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| Fiber and not so much Fiber |
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The length and quality of the fiber in a yarn determines its texture, luster, strength and hand. Yarn made from long fibers will pill less, be smoother, stronger, more lustrous and more elastic. Yarns containing a mixture of fiber lengths are softer, fuzzier and less strong. Tightly twisted yarns display the texture of a knitted pattern to its best advantage. Fuzzy yarns obscure a stitch pattern but are warmer and cozier, although they wear less well and often shed like a St. Bernard in a Georgia summer. 'Novelty' yarns are ones with an unusual texture, color or appearance that comes through differences in its ply sizes, the combinations of its fibers or some variation in its spinning. Slub yarn has a textured, lumpy surface. It has a smooth ply and one that was spun unevenly, which creates 'slubs' or lumps in the ply. Crepe yarn has tiny bumps. Boucl&ea; yarn has its smooth ply so tightly twisted that it curls around the slub ply. Roving, mentioned above, is loosely spun wool. It is a weak yarn and can pull apart while being knit. Once made up, the fabric itself holds the fibers together; although warm, the fabric will pill, abrade and does not wear well. 'Eyelash' or 'fur' yarn has long filaments grouped along its length. When the yarn is knitted, these filaments stick out from the fabric and give it a furry look. Virgin and other terms: Virgin fiber is fiber that has not been knit, woven or worked beforehand. Shoddy is yarn or fabric made from scraps; obviously, it has been worked beforehand. Since it does not wear well, its name is used to describe anything poorly made. Felt is what happens when wool shrinks and mats together; the action is usually irreversible. Pills are little matted balls that form on sweaters. They happen as the soft yarn rubs against itself and the fibers tangle. Knit-alongs are yarns knit with the main yarn in a fabric. They do not affect the gauge of the pattern but add strength, color or pizzazz. Gauge is not a fiber term. It is the number of stitches per inch the yarn gives when knitted. Although the size of the yarn is a factor, needle or hook size and the tightness with which the yarn is worked also determine gauge. [Editor's note: "gauge" is known as tension in the UK.] Hand is how a yarn feels. |
| Types of Yarn |
| Much can be said about the stringy stuff we crochet with and this format does not offer an opportunity to examine all at one time. Without the stuff we would not be crocheting. Threads are sized differently. They are sol according to size number. The higher the number the thinner the thread. Size 100 is the smallest Size 80 Size 50 ( sewing thread) 8,5, and 3. There is a fuzzy area where there are no numbers but brand names such as Brilliant Crochet Cotton�, �Knit �Cro-Sheen, �Speed-Cro-Sheen,� and Bedspread Cotton,� increasing weights of heaviness. As stated in Maggie Righetti�s book �Crocheting in Plain English.� These are yarns and threads but don�t stop there. There are lots of other things you can crochet with. How about wire or lanyard plastic |