updated it!

[@Keebles8]

If anyone loves the look of the super chunky knit (like the purse) then look into tube yarn instead. I made my sister in law a pillow with that yarn and it turned out so cute and waaaaay more durable

[@evilskratt]

Omg that chunky wool reminded me of the early 2000s, I made colorful cybergoth hairfalls out of it. It was sold like that, like a ball of yarn, it was much cheaper than buying hair. I would definitely not make any clothes or bags with that because it will shrink and lose shape fast. Dirt gets in there it wont come out good either. Also 9m wtf o___o that's nothing!!

[@misspowers]

Ok your new hair is giving me Queen Tilda vibes and I love it! 🥰

[@carolinamarincola9573]

Thank you for this! I was mesmerised by their instagram posts and was tempted a few times to buy a few skeins. I live in Ireland and for one skein that costs 14.95€ the delivery is 15.95€ and of course it increases if you buy more. Thanks again for an honest review!

[@ashleyelizabeth6094]

The way this is filmed makes it look like working with that yarn made your hair go gray. Nice new look btw.

[@loisollivier3975]

Spin it spin it spint it!! Plus trying out this craft would make a good video PS: love the new hair by the way, it's giving Ken

[@cocoplayax]

I don’t knit at all but I’ve been invested in watching your videos even on the other channel as if I’m a seasoned veteran crafter.

[@Shaynatron]

I used corridal wool (sorry for not spelling it right) for wet felting. Its not as soft as merino but after wet felting they are excellent for outdoor projects like a bag

[@pepuruudi6]

The box of scraps could be recycled by spinning it into actual yarn 😆 Cool and multicolored

[@claire-amel]

If no one else has mentioned, it regularly costs us (in other countries) $30 in postage from the US. So, it's pretty normal.

[@shionabeth]

As someone from NI, I got super excited hearing about an NI crafter/business (had never heard of Hope before), and then I was immediately disappointed. I echo the other comments stating that these products were not created with knitters and crocheters in mind. The price of those bows was shocking.

[@jellyfisharmada]

I worked at a yarn store where you could buy corriedale roving from new zealand exactly like that for like $3 an oz corriedale is not even soft, it’s like felting/craft grade roving roving isn’t spun and ANYTHING you knit or crochet with it will fall apart, pill, fuzz up etc we were instructed to tell people coming in trying to buy for big chunky projects to NOT use roving

[@the_knit_purl_girl]

Interesting! When Tom Daley's book was released last year, the publisher sent me some of his yarn and it looks very similar to this. It was also 100% merino, but TD's brand was claiming that it was British merino (which I'm sceptical of because our climate is wrong for that breed but anyway!). I wonder if they're from the same supplier. Really enjoyed this video!

[@frankisnot1148]

I already felt kind of iffy about H.M because of how single sized her pieces felt (especially given how she only seems to employ one body type of models) and this video just added to that feeling.

[@justaperson4656]

At 11:00, I saw that "yarn" for the first time. I'm a hobby spinner, and that isn't yarn. It's a dyed batt/roving, so it hasn't actually been spun into a yarn yet. I don't know about other people, but in my opinion that is horrendous practice

[@julieturney2188]

Erin you amaze me... you're always so cheerful. Even when you have COVID you're still smiling.. I so hope you feel better soon 😊

[@Capella-fq9ul]

I watch your other channel and I feel called out, I crochet to your vids ALL of the time 😅

[@caoimhedoesstuff9293]

As somebody from Northern Ireland, I just like to see somebody from here doing well tbh.

[@martinsw4711]

i do think that the super big roving yarn would look kinda cool as a wall hanging or something with a couple rows and maybe some big needles through it like it’s in the process of being knit.

[@madeinthemoment]

Oh this is an amazing idea. If I don’t end up trying to spin it into yarn maybe I’ll do this!

[@kyliemaslen5969]

omg your hair looks freaking amazing

[@leagaillard755]

Honestly, as a crafter, the prices are insulting for the quantity and the little amount of things you can acutally do with it: this isn't for knitters, it's for wealthy influencers who wanna try knitting once. And I don't wanna hear anything about fair practices costing more because she gets her stuff shipped from all the way across the world (is there no yarn in the UK all of a sudden lol?) and I know small indie yarn shops who sell quality yarn made in good conditions for a good price. She just decided her audience was going to be rich influencers, and it's her right and she doesn't deserve backlash for it, but it's useless to pretend otherwise.

[@esselmeyer8233]

Haven’t heard of her before and I agree with a lot of points in your video - however the yarn scraps look like it’d be fun to turn into like a latch hook rug! The colors are amazing

[@susanbauer3299]

This yarn is great for fiber wall weavings. Can pull the riving length wise and make thinner sections to work with. I also agree, too expensive for what you get.

