Yarn Review: O’Go Caron Colorama

Hi friends! I’m back with another blog post for you, and this time it’s all about the brand new O’Go yarns! I’ve seen this yarn ALL OVER social media lately and I wanted to get my hands on a few skeins to try it myself. After a quick search, I decided to pick up the Caron Colorama version in three colorways: First Blush, Lippy, and Wine Time, from my local Joann craft store. I chose this version of the O’Go because of the dreamy color combinations, and for the jaw-dropping pattern on the Yarnspirations website: Caron Brioche Cables Knit Hat.

Before we get started with the review, I’d like to take a moment to express that all of the reviews on this blog will be my 100% honest opinion, for the better or worse. I will never put the Aisling Studio stamp of approval on something without careful consideration.

That being said, lets go over the specs for this yarn!

• Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic
• Weight: Bulky, #5
• Yardage: 228 Yards
• Care: Machine Wash & Tumble Dry
• Price: $8.99 Each, From Joann

First Impression:

Not as soft as I’d hoped. However, the color combinations are rich and beautiful. At $8.99 per O’Go, considering the yardage, I felt it was a decent price point. As mentioned above, I chose First Blush and Lippy to knit the brioche beanie, and Wine Time to make whatever came to mind. I planned on writing my own hat pattern if things went well.

Observations:

Color Variations. All three of my O’Go tubes had at least one color in common, however, when comparing them all, I noticed they were noticeably different shades.

Lippy and First Blush share two colors: cream and a muted coral. The cream shade on Lippy had a pink tint to it, and from First Blush a turquoise blue. For the coral, one was two shades lighter than the other.

Lippy and Wine Time share one color: deep purple. Of these, one was darker than the other.

I found this to be an issue because if I wanted to use more than one colorway for a single project, these differences would stand out immediately. For instance, the brioche hat pattern from Yarnspirations.

Construction. I opted to separate the O’Go yarns into mini cakes so I could pick and choose the colors and the order in which I used them. After removing the cardboard packaging and cutting the plastic tie in the center, I noticed that the first color was split into two parts: one on the front and the other on the end. I had to unwind the first portion, cut it at the color change and set it aside, then cake the rest of the yarn before I could wind the starting color, and only after joining the two with a knot. All three of my O’Go tubes were arranged in this fashion. I felt this defeated the purpose for this yarn, at least in the way I intended to use them.

Texture. As I was winding all of my yarn, not only did I notice how rough it was and its tendency to fall apart, I was also left with a strange, waxy film on my hands. I don’t know if this was a manufacturing or shipping issue, but all of the O’Go tubes were coated. I ended up finding similar reviews online about this, so it wasn’t an isolated case. Ultimately, after knitting a few rows, I abandoned my project as it was not worth finishing anymore. I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing a hat from it, let alone selling it to someone else.

Conclusion:

If you see it on the shelf next time you’re at the yarn shop, go ahead and pass on this one. I cannot speak for the quality of other O’Go variations (right now, there are four different versions) but the Caron Colorama is not for me. Your yarn stash is better off without it taking up precious space. I really wanted to love this yarn as I’ve seen such amazing makes from other creators, but I’ll never be buying it again. It feels more like a gimmick than real innovation.

Have you tried this yarn yet? I’d love to know if you had similar feelings about it, or if you enjoyed it! Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, friends! Happy Friday 🙂