Yarn Review: Mega Tweed by Moda Vera!

Hey guys!

Firstly, Merry Christmas and have a fantastic New Year! 

2021 has passed by sooo quickly with many new discoveries and adventures along the way, and we've hit our 20th stall mark successfully too so there's lots of things to celebrate as 2022 nears.

But for now, let's talk about right now!

Right now, I'm sitting at my dining table wearing my comfy reindeer shorts (you guessed it, I made them), blasting the AC in dire hopes of recreating the North Pole. Not much chance of that happening anytime soon since we're stuck in 44 degree weather! Down under = in the furnace!

I just (literally 20 minutes ago) completed a sweet freehand project - my first household crochet DIY! I started it last night fresh off my trip to Esperance (bye bye beautiful weather and stunning beaches) in a burst of inspiration after finding two things:

1) my endless, ever-growing pile of WIPs (*sighs*)

2) a skein-and-a-half of jumbo "tweedy-style" acrylic yarn by Moda Vera - leftovers from a beanie project (*yumms*) 

Side note: Before I forget, should it be called a skein or a bullet ball? Literally the same thing according to multiple experts, but I can't decide which name sounds better :). Thoughts? ~ 

Back to my lightbulb moment: I decided to, in a moment of late-night excitement, freehand a one-of-a-kind crochet basket that could hold my half-finished yarnies! 

And you guessed it, I did it! 

It was a great experience working with this yarn, so I decided to write a nice review for it on my blog :) 

Here we are!

Earlier on this year, I was browsing at my local Spotlight and found a sweet limited-time deal for three skeins of this yarn, for the regular price of 1.5 skeins! It's called Mega Tweed by Moda Vera, in Wisteria colour. You can check out its page on Spotlight's website here. 

I've never used Moda Vera for anything before - it's one of Spotlight's home brands and is relatively popular among the local crafting community here! 

Spotlight stocks several different styles of this brand, ranging from colourful 8-plys to chunky tweedies like the one I got. 

I picked a nice purple tone in the spur of the moment, and it wasn't until I got home till I started thinking about what on earth would I use this random bulky yarn for?

As a crocheter who primarily makes regular-sized amigurumi, my stash of yarns gravitates towards the 8-10ply range of thicknesses. I've never ventured into super jumbo plushies or tiny micro amigurumis before (call me boring, I do too). I wasn't particularly keen on using this for an amigurumi project because 1) too big hook = too small motivation, and 2) I wanted a change from the normal sort of projects I whip up.

Fast forward to the next day and I decided to create a mega chunky beanie from a simple crocheted rectangle! I used Yay for Yarn's pattern which I would highly recommend because of all the detailed info she gives for sizing and different yarn weights! Yay indeed :) 

Working with this yarn wasn't the smoothest ride ever, since I had to get used to the chunkiness of the hook and the yarn itself and how bulky the material was as you work along. It was definitely a new experience though and it was lovely to feel the softness of the yarn as it slipped through my hands! The beanie ended up being a little stiff since the yarn itself was already thick and I worked slightly tighter (out of habit). Anyhoo, I loved it and then wore it to a fancy buffet at Crown that night, where everyone stared at me and my totally clashing outfit and beanie. Whatevs! 

(It got too hot after 10 minutes so I took it off...sadly)

Here it is! I had to get used to the sight of the tweedy flecks of black/white yarn that dot the lilacy purple underneath - to me it looked a little scruffy at first, but I got used to it after a while and I did settle with the look in the end. After finishing the basket, though, I have to say the tweed style suits the basket better than the beanie. Which do you prefer? 

photo rights: Little Spools :)

Here's my first-ever beanie! Worked with this soft, chunky yarn, it's perfect for a cozy chilly night by a campfire, or snuggling on the couch watching The Maze Runner series on a rainy day :)

photo rights: Little Spools :)

Couldn't resist the fairy light aesthetic! Goodnight :)

photo rights: Little Spools :)

It was soo chunky and long that I had to fold up the edge way more than a regular-sized beanie! Kind of a quirky style though!

Remember that basket I was talking about? It worked up in less than a day - about 3-4 hours - and I'm super pleased with the result! The yarn isn't too stiff, so the basket is soft and foldable to a certain extent. It's big and roomy but didn't require too much time and effort to make because the yarn itself was super chunky already. I really like the tweed look on this basket, but the colour of the yarn + the colour of the flecks does give off some wintery vibes though - not exactly the perfect project for a boiling hot summer but still fast and simple!

photo rights: Little Spools :)

The basket measures about 12cm in height and its diameter is 21cm..

photo rights: Little Spools :)

It can fit about 6 regular sized or 4 large size bullet balls/skeins of 8ply yarn!

photo rights: Little Spools :)

But the WIPs have reserved it first! Here's a sneak peek at some upcoming designs :)

Out of the three skeins I got of this yarn, I used about 1.25 skeins for the beanie, and 1.5 skeins for the basket. I ended up with a little bit of leftover yarn which I'm not so sure what to turn into since it's so small, so it's probably going to sit in my yarn scraps stash and wait for the next burst of chunky yarn inspiration!

Overall, I felt like this yarn was a nice change from tiny 8plys again after sitting so long untouched. It was really nice to get out the large hook and settle on the couch with the satisfaction every crocheter feels from working with a good-quality chunky jumbo yarn :). As far as mediocre Spotlight yarns go, it was pretty good to work with. I wouldn't say it was the absolute dream, or the best feel I've ever had from a thick yarn, but it's not a writeoff. I'm already on the lookout for more colours (Boxing Day sales are out!) so stay tuned for more tweedy designs!

Yarn on and have a fantastic day! 

Ashlyne ❤