When we say we have found the best tinsel yarn and the best eyelash yarn for you, what do you picture? Do you see sparkling whisps of thread or furry fibres all strung together from one central point? Tinsel yarn and eyelash yarn are actually pretty much the same thing, but the term tinsel yarn is more common in the UK, and eyelash yarn is how they refer to it in the USA. Tinsel yarn can make it sound like it is only appropriate for festive projects, which is not true, so maybe eyelash yarn is the more suitable term? And we can see why this yarn is referred to as eyelash yarn – lots of little fibres coming out off of the central thread do make it look a bit like an eyelash.
Eyelash yarn gives a very furry, fluffy finish to your knits, so it is popular for knitted plushie animals, but we love it for tea cosies, scarfs and jumpers too. The finished knit has an almost chenille-like furriness, making it super-cosy, so it is great for winter warmers and a lovely tactile experience for the knitter, too. Here is a shot of swatch knitted up using Abakan to show the sort of finish you can expect – so tactile and cosy! Who thinks a few metallic strands, common in tinsel yarns would make this fluffy fabric into a perfect Christmas jumper?
Eyelash yarn comes in lots of different finishes. The fluffy fibres can be cut to different length to give you varying levels of fluffiness in your finishes knit. You can get eyelash yarn in all the different yarn weights too, so you can swap in into to any project that you fancy a furry finish on. But it is not great for projects where you want to see defined stitch patterns like cables, as the fluffy texture can disguise these with its loose definition.
If you like eyelash yarn and want to try out other novelty finishes, check out our best novelty yarns article.
Best tinsel and eyelash yarns to buy
1. King Cole Tinsel chunky
This fun, sparkly yarn is 75% polyester and 25% lurex for those tinsel-like metallic strands. It certainly lives up to its name, but tinsel is not just for Christmas. It’s a good choice for toys (there are patterns available for teddies, hedgehogs, owls and more), and also for adding trims or embellishments to garments. While the key colours in the range are seasonal red, green and gold, there are also bright shades such as rose (above) that will bring cheer to any celebration, all year round.The hairs on this eyelash yarn are so numerous that your final stitches are barely visible – perfect for hiding any little mistakes if you’re a beginner! This yarn is hand wash only.
2. Wendy Chic eyelash yarn
An eye-catching chunky-weight eyelash yarn, Chic is made up of three components: a fluffy main colour, a contrast colour and a shiny metallic thread, reflected in its composition of60% nylon, 30% polyester and 10% metallised polyester. The differing textures and tones, combined with a loose twist, give it a vibrant shimmer and shine – great for party wear. As well as designs for glitzy boleros and stoles, there’s also a free pattern for a one-ball scarf available on the TB Ramsden website. You can make your accessories in one of five modern colourways, including ice-blue Fontana and earthy Dali. Wash at 30°C and do not iron or tumble dry.
3. King Cole Moments eyelash yarn
For a DK weight eyelash yarn without any metallic element, we like King Cole Moments, which is a 100 polyesters yarn in an array of 18 different colours, including some fantastic brights like this egg-yoke yellow. Definitely one for all year round unlike your average tinsel yarn! The individual filaments within the eyelash yarn are a little longer than arrange, so can be fiddly for knitter not used to working with eyelash yarn, as they are easier to get snared within your individual stitches. But knitted up it does give a extra fluffy finish, which is great for cuddly toys, or from trims on knitted garments with an additional touch of eyelash-yarn luxe.
Buy King Cole Moments eyelash yarn on Amazon
Buy King Cole moments eyelash yarn on Etsy
4. Stylecraft Eskimo DK eyelash yarn
Stylecraft’s popular Eskimo DK yarn is an older option but still a great budget eyelash yarn at just £2.15 per ball, tough being older, you may find it harder to source the complete colour range now. This 100% polyester eyelash yarn comes in a versatile DK weight, and its sturdy central thread makes it easy to keep track of your stitches, even though the finished fabric is dense and feathery. Pattern support for Eskimo includes on-trend fluffy sweaters and cardigans for women, party shrugs for girls and quick beginner knits such as hats and scarves. There are colours to suit a wide variety of tastes, including candy brights and mellow tones. Machine wash at 40°C and re-shape while damp, dry flat.
Buy Eskimo DK eyelash yarn from Etsy
5. Bergere de France Abakan eyelash yarn
Bergère de France’s trendy chunky fur yarn offers gorgeous depth and sheen with a composition of 68% polyamide and 32% polyester. The fabric it creates has two distinct layers, with short, soft fibres underneath and longer, shinier ones on top. This two-tone effect works brilliantly as an accent for plain garments in designs such as the Fur Collar Jacket, or you can make a statement in all-over faux fur with the stunning Fur Wrap. There are also quick knits for kids and simple projects for beginners.Choose from six stylish shades, including deep blue Petrole, rich red Grenadine and classic black or white. Machine wash on wool cycle at 30°C and do not iron.
Buy Abakan eyelash yarn from Amazon
6. Sirdar Alpine fur effect yarn
One of our favourite developments in super-eyelash yarns has got to be the trend in faux fur yarns, like the amazing Sirdar Alpine yarn. It creates a realistic fluffy and furry texture, and as it's made from 100% Polyester it's not only fur free but also free of any animal fibres at all, so even vegans can enjoy the furry feeling. There's a solid strand that is hidden under all that fluffiness, so it is easy to keep hold of and and it works up similar to a super-chunky weight yarn. But if you're wondering what you'd use it for, there are loads of options - from a simple fluffy pompom, a super-snuggly scarf or collar, or even to add some furry texture to your knitted animals! There's 14 furry shades to choose from, with some fabulous animal inspired tones such as polar bear, lynx and seal!
Buy Sirdar Alpine Luxe faux fur yarn now on Amazon
7. Sirdar filigree eyelash yarn
Ah, let's hear it for Sirdar filigree eyelash yarn. This eyelash yarn is an oldie but a goodies, as we love it for its long eyelash lengths and multicoloured rainbow finishes which make it great for fashion accessories, especially fi you want a bit of 80s chic in your knitting. Stocks will be limited now, so we would not embark on a large garment in Sirdar Filigree eyelash yarn. But you can still pick up some good yarn bundles from Etsy sellers, more than enough for a bag, trim or accessory – knitted furry scrunchie, anyone?
Buy Sirdar filigree eyelash yarn on Etsy
8. Unique yarns eyelash yarn
Here is a completely unique eyelash yarn and we have never seen any other yarn quite like it. Made with a cotton core, the stands are 100% cellulose, which gives an almost papery finish to your knitting. It is colourfast, however and suitable for hand washing - the papery fibres are not damaged y water. It is a 4 ply weight, so quite fine, and we would not recommend it for full garments, but makes an intriguing trim, which we could see working nicely on Halloween outfits and other fancy dress flourishes.
Buy Unique Yarns eyelash yarns on Etsy
More to discover
Want to see more yarn reviews? Try our best alpaca yarns, best yarn bundles and our best novelty yarn articles. For more craft ideas, check out our best craft suscription box or latest craft trends articles, or browse our free craft patterns.
