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| From top to bottom: Crochet cotton, 4-ply sport-weight yarn, bouclé yarn, eyelash yarn, ribbon yarn. |
Yarn is a continuous fiber that is used to construct a fabric. It is usually made from several natural or
synthetic strands, called plies, which are spun together into one single strand. Most yarns are 4-ply,
meaning they are made from four plies. They are normally sold by weight (in ounces) in balls called
skeins, although some novelty yarns and crochet cotton can be bought by the spool.
The thickness of the yarn is graded from 1 to 6 by the Craft Yarn Council of America. The bulkiest
yarns are graded 5-6, and are usually reserved for bulky winter wear or rugs. Medium-weight (also
known as sport-weight or worsted-weight) yarns are graded 3-4, and are the general all-purpose
yarn used for most projects. The finest yarns are 1-2, and work well for lacy projects and baby
apparel. And even thinner than the finest yarns is crochet cotton, which is used for making crochet
lace. Crochet cotton has its own grading system and is graded by weight; for example, #3 or #10.
The larger the number, the finer the thread.
In addition to the standard wool-type yarns, “novelty” type yarns have recently come into popularity.
Bouclé yarns are made by spinning one of the plies at a different tension than the rest, thus giving
the yarn a rough texture. Eyelash yarns have short strands of fiber sprouting from the main thread,
and give a hairy or furry appearance to the finished project. Ribbon yarns give the appearance of
ribbon, but are more elastic than normal craft and sewing ribbon.
The typical sport-weight, 4-ply yarn is the best to use when first learning to crochet, but once the
basics have been mastered, it’s fun to experiment with different types of yarn to see the different
effects they create.
synthetic strands, called plies, which are spun together into one single strand. Most yarns are 4-ply,
meaning they are made from four plies. They are normally sold by weight (in ounces) in balls called
skeins, although some novelty yarns and crochet cotton can be bought by the spool.
The thickness of the yarn is graded from 1 to 6 by the Craft Yarn Council of America. The bulkiest
yarns are graded 5-6, and are usually reserved for bulky winter wear or rugs. Medium-weight (also
known as sport-weight or worsted-weight) yarns are graded 3-4, and are the general all-purpose
yarn used for most projects. The finest yarns are 1-2, and work well for lacy projects and baby
apparel. And even thinner than the finest yarns is crochet cotton, which is used for making crochet
lace. Crochet cotton has its own grading system and is graded by weight; for example, #3 or #10.
The larger the number, the finer the thread.
In addition to the standard wool-type yarns, “novelty” type yarns have recently come into popularity.
Bouclé yarns are made by spinning one of the plies at a different tension than the rest, thus giving
the yarn a rough texture. Eyelash yarns have short strands of fiber sprouting from the main thread,
and give a hairy or furry appearance to the finished project. Ribbon yarns give the appearance of
ribbon, but are more elastic than normal craft and sewing ribbon.
The typical sport-weight, 4-ply yarn is the best to use when first learning to crochet, but once the
basics have been mastered, it’s fun to experiment with different types of yarn to see the different
effects they create.
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