"
Choose
the Wrong Yarn and You'll Likely Sabotage Your Knitting Results From
the Start
Overview
Years
ago there were limited yarn choices available to knitters. In today's
market, however, there is a multitude of yarns available with a wide
variety of characteristics. Having a basic understanding of how yarns
are manufactured and described will help you make decisions about the
best yarn for a particular project.
Fibers
Many
different animal, plant and synthetic
fibers are used to make yarn.
Wool, mohair, angora, silk, cashmere,
camel, llama, alpaca and qiviut
are protein fibers. Cotton, linen and ramie are vegetable fibers.
Acrylic, nylon, polyester, metallics and microfibers are synthetic.
Rayon is unique in that it is a man-made fiber made from a natural
material. Each fiber has its own characteristics, and they are often
blended to take advantage of the best properties of each.
Fiber
characteristics include how it feels to the touch (the "hand"), how
much elasticity it has (resilience), how well it absorbs moisture
(absorbency), and how well it accepts dye.
Manufacturing
Natural
fibers other than silk come in short strands rather like locks of hair,
called staples. While silk
comes in one continuous strand, it is often
cut into manageable lengths before processing. Most man-made fibers are
produced in a single long filament.
Before
being spun, these fibers must be prepared by a carding or combing
process. This process aligns the staples so that they are parallel to
one another.
Fiber
is spun, or twisted together, in either an "S" twist or a "Z" twist.
The twisted strand, or ply, may then be twisted together with other
plies in the opposite direction to make a multi-plied yarn. Plying
fibers adds strength and balance to the yarn. An unbalanced yarn will
bias when knit.
A
tight twist will produce a strong yarn with good stitch definition.
These yarns will resist pilling and may be used for garments that will
get a lot of heavy wear, like socks or work sweaters.
Sometimes
the fiber is left un-spun. This un-spun fiber (roving) is weak and
breaks easily during knitting. However, it creates a very warm garment
for its weight because the air between the fibers traps heat. This is
described as loft.
Plies
In
older patterns, yarn was often described by ply: 2-ply, 3-ply and so
on. This was not a problem because knitters at the time understood a
2-ply yarn to be much thinner than a 4-ply. However, today's yarn sizes
can range from the finest gossamer silk thread to extra-chunky wool
yarn. We need more information before we can be confident in
substituting yarns.
Don't
be fooled into thinking that a 2-ply yarn is
thin, and 12-ply yarn is thick. Remember, ply refers to the number of
strands that are twisted together to make a particular yarn; it does
not describe a weight or class of yarn. The diameter of these plies is
what determines the weight of the yarn. The yarn
classification table offers
rules of thumb when working with different weight fibers.
Yardage
Another mistake knitters may make when purchasing
yarns is to buy by weight, not by yardage. Cotton yarn weighs much more
per yard than does wool; some wools weigh more per yard than others. If
the yardage is not listed on the ball band, have your local yarn shop
owner find the information for you so that you can buy sufficient
length to complete your project.
Novelty
Yarns
There
are numerous novelty yarns on the market. These include eyelash, slubs,
metallics, ribbons and bouclé. These yarns have their own
characteristics and are not within the scope of this article. However,
when substituting yarns, be aware that the unique characteristics of
these types of yarns are not duplicated; you must choose a similar yarn
type in order to achieve the same look.
Yarn
Substitution
When
choosing a different yarn than called for in your pattern, first
determine the characteristics of the original yarn, then choose a
substitute with similar characteristics. You will want a yarn of the
same weight with similar resilience, twist and loft.
Your
final decision will be made with the help of a swatch. Make a fairly
large sample of knitting, at least 6 x 6-inches, in the main pattern
stitch. Does the gauge match the gauge in the instructions? Once you
have matched the gauge, are you happy with the way the knit fabric
drapes? Does it seem too stiff or too loose? Does it seem to match the
fabric in the photographed project?
A
successful choice of yarn will match the properties of the yarn with
the design requirements of the project. The more the knitter learns
about these properties, the easier it is to make this match.
Fiber
Characteristics
| Fiber |
Where
it comes from |
Fiber
characteristics |
| Alpaca |
Hair
of an alpaca |
-
Comes in many natural colors
- Lustrous, strong fibers
- Non-resilient |
| Angora |
Hair
of an angora rabbit |
-
Silky, soft fiber
- Expensive
- Lofty/fluffy
- Can be dyed
- Extremely warm for its weight |
| Camel |
Down
from a Bactrian camel (two humps) |
-
Available in "camel" color only; does not accept dye
- Very warm
- Fragile |
| Cashmere |
Undercoat
hair from a cashmere goat |
-
Expensive
- Very soft
- Fragile and delicate |
| Cotton |
Inside
the pod of a cotton plant |
-
Heavy
- Non-elastic
- Accepts dye well
- Stretches
- Absorbent
- Non-insulating
- Stronger wet than dry
- Machine washable |
| Linen |
Inside
stalk of a flax plant |
-
Extremely strong
- Takes dye well, but is often left natural
- Becomes smoother and softer with age
- Absorbent
- Quick-drying
- Non-elastic
- Non-pilling
- Stronger wet than dry |
| Mohair |
Hair
from an angora goat |
-
Accepts dye well
- Soil-resistant
- Durable, strong, resilient
- Very warm for its weight
- Long, lustrous staple |
| Qiviut |
Down
of a musk ox |
-
Extremely soft
- Accepts dye well
- Very expensive |
| Ramie |
Nettle
plant |
-
Similar to linen; often used as a substitute for linen
- Absorbent
- Accepts dye well |
| Rayon |
Manufactured
from cellulose in wood pulp or cotton |
-
Absorbent
- Accepts dye well
- Quick-drying
- Heavy
- Non-elastic
- Stretches, but will recover in dryer
- Weak fiber
- Most common type of rayon is viscose
- May shrink if not laundered properly |
| Silk |
Filament
unreeled from the cocoon of a silkworm (tussah silk comes from the wild
silkworm)
|
-
Smooth, shiny, strong fiber
- Thinnest of all the natural fibers
- Accepts dye well
- Resists pilling
- Drapes well
- Stronger dry than wet |
| Wool |
Fleece
(hair) of a sheep
|
-
Comes in natural colors: gray, brown, white
- Accepts dye well
- Contains lanolin, a natural oil that is water-repellent
- Breathable -- keeps the wearer warm and dry
- Water- and soil-resistant
- Good insulator; lots of warmth for its weight
- Resilient
- Will felt if subjected to heat and friction
- Naturally flame retardant
- Staple lengths and properties vary with different breeds of sheep |
That wraps up Lesson 1 - Choosing The
Right Yarn For Your Knitting Project.
Your
next lesson is all about needles. This is an area where even
experienced knitters can get confused. I'll give you the information
and tips you need to make a smart choice for your next project.
Lesson #2 is titled:
"Why Selecting
The Right Needles Is Critical Before You Begin Your Next Project"
If you haven't
signed up for the Knit-easy mini email course. Simply
complete your name and email address in the fields below
All
the
best,
Anna
Stewart
Master Knitter
http://www.easy-knit.com
Click here to download a
print friendly PDF file of this page
|
