Whether you are into professional knitting or just a hobbyist, the kind of equipment and materials you use will certainly determine the outcome of your craft. So, irrespective of how good your skills are, you will still need a good knitting machine, a suitable knitting needle, and a high-quality knitting yarn.
And talking of yarns, choosing the best yarn for your work is not a walk in the park. But you do not have to fret about this as we provide you with a brief buying guide for knitting yarns.
4 Factors to Consider When Shopping for Knitting Yarns
Look out for the following factors when buying a knitting yarn;
Weight
If you are a big fan of looking into yarn colors, Bernat premium yarn colours may be worth looking at. But beyond yarn colors, the weight of yarn becomes an essential consideration. The weight of the yarn you choose should be ideal for your project.
Heavy or chunky yarns are not ideal for making light shawls. On the other hand, you cannot use thin or lacey yarns if you want to knit a winter blanket. The weight and thickness of your yarn will determine the looks and suitability of the item.
Yarn weight classifications here in the United States include lace, superfine, bulky, fine, worsted, light worsted, jumbo, and super bulky. Jumbo is pretty more recent and the heaviest, while lace yarns are the lightest. Again, jumbo yarns do not fit in any needles and are therefore designed for hand knitting.
The Ply
A ply refers to the number of single strands twisted to make a yarn. And anyone who has considerable experience in this field understands that knitting patterns vary with the kind of yarn you use—the more the plies, the better the texture and appearance of your product.
Although the more the plies, the better, it requires some experience to get a good outcome with yarns made up of several plies. Beginners may consider worsted yarns of medium thickness to see individual stitches. Notably, single-ply threads will make items or garments with a softer appearance.
Availability
The fourth factor you will need to consider when shopping for yarn is availability. Is the kind of yarn you are looking for available on your online or local store? You also need to ensure that you have enough yarn for the project at hand so that you do not run out of yarn in the middle of your project.
Replenishing your supply could be a challenging undertaking midway through a project. Even more, you do not want to complete your project with a different type of yarn if you fail to find your desired thread to continue your project.
Type of Material
Finally, you can choose to work with synthetic or natural materials. Generally, those who prefer to go natural always opt for plant and animal fiber derivatives. These could include alpaca hairs, angora wool, bamboo fiber, cashmere fiber, cotton yarns, merino wool, llama, and many others.
On the other hand, synthetic and semi-synthetic materials are artificial. They include polyester, silk, acrylic, and many others.
Ideally, different types of yarns come with various fiber qualities and characteristics. It is these yarn features that make the difference between a high-quality pick and a substandard option. Hopefully, this guide should help you get the suitable yarn for your next project.
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