Red Heart Yarn at Joann | Premium Craft Yarn Collection
Our Red Heart Super Saver remains the workhorse favorite for afghans, scarves, and home décor. Each 364-yard skein delivers consistent medium-weight coverage, and the 100% acrylic fiber washes beautifully without pilling or fading. We stock over 100 solid and heathered colorways year-round, so you can start a project today and finish it months later without dye-lot worries.
Crafters trust this yarn for baby blankets because it’s soft against sensitive skin yet tough enough to survive years of machine washing. The four-ply construction resists splitting on smaller hooks, and the price point lets you experiment with new stitch patterns without hesitation.
Why crafters choose Red Heart
Fiber content & performance across the Red Heart range
Every Red Heart skein at Joann starts with carefully selected acrylic polymers engineered for specific end uses. Super Saver prioritizes durability and colorfastness, so we use a tighter extrusion process that locks pigment deep within each fiber strand. Soft and With Love employ a looser twist and surface treatment that increases loft without sacrificing washability.
You’ll notice the difference the moment you work the first row. Super Saver has a slight sheen and a firm hand that holds geometric motifs cleanly. Soft yields a matte finish with gentle drape, ideal for garments that need to move. With Love splits the difference, offering enough body for amigurumi while still feeling pleasant against bare skin. All three lines survive machine washing in warm water and low-heat tumble drying, which is why hospitals, schools, and donation programs specify them for charity projects.
Yardage, gauge, and project planning
Red Heart publishes recommended hook and needle sizes on every ball band, but actual gauge depends on your personal tension and the stitch pattern you choose. We suggest swatching a four-inch square in your intended stitch before purchasing the full quantity. Super Saver typically yields 16 stitches and 20 rows per four inches in stockinette on size 8 needles, while Soft runs slightly looser at 15 stitches because of the single-ply construction.
Calculating skein quantity
Most adult throws require eight to twelve skeins of Super Saver, depending on the final dimensions and stitch density. A simple women’s pullover in Soft averages six to eight skeins for sizes small through large. With Love’s 370-yard skein covers roughly the same area as Super Saver, so you can often substitute one for the other without recalculating yardage—just be aware that the hand and drape will differ.
Care instructions for long-term durability
Machine wash your finished Red Heart projects in warm water with standard detergent—no fabric softener needed. The acrylic fiber naturally resists static, and softener residue can actually reduce the yarn’s ability to wick moisture in items like dishcloths or bath mats. Tumble dry on low heat or lay flat to air dry; high heat won’t melt the fiber, but it can relax the twist and cause the fabric to grow.
For heavily textured pieces with bobbles or popcorn stitches, turn the item inside out before washing to protect the raised elements. If you’re storing seasonal afghans or garments, fold them loosely in a breathable cotton bag rather than vacuum-sealing—acrylic doesn’t attract moths, so airtight storage isn’t necessary and can trap moisture that leads to musty odors.
More Red Heart yarn weights & textures
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Common questions about Red Heart yarn at Joann
Yes, with minor adjustments. Both are medium-weight (category 4) yarns, but Soft’s single-ply construction produces a slightly looser fabric. Swatch first and be prepared to drop one needle size if your gauge runs large. The yardage per skein differs—Soft gives you 256 yards versus Super Saver’s 364—so recalculate your total skein needs before purchasing.
Soft drapes more than Super Saver, which makes it better for garments but less ideal for structured items like baskets or amigurumi that need to hold a firm shape.
Red Heart acrylic resists mildew and UV fading better than natural fibers, but it will degrade over multiple seasons of direct sun exposure. For outdoor cushions that live on a covered porch, Super Saver performs well—we’ve seen patio pillows last three to four years before the fiber starts to feel brittle. Bring cushions indoors during winter or during extended wet periods to maximize their lifespan.
Avoid leaving finished pieces in full sun for months at a time. The pigment will fade and the acrylic polymer will eventually break down, causing the fabric to crack along fold lines.
The squeak comes from friction between the acrylic fiber’s smooth surface and the metal hook. It doesn’t harm the yarn or affect your finished project. Switching to a bamboo or plastic hook eliminates the noise, or you can lightly dampen your hands—the tiny amount of moisture reduces friction without making the yarn wet.
Some crafters find the squeak actually helps them maintain consistent tension, since the sound changes pitch when they pull too tightly.
Acrylic has less natural elasticity than wool, so ribbing worked in stockinette-based patterns will relax over time. Use a needle one or two sizes smaller than your main project needles for cuffs, hems, and neckbands. Incorporating a twisted rib (knitting and purling through the back loop) also tightens the fabric and helps it snap back after stretching.
For maximum recovery, blend in five to ten percent wool or add a strand of elastic thread on the wrong side during the ribbing section.
No. Acrylic fiber does not felt because the polymer strands are smooth and won’t lock together under heat and agitation the way wool scales do. If you need a felted finish, choose Red Heart’s Chic Sheep blend, which contains enough wool to achieve moderate felting when machine-washed in hot water.
Pure acrylic yarns like Super Saver, Soft, and With Love will shrink slightly in very hot water but will never produce the dense, matted fabric that traditional felting creates.
The yarn itself is identical—Red Heart manufactures to the same specifications regardless of where it’s sold. Joann often stocks a wider in-store color selection than mass merchants, and we rotate seasonal exclusives that other retailers don’t carry. Our frequent 20–30 percent off coupons also make the per-skein cost competitive even when the shelf price matches elsewhere.
Buying in-store at Joann lets you compare colors in person under consistent lighting, which is harder to do online or in big-box stores with fluorescent fixtures.
Yes. Red Heart acrylic yarns meet all US safety standards for children’s products, including flammability requirements. With Love and Soft are particularly popular for baby blankets, hats, and toys because they’re soft against sensitive skin and can be machine-washed frequently without special care.
Avoid embellishments like buttons or beads on items for children under three. The yarn itself is non-toxic, but small parts pose a choking hazard.