Faux fur yarn is irresistibly soft and fluffy. It almost appears as if you could melt into a faux fur item without any resistance…
It has the same feel as real fur without the worry of being an animal byproduct. It is one of the softest yarns on the market, albeit one of the hardest to work with.
Go For Faux by Lion Brand is a super bulky (6), amazingly soft faux fur yarn at only $6.99 per skein; solids and prints are 65 yards and sparkle is 56 yards. It’s great for adding a gorgeous accent or for an entire item.
While it’s amazing and will make items appear not crocheted, beware: you will not be able to see the stitches with your naked eye!
Table of Contents
Go For Faux Breakdown
Price | $6.99 |
Yardage | 65 (solids & prints); 56 (sparkle) |
Price/yard | $0.11 ($0.12 for sparkle) |
Number of Colorways | 16 (5 solid, 5 print, 6 sparkle) |
Weight | Super Bulky (6) |
Fiber Content | 100% polyester |
Care | Machine wash, lay flat to dry |
How does it feel? | Like soft fur |
Do you like to crochet, are experienced in crochet, want to expand your skill set, and have your item appear as if it was made with faux fur fabric? Then this is the yarn for you.
This yarn is not for beginners. In fact, I would not even recommend it to anyone unless you are confident in your crocheting skills and looking for a challenge.
You will not be able to see the stitches. You will need to feel for them. The best way is to pinch the yarn until you get to a hole, which marks the middle of your stitch.
If you don’t want to guess where a stitch is, feel free to place stitches markers as much as needed. Place them in every three stitches, every two stitches, or every stitch!
This yarn requires patience. If you are a fast crocheter and expect to use this yarn at the same speed, you will need to lower your expectations.
Take your time with this yarn. It helps you make absolutely amazing creations, but you will need to be patient with it, especially in the beginning.
My experience using this yarn!
This yarn is a blessing and a curse. It’s a lovely nightmare to work with.
While I was excited to start using this yarn, I knew I was in for a challenge. When you are using this yarn, you are essentially working on ✨vibes only.✨
The stitches are completely hidden by the fluff. All your mistakes will be hidden, but it’s nearly impossible to not make mistakes.
Crochet is very forgiving, so it’s okay if you skip a stitch or two. You’ll just need to make sure your increases line up and that you end up with the same amount of stitches at the end of a row.
I usually use magic rings for the start of all my amigurumi, but with this yarn, I found myself reverting to the chain 2 method more often than not. The magic ring method will work with this yarn, though.
Wondering about that hole the chain 2 method usually leaves? The fur hides it well; you’d never know I used that instead of a magic ring. Mistakes: disappear!
Since the yarn is just a collection of fluff on a thin string, if you yank on the yarn too roughly, it will snap. This is another reason why I tend to use the chain 2 method, since it doesn’t involve a tightening of a ring.
Because it’s just fluff on a string, it does not frog easily and will shed everywhere. If you end up needing to frog your item, you will need to go slowly and carefully to keep the yarn intact if you wish to reuse it.
When crocheting with it, while it does shed, I have found that it sheds less than velvet yarns. Isn’t that wild? It’s almost purely made of long, fluffy fur, and yet it sheds less than the velvet yarns I have worked with.
When I used a smaller hook than the recommended hook (a 6mm instead of a 9mm), I found that my tight tension didn’t allow for the yarn to stay at max fluffiness. I also discovered that one side of my amigurumi was slightly fluffer than the other.
In the amigurumi world, to make things simple, there is a “right” side and a “wrong” side for an item. If you are like me and do yarn under single crochets (also known as an x single crochet), the side where you can see the ‘x’ is the right side.
However, some people prefer the “wrong” side out, which is just fine. You don’t need to follow what other people say looks better if you like something else! You do you.
As I started to complete my x single crochets, I noticed that the ‘wrong’ side was fluffier and looked better than the ‘right’ side, which surprised me. It was probably because of the differences in tension, with the ‘right’ side being tighter than the ‘wrong side.
I ended up flipping my item ‘wrong’ side out because I liked the look of it better. And it’s okay to do the opposite that you usually do; as long as you are happy with your item, there’s really nothing to worry about.
That being said, as I mentioned before, I would not recommend using faux fur yarn unless you feel as if you’ve mastered acrylic yarn. You will not be able to see the stitches, and that can lead to frustration!
Faux fur yarn creates a lovely item, but you don’t want to force yourself to make something you don’t enjoy. Relax and have fun. It won’t try to run away from you, so take your time.
It’s especially important to be patient with this yarn. Since you can’t see the stitches, you are more likely to skip them if you are going too fast. It’s okay to slow down and take your time.
If you need to, place a stitch marker in every other stitch, or even on every stitch! That will help keep your rows and rounds even and less likely to have mistakes.
Again, mistakes happen, especially with yarn this fluffy. It’s okay to make mistakes. Nobody will know. I can guarantee it.
What’s the “chain 2” method?
