All of the Hawthorne yarns are great, I've made a blanket and two skirts with this material and they wash well. Most of the bad reviews are complaining about yardage but I'm pretty sure the first rule of buying yarn for a project is making sure you have enough to complete it. So if you don't check the yardage that's on you and not knit picks, it's also not knit picks fault that a yarn is sold out when you didn't buy enough to begin with.

I have read many of the negative reviews. I have bought lots of this yarn and love it. It isn't as soft as Stroll but it does make socks that wear very well. With the negative comments about the shorter yardage, I have had no problem. I wear a size 10 women's shoe and can easily get a pair of socks out of one skein. I need to go up one size of needle from my usual size 1 and then decrease my usual 74 stitches around to 66 stitches around. I also split the skein into two center pull balls and knit from the toe up. That way if you do have a problem being somewhat short on yarn, the top is just a little shorter. They are slightly heavier than sock made from a skein that is 400 and some yards in 100 g but I still can wear them in my everyday shoes with no problem. I also like that they came out with some subdued colors. Sometimes you need socks that are just traditional and not funky colors. The yarn also softens up considerably after washing - may take several washes but it is fine.

With some of the negative comments in view, I wanted to write to say I love this yarn for shawls with lace pattern as the yarn has really good stitch definition. If soft is what you're going for Hawthorne is not the yarn to use. I've also made some hats with it, also with open and lacy patterns. Love the vibrant colors. I'm disappointed though, that it is no longer available in DK (sport?) weight.

Love this yarn!! Knitted a cowl that I didn't quite have enought yards for (my fault), took it out 3 times and it still looked great, no pulls or anything.

I bought this yarn to knit a pair of socks for a friend as birthday gift. I admit I didn't even look at the yardage, it is so standard for sock yarn to be around 450-470 yards that it just didn't occur to me that it could be different in this case. I'm now at the second sock 3/4 done with the foot of the sock (top down) and I'm running out of yarn. So fair warning, if you buy this yarn for socks and don't have really small feet: buy 2 skeins.

I bought one hank of the color Compass for a pair of socks for me, and loved it! I went up to a slightly larger needle than usual (size 2 instead of 1) but the result was great. The socks are strong, hold up great in the wash, and I had a fair amount left over. I will definitely buy this again.

Blackbird has left a lot of colour on my hands while knitting it up. Won't purchase this one again :( I have loved all other yarns I have purchased in fingering weight yarns through knit picks.

These colors are so vibrant! I buy a lot of sock yarn as I use a circular sock machine and make about 50 pairs a year. This yarn was not the best for use on the machine- the socks were wonderful but for some reason the machine struggled with it and I won't use it for that again. Rough on the machine. But.... I used it on several pair of Norwegian mittens! The colors with contrast just pop!! They are gorgeous! I will buy more!

I don’t like this yarn at all. The colors are beautiful, sure - I bought 300 g of dark blue Delphinium, hoping to make a cardigan, and the color is great. But the yarn itself is very plasticky and unpleasant to knit with. It says it’s only 20% nylon, but feels more like 80%, with a smidgeon of wool… I wore that cardigan once, it was like wearing a plastic bag, hot and uncomfortable. Frogged it, tried making another piece on a knitting machine, and it was just as frustrating as knitting by hand - the yarn is so plasticky, it feels l like it’s coated in wax, very slippery and the stitches just fall off the machine hooks… The result, yet again, feels like a plastic bag. Thinking of that, I might just make string bags out of this, and not bother with trying to find a better use. At least I’ll have pretty market bags! :) What a shame that KnitPicks doesn’t make Stroll in these rich colors. I would buy a tonne!

I love the thickness and strength of the fabric this yarn makes when it is knit on a size 2 needle. Do beware of the yardage though!. I am 2/3 finished with a pair of men's socks and have run out of yarn. The color way I used is not currently available. A bit frustrating.

Firstly, I love the look of this yarn. It's nice to have a yarn that has a hand-dyed look without the massive price tag. While it isn't the softest yarn I've ever worked with, it's not terrible either, and I find it perfectly adequate for a nice pair of socks. But the one criticism I have is the incredibly short yardage. I have size 11 feet and it is a real stretch to get a pair of socks with adequate leg length out of this yarn. And then if you do happen to run out mid-project, there's no guarantee that you will be able to purchase another skein of the colour you're using when you need it, and there is often a very long wait before it becomes available again. Overall though, this is a good yarn for people who are on a budget and have small to average sized feet :)

Firstly, I love the colors. The dye is a deep and rich one, and there's very few spots that aren't dyed. I love the kettle dyeing, it really gives the yarn depth. However. Firstly, I dont like the shorter yardage. I do understand that this has a tight twist, which will make yarn of the same weight a shorter yardage. However, I think the twist doesn't have to be this tight. Which brings me to my second con. Its rough. On the feet it's really rough. It's like standing on tiny rocks in your shoes. Its kind of scratchy, but a soak in the good stuff will fix that. But the socks come out quite thick and I am not fond of thick socks, unless Im making boot socks. I feel like it's a sport weight when it's knit up. I dont think I'll buy again, not for socks.

