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What your yarn is made of can have a hugeimpact
on your finished knit. Our guide revealshow...yarn fibres
All about...
W
hen it comes to knitting, choosing yarn is the most
exciting bit so it’s important that you understand what
it’s made from. Your mainchoiceswillbenaturalfibres
(animal-based) synthetic fibres or blendsofthese.Traditionally,
wool has been a popular fibre for yarnbecauseofitsversatile,
natural quality and the fact that it’s easytounravelandreknit.
Other natural fibres include cotton, linen,silk,cashmereandalpaca.
Synthetics are often spun from nylon,polyesteroracrylic.Common
blends are wool and acrylic, or wool andcotton.Herearesomeof
the yarn fibres you’re likely to come across...
Spunfromth fle ofa sheep,woolissoft,strongand
verywarm.It hasa bitof‘give’whichmakesit easytoknit
with.It shouldholditsshapeandissometimestreatedso
youcanmachine-washit.Di erenttypesincludesoftlambs’
wool,luxuriousMerinoandnaturalundyedyarn,ina rangeof
‘sheepy’coloursfromcreamtodarkbrown.WOOL
A plantfibre,cottonissofttothe
touch and creates a heavy,
dense fabric. It has a crisp
texture that’s perfect
for showing o stitch
definition. Pure cottons
can be quite hard to
knit with due to their
lack of elasticity, which
also means finished
pieces can stretch. Cot
blends are less likely to
and good-quality cottonyar
should hold their shapeif treated
well. Some cotton yarns are mercerised, such as the very fine
cottons used for lace knitting – this means they’re treated to
add shine and strength.COTTON
Althoughtheycanbeexpensive,silkyarnsarea reat.
They’reverysoft,sofeelwonderfultoknitwithandthefabric
drapesbeautifully.Disadvantagesarethatlooselyspunyarns
willdeteriorateif youre-knitthemandpuresilkcanwearout
quickly.Lookoutfortightlyspunsilkorblends,andusethem
onlyforclothesthatwillbewelllookedafter.SILK
Mo go t, knitsupintoa soft,flu y fabric.
Makesureyou okfora brandthatisn’tcoarse if you plan
to use it for garments rather than homewares, where coarse
blends may be harder wearing. Great for a luxurious look.MOHAIR
Ac andviscosearemadefromtreatedcellulose
fibres that come from bamboo andwoodpulp.Yarnsmade
from these fibres have a soft shinyquality,aswellasgiving
a lovely drape to finished fabric. You’llfindthesethreefibres
are often used in blends, and viscosecanbesofterthansilk.
These sorts of fibres can produceallkindsofexciting,shiny
threads and textures, so they are alwaysworthconsidering
when you’re deciding what to use.BAMBOO
Plant
fibreWonderfu
fo al type
o knittin !
A ovel ,
nat ra pic
fo yo knit !
Fo fluff
fullnes an
plus w rmt
A little bit
of luxury
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