Stylecraft Bambino Dotty Yarn Review – A Delightful Surprise

Some yarns land in the basket with low expectations and leave you completely smitten. Stylecraft Bambino Dotty is one of those yarns.

I'll be honest — I've tried a dotty yarn before (Emu Treasures, if you're curious) and it didn't go well. So while Bambino Dotty had been on my radar for a while, I wasn't rushing to repeat the experience. But curiosity won, and I ordered a ball in shade Chuckle — a beautiful cream with muted coloured speckles. High hopes, cautious optimism.

Spoiler: this one surprised me in the best possible way.

First Impressions

It passed the squishy test immediately. Soft, gorgeous, with a lovely twist and a subtle sheen that photographs beautifully. Chuckle is exactly what it sounds like — cheerful without being loud, those muted speckles sitting perfectly against the cream base.

One thing I noticed straight away: at 250 metres per 100g, it's 18 metres shorter than a ball of Bambino Prints, and it looks smaller when the two balls sit side by side. Worth keeping in mind for project planning — more on that later.

Crocheting with Bambino Dotty

My test project was a 0–3 months bolero. I'd planned to swap my usual extended half double crochet (exhdc) for double crochet — same height, less frustration. But on that first row, I decided to give the exhdc a go anyway.

I'm so glad I did.

The yarn worked it beautifully. No snagging, no frustration, no moments where I wanted to throw the hook across the room. It just glided. By the end of row three I had to frog a section, and even that was a pleasure — the stitches slipped away cleanly with no tugging whatsoever. A stark contrast to my Emu Treasures experience.

By row six, I was genuinely excited. The colours were blending perfectly with the cream, the exhdc was creating incredible texture and depth, and I found myself thinking: I think I'm in love with this yarn.

Even though Bambino Dotty is thinner than Bambino Prints — which can be hard on my hands during long sessions — this yarn is so smooth and glides so effortlessly that it simply wasn't an issue. It's one of those yarns that just works with you rather than against you.

The Finished Bolero

When I finished the body, I wasn't sure I'd made the right yarn choice for a bolero. By the time I cast off, I was certain I had.

The drape, the texture, the sheen — it's just stunning. The colours came out even better than I'd hoped, and the exhdc stitch detail really shines in this yarn. It's one of those finished pieces that makes you want to immediately cast on something else in the same yarn.

Which brings me to the one downside: I only bought one ball. 😭

The Cost Per Metre Question

Here's something worth thinking about if you're considering Bambino Dotty for your projects.

Stylecraft Special DK gives you 295 metres per 100g. Bambino Dotty gives you 250 metres — a difference of 45 metres. The price difference per ball is around £1.15, but when you factor in the metre difference, the real cost gap is closer to £1.75 per equivalent yardage. Not huge, but worth knowing if you're budgeting for larger projects or matching sets.

One ball was not enough for my bolero plans, and I have a very strong feeling more will be accidentally falling into the yarn basket before long. Consider this Part 1.

My Verdict at a Glance

Softness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of crocheting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stitch definition: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Colour transitions: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hand comfort: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Would I use it again? Absolutely — already planning Part 2.

Final Thoughts

Bambino Dotty has done something rare: it's converted a dotty yarn sceptic.

It's soft, smooth, a joy to crochet with, and produces finished items that genuinely take your breath away. The metre-per-100g is something to factor into your planning, but the quality more than justifies it.

Watch this space — Part 2 is coming, whether I plan it or not.