Working with Bobbels: Experiences

Dear users, dear authors,
Bobbels are trending. In this thread, you can exchange ideas about working with Bobbels and gradient yarn. Have fun.

What is the difference between a Bobbel and “regular” wool?

Hello Josefa,

since my daughters have asked for a scarf or shawl that
is crocheted from a yarn cake, and I have never worked with a yarn cake
before, I have a question:

Is there anything special to keep in mind here?

It would be lovely if crocheters experienced with yarn cakes could share their experiences
with me.

Thanks, everyone ;-)

Best, Heike

Bobbels are usually plied in parallel compared to “regular” yarn. 
That means the individual strands are not twisted together, but run alongside each other. 

The 4 individual strands can create beautiful color gradients; I’d say that’s also the “main function” of a Bobbel. 

There isn’t really much to keep in mind when working with them. At the beginning, you may need to be a bit careful to catch all the strands, but you get used to it in no time.

One very clear advantage is that you can crochet (/knit) the piece in one go and don’t have to start new balls of yarn while working. (--> Not much to weave in :)) 

Krea_Tina has already explained this really well.
Crocheting with multiple strands takes some getting used to, but that passes quickly.

Since I often crochet with cotton yarn, I quickly noticed with Bobbel yarn that the crocheted piece feels
so soft and fluffy, and it doesn’t scratch the skin either. I just love this range of colors.

@bastelfan

You're right, the yarn really is soft. I started crocheting a shawl quite a while ago. It has become a UFO by now because I can't work as quickly as usual.  I often get caught up because it is 4-ply.  Now I've bought another Bobbel. We'll see whether knitting works better.

Marion

Yes, the plied structure gives me trouble when crocheting with Bobbels. I get caught on it pretty often. I also don’t like the little knots where the thread changes. 
I don’t really understand the enthusiasm for Bobbels. Yes, there are beautiful color gradients, but by now you see them almost everywhere and they’re no longer anything special. And besides, there are other gradient yarns too. I get along better with those.

I started my second shawl with a Bobbel yesterday. I’m knitting with a lace circular knitting needle, which has a slightly longer and finer tip. A smooth transition from the needle to the cable is also important. You really do have to make sure you always catch all the strands; it also depends on the pattern (knitting stitches together, knitting several out of one stitch…). I think it’s a shame when the whole Bobbel isn’t needed for a shawl, because then the full color gradient doesn’t come into its own. The shawls turn out wonderfully soft and drape beautifully. 

I bought a gradient yarn cake because I really liked a particular shawl, and I enjoy wearing it too. From another gradient cake, I then crocheted a tunic shirt, which I also like. However, I find it awkward to make long-sleeved tops from gradient cakes, because then you need separate sleeve cakes. So far, I haven’t had any problems crocheting with the plied yarn. But since, honestly, I haven’t found any more ideas for gradient cakes yet, my newest one will probably sit around for quite a while.

maybe you should use a larger crochet hook with a 4-ply Bobbel so you don’t get caught.

I also had my share of problems with a 4-ply Bobbel; it was so stiff and thicker than my others.
That’s why I like crocheting with 3-ply ones; that works great. Even with a 2.5 mm crochet hook.

I was very skeptical about whether the plied yarn would be easy to work with. But then I bought a Bobbel because I really wanted to try it. My first Bobbel was 100% merino and cost a bit, too. But it was perfectly wound, with no strand looser than the others, and the little knots had long ends that I could easily knit in.

First I crocheted and knitted little swatches. Knitting went well — I was actually surprised. When crocheting, it happened to me more often that I inserted the hook between the strands. Bastelfan's tip to use a larger hook size is surely a good one, and it may well be something that gets better with practice. But I had decided to knit, and it went surprisingly well.

My second Bobbel was a twisted yarn with a corresponding color gradient. Here, it seems that—similar to Schoppel's Zauberball yarns—the individual strand was dyed accordingly beforehand and then twisted. It knitted up beautifully, and the color gradient was also very harmonious.

Conclusion: it was fun; I always wanted to keep knitting because I always wanted to know how the next “color step” would fit in. But with the plied Bobbel I really had to look, and couldn't knit blindly in front of the TV or chat while doing it. I'm sure I'll knit with a plied Bobbel again sometime, but I'll pay attention to good workmanship and would rather invest a bit more again. Ultimately, for me it remains a fun thing to do now and then; I won't become a passionate Bobbel knitter, because I like knitting without looking, since I take my knitting with me everywhere.

Best, Caro

Many companies now also offer gradient yarns that aren’t plied in separate strands, but twisted.
The best-known ones, Scheepjes Whirls, come in many great color combinations. They are—like most Bobbels—made of 50% poly and 50% cotton and simply feel wonderful.

Personally, I’m very enthusiastic about Katia yarn. I discovered it through Katia Paint (a so-called “Cake”) :-) The Cakes are usually made of poly or a poly/wool blend and have a somewhat shorter yardage. Cowls, hats + wrist warmers can be crocheted well with them.

They all have the advantage that you don’t have to poke around in 3 to 5 strands. Definitely a good choice for beginners or for trying things out. However, you actually get used to unplied gradient yarn pretty quickly too ;-)

I just have one question. Where can you get twisted Bobbel yarn cakes?

Search for “gezwirnte Bobbel” in a search engine; there are quite a few makers.

Would anyone else like to add anything?

My sister is currently knitting a shawl, but unfortunately her yarn keeps getting tangled, and she’s totally annoyed.
Can this happen just because she doesn’t keep the yarn cake in a bag and has to handle it too much when taking it out and putting it away?

Actually, there isn’t one. Sometimes, toward the end, the yarn can get tangled if you started from the inside and the rest collapses as the outer edge. If you move it around a lot, it can get all tangled up.