Today we are going to choose knitting yarn!
Hi, Guys! I'm Kristen and Welcome to Studio Knit.
So, in our Absolute Beginner Knitting Series, we are going to talk about YARN and
how to select yarn. There are so many options, entire books on yarn selections, and we could
easily fall into a rabbit hole of fascinating fiber options. But, today, let's stick to
the essentials of what you need to know when selecting yarn that is best for you as you
learn how to knit. KNITTING YARN AND NEEDLES. Let's first talk about how your yarn plays
nicely with your knitting needles. In a nutshell, smaller weight yarns are paired up with smaller
sized needles. While heavier weight yarns are paired up with larger sized needles. Lucky
for us, the Craft Yarn Council has taken all the guesswork out of it and created a Standard
Yarn Weight System. Now, yarn labels tell you exactly how yarn and needles are best
paired together. So, if you already have knitting needles, you just need to match up their size
with the suggested yarn weight. And if you already have yarn in your stash, you just
need to match it up with the right sized knitting needles. YARN WEIGHT. For beginning knitters,
I suggest selecting heavier weighted yarns. From the Standard Yarn Weight System here,
that would be Medium which is (4), Bulky (5), or Super Bulky (6). These heavier weighted
yarns, they're easier to handle. Your associated knitting needles will then be on the larger
side, as well. And when starting out, many beginning knitters feel more secure with substantially
sized needles in their hands. Again, if a friend has lent you some free yarn, use it!
Even if it's on the lighter weight spectrum, hey, you can't beat free! And if this knitting
series has been helpful to you, please LIKE up this video, it really helps me out. YARN
FIBER