Hand Knitters' Guide to Yarn Fibres

Yarn is the name for strands of fibre spun together to form a long thread. The thread is then used in a variety of ways e.g. sewing, weaving, embroidery or knitting. However there are only 2 main types of yarn for hand knitting - those made from natural fibres and those made from manmade fibres.

 

Manmade fibres were first developed as knitting yarn to imitate the look of the natural fibres. But they are less expensive and generally easier to wash – particularly machine washing. However manmade don’t have the same properties for keeping you warm or absorbing moisture as yarn made from natural fibres and are usually not as soft.

 

Yarn can be 100% natural fibre or 100% manmade fibre. This can be just one fibre, e.g. 100% merino wool, or a mixture, e.g. 50% cotton 50% silk; 70% rayon 30% nylon. Or it can be a blend of natural and manmade e.g. 70% merino wool 30% nylon. The fibres are blended for the properties or characteristics of those included in the mix. This can be any of the properties including durability, texture, colour, moisture absorption or price.

 

Some people still call all hand knitting yarn' wool'. This would have been fine many years ago when there were no man-made fibres, but nowadays wool is just one type of yarn that is available to knitters. You will find all the information about which fibres are included in your ball of yarn on the yarn label.

 

Knitting Yarns made from Manmade Fibres

A manmade fibre is a fibre manufactured scientifically (as opposed to coming directly from a plant or an animal, see Natural Fibres). Manmade fibres also have their own unique characteristics – they can be dyed to very bright and vibrant colours and a wide range of textures and effects can be produced.

 

These are the main manmade fibres that you are likely to come across for knitting:

 

acrylic	this is the general name for manmade synthetic fibres. They are made from chemically processing products derived from coal and oil refining
polyester	a type of acrylic fibre.
nylon	produced in 1938, nylon was the first completely synthetic fibre developed and the first man made fibre used in knitting and crochet. Nylon is a strong, light fibre with a shiny appearance that makes it look like new even after many years. It can be dyed to brilliant white and fluorescent shades. It is non-absorbent, mothproof and resistant to mildew and bacteria.
Courtelle	this is a brand name for an acrylic fibre
triacetate	this is the general name for the group of manmade fibres manufactured from cellulose. Cellulose is the fibrous part of wood pulp. Although it is a natural source, a chemical process is used to create the finished fibre. These fibres are shrink resistant, wrinkle resistant and easy to wash even at high temperatures and cheaper than natural fibres. It is also more absorbent than synthetic manmade fibres.
rayon	this is a type of triacetate i.e. manmade fibre manufactured from cellulose. Originally called “artificial silk” when it was first produced, it absorbs water so is more comfortable to wear than synthetic manmade fibres.
viscose	a type of rayon

 

 

Knitting Yarns made from Natural Fibres

A natural fibre is one that comes from nature i.e. a natural source. The source can be from an animal or a plant and these fibres are used because of their natural ability to absorb moisture and keep you warm.

These are the main natural fibres that you are likely to come across for knitting.

 

alpaca	this fleece from a type of llama is very warm and soft
angora	fur spun from fur of angora rabbits, angora is fluffy, fine and soft and sheds like moulting fur. It is often mixed with nylon. The synthetic mixture produces a fabric that is not as fluffy and soft as pure angora but the yarn will not shed hairs as much. Used for delicate knitwear but not suitable for babies
cashmere	this goats fleece gives a very soft and expensive luxury wool. It is very soft and fine to the touch. It knits into long lasting high quality knitwear.
mohair	obtained from the angora goat, this is one of the oldest textile fibres. It is both durable and resilient. soft, warm, featherlight with a lustre and a fluffy appearance. the value of mohair is determined by its lustre, rather than by it's softness. It is usually blended e.g. with wool or cotton, but if not blended it can be knit together with another yarn to get more density. Not suitable for babies' knitwear
Merino	fleece from pure bred merino sheep are considered to be the finest of all sheep’s wool. It is spun from the super fine fleece of Merino Sheep, originally from Spain, and is very soft. It is also very strong and resilient and takes dye well. Also known as botany wool, it is suitable for a wide range of knitwear.
wool	usually associated with the fleece of sheep or lambs but the term "wool" can also apply to all animal hair fibres, including goats - Cashmere or Angora or the speciality hair of Alpaca or Llama. All wool is warm, but its other properties vary according to the breed of sheep. There are hundreds of different breeds of sheep producing thousands of different types of sheep wool. But they can be divided broadly into 2 categories: botany wool: this comes from pure-bred Merino sheep and is considered to be the finest of all wool. It is a very soft wool. crossbred wool: very strong and coarse so has a harder wearing quality.
silk	a natural filament fibre produced by the silkworm in the construction of its cocoon. Most silk is collected from cultivated worms. All silk comes from Asia, primarily China. Silk fibres are light and have a lustre. It is expensive and is often mixed with other fibres e.g. cotton.
cotton	this comes from the fibres from seed pods of cotton plants. It is light, absorbent and less elastic than wool and now very common for knitting. Often used for light weight summer knits as well as accessories. It is hard wearing and washes well.
linen	flax plant fibres obtained from inside the woody stem of the flax plant are used. to produce linen. Linen fibres are much stronger and more lustrous than cotton and give a stiffer fabric. Linen fabrics are very cool and absorbent, but wrinkle very easily, unless blended with manufactured fibres. Sometimes these yarns have a textured finish. Linen is one of the oldest textile fibres.