Since I mentioned this a few times (in case you haven’t heard of this before), the chain 2 method is another way to start a magic ring/circle.
Some people prefer it to magic circles. I like chaining 2 for fluffy yarns, but I will use magic rings for everything else because I can pull it shut.
For the chain 2 method, you will start with a slip knot on your hook then chain 2 (as the name of it implies). From there, you will crochet into the second stitch from your hook however many times that you would normally crochet into a magic ring.
It’s as simple as that! Feel free to use this method instead of a magic circle, but be warned: it will leave a small hole that you won’t be able to tighten!
If you would like a visual, click here for a YouTube tutorial. If you would rather read a blog post, you can find a post on One Dog Woof, who breaks down magic circles and chaining 2.
What should you use this yarn for?
If you are wanting to create something that uses a very specific gauge, I would recommend not Going For Faux for the entire thing. You may end up missing a stitch here or there, and may end up having to frog everything to fix it.
If you are wanting to make something that’s more forgiving, such as an amigurumi or a headband, and are willing to test your patience, Go For Faux!
Add a little pizzazz to your wearables by giving them a trim with fur yarn. You could line the insides of your sweater if you wanted to feel like a soft teddy bear is hugging you at all times.
What yarns can I substitute for Go For Faux?
Knit Picks’ Fable Fur is another super bulky (6) faux fur yarn that is a tad bit cheaper than Go For Faux, being priced at $6.49 per each 71-yarded skein. It has 13 different colorways and a range of recommended hooks, depending on what gauge is needed.
If you are in Europe, Infinity Hearts Crocus is another super bulky (6) fur yarn priced at $4.29 (£3.55) per 66 yard (60 meter) skein. It has 15 different solid colors to choose from.
3 Furry Patterns
Fluffle the Bear
Fluffle is the perfect amigurumi to start off your fluffy fur yarn journey with. She was born from my desire to create the cutest and fluffiest teddy bear that I could. And I did!
Her little feet and the way she sits gives her a gummy bear look, adding to her adorableness. She’s made only with basic stitches and does not use any of those pesky smaller starts, which can be annoying with fur yarn.
Secret the Fluffy Cat
Inspired by my sister’s gorgeous Siberian cat, Secret is an adorably fluffy cat who can sit, stand, or lie down! With a long tail and chubby head, she’s easy to make and will win your heart over a thousand times.
You won’t need to worry about crocheting in a small, tight tube for her bushy tail. The tail is made with only two turning rows, but thanks to the look of faux fur yarn, it appears as if it was made in rounds!
Bearmuffs
If you are not into amigurumi, or are hesitant to try them out with fur yarn, why don’t you make yourself some adorable bearmuffs? With winter coming up in the northern hemisphere, you might need these very soon!
You will need a headband for the base, as well as a hot glue gun to help keep things in place. You’ll only be crocheting the beary earmuffs and wrapping the yarn around the headband.
Commonly Asked Questions
What is the recommended hook for Go For Faux?
The recommended hook for Go For Faux is 9mm (N-13). This is the ideal hook size for amigurumi as well as garment and accessory projects alike.
If you want maximum fluffiness, I would recommend sticking with the label’s recommended hook. If you naturally have loose tension, then I would suggest going down a size and seeing how that looks or feels to you.
For my amigurumi, when I tested going down a few sizes like I normally do, I found that it took away some of the yarn’s fluffiness.
What is faux fur yarn?
Faux fur yarn is a novelty yarn that is one of the softest yarns that exists. It’s a synthetic fiber that mimics the appearance and feel of real fur without the cruelty of using real animals.
Is faux fur hard to crochet with?
Faux fur yarn is difficult to crochet with because stitches are impossible to see. Beginners should practice with acrylic yarn first, and then attempt using faux fur yarn. The best way to navigate crocheting with fluffy yarn is to feel for stitches and to make your best guess.
While I go into detail of my experience with faux fur yarn in my ‘experience’ section of this review and in my patterns, the long story short is: yes, especially if you are not practiced in the art of crocheting.
Go slow, be patient, feel for your stitches, don’t worry about mistakes (as they will get hidden), and be patient. This is a frustrating yarn, so it is okay to take breaks while using it!
What stitches are best for faux fur?
The single crochet stitch is the best stitch for faux fur projects. This is because more complex stitches are almost impossible to make out, and are much more difficult to create given how fluffy the yarn is. Single crochet stitches make the project more manageable and straightforward.
I would not recommend anything beyond single crochets. Basic, simple stitches without too much going on works best for the fuzzy, nearly unworkable faux fur yarns.
While you can use faux fur yarn for nearly anything and any stitch, and you are welcome to try (don’t let me stop you from experimenting!), the look of the fabric with different stitches will appear nearly the same across the board, unlike less furry acrylic or velvet yarns.
You can’t see the stitches with yarn, so you won’t be able to see the fancier stitches like the feather or basketweave stitch. They will look near identical to a single crochet stitch, thanks to its fluffiness.
Leave a Comment