Knitting Yarn

The concept of knitting yarn is very relative and wide at the same time as it defines any material that can be knitted by hand, loom or knitting machine; here we should mention cotton, wool, ribbon, string and all sorts of artificial fibers. The aspect to remember before making the choice of the knitting yarn is that this item gives the features of the knitted object. You should ask yourself questions about the level of formality, the type of weather you want the knitted piece to go for and the need for washability. This suggests that the right knitting yarn triggers the level of success or failure in a knitting project, although there are other factors at work too.

The first thing to start with is that, knitting yarn comes in different sizes and shapes, not to mention the fact that the origin of the material is equally important. Thus, fibers of animal origin such as wool are great for their warmth and durability. This means that such knitting yarn works great for socks, blankets, gloves, hats, sweaters, baby clothes and shawls. In summertime cotton and other plant fibers make the knitting yarn suitable to make very breathable fabric.

Other variants of knitting yarn that can be highly reliable and easy to use are nylon and polyester; they offer the advantage of being suitable for more fashionable clothes, but will never work for baby clothes. Only cotton and linen are suitable to come into contact with the sensitive baby skin. Then, another serious word of advice to consider here is the quality of the knitting yarn that is most often relevant in the color difference. You have to make sure that the yarn you purchase belongs to the same dye lot and that there are no variations whatsoever.

The weight or thickness of the knitting yarn is one other important characteristic. Aran yarn represents the most common weight and it is ideal for basic knitting patterns and hats. Everything thicker than Aran yarn is usually meant for heavy jumpers and works only with thick needles. On the other hand, knitting yarn types that are thinner than Aran are usually double-knit yarn and four ply yarn. The former is good for children's garments and socks whereas the latter allows for the making of fine elegant apparel items.