Gene Jeanie

Today I want to tell you about Stylecraft’s Jeanie Denim Look. I never intended to make this a blog post all its own, but when I got to actually try the yarn and write about it I just couldn’t edit myself down to a blurb. This yarn is pretty great and I’m excited to get to work with it.

Jeanie isn’t a new yarn, but Stylecraft has added four new shades to the line. Those are specifically: White, Petal (a soft dusty rose color), Bloom (a dusty purple), and Haze (grey with just the slightest hint of warmth). I think these are some excellent additions to the line which, until now, has been primarily focused on a traditional blue denim look.

White

Haze

Bloom

Petal

Here are the specs:

Jeanie is 60% cotton, 40% acrylic. It’s an Aran weight and comes in 100g balls that are 210 meters / 230 yards. It’s machine washable and takes a cool tumble dry.

I’m not well schooled in yarn terms, so here’s a closeup of the ends to give you an idea of how it’s spun. (Click on the image to enlarge.) The spin and all the plies give it a lovely texture as seen above in the closeups.

Like I’ve already said, Jeanie isn’t a new yarn, but it’s new to me as this is my first touch. To describe it to you, first I want you to close your eyes and imagine your favorite pair of jeans. You know the ones that you wore so much you wore them out but kept wearing them anyway. I don’t know what it’s like in the rest of the world, but here in the US putting on those favorite jeans is ethereal. It’s an important part of our culture. We’re emotionally attached to our blue jeans. I’m fairly certain it’s part of our DNA. Jeanie takes that whole experience and puts it in yarn form.

I’m pretty sure Stylecraft gets that too, because the first four colors in the line are Dixie, Memphis, Delta, and Texas. Thank you for understanding, Stylecraft. 😁

I have a serious love of cotton everything. It’s a versatile and affordable natural fiber that breathes and feels great against my skin. I’m one of those people that’s hot all of the time so these are things that are important to me. Unfortunately 100% cotton yarn often leaves something to be desired. It can be too heavy, dense, limp, or coarse all depending on how it’s been treated. Not to mention it has little to no stretch and that just kills my hands when I try to work with it.

Enter acrylic blends.

Cotton-acrylic blends are my current yarn obsession. The addition of a relatively small amount of acrylic fibers seem to be exactly what cotton yarn has been waiting for. There’s spring – not as much as 100% acrylic, but you won’t kill your hands on it any more, there’s extra softness, and there’s even some fluff! Yes, fluffy cotton yarn! But, at the same time, you get to keep the look, feel, and breathability of cotton. This is my dream come true.

Of course, this is not to say I don’t still adore acrylic yarn. Just that it has different features that make it wonderful. You can’t get the richness of color from cotton and you definitely have to think about fading with cotton. Do you have to worry about fading with blends? I really don’t know. I haven’t had any long enough to say. But I’d venture a guess that it’s at least improved by being blended with acrylic.

Jeanie is everything wonderful about cotton-acrylic blends. It’s beautifully soft and fluffy and I’m already imagining making huge snuggly afghans out of it. Thank you, Stylecraft, for yet another favorite yarn, especially for one that gives me all the homey Americana feels. I hope to be seeing even more of this loveliness in the future.

You can get Jeanie at online retailers like deramores.com and loveknitting.com. Click here to check out what folks on Ravelry are making with Jeanie (you may need to sign in).

P.S. If you didn’t make the connection already, here’s the inspiration for the title of the blog. Bowie called this song, “a smorgasbord of imagined Americana,” and I think that’s perfect.

Please check out the Patterns page here on Every Trick on the Hook or my Ravelry store to see more of my patterns, both free and paid.

The best way to keep up with my goings-on is to follow Every Trick on the Hook on Facebook. You can also message me there, post on the wall, and follow my posts for the latest news.

If you’re looking for a more interactive Facebook experience, join the Polly Plum Pattern Posse Facebook group. We’re a fun and supportive group. Really! There’s so much help there that chances are your question will be answered by someone before I even see it. It’s the best place to go with a question. It’s also a great place to share your Polly Plum makes and see what others are making.

If Facebook isn’t your thing you can also join the Ravelry group – Polly’s Place or follow @polly_plum_crochet on Instagram