Bernat

Bernat, brand and range

Bernat's reputation rests on a small number of yarns that people buy repeatedly, usually by the bagful. Bernat Blanket is the best known — a super chunky polyester chenille that turns a throw into a weekend rather than a winter — and it is joined by Blanket Stripes for self-striping versions, Baby Blanket for nursery weights, and Velvet and Velvet Plus for a plusher, shinier fabric. Alongside them sit the everyday workhorses: Super Value and Satin for garments and afghans, Softee Chunky and Softee Chunky Ombres for quick hats and cowls, Roving for a wool-blend look with acrylic practicality, Pipsqueak for soft toys and baby items, and the Softee Baby and Baby Coordinates ranges in solids and ombres.

Picking the right Bernat yarn for the job

• Fast blankets: Bernat Blanket or Blanket Stripes on a large hook or needle — simple stitches only, as detail disappears in chenille.
• Baby garments: Softee Baby Solids or Ombres and Baby Coordinates — lighter, smoother and machine washable, which is the point.
• Big-value afghans and jumpers: Super Value, sold in generous balls so you are not joining every twenty rows.
• Toys and trims: Pipsqueak's fluff hides stuffing and hides your stitches, in equal measure.
• Texture without wool: Roving for cables, Velvet for cushions and throws.

Working with chenille and velvet yarns

Chenille and velvet bases behave differently from smooth yarns and catch people out. They have almost no elasticity, so counting stitches by eye is hard — use stitch markers every twenty stitches and count as you go rather than after the fact. Keep the fabric fairly firm; too loose and the pile "worms", pushing loops out of the surface. Single crochet, half treble, garter stitch and simple ribbing all work well; lace and cables do not. If you drop a stitch, catch it immediately, because the fibre does not hold its ladder neatly.

Quantities and hook or needle sizes

Follow the ball band tension rather than guessing. As a rough working guide, super chunky blanket yarns are usually worked on 8mm and upwards, chunky bases around 6–6.5mm, and DK-weight baby yarns around 4mm. Buy the whole quantity for a blanket in one shopping trip and check dye lots, especially on ombres where a lot change can shift the whole repeat. Because acrylic is heavy in bulk, allow for the finished weight: a super chunky adult throw is a substantial object and will need drying flat, not hanging.

Gifting, seasons and practicality

The reason Bernat dominates baby showers and Christmas is simple: the recipient can machine wash it. A chenille throw, a Softee Baby pram blanket or a set of Softee Chunky hats are all gifts that survive real life. Ombre and stripe yarns do the colour work for you, which is useful when you are making four of something and do not want to plan four palettes.

Care and finishing

Wash acrylic and polyester on a cool gentle cycle and tumble dry low if at all; high heat flattens chenille pile permanently and can leave acrylic limp and shiny. Do not press with an iron. Weave ends in with a large blunt needle, splitting the yarn rather than tracing the surface, as slippery chenille ends can work themselves loose. For seaming, a firm whip stitch in a matching smooth yarn is often tidier than seaming in the chenille itself.

Bernat questions

Is Bernat Blanket yarn suitable for beginners? Yes, provided you stick to basic stitches and keep your tension firm.

What weight is Bernat Blanket? It is a super chunky yarn, worked on large hooks and needles; check the ball band for the exact tension.

Is Bernat yarn machine washable? The acrylic and polyester ranges are designed to be easy-care — always follow the ball band.

Which Bernat yarn is best for baby? Softee Baby and Baby Coordinates for garments, Baby Blanket for pram blankets.

Are there free Bernat patterns? Yes, many Bernat designs are free downloads within the knitting and crochet pattern collections.