With any skill, it is important to understand the tools and materials you work with to create the quality of project you desire. When working with yarn to create items of clothing, this is especially true. If you use a different sized yarn than the pattern calls for, the finished product will not fit properly.
Yarn Weights
The Craft Yarn Council of America has devised a system to standardize the labeled weights of yarn to aid in selection of yarns and the size of needles to use:
- Lace weight – the finest threads for making lace on collars and handkerchiefs
- Sock weight – also known as fingering weight – for socks that aren’t rough on the feet
- Baby or sport weight – fine and generally very soft – great for baby blankets and clothes
- Double-knit (DK) or light worsted weight – used for light garments and kid’s clothes
- Worsted weight – named for the town, Worstead in Norfolk, England, known for its 12th century weavers. Aran weight is sometimes included with worsted, but it is slightly heavier and thicker.
- Chunky weight – for use in thicker items such as scarves, hats and afghans
- Bulky weight – great for arm knitted blankets which don’t require needles
- Jumbo weight – popular for quick projects using arm knitting or finger crochet
Natural Fibers
Needle & Skein has a wide array of yarns made of all kinds of natural fibers. Cotton, linen and Merino wool are popular for everyday use. Other fibers we carry come from all over the world:
- Mohair – from the Angora Goat originally found in Turkey
- Angora wool – from the Angora Rabbit, also originally from Turkey
- Fetlar – a Shetland Island wool, found on a northern island of Scotland
- Alpaca – South American relatives of the camel
- Cashmere – harvested from the Cashmere Goat found in the Himalayan region
Your best work begins with the best yarn. We can supply you with the materials that will result in items to be treasured for a lifetime.
