Standing in a wool shop with arrays of colored wool in front of you could be overwhelming. Not all wool types would suit all projects. Choosing the right yarn for the right yarn gives you a perfect finish. In fact, all skeins and spun might look the same but they are quite different.
Whether you are a beginner or an expert knitter, choosing right makes a huge difference to your finished knitted product. Here's everything that you need to know when you are out and about choosing yarn for your next project:
When you buy wool yarn, it is important to understand the label. Often, all the significant information that you would need to know would be on it. Each ball of yarn has a label or a ball band with key details like fiber content, weight, care instructions, Suggested needle size, gauge, amount and dye-lot number.
Fiber content – The fiber content is the material of yarn. Sometimes, the yarn is made from a combination of different types of wool. For instance, Cygnet Yarns wool may have a blended ball with 90% merino wool and 10% cashmere wool.
Weight – The thickness of the yarn is measured in WPI (Wraps per Inch). There is a range of wool yarns available in different weights ranging from fine wool to super chunky wool. It could be anything ranging from 1 ply to 14 plies.
Care instructions – Most wool yarns have specific care guidance. The label would have details on how to care for your finished garment including how to wash and dry it. Some yarn may not suit regular washing and might fade when a higher temperature water is used. Understanding the care instructions is important as it would affect the longevity of your finished knitted garment. If you are knitting a toy, this guide could help you wash your toy after it is done. Sometimes, when you do not follow the instructions, you might end up with a shrunken or fade knitted to wear.
Suggested needle size – The yarn ball band would also have a suggested needle size. This is a rough guide to understand what needle size would suit your project. Depending on what you are working on, you could increase or decrease your needle size. In general, the bigger size of the needle would give you a bigger product.
Gauge – The gauge gives a rough idea of how big your finished product will be. You can also use the gauge to decide how many balls of wool you would need to finish your final product. Say if you would like to make a big square using the wool, the gauge on the label would let you know the size of the finished square. It is usually represented as a grid with the number of stitches on each side.
Amount – The amount of yarn is the total length of the yarn. It is usually measured in yards or ounces. This would be mentioned in most patterns. Choosing the right amount of yarn could help you have a perfect product. Sometimes, if you do not get the right amount, you may end up with lesser yarn and might not be able to finish your product.
Dye-lot number – The dye-lot number gives you the shade of the yarn color. When you are buying many balls of yarn for your project, make sure that the dye-lot numbers are the same. Even when two balls of yarn look same shade when you look at them normally, they could seem different in the knitted dress. If you order your woolen yarn online, you could use the dye-lot number to order it again.
Choose the yarn that suits your project best. If you have a pattern for your knitting project, it is ideal to choose the yarn that the pattern demands. If you are doing it all on your own, take time to think of what you would like. This would give you a fair idea of what to choose.