[@peachyvelvex]

Aa love the hairr!!

[@madeinthemoment]

thank you !! 🥰

[@52188972]

this video and the emma in the moment videos certainly are excellent background listening. i personally dont follow many craft or fibre influencers so i learn a lot from your vids :)

[@spiral477]

I love the clips of you putting various essentials in the bag. (I am not a fiber artist but I like your videos)

[@joycelynnelobert8779]

I used oversized yarn to make lap blankets. Very heavy. Also, I used actual curtain rods as my needles for the blankets.

[@0therun1t21]

I'm learning a lot just reading the comments, thank you, knowledgable people! I love the open net look and the chunky yarn look. I wish it had been actual yarn though, and worked out better for you.

[@thatonedog819]

I remember a few years ago, chunky blankets out of roving was extremely popular... And then a few months later, videos about how they don't hold up we're extremely popular 😅

[@bestofemse]

After that video about Mystical Creations Yarn, you should know that HANDWASH actually means spot clean only 🤣

[@madeinthemoment]

I was hoping someone would make this connection hahaha

[@bestofemse]

@@madeinthemoment I was sitting alone and legit laughing out loud writing the comment, thank you for the good content.

[@erbrferg]

The sad thing is you *can* make a singles yarn that wears much better by fulling it, but that effort would cut into the profit and idk if it's feasible to do on a commercial scale. I've made some chunky singles yarn, fulled it, and knit it into an incredibly soft and squishy fisherman's rib scarf and five years later, no pilling. It's great!

[@genny1765]

I tried knitting a really chunky vest with some loosely spun merino roving once as a beginner but undid it before i finished the front panel because it started felting from the heat of my hands 😂😂 it's now my ongoing spinning project to turn it into proper yarn 😅

[@clarabegazocruz3556]

My aunt uses this kind of wool to make felting, I don’t know if that’s the way the brand was expecting this wool to be used, but in the felting my aunt does, this is not used as YARN, search if want to understand bc I can’t explain hahahaha

[@croaklikeatoad4384]

That bralette would be so cute over a white button down

[@RachelJennetti]

My dad got me 25 mm needles for christmas last year! He got them from joanns! ❤

[@averful44]

Helped a friend of mine make the bag! They got some big yarn that was a fabric tube stuffed with polyfill. I had to use a mop, two broom handles, and a hammer handle as dpns. It was hard on the hands to knit and the bag ended up suuper heavy, but it was certainly cute.

[@lizzieholland]

I can get corriedale top in a whole range of colours for £3.12 UK per 100g which is just under $4 US.

[@judxt]

I started in the knitting/crochet world because of the wonderful designs of Hope Macaulay but as long as I was learning, it was so disappointing realize that they are impossible to make and wear as well. The discussion I read here in the comments about the whole issue is the is the most interesting thing I read in KZbin ever 😂 so thanks for this video!

[@alyssaroseknits]

You need to take that roving and spin it! You'd get so much more yardage out of it and then actually be able to use it after!

[@arrow_da_dino3359]

as a spinner, I buy corriedale roving exactly like that for MAKING yarn. no roving should be that thick if intended to be knit/crocheted.

[@saphie1080]

Didn’t hate the bag honestly, but I think it would be cuter to have larger wool be the handle instead? and then the merino wool as the body?🤔

[@Liana_Gupta]

What are you wearing in the intro? Is there a pattern??? Pleaseeee?? It’s absolutely gorgeous!!!

[@shareneanorak2159]

The colossal wool looks awesome for felt though, very pretty color

[@BeccainHawaii]

Just shipping a small package to Canada from the US is $30ish.

[@celiastevens1829]

Love having your videos play in the background for my projects too😅 Thanks for having such cool content!

[@crochetmezaddy]

i LOVE being early for Emma videos

[@BeccainHawaii]

My ex coworker made a lap blanket out of large roving yarn. I was nice to look at and people bought the yarn to make the blanket.

[@madalynnmccarron4590]

your hair is amazing!!!!!!!! I am obsessed (and also great content in the video, that too, of course!)

[@loujaneeljabri3943]

Okay for the bulky yarn I’ve personally used it before (from other companies in the UK) for hand knit blankets and I’ve been able to make a full adult size blanket in 3 hours with it. It turns out like a weighted blanket and the yarn is usually expensive buttttt I have NEVER see someone charge that much for just 200g I can get 4kg for around £50-60 and that is enough to make a blanket and more. Also most companies would always include an example of measurements in the description box so you would know how much to buy. But that pricing is ridiculous. It would’ve made more sense to send it out to testers to try and give back feedback before releasing it.

[@caitlinalb]

Where are you getting 4kg for £50-60! 😅 that said there are tonnes of local shops that are hard to find unless you know! Macrame weaving is my next project!