Yarnsmiths Chenille DK - A Review

A couple of weeks ago I was kindly gifted some of the new Chenille DK from Yarnsmiths. I'll admit to being a

little apprehensive at trying this yarn because whilst I love Yarnsmiths as a brand and all of their yarns that I have tried before I don't have a great track record when it comes to Chenille yarn.

Chenille yarns, blanket yarns, velvet yarns, plush yarns, anything like that are normally a no go for me. I'm not a fan of the texture, the shedding and how awkward they can be to crochet with. I also generally don't like how they look in projects either, aside from cute amigurumi plushies but I'm not an amigurumi girl.

So let's put this yarn to the test and see if I can be a Chenille yarn convert!

The Details:

Name: Yarnsmiths Chenille DK

Yarn Weight: DK/Light worsted/3 weight

Composition: 100% Polyester

Ball Weight: 50g

Yardage: 100m/109yds

Recommended Hook: 4mm

Machine washable: Yes, cool wash 30°

Tumble Dryable: No

Special notes: This is a DK version of the Yarnsmiths Chenille Chunky yarn. There are 40 shades available which match with shades of the chunky version. Note that the chunky weight comes in 100g balls.

Shades I tried:

(3050) Cream

(3062) Blush

(3422) Peach

(3170) Lemon Yellow

(3410) Light Pink

(3340) Pale Lilac - this is my favourite!

(3256) Duck Egg

(3260) Sky Blue (not pictured)

(3185) Light Sage

My initial thoughts:

The colours are really beautiful, I chose a selection of pastel shades to try and they were all stunning. The Cream shade is perhaps more of an off-white and slightly duller than I was expecting but all of the other colours are lovely and just as I'd imagined.

I do like how across the whole Yarnsmiths range there are the same shades. Some sub-ranges within the overarching brand have more or less shades available but I do find that it helps when it comes to choosing colours. For example, I love the Light Sage shade of Yarnsmiths Create Acrylic. I also like this same shade in their Cotton DK, Merino DK and Aran and now their Chenille DK!

This yarn is super soft in such a nice, pleasing way. I'm not sure I can accurately describe how some Chenille yarns feel to me, like they have a kind of tackiness to them perhaps? Anyway, this yarn didn't give me the sensory overload that I would usually associate with this type of yarn and that's a win because it means I can actually attempt to crochet with it!

Side note to say that my boys absolutely love the feel of this yarn and they have liked similar yarns I have previously tried also. If this is a yarn fibre that you would usually gravitate towards I think you'd be very pleased with the texture and feel of this one.

Let’s Crochet!

First off, I tried a couple of small sample squares one with the recommended hook size of 4mm and then with a larger hook.

The 4mm hook felt like it was creating quite a dense fabric. If you were going to use this for an amigurumi project then that may be what you're after. For other projects such as a blanket which is what I intend to try and make you would be better off with a larger hook to get a softer fabric with more drape.

I tried both a 4.5mm and a 5mm and it was the latter that gave me the finish that I was after so that is what I will be using for my project.

I did find it a challenge to maintain an even tension but that may be more because I am not used to using this type of yarn rather than the yarn itself. Having said that there is a little bit of resistance or drag on the yarn against the hook, it doesn't glide smoothly. I do find this to be the case with this type of yarn which always surprises me as the yarn itself is so soft you think it would glide like butter!

One big thing in favour of Yarnsmiths Chenille DK is that I did not experience any shedding whilst crocheting with it. That's definitely a huge plus as chenille yarns can be notorious for shedding and covering you in fluff whilst you crochet. Some are also quite patchy but in a full 50g ball I did not experience any 'bald spots' at all. Or factory knots! Not to say that this wouldn't happen but it's definitely a good sign.

It also held up well to frogging. Chenille yarn is basically a piece of thread with lots and lots of fibres around it which create the fluffy texture and the bulk or weight of the yarn. The inner thread is very thin especially on a DK weight yarn so it can be snapped quite easily. I was able to put pressure on it and frog without experiencing a breakage. I also didn't experience any shedding whilst frogging. The yarn does show little indents in places where it has been previously crocheted and then undone but I think that is unavoidable with this type of yarn.

The one time that I did experience an issue with shedding was when I fastened off and tried to weave in my ends however, a little bit of a google search later and I realised that this type of yarn needs to have the ends burnt/melted a little to prevent the shed. I tried this on my next end and it solved the problem. Yay!

Would I Recommend?

I would recommend this yarn for certain projects. I think it would be great for makers who enjoy creating amigurumi plushies, also baby blankets, comforters and perhaps cushions. Would I recommend it for garments or wearable accessories? No, probably not because I'm not sure how well the yarn would hold up with regular wear.

For a chenille yarn I am impressed and it is one that I would look forward to working with again. If chenille/plush yarns are ones that you tend to reach for anyay then I think you would love crocheting with this Yarnsmiths Chenille DK.

Rating: 7.5/10

+ Beautifully soft texture

+ No shedding whilst crocheting

+ Good range of colours available

- Maintaining consistent tension takes effort, could be challenging for a beginner

- Nature of the yarn makes fastening off and weaving in ends trickier than other types of yarn

Thank you to Yarnsmiths for sending me the yarn to try. It has definitely made me reconsider my general ban on plush yarns!

Yarnsmiths Chenille DK can be purchased exclusively from Wool Warehouse for £2.50 per 50g ball. (At time of release of this blog post [April 2026] it is on offer for £1.50 per 50g ball!)

If you have used or intend to use Yarnsmiths Chenille DK what projects do you have in mind? Which shade is your favourite? I'd love to know so please do leave me a comment below.

I hope you have found this yarn review helpful and informative. If you have any other yarns that you would like me to review then send me a DM on Instagram @brambles.and.hart

Happy Crocheting!

Shelley ♡