Darn Good Yarn Subscription Box Review – Box 1

After months of seeing ads for Darn Good Yarn’s Yarn of the Month Club, I had to try it myself. Who is Darn Good Yarn? What comes in the box? In this review I will tell you everything you need to know about this fun fiber craft kit.

This post contains affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link and buy something, I may receive a small commission.  However, using an affiliate link does NOT result in additional charges to you. I purchased this subscription box myself and all opinions are my own. 

Darn Good Yarns tells their story on their website, Darn Good Yarns.  They state that they source products that are reclaimed or recycled whenever possible. I absolutely love the idea of buying recycled yarn!

The subscription for the Yarn of the Month club is either $20 per month if you choose to be billed monthly or $10 per month if billed annually. I paid $10 for my box.

For this subscription club, everyone gets the same first box. I received a decorative and sturdy cardboard box in my favorite color, purple! The box is perfect for keeping your project and supplies in.

The yarn I received is their Roving Silk Yarn in the colorway “Watercolors.” It is a worsted weight yarn. They provide 50 grams or 75 yards of fiber. They recommend a 5.5-6.5mm crochet hook or 4-5mm knitting needles. The yarn is famously fragrant- it is hand-spun and hand-dyed in India and has a perfumed scent that I found to be pleasant. If it is overpowering to you, simply open the box and let the yarn breath or air-out for a few days. My particular yarn came in a small cake. It was dyed in various shades of red, yellow, green, and blue, with transition shades of pink, orange, and purple. This is not variegated- the color transitions are in a mix of short and long stretches so the yarn is quite a multicolored rainbow.

THE YARN
Brand: Darn Good Yarns
Style: Roving Silk Yarn
Colorway: Watercolors
Weight: 50g
Yardage: 75yd

THE BOX
YARN: Roving silk yarn, 50g, retail $14.99
GIFT: Ombre knitting needles and hook, retail $19.99
PATTERNS: one knit, one crochet, retail $4.99 each
TOTAL VALUE:  $44.96

On the website, similar yarn sells for $14.99, so you are automatically getting a great deal on the yarn alone. However, the first box also includes the Ombre Knitting Needs and Hook Pack. This pack contains size 5mm needles and a 5mm crochet hook, or US H. They are wooden with a flat end that fades into purple. The package states it retails for $19.99.  You also get an introductory booklet that includes both a knit and a crochet pattern. Patterns retail for approx $4.99 each.

I have seen other reviews of Darn Good Yarn’s Yarn of the Month club and they often give a review without making anything with the yarn! For my reviews I will always make one of the included projects and use the materials given. I made the crochet Ripples Neckware. This is fancy, handmade roving yarn. If you have never worked with such a yarn, it might seem unusual at first. I encourage you to stick with it, however. Roving is unique in that it has only one strand and is not tightly twisted. I noticed there were inclusions found twisted into the roving strand. Some appeared to be small bits of other fiber, and are likely just part of the process of making yarn from reclaimed and recycled silk fiber. I plucked out the larger bits as I came across them, but you could certainly leave them in place.  

Another interesting feature of the yarn is that while it is rated as worsted weight, the yarn gets thicker and thinner in some places. Just keep making your stitches with even tension and you will end up with a beautiful textured fabric. I finished the piece and had a small amount of leftover yarn that I can incorporate into a future project.

VERDICT: WORTH IT!
I purchased this box myself, and I absolutely loved everything I received. The beautiful yarn, the useful tools, and a quick and simple pattern- even if you pay monthly at $20 this is a great deal. This subscription box is definitely worth it! You can get your own subscription through my affiliate link here. Stay tuned for review of Month 2!