Choosing the right yarn for your project can be intimidating but it can also be fun – especially if you have a stash of yarn that calls your name each time you bring out the needles and the hooks.
Once knitting /crocheting has grabbed a hold of you, yarn becomes more than just fiber. It is the foundation of your craft and there are things to consider before pulling a skein and getting down to work.
Your yarn choice will determine the look, feel and the durability of your project. It’s one of the reasons I don’t do socks. Socks just don’t last long enough to justify my time in making them. Though they are quick projects, they don’t strike me as durable or terribly long lasting. On the other hand, friends and family who have my afghans have had them and still use them decades later.
Choosing the correct yarn will result in your project looking, feeling and performing the way you want.
(Read my yarn reviews here.)
What Are You Making?
The first question to ask is what are you making? Well, sometimes it’s the first question. There will be times when you have yarn and ask: what will I make with this. Usually, the project comes first and then the yarn gets chosen. What you make determines what yarn you use.
Are you making a garment or an accessory? You’ll want something softer, something with drape and flow and you want to consider wool allergies. You want to keep in mind when it will be used: summer, winter. How much will you need? The price of the yarn could also be a factor.
Making something for the home? Though softness could still be a factor; durability is also a major consideration if the item isn’t precious and is meant to be used. If it’s purely decorative, then color and texture might be the deciding factor over feel.
Accessories, toys, baby items: Softness, durability, perhaps more natural fiber or easy to clean fibers will determine if you’re headed to a LYS of the box craft store.
Yarn Weight and the G – Word
This probably says more about me than about yarn but I don’t know a knitter or crocheter that loves gauge. I simply don’t bother that much with it. But then again, I make items that don’t necessarily have to deal with it. But the weight of the yarn you use will affect the gauge.
I deal mostly with worsted weight yarn (4) and it is my favorite. My stash also includes some 5 or 6 (think Anniversary cakes.) I have some 3s even a little bit of 2 but I am not a fan of smaller yarn that require small needles and a ton of stitches. The thinner the yarn, the more stitches will be needed. The bigger the yarn, a lesser amount of stitches will make gauge. Yarn weights can go from 0-7 with 0 being so thin, it’s almost non-existent. Yarn weight is a big factor when deciding how you want your project to look and feel. As for gauge, I know how to use it – though I pretty much don’t.
Natural, Blends, Acrylic
I was not, and am not, a wool purist. The vast majority of my stash is acrylic and purchased from box stores or websites like Ice or Hobbii. Paying more than $15 for a skein of yarn that does not have at least 800 yards is something I still have to wrap my head around. But you might not be the same and so the fabric may be something you need to think about. You might want to opt for natural fibers like wool, silk, camel’s hair and the like. As I said, my stash is vastly acrylic with a huge side dish of cotton. Since most of my creations end up in designbcb (Etsy), I use acrylic to keep the price affordable. It creates a fabric that can do three seasons comfortably and winter if I double it up. But even workhorse yarn companies are stepping up their games and it isn’t uncommon to find wool and wool blend in box stores though the greater variety can be found at local yarn stores or the more specialized online sites such as Webs.
While considering the blend, you might also want to look at the texture. You can go smooth like most yarns but then there are specialty or novelty yarns that are fuzzy or have ruffles or prongs. These are better suited for knitters or crocheters that have some experience because something these yarns can be unforgiving when a mistake is made.
Other Specialty Yarns
Depending on how your yarn obsession works, you might want to try dyeing your own fiber or at least considering hand dyed yarn by Indy fiber artists. Then there are recycled and upcycled yarns that reuse and repurpose fiber to create something new.
One thing you do want to keep in mind: Buy what you need at the same time. You want to make sure the yarn you have is from the same dye lot or color batch. There is nothing more frustrating than working on a client project, having to get more yarn and the notice the variation in the color. It says it’s the same but it’s just a little off from the last ball or skein and when you check, it’s a different dye lot. Whatever yarn you choose, get more than enough to cover errors and win at yarn chicken.
Once you have some yarn experience, buying on line can be convenient and also a money saver but do plan on going to a local yarn store or a craft store so you can feel the yarn for yourself. The same brand can have two different colors and one will me markedly softer than the other. Dyes can make a difference in a feel of a yarn. Besides, it’s just fun to go to either place and view the variety.
These days, I yarn shop in my stash and it’s an enjoyable experience. Yarn shopping is fun and sparks creativity and imagination. Enjoy yourself in fiber town!
