Crocheting is an engaging hobby and if you are just starting out, there are certain things that you have to get used to. One such aspect of protecting is selecting the right yarn for the project. This is easily said than done because there are so many options available in the market when it comes to yarn.
There are different specifications that you have to consider when selecting yarn such as the colour, nature of fibres, weight etc. When choosing yarn for a beginners crochet project, there are certain terms that you will have to familiarise yourself with. A ball of yarn can be in the shape of a ball or can be any yarn that you have. A ball and skein of yarn are the same thing. Skein is generally the form that you purchase yarns in from a shop. But local yarn shops will sell yarn in a form called a hank that looks like a braid of yarn. And a hank can be wound into a yarn cake where the yarn has been wound in a curved shape with flat sides. When you purchase yarn, make sure that you read its label carefully. It will let you know its content and weight. The labels are very informative and they will have certain specifications that will help you decide which project it is best for. Some examples of the specifics provided are the brand name of the yarn, dye lot, fibre content, colour, weight, length, number of strands that form the yarn and hook size recommended for the gauge of the yarn. You don’t always need to refer to the hook size that is specified on the label. This is usually a suggestion. You can always change the size of the hook if the recommended size doesn’t seem correct.
The type of fibre will give you an idea of its contents. Generally, yarn can be natural or synthetic. There are also blends that are a combination of the two. Natural yarn from animal sources includes silk, mohair, cashmere and wool. Plant based yarn includes cotton, bamboo and linen. Then there is synthetic yarn such as polyester and nylon. You can use cotton for lighter garments and wool for warm clothes to wear in the winter. If you are looking for a type of wool that is versatile to be used in different projects, you can go for acrylic yarn which is synthetic. It is affordable and easy to use.
Yarn is dyed in batches and this is terms as dye lots. There can be small inconsistencies in the colour between different dye lots so you will need to purchase from the same dye lot when collecting yarn for a project. If you ignore this, the result will have an off colour and lots of irregularities. There are also instructions on how to wash the items that you create from that yarn on the label. Wool should be washed in cold water and you can use the washing machine for linen and cotton. Synthetic yarn is easy to wash as they don’t shrink and you can simply wash them along with the rest of the laundry.
