Most passionate knitters will tell you that they're in it because they get to play with really nice yarn. Or maybe that's just me. Knitting itself is a wonderful hobby, but when you throw in really luscious yarn, it's even more of a pleasure.
New knitters might not understand why one yarn is nicer to work with than another (we won't say better, no judgments here), but different fibers have different properties that make them good choices for different things.
Cotton yarn, for instance, is strong and cool, making it great for hard-working dishcloths and summer wear, but it gets heavy and stretchy when wet, so it's not so great for things you might want to wear or use at the beach.
Wool yarn, of course, is warm (it doesn't have to be scratchy!) and has great memory, meaning you can stretch it out and it returns back to its original size and shape, making it great for things like hats that need to stretch and cling. Of course, unless you use superwash wool, you can't wash things made with wool in the washing machine, either.
Beyond these basics there are a ton of different kinds of yarn, from bamboo to recycled silk, corn to fiber made from recycled soda bottles. There's always something new to try (I have yarns made with sugar, camel hair, angora and many others in my stash!) and more to learn about this most basic of raw materials that helps fuel the knitting obsessions of so many.
Comments