The Joys of Yarn

I really like yarn, if you ask my husband, I have way too much yarn. A while back, he gathered up all of my yarn from my favorite hiding spots around the house and counted all of the skeins he could find. He told me I had about eighty two skeins and he was sure that there were some unaccounted for. He really thought that was a good reason for me not to buy any more yarn for a while. I disagreed, but played along.

I enjoy shopping for yarn. There are so many possibilities in the isles of the yarn store. So many different colors, thicknesses and fibers. Some of my favorite kinds of yarn are made from Merino wool, Alpaca, Llama, bamboo and cotton. I've never had the pleasure of knitting with silk, but it seems like it would be a nice fiber to create something with. Acrylic and other man made yarns have come a long way since they were first produced. Some are silky, beautiful and have very nice drape. The most important aspect when shopping for yarn is to find a yarn that feels good on your fingers.

Here is a quick guide to the basics of Yarn Weight:

Yarns are for the most part classified according to their thicknesses/diameters. The thinnest yarns are called cobweb and are used to make very fine lace projects. Next is Fingering/sock yarn which is a little thicker and used to make things such as the obious socks and lacy things. Next is the Sport weight yarns, a lot of yarns used to make baby items are Sport weight. Sport and DK weights are very similar with DK (Double Knit) being a little thicker. Worsted Weight yarns are probably the most popular. These yarns aren't so thin that it takes forever to knit something, but they aren't so think that they make the wearer of the knitted item look extra bulky. Bulky weight yarns can be used to items such as blankets and scarfs. The major advantage to knitting with bulky weight yarns is that the project grows very quickly.

If you are looking for An inexpensive yarn that is reliably available in many craft stores, I would suggest Lion Brand Wool-Ease. This yarn comes in different yarn weights, pretty colors. Wool-Ease is very soft and machine washable. I've seen this yarn at stores such as Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Joann's Fabric, and Wal-mart. Wool-Ease is a blend of wool and acrylic and is very soft. This yarn comes in various weights. This is the yarn that was used in my previous videos of the tutorials.

I hope everyone had a happy Independence Day (Fourth of July) and please keep our troups in mind, especially those that are away from their families.