Sparkle yarns are great for adding that extra special something to your crochet and knitting projects! From subtle glitter yarns to metallic threads, there are some amazing yarns out there for you to try! Many sparkle yarns achieve that glittery effect by having an extra metallic strand (usually made from polyester or lurex) that is worked into the yarn twist. You will also sometimes get sparkle yarns that are purely metallic threads and normally quite fine, and while these can be quite tricky (but not impossible) to knit or crochet by themselves, they create amazing effects when worked together with a more standard yarn. Of course there's no limit to how creative you can get with these yarns, keep it subtle and just use them to add some sparkly edging to a project, or go full on and hook up some glittery garments!
Best Sparkle Yarns
1. King Cole Cosmos Metallic Yarn with Sequins
Our first sparkle yarn is a fantastic choice for those of you who love some shiny sparkles! The King Cole Cosmos is a brilliant metallic yarn, but with fabulous sequins arranged throughout. It's a metallic yarn that is essentially a thread weight yarn, so while it's a bit tricky to knit or crochet by itself it's a brilliant choice for working together with a thicker yarn (or using it for decorative fringing). It's available in variations of silver, gold and black tones, with some extra silver and gold options that feature fantastic multi-coloured sequins throughout. It's definitely one for your party projects!
Buy King Cole Cosmos Glitter Yarn on Amazon
2. Lion Brand Bonbons Sparkle Yarn
If you fancy trying some sparkle yarns but want to keep things small-scale, then here's a fabulous option for you! The Lion Brand Bonbons yarns come as a pack of 8 mini balls in a range of brilliant colours. Each colour comes as a cute little 10g ball, with approximately 30m on each ball, giving you enough for some small projects like decorations or motifs. They're classed as a sport weight yarn (roughly the same as what we'd call a 4ply in the UK), and are made up of 96% acrylic fibres (the remaining 4% being metallic polyester), so it's easy to machine wash and care for. There are 2 different types of glittery bonbon colour packs available, as well as a few non-glittery ones too!
Buy Lion Brand Bonbons Sparkle Yarn on Amazon
3. Rainbow Brite Hand-dyed Sparkle Sock Yarn
If you think that all glitter yarns need to be 100% synthetic, then think again! There are plenty of lovely hand-dyed yarns that while using lurex to give that sparkly effect, are still composed mostly of natural fibres. This Rainbow Brite hand-dyed sparkle sock yarn by Megan White is made up of 90% superwash merino yarn (with 10% lurex), and comes in beautiful hand-dyed rainbow colours! Definitely one for your special shawls or socks!
Buy Rainbow Brite Hand-dyed Sparkle Sock Yarn on Etsy
4. Hoooked Glitter Ribbon XL Glitter Yarn
When you start delving deeper into the world of metallic yarns, you'll quickly notice that most tend to be finer threads or yarns. But if you're after some glitter yarns for a big and chunky project, then you can't beat the amazing Hoooked Ribbon XL yarn! Not only does this fab ribbon make supersize stitches with a fantastic sculptural strength (we've used it to make sparkly plant pot covers before), but all Hoooked Ribbon XL yarn is made from recycled t-shirt cotton, which combined with the 40% lurex in the 9 glitter versions makes it an eco-conscious choice for your sparkly stitches!
Buy Hoooked Glitter Ribbon XL Yarn on Amazon
5. Stylecraft Cabaret DK Sparkle Yarn
We love the fabulous colour variegations in the Stylecraft Cabaret yarn, which combined with those fabulous sparkles certainly does make it a yarn that'll stand out! We particularly love the rainbow neon shades, but if you're after something more restrained there's 14 shades in the range including some fabulous monochrome and ombre colours. It's a 98% acrylic yarn which has a roving-style appearance (i.e. a very minimal twist), and works up at a Dk weight.
Buy Stylecraft Cabaret DK Sparkle Yarn from WoolWarehouse.co.uk
6. Sparkle Fade 4ply Yarn
If you like idea of a hand-dyed sparkle yarn and enjoy making different colour effects with your knitting or crochet, then you'll love these sparkle fade yarn kits by MammaBear yarns. The kits comes with five glittery 80g mini skeins in a gradient of colours made up of 75% super-wash merino wool, 15% nylon and 10% lurex. With those beautiful colours and superb sparkle we think it would be the perfect choice for your knitted or crocheted shawls!
Buy Sparkle Fade 4ply Yarn on Etsy
7. Caron Simply Soft Party Glitter Yarn
Carons Simply Soft range of yarn is a popular choice for many people, as it provides a consistent and quality acrylic Aran yarn at an affordable price. And the Party range is no exception, adding in a metallic strand in tones that match the main colour to give you a stunning sparkle! It can be mixed and matched with the regular Caron Simply Soft yarns too, so it's easy to add a sparkly stripe or border to your projects.