I'm quite pleased with the way the socks I made with Hawthorne Kettle are holding up. I used with the Blackbird colorway and did not find that my hands turned black at all. I purchased my yarn after the dates of the two reviews that mentioned this problem so maybe the problem was corrected.

I am rating it poor because although the yarn is very good, one hank will not make a pair of men's socks. Now I am 2/3 done on the second sock and the color I am using is not available for 2 months.

Colors are great. Nice, tight twist is perfect for small, complicated cables on socks. But socks like that take more than usual amounts of yarn. So the yarn is perfect for those socks, but 367 yards isn't quite enough. I'd pay more for a skein which is about 450 yds instead of buying two skeins and having a lot left over.

Unbelievably good yarn at such a great price! I adore it! I have knit two shawls in this. Gorgeous drape, rich colours. Perfect!!

I love this yarn! It's a heavy fingering weight. I do not find it scratchy at all and I am very sensitive to wool. It is not a soft as stroll, but I feel it's more durable sock yarn.

I bought two skeins of Poseidon and made the most amazing shawl with it. Lovely to work with, gorgeous drape. Very good price for such quality.

Received the yarns yesterday, gorgeous colors. The yarn is soft, not as soft as stroll, but still not itchy. I read some reviews that said the colors bleed so I soaked each of the yarns for 30 minutes in a vinegar solution. Each of the washes for the colors was clear, so I feel good about it not running, when I block I will also use on of the color absorbing sheets.

Have purchased several color ways of Hawthorne. Very nice yarn. appears to be very durable. Colors do fade so wash separately especially at first. Very tightly coiled and not at all splitty. Not a soft yarn like Merino but on my feet that is not an issue. Does appear to soften in any case with washing. My wife hand knitted a pair of socks using this yarn. I have made several pairs of socks using a circular sock machine with this yarn. Hanks are a bit short to make a pair of mans calf length socks so consider this when purchasing.

Beware the Delphinium! It's such a lovely rich color, stunning really, but if you plan on pairing it with white or another light color for stranded knitting, PRE-WASH BEFORE KNITTING! Even though I soaked it gently in cold water, the blue color bled and ruined the project. The socks will still be warm and cozy, the they were so beautiful and now they look terrible. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

I love this yarn, I made a shawl with Poseidon, it looks and feels great. I decided to use it in other projects. The colors are beautiful!

Hawthorne is the BEST! I am sensitive to scratchy wool and I wasn't sure how I would like it, but from my first skein, I'm addicted to it. Projects soften up wonderfully, and it machine washes VERY well... much less pilling that other yarns. Color selection in handpainted and kettle dyes are all gorgeous.

Personally, I tend to be very sensitive to wool (except for Merino) so I was a little uncertain if I would be able to tolerate the yarn when I purchased a couple hanks of Delphinium. The yarn is a beautiful blue and has a very slow and subtle color change which was perfect for weaving. While the scarf I made is a little bit scratchy, I was thrilled to I discover that I could tolerate the itchiness enough to comfortably wear the scarf. Overall, the yarn is minimally itchy and the colors are beautiful enough that I could easily see myself making more scarves with this yarn.

Beautiful yarn to look at, but I worked with the Blackbird (shades of black) and ended up with black hands. I am hoping when I complete the socks and wash them, I can set the dye so I don't end up with black feet, too.

I don't like this yarn at all. To me it is scratchy and the finish is really dull in person. I purchased the blackbird colorway and it turns my hands black when I knit with it. The only way I can salvage it is to hold strands of other yarn with this one. I was really disappointed.

I have bought this yarn in Goddess and Delphinium, and I have to say it is one of my favorite yarns (Chroma being the other). My shawls turned out beautifully and everyone loves the colors.

I wanted to love this yarn. The colors are beautiful. However, it's pretty scratchy. The socks I made are not my favorite.

I wanted to love it, but it's a bit too scratchy for my taste. The color variegation is beautiful though!

I ordered a few hanks of the kettle dyed fingering sock yarn twice, in the past six weeks. The yarn is delightful and fabulous in every single way. For me being new to Knit Picks, and for how I never ordered on line until recently -- I am wondering why I even dreaded it? Knit Picks yarn is great quality at a fabulous price! It washes up great and is everything they claim it is, and more...

I got Goddess and Conifer. The Goddess just glows! It's going to be great for a shawl. There's just enough colour variation that it won't pool but just add in some highlights. Great addition to the Hawthorne line.

This Yarn is amazingly soft and the colors are very natural Looking. Love this yarn!!