Know Your Yarn!

A ball of yarn isn't just a ball of yarn. Yarn comes in different colors, textures, and fibers for specific applications. Do you know what  boucle yarn is? Or the difference between a self-striping and variegated yarn? If not, you are not alone. That is why I am doing this post. It is important that you understand the yarn you are using, so that when you create something from it, that it will last and you won't be discouraged from finishing a project in the future.

The Label 

The first thing you should look at when choosing a yarn is the label. Below is a scanned image of the current skein of yarn I am working with. It is Premier Yarns: Deborah Norville Collection: Serenity: Sock Weight. I apologize for the wrinkles in the label, I had the yarn jammed in my purse yesterday while at a doctor's office.

The first line under the name of the yarn tells you how many yards of the yarn are in each skein and the weight of each skein. This lets you know how much yarn you will need to complete the finished project.

The next section tells us what type of fiber the yarn is made of. In this case: 50% Superwash Merino, 25% Rayon from Bamboo, 25% Nylon. The Superwash of the Merino lets you know that this yarn is machine washable. Rayon is a natural fiber, but Nylon is a man made fiber. You may ask what all of this means for you. The bamboo and merino wool will make this yarn soft and the nylon will give it stretch, which is preferable in a sock yarn. You can also machine wash the finished product. As someone who dyes yarn, it means that the merino will accept color well, but the rayon, nylon may not. This is actually the same yarn as the green yarn from my previous post. As you can see, it accepted color well, but I performed a test swatch before dyeing three skeins so there were no surprises. Had it been 100% wool, I would have skipped that step.

Skip to the bottom of the label where the barcode and UPC are. The color number and name are listed at the top of the white box. The LOT number (which was cut off, I apologize) is at the bottom of the white box. You want your finished product to be the same color throughout. Without this information, you would not be able to do this. The LOT number is the most important. The LOT refers to a dye lot. Yarn is dyed in larger groups or lots at one time and then marked with this number. The LOT number here is 2112. If you had a project requiring 2 skeins of yarn, you would have to purchase the same LOT number in order for the colors to match perfectly.

As for the symbols on the label, the chart on the left is a nice reference chart from Stitch11.com. Using the chart, you can determine that the yarn is Super or Extra fine weight, that when you swatch it, you should have 32 stitch and 42 rows when knitted with a US 2 needle or 26 sc and 36 rows when crocheted with a size E crochet hook. If you swatch is larger, you will need to decrease needle / hook size or if it is smaller, you will need to increase needle hook size.

The care instructions on the sample label at the top are written out, but the laundering symbols are still included. Symbol translation: machine wash warm, no bleach, no iron, lay flat to dry.

Now that you know how to read the label, let's look at the yarn!

Texture!

There are many different textures. Here are the three basics of yarn you will knit or crochet with on a daily basis.

Boucle 

The word Boucle is French for buckle or loop. It is a wavy or loopy textured yarn. The yarn itself creates the textural interest in a piece rather than stitches. The stitches do not have good definition so cables and textural stitches go to waste if you are using a boucle. It is somewhat challenging for new knitters / crocheters because it is difficult to see where you are while you are using it. However, for plain, simple, patterns, this yarn can work great because it creates the texture for you. Above is Lion Brand Homespun yarn. This is the first boucle yarn that popped into my head.

Single-Ply or Hand Spun

This yarn isn't perfectly even throughout, giving it a home made quality. It is fiber spun into one strand. It has excellent stitch definition, but mistakes are very obvious. The above picture is Bernat: Vickie Howell: Sheep(ish) yarn.

4-Ply

4-Ply yarn is probably the most common texture. It is 4 strands of single-ply that are spun together to make an evenly textured yarn. This yarn is even, and helps to cover some mistakes. It is easy to work with for beginners, and is very smooth to the touch. The above yarn is Cascade 220.

Color!

Tonal

Tonal yarn is a single color with various shades. I compare it to really good hair highlights. There are highs and lows that create interest and look good in almost any pattern you can imagine. Shown is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn

Variegated

Variegated yarns are short colorways (single color) of a yarn, that when knitted or crocheted, become stripes and blends of gorgeous hues. Pictured above is Malabrigo Rios. One of my favorite yarns.

Self-striping

Self-striping yarn is very similar to variegated, but it is dyed in long colorways so that it stripes as you knit or crochet with it. This prevents you from having to change colors, you just keep going. Above is Crystal Palace Mini Mochi yarn

Ombre

Ombre yarn shifts shades from one color to another. It does not have distinctive stripes of self-striping yarn, but fades from one shade to the next with subtlety. Pictured is Freia Fine Handpaints Ombre Sport yarn.

What to choose...

I hope this helps you to make your next yarn decision. With the above information, you will be able to select the correct yarn for the project. Just remember to have fun with it!