So, my friend Barbara came up to me the other day
after yoga class and whip out a couple skeins of yarn out of her purse (like you do!).
This is not an unusual thing that happens after class.
Doesn’t this happen to you too after a relaxing shavasana, having yarn shoved
in your face? Of course, it does! The only difference this time was that there
weren’t any needles dangling from the yarn and she’s didn’t have that dejected
look on her face as she says, “I don’t know what I did, help me fix it”. This
day was different.
On this day, Barbara had a different question. She was
at an estate sale in a neighboring town and found some yarn (jackpock, right!) for super cheap that
she had to get. It was a bag full of yarns of varying weight, brands, odds and
ends. Some were 100% acrylic, which Barbara likes to knit with for charity
projects and her grandkids. In the pile of yarn, she discovered there were some
mystery skeins of yarn with no ball band that were single ply yarns.
She has no idea what to make with the single ply yarns.
She wasn't familiar with working with it previously and wanted to know what she
should
knit. What is this type of yarn good for?
Now, let’s be straight. You know me. I don’t think you
should
do anything. The truth is, you can knit just about anything you want as long as
it works for you. The fact of the matter is that it’s just yarn. After
reminding her of that little tidbit and reassuring her that she was in fact capable
of working with the yarn, I gave her some suggestions for projects that might
work to best show off the beauty and unique characteristics of the single ply
yarn.
So, maybe you are in a similar position as Barbara. You picked up a beautiful
skein of single ply yarn on sale (geez,
who can pass up a good sale? not me either) and now it’s just sitting in
your stash because you are not sure what to make. Maybe, you’ve heard from
other knitters that single ply yarns are weak and break easily, they’re lumpy
and bumpy, and that they pill like crazy. Sure. All these characteristics are
accurate, sometimes. These are all accurate characteristics of single ply
yarns, but not all single ply yarns are the same.
What to think about when knitting with single ply
yarns? Single ply yarns:
1) have
fantastic stitch definition and are great for showing off textures and stitch
patterns,
2) can
be weak and easily break apart,
3) can
be inconsistent; plying tends to smooth out these inconsistencies and add
strength,
4) tends
to pill, a lot.
Like I said, all those characteristics are true for
single ply yarns, but all those characteristics are not true for all single ply
yarns. Make sense?
So, here’s is the question again. What to knit with
single ply yarn? The truth is, you can knit just about anything you want. Just
be mindful of what the end product will be used for and how much wear and tear
the piece will endure over its lifetime.
Understanding the characteristics of the single ply
yarn you’re working with will help you to figure out what project will work
best to maximize the positives and minimize the negatives of the yarn. Sure, there
are techniques you can use to combat the negatives of the yarn, so don’t be
turned off by what can be considered a negative.
What did I recommend to Barbara to knit?
I gave her a couple
options for consideration.
First, take advantage of the stitch definition.
Because her yarn was a variegated sport weight of about 350+ yards, I
recommended a simple shawl like my Hampden Hills Shawl
since she is a beginner. The stitches will just pop on that shawl. Hats and
cowls are also great to knit up using single ply yarns.
For a more advance knitter, I would recommend the
Sunapee Shawl. The yarn when blocked will bloom beautifully over the lacy
section. Guess what? I found a ball of a single ply yarn in my stash (Knit
Picks Chroma fingering in Confetti) and I’m making a Sunapee Shawl for
myself.
Already I am digging the stitch definition on the stockinette section. I can’t
wait to see how the lace section turns out.
Second, to address the issue of pilling, there are a
few things you can do. I recommended to Barbara that she make a project that
will not wear through easily or high friction garments and accessories. For
example, I wouldn’t recommend socks because these are hard wearing items and
under most circumstances will not hold up.
Personally, I don’t want to see her fail. I don’t want
to see her disappointed if socks that took her months to make get worn through
after a few wears. Of course, there are things she can do to help prevent wear
and tear, like using reinforcing thread. But like I said, even though she has
been knitting for a long time, she’s still very much a beginner knitter and
putting in that much time into socks and having them bust a hole only after a
few wears would turn her off from sock knitting, maybe all knitting forever.
So, I try to keep that in mind.
I also recommended for her to avoid garments what will
see a lot of friction, like mitts and sweaters with sleeves where the underside
of the sleeves will rub against the side of the body and pill like crazy. Yes,
for an experience knitter, this is not a problem. Just use a gleaner or razor
to remove the pills. But that’s a lesson for Barbara at a later date. But I
know you and you want to knit a sweater. Go for it. Just be cognizant of the
needle size you will be using. Use the recommended needle size on the ball band
or even go down a size to make the fabric less loose. Swatch. And wash and
abuse that swatch to see how the fabric holds up. The thing that causes pilling
is the loose fibers in the fabric having lots of room to rub around with each
other. Knit a bit tighter, not so dense that the sweater can stand up all by
itself, but the fibers ae close and not able to more around freely.
What got me into thinking and understanding about yarn
and their construction was learning how to spin my own yarn. I was able to
learn how to create yarn that works for different circumstances.
If you are
interested in learning about spinning and yarn, check out:
2. Clara Parkes’ The Knitter’s Book of Yarn: The UltimateGuide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn
Alright, so I want to hear from you.
Do you knit with single ply yarns? If yes, what do you make? If no, what is holding you back? If you don’t even think about the number of ply in a yarn, I wanna know that too. Please share your experience so others can learn. Leave a comment below.
If you have a friend that you think would enjoy this post, please email them this post.Do you knit with single ply yarns? If yes, what do you make? If no, what is holding you back? If you don’t even think about the number of ply in a yarn, I wanna know that too. Please share your experience so others can learn. Leave a comment below.
Thank you so much for reading and helping to spread the word.
Until next time... Stitch on
Tian
A rising tide lifts all boats
Hey bottom scroller! Don't miss...
* The negatives and positives of single ply yarns, and suggested patterns.
** The charity {The Weekly Yarn} is supporting for February is ACLU, to celebrate Black History Month. A portion from total profits from Ravelry sales will be donated at the end of the month.
*** Are you an aspiring knit and crochet designer needing more help figuring our where to start? Unlock your Inner Designer: How to start designing (course + workbook) is available for immediate download on Etsy. Get your printable PDF copy here.
Are you an aspiring knit and crochet designer needing more help figuring our where to start?
Click here to get your printable PDF copy of Unlock Your Inner Designer: How to start designing (course + workbook)
*Post contains affiliate link(s).
Are you an aspiring knit and crochet designer needing more help figuring our where to start?
Click here to get your printable PDF copy of Unlock Your Inner Designer: How to start designing (course + workbook)
Need more 1:1 help than the course + workbook, email me to talk. I'll help you get it!
I am dedicated to giving you the tools and confidence to knit and crochet what you want on your terms.
Join
