Learn more about some of the major fiber types!
Mercerized cotton yarn has many of the same properties as unmercerized cotton yarn. The main difference is that mercerized cotton has gone through an additional step of processing which has made it stronger, and more lustrous than its unmercerized counterparts.
Acrylic yarn can refer to any fiber with a 90% synthetic base, so it can come in almost infinite shapes and sizes. Acrylic has excellent elasticity and will add memory to anything it is blended with.
Alpaca yarn comes from this South American mammal that’s closely related to the llama. Alpaca fiber is very strong and projects knit in it will be very durable and long lasting. Like wool, it can absorb moisture and still feel dry next to the skin, making it perfect for Portland winters and springs.
Bamboo yarn does not have much memory, but has beautiful drape. It is extremely soft and comfortable for next-to-the-skin wear. Bamboo contains natural antibacterial bioagents that stay in the fiber even if it has been washed many times, and is also hypoallergenic.
Bouclé is a kind of novelty yarn. It is a yarn with a length of loops of similar size which can range from tiny circlets to large curls. To make bouclé, at least two strands are combined, with the tension on one strand being much looser than the other as it is being plied, with the loose strand forming the loops and the other strand as the anchor. Bouclé can also refer to the fabric made from this type of yarn, especially fabric that maintains the looped appearance.
Cashmere yarn comes from the cashmere goat’s soft belly hair. Cashmere is 30% lighter than wool and eight times as warm, meaning that you can make very warm garments with almost no bulk. Cashmere has memory and will bounce back into shape after being stretched, but not to the same extent that wool will.
Cotton yarn is not as strong as silk, but stronger than wool. Cotton has wicking properties and can absorb up to 20 times its weight in water and quickly release it through evaporation making it great for warm weather climates, where you don’t want heat and moisture trapped next to your skin.
Hemp yarn is grown from a type of Cannabis sativa that has been bred for maximum fiber, seed, and oil production, and it contains very few of the medicinal powers found in the “other” Cannabis sativa–marijuana–which has been bred specifically for those purposes.
Linen and hemp can feel rough while first knitting with them, but the more they are washed and handled, the softer they become — kind of like a new stiff flannel shirt that eventually becomes your most prized comfy weekend winter wear.
Coming Soon.
Merino wool yarn is derived from an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. The breed originated in Southwestern Iberia (Extremadura, Spain), but the modern Merino was domesticated in New Zealand and Australia. Today, Merinos are still regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep.
Coming Soon.
Coming Soon.
Coming Soon.
Coming Soon.
Coming Soon.