Do you really think Fisherman's is scratchy?

[Meredith]

I have been reading a lot about people thinking Fisherman's is scratchy. I don't think it is.

What do you all think?

[CraftyMommaOf2]

DS and I have extremely sensitive skin and it doesn't bother either of us. Don't find it scratchy at all :)

[marnie]

i've never used it

[mhurst]

I've only used it a couple of times, but I don't think it is very scratchy. I have heard quite a few people complain about lot to lot variation and quality control issues.

Maybe I've been lucky and got "good" batches.

[koolsheepmama]

Actually, I have over 30 yarn samples from various sheep farms around the country, and Fisherman's is still one of the softest yarns I've used (I've avoided pure Merino though, because of stretching and pilling issues).

[ravingcutie]

It gets a bit scratchier if you felt it, but it doesn't bother the skin on the inside of my arm at all, even when felted. I use the inside of my arm to gauge the scratch factor.

[Lisadeanne]

I use it all the time and dont find it scratchy at all.

[pamelamama]

I go back and forth on it. I think I am less sensitive than I used to be.

[susanjp]

I haven't tried any other kinds of wool to compare yet, but it feels fine to me, and ds isn't complaining.

[mamapez]

The fisherman's itself isn't scratchy to me, but once I've dyed it with KA it feel a bit rough. Of course, I haven't washed it yet, so it may soften up again.

[plum]

i never found it to be. i actually think it's pretty soft and i am picky about that sort of thing.

[CraftyMommaOf2]

The fisherman's itself isn't scratchy to me, but once I've dyed it with KA it feel a bit rough. Of course, I haven't washed it yet, so it may soften up again.

It totally softens up after you wash/lanolize it. :love

[dandelions2]

Nope, not scratchy here.

[twirlgirl]

The fisherman's itself isn't scratchy to me, but once I've dyed it with KA it feel a bit rough. Of course, I haven't washed it yet, so it may soften up again.

once I dye I usually rinse then do a quick wash/soak with eucalan.
Even before I started doing that though...I never had problems with the scratch factor

[leah]

darn! I'm just getting into knitting and saw the fishermans on sale at Michaels for 5.00 skein (good buy?) and didn't buy it, cause I wasn't sure if it was good soaker yarn. (I have a tendency to buy a lot of stuff I don't need/use). Now I'll have to try and go back...

[Arwyn]

Fisherman's isn't the softest stuff around, but it's not too bad, and I think it's GREAT for just starting to knit soakers (more practical than starting with acrylic first - if by chance you do get something useable your first time, it'll be in wool!), and also for when you want to focus on something other than the yarn - say, embellishments, or experimenting with colors. It's also a great yarn if what's most important to you is getting working soakers for a good price, but I have to say, I LOVE some of the other yarns I've been playing with (Manos de Uruguay, for instance - mmmm, purrrrr), and think I'd go bugnuts if I had to just use Fisherman's.

So Fisherman's for $5? Absolutely, go for it!! (Very good buy, btw - Hobby Lobby usually has it for about $7.79 or something, and Joann's for $8.99)

[VikingKvinna]

I just snapped up the last three skeins of Fisherman's at my local Michael's yesterday. If there'd been more I would have bought it. I don't find it scratchy at all, at any stage of the process, and what's more, it's SO versatile. I use it for soakers, socks, toys, and hats (the most boring project I've ever knitted? A twisted-rib watch cap for DP in Fisherman's, which he then KA-dyed red. Man, that thing went on forever!).

I wish I could afford the schmancier yarns (both for soakers and other stuff), but aside from the occasional splurge, I'm all about knittin' on the cheap. $5 for a skein of Fisherman's is CHEAP.
~nick