Yarn Yarn so many kinds!

[MrsPilgrim]

I agree with Jan. If I'm going to invest all that time in a piece of knitting that I want to have last a while and that I can be proud of, I'm going to get a yarn worthy of my time and effort.

You'll never find an itchy merino wool. There is so much variety on line and in yarn shops than you'd ever see in the local hobby stores. They're more expensive. . . but you're worth it, daahling!

I've fondled some lovely wool in a shop and ordered it in line because the price is so much more reasonable. I feel a little guilty, but I have to stay in business, too--paying-my-bills-business.

www.littleknits.com or www.elann.com often have some really delicious yarns at greatly reduced prices.

Living on a very small budget, knitting for me needs to be practical as well as enjoyable, paying $150 for a pure wool cardigan was just way out of my reach. I make my own sourdough breads for 1/2 of what the bakery charges, and cook all of my meals from scratch for the same reasons.

After all this yarn talk I thought I would have a look in my own backyard to see whats available online. Living in Australia its more economical to buy from here than overseas and I like supporting the locals. After getting through the first two pages of google (full of boutique yarn sellers) I did come accross some very reasonably priced wool on a few sites so Im glad this topic came up, it forced me to do research beyond the overpriced, craft, chain store I've been using down the street. Once Im done with this jumper I really can invest in some nice Aussie wool and not feel like I broke the bank.

[suzeeq]

Worsted is a medium weight yarn, usually has a 4 on the label, or the little gauge icon will say that it uses size 8/5mm needles. Other yarns are thicker - bulky or super bulky and use larger needles - or thinner, like the baby or sport weight yarns which use smaller needles.

[Shandeh]

Oh this is so cute! How did you like knitting with it? All I got to do was cast on then my needles broke so I didn't really get a feel for it yet.

Thanks! I am a tight knitter, so I had to force myself to let the yarn flow and relax my grip on it, to make it easier to stitch with. Also, I had to try different kinds of knitting needles (wood, plastic, metal), before I finally settled on the ones I used - plastic.

I've learned that some yarns work better with certain knitting needles. So, before I give up on a yarn, I try it with all the types of needles I have available.

[Jan in CA]

There are some nicer less expensive yarns. Plymouth Encore and Berroco Vintage to name a few. Not all the stuff in hobby stores is awful either. There are some nice ones if your budget is tight. I'm just thinking you don't need to stick to Red Heart Super Saver. Even washed that stuff is not that soft. It hurts my hands to knit with it.

[ArtLady1981]

I love natural fibers...whether they be animal-based, or plant-based.

I like some acrylic yarns. And there is a definite good case for the purchase of acrylic yarns.

Matching the right yarn to the right project is a GOAL that I swear is never fully attained!
I can still manage to blunder in this department!

However, that said...my worst blunders in the past two years have always been because I didn't use the yarn recommended. AND I MEAN WORST. My alternative choice of yarn was a total trainwreck. WRECK.

But who knew?

Advice: if you chose an alternate yarn...find your project on Ravelry...and LOOK AT all the other projects knit up. Read the knitter's notes. ALSO, find your yarn on Raverly, and READ all the notes made by others about the yarn.

A lot of problems can be avoided if you research your project and your yarn in this way.
I do it ALL THE TIME. I learned the hard way. I don't consider myself an expert at all.
So I do my homework before launching into a major project. Even a scarf is a major project
because you spend a lot of time on it!

When I read other's notes...I learn what NOT TO DO. And/or what yarn NOT TO USE.
In addition to reading the success stories!

[LoveBugAngel]

So if a pattern calls for a certain yarn, how do you know what alternative you can use?

[suzeeq]

You can look on www.yarndex.com and search for something that gets a similar gauge. Or on ravelry you can find the pattern's page, then there's a button to search for other yarns people used for the same pattern.

[LoveBugAngel]

So if a pattern calls for Pattons Shetland Ragg (100 g) do I just need to look for a yarn that is 100 g?

[justplaincharlotte]

So if a pattern calls for Pattons Shetland Ragg (100 g) do I just need to look for a yarn that is 100 g?

LBA, if I searched correctly on the yarndex site, you're looking for a bulky yarn that is 75% acrylic, 25% wool that gives you about 121 yds. to 100 g and on the label knits 15 sts to 4 inches on 6 mm (size 10 US) needles. Since this is a Ragg yarn, you're also looking for a 2 color twisted yarn to get about the same result. Take a look at the About This Yarn box on yarndex.com for my search results on Patons Shetland Ragg. http://www.yarndex.com/yarn.cfm?yarn_id=4023

Whenever you're substituting yarn, that's the box with all of the info to make a reasonable substitution. Here, if you use Shetland Chunky Multi in any color combo you like it should substitute easily size wise but you may not get the look of a ragg because they're variegated, not a 2 color twist. To sub for a local wool that is Ragg, I'd go with the gauge results in a 2 color twist( i.e. 2 plies natural, one pile brown).

[Shandeh]

So if a pattern calls for Pattons Shetland Ragg (100 g) do I just need to look for a yarn that is 100 g?

No. 100 g is just how much the yarn weighs. You need to substitute a yarn that is the same THICKNESS.