Non-metallic gold yarn for crochet shawl
July 6, 2021 7:32 AM   Subscribe

I am on a quest for that unicorn yarn -- something that looks like cloth-of-gold, without the metallic threads. The color I am going for is true gold or burnished gold (bright gold or soft, duller gold), not bright yellow or tan (more below the fold).

What I have: Caron Simply Soft 4 medium worsted acrylic in Autumn Maize. I have used this yarn before and I am pleased with the projects that I have done. The yarn has a subtle sheen to it, but no metallic threads, which I prefer.
I will use this yarn for the current project if no other options are available.
What I want: Any other suggestions on golden crochet yarn for a lacy summer shawl.
My regular brands are Red Heart, Caron, Bernat, I Love This Yarn, and a few others I have tried at Joann Fabric and Crafts and Michaels.
I use acrylic yarns. A weight of 3 or 4 is preferred for a lacy summer shawl.
Metallic threads are not needed.
This will be a project that can be washed and dried.
Also, any suggestions on silver and copper yarns will be appreciated.
posted by TrishaU to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I've just used two references that, if you don't know about them, could help a lot -

1. Yarnsub will let you enter in a particular brand of yarn, and it will suggest other brands that have the same or similar characteristics. The only thing it won't do is do a color match.

2. Ravelry also has a catalog of yarn on its site, and it also lists the colors - and 99.9% of the time there is someone on the site who's taken a picture of their own stash so you can see the colors.

So based on using both those tools, I can offer the following suggestions:

* According to YarnSub, both Bernat and I Love This Yarn! are "excellent" matches for Caron Simply Soft. They also suggest Cascade's "Anthem" as an "Excellent" match, and Cascade is available most places. Bernat's "Satin" might be another option, since it's got a slight sheen; YarnSub says it's a little less dense than the Simply Soft, but for a shawl that may still work.

* Here is a picture of Caron Simply Soft in the color Autumn Maize in someone's collection on Ravelry. Bernat's Satin has a color that's just called "yellow" which might work (here's a picture), and they also have a color called "Goldenrod" which is darker but reads more like "gold" to me (picture here). For "I Love This Yarn", the color Old Leaf looks like a close match, as does Sungold.

Finally - I notice that you've mostly been shopping at Michaels' and Joann. You may want to consider ordering from Knitpicks - they are online-only, and the prices are very good and the quality is excellent. For something similar to the Caron Simply Soft, I'd go with their Swish Worsted in the color "Honey"; Swish is a washable wool as opposed to an acryllic. If you want something lighter weight than wool, they also have a line called "Comfy" which is cotton/acryllic, and also has "Honey" as a possible color. There's also a cotton/modal line called "Shine Worsted" which has a bit of a sheen to it; there's no good color matches for the "Autumn Maize", but they are about to roll out a colorway called "Sweet Potato" that could be a possible match for the copper color you're also looking for.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:58 AM on July 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I did a search on Ravelry for DK/worsted weight, machine-washable and dry-able yarns, and checked the color cards for a good gold. A few good options below, which I have worked with myself or seen friends use.

-Knitpicks Brava in Caution

-Cascade UltraPima in gold

-Cascade 220 Superwash in Golden

And I’ll put a plug in for Patons brand, which is my favorite acrylic in general, though it doesn’t seem to have a good shade of gold.
posted by tchemgrrl at 8:07 AM on July 6, 2021


Best answer: Oh, hee - and Knitpicks' "Shine Worsted" has a colorway called "Robot" which could be a good match for the silver.

I have used Knitpicks Shine specifically, and some of their other yarns, and can personally attest that this is good stuff.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:08 AM on July 6, 2021


Best answer: Would you be willing to try washable natural fibers/blends? Bamboo, modal, and of course silk tend to give a nice sheen. I am seeing some machine washable bamboo from Lion Brand, but not in what I would consider a very good gold color. But it might give you some ideas.

I loved working with the aforementioned Knitpick's Shine, which washes well. It comes in Sport weight in addition to worsted.
posted by esker at 8:40 AM on July 6, 2021


Muga silk yarn is naturally golden in color. It's not cheap though. I've handspun it myself but there are factory yarns.
posted by whitelotus at 9:55 AM on July 6, 2021


Also, any suggestions on silver and copper yarns will be appreciated.

I'm a wool knitter, I like tonal variegation and I use a lot of Malabrigo and Cascade. I've linked to some yarns that I've used or seen in person. I hand wash even with superwash merino; I'm not sure if you prefer machine-washable.

Malabrigo
This is a heavier yarn than you're looking for, but it lists the most color cards.
There's Sunset, an orangey-copper, and Gris, a light silver-gray, and Plomo, a dark silver-gray.

Cascade
This might be too fine a yarn, but their fingerling has a lot of silver-gray tones; I've used Silver, Charcoal and Jet in a ripple blanket.

Tosh
Glazed Pecan
I've used this color for a shawl, and it is beautiful, but it might be more red/orange than you are looking for.
posted by queseyo at 10:08 AM on July 6, 2021


(Sorry, just noticed I misread your yarn size for needle size!)
posted by queseyo at 10:17 AM on July 6, 2021


If you have a friendly local yarn shop, you might get better choices than at a craft store. I think a silk blend yarn would be a lovely shiny choice. I'd show you something like Mirasol Nuna but if you wanted something more acrylic, HiKoo Popcycle looks nice and shiny too (and is made from bamboo and plastic bottles).
posted by rikschell at 11:24 AM on July 6, 2021


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