3 (Introduction) Yarn – What is it Good For?

The crochet hook is the crochet artist’s paintbrush, and the yarn is the paint and canvas. Knowing about yarn will help you to understand its use so you can make a good decision for your work and your projects will lastlonger and fulfill their uses. The three basic things you need to know about choosing a good yarn for your project  are: fiber, weight, and dye lot.

Fiber

The fiber is what a yarn is made of. It can make it more durable, softer, or warmer. Therefore, it is important to know what fiber a skein (a long roll) or ball of yarn is made of. There are natural fibers and synthetic fibers. Natural fibers come from plant or animal sources and have been around for thousands of years. Synthetic fibers are manmade and started turning up in the early 20^th century.

Natural fibers can be more expensive than synthetic fibers but are excellent choices for clothing and have a different look to them than synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are often shinier than animal fibers, but can be more durable and resistant to stretch and color fade. Natural fibers can include (but are not limited to); cotton, bamboo, hemp, soy, wool, alpaca, angora, mohair, llama, and silk. Synthetic yarns can include; nylon, acrylic, polyester, rayon. The list continues to be updated because scientists are creating new fibers for use in various industries every day.

An excellent article on yarn fibers and their uses can be found here: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/types-of-yarn-fibers.html

Weight

Yarns come in different weights (thickness). Each weight has a different purpose. The weight of yarn is measured from a 0 (Lace) to a 6 (Super Bulky) and appears as a symbol on the label of a skein/ball of yarn that looks like this:

0, or Lace sized yarn, is a yarn thread that is used with steel crochet hooks to make doilies and lace.  Size 1, or Super Fine yarn, is used for making socks and very fine baby items. 2, or Fine weight, is used for baby items and summer crochet items like summer sweaters and bathing suit cover-ups. Size 3, or Light weight, yarn is used for baby items and for light weight clothing items. 4 is Medium or Worsted weight. It is the most commonly used and diverse yarn, used for making everything from clothing to afghans. It is the most widely available yarn with the most fiber and color selections available. 5, or Bulky Weight, yarn is used for making heavy winter sweaters and coats as well as rugs. Size 6, or Super Bulky, yarn is a very thick yarn. It used most often in making scarves and some winter clothing.

For more information on yarn weight, visit: http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/weight.html

Colors and Dye Lots

Think of mixing paint colors. If you are trying to mix green from yellow and blue, depending on how much yellow and blue is used, you will get different shades of green. This is where a dye lot comes in. Have you ever painted a room and ran out of paint, returned to the hardware store, purchased the same paint color, and painted the rest of the wall, only to realize after it has dried that the color is slightly off? Yarns, unless otherwise specified, are dyed in lots after the dye is mixed. If you are making a large project with a yarn that was dyed in a lot, it is important that you purchase all of the rolls or skeins needed for that project from the same lot to prevent having the color be slightly different from one skein to the next. Dye lot is listed on the label either close to the UPC symbol or with the weight information

Other Considerations

As with clothing, yarn also has care instructions on the label. Make note of a specific yarn’s care instructions so that it will work with your project. Some yarns are dry clean only, while others are machine washable.

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