All About Yarn

Hello! I am so glad to be back with you another week to share the next installment of the new to crochet segment. So today we are going to talk about yarn. it is a very important subject because it is mostly what your project is made of. Below I have a label for a skein of yarn. We are going to go through the various aspects that you need to look out for before you start.

 

 

Yarn Weights: There are many different kinds of yarn in different weights. The weight of this particular yarn is outlined with a red box. If you use the wrong weight yarn for a pattern it may come out too big or too small. So right now we are going to run through the different kinds of yarns.

0 – Lace (Often crochet thread)
1- Super Fine (Often can use crochet thread)

2- Fine
3 – Light (Often Called DK Light)
4 – Medium (Often called Worsted Medium, this is the standard size.)

5 – Bulky

6 – Super Bulky

7 – Jumbo

Hook Size: Another thing that we need to notice is outlined in blue. This is the recommended hook size for that particular yarn. When following a pattern they may tell you which size to use. If not then you can follow this guide. If you want something to be more lacy, then you can use a bigger hook than recommended. If you want something tighter, then you can use a smaller hook.

Washing (Care) Instructions:

Regardless of whether you are keeping a project or gifting it to someone else, it is important on how to take care of it. But where can you find the instructions because every yarn is different? Outlined in a pink box is the care instructions right on the label. This label for example says that you CAN machine wash and dry it. However you CANNOT Bleach or Iron. Why would other yarns let you do things some will not? You must consider that yarn can be made of many many things. Some are made with wool, cotton, rayon, ect. With each of the different types it has it’s own specific care instructions. Once you get your yarn and are ready to start, what if you can’t decipher the care instructions? Lion Brand has provided a fantastic guide for all the symbols that you can find here: http://www.lionbrand.com/learn/yarncare

 Yarn Length: Many patterns will tell you that you need so many ounces or yards for a project. Have can you be sure that you will not run out before finishing the project? On the label sample above you will see such information outlined it purple. So if you need 1,000 yards of yarn for a project you can tell by this label that you would need 3 skeins to finish the project. This brings me to another point. Before starting a project it is important to purchase at one time all the yarn you will need. Why? First of all, when you go back they may not have the yarn or it might be discontinued. Second, the colors might be off because of a different dye lot. It may read as the same color but it may be lighter or darker.

Naturally, of course, every label will look different and the location may be in different areas but it is important to look for these things when picking yarn for a project.

I hope that this post was helpful to you and you are one step closer to starting your project and learning how to crochet. The next post in this section will be all about yarn hooks. Thanks again for joining me. See you next week!