Buy Caron Simply Soft Party Glitter Yarn on Amazon
8. West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Sparkle 4ply Yarn
We're big fans of West Yorkshire Spinners yarn and their Signature range is brilliant for all sorts of 4ply projects, so of course we absolutely LOVE the new Signature Sparkle additions! These 3 extra self-striping yarns bring a bit of extra sparkle to these festive colourways, but still maintaining those gorgeous Signature fibres of 75% Wool and 23% Nylon (plus that 2% Polyester for sparkles). Sparkly stripy Christmas socks - yes please!
Buy West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Sparkle 4ply Yarn on KnittingNetwork.co.uk
9. James C Brett Twinkle DK Glitter Yarn
If you like your sparkle yarns in solid colours as well as being available at a very affordable price, then the James C. Brett Twinkle DK yarn is definitely one to add to your stash! These acrylic glittery yarns come in 19 funky shades and are a great yarn to add some sparkle into your everyday dk projects!
Buy James C Brett Twinkle DK Glitter Yarn from LoveCrafts.com
Why not give any of these sparkly DK yarns a try by making this sweet Free butterfly headband crochet pattern!
10. Yarn and Colors Glamour 4ply Sparkle Yarn
This metallic yarn is great as a stand-alone yarn or for using in conjunction with another yarn to add a glamorous sparkle to your knit or crochet projects! The Glamour 4ply yarn by Yarn and Colors is another chainette-style yarn, which helps to thicken up those threads to a 4ply weight. Available in 3 fabulous shiny colours - gold, silver and totally on-trend rosé!
Buy Yarn and Colors Glamour 4ply Sparkle Yarn from LoveCrafts.com
11. King Cole Glitz DK Glitter Yarn
Here's another fabulous DK sparkle yarn that comes in a range of colours, plus a special self-striping Christmas colourway too! It's another acrylic yarn that features an extra strand (2%) of metallic polyester worked into the yarn twist, giving your stitches that stunning sparkle!
Buy King Cole Glitz DK Glitter Yarn on KnittingNetwork.co.uk
12. Unique Yarns Multicolour Metallic Yarn
If you're looking for a metallic thread that has that extra special quality to it, then look no further than Unique yarns! Specialising in creating (as their name suggests) unique yarns, they make yarns unlike you'll find anywhere else. Their metallic thread is a great example, surprisingly the majority of it is made from natural fibres (cotton and viscose), with just 5% Lurex for that extra sparkle! You can work it up by itself on small knitting needles or crochet hooks, use it to compliment another yarn or even just use it as a funky embroidery thread.
Buy Unique Yarns Multicolour Metallic Thread Yarn on Etsy
13. Rico Fashion Cotton Metallise DK yarn
This metallic yarn from Rico Design is a brilliant DK yarn that has a fantastic chainette structure. This not only helps to keep it at a consistent DK weight, but also helps to keep the yarn nice and light (as cottons can normally be a little heavy), plus it interlocks that lovely sparkle strand in the structure too! It's made from 53% Cotton, 35% Acrylic and 12% Metallic and there are 17 awesome shades to choose from, all named after metallic hues such as Rose Gold and Titanium.
Buy Rico Fashion Cotton Metallise DK yarn from Lovecrafts
14. Hobbii Metallico Metallic Yarn
For our final sparkle yarn, we wanted to show you something slightly different. This Metallico yarn from Danish yarn company Hobbii has a satin shine and metallic appearance while also being a soft and comfortable Aran weight yarn. Made from 70% polyamide, 21% acrylic and 9% wool with a chainette structure, it's easy to knit or crochet with and would be fabulous for blingy accessories - imagine how fab a clutch bag would look made in this! And with 18 shades to choose from, you just know there's going to be one you'll fall in love with!
Buy Hobbii Metallico Metallic Yarn on Hobbii.com
What to make with metallic yarn?
You should always think carefully about the projects you wish to make with sparkle yarns, as the type of yarn and the metallic effect can make a significant difference in the feel of a project. For example, you could easily use a yarn that has a single metallic strand running through it for many projects that are going to be close to skin (such as a shawl or cardigan), however you wouldn't want to use a yarn that is completely made of metallic thread as this would feel way to scratchy and uncomfortable against skin.
Projects such as bags, decorations and placemats/coasters are all good choices for those sparkle yarns with a large metallic content. For yarns that just have a subtle strand of metallic fibre, these are normally fine to use for most projects - we particularly enjoy a sparkly bobble hat. And don't forget, you can always combine finer metallic yarns together with a more conventional thicker yarn to create fabulous effects!
What other yarns are good for creating fun effects?
If you fancy going beyond sparkle yarns and fancy getting really creative, then we think you'd enjoy checking out our pick of the best tinsel and eyelash yarns!
