Many crafters are very familiar with using yarn in their projects, whether it be knitting a jumper, weaving a seat cushion with a peg loom or creating a felted tapestry. But what actually is yarn?
What is yarn?
Yarn is a continuous length of interlocked fibres that can be used in a number of crafts. It can be made from man-made or natural fibres and is available in a range of weights and thicknesses.
Fibres used to make yarn include wool which comes from sheep, angora which comes from rabbits, mohair which comes from goats and silk which comes from insects. Or it can be derived from plant fibres, such as cotton and bamboo. Polyester is an example of a commonly used synthetic fibre.
How to choose your yarn
Choosing your yarn requires that you match its qualities to the type of project that you wish to undertake. Chunky yarn, such as that available from https://www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/the-chunky-yarn, is ideally suited to knitting or crocheting jumpers while lace-weight yarn is ultra-thin and mostly used to create lace doilies, shawls and other similar items.
If you are planning to follow a pattern, it will recommend the right type of yarn for your project, and if you buy a kit, it will come with the recommended yarn included, removing all doubt and allowing you to focus on creating your masterpiece.
If you are modifying a pattern, you can select the yarn that feels best to you, altering the pattern and needle size to accommodate the change of yarn so that you can make a bespoke creation of which you can be proud.
Always remember what the end purpose of your product will be so that you use yarn with appropriate properties. For example, some wool will be uncomfortable and itchy against the skin and should therefore be avoided for clothing projects, while durable yarns such as cotton are well suited to making reusable makeup pads.
Ultimately though, the choice is yours. And with an immense variety of weights and colours on offer, the world is your oyster. So, enjoy your next yarn project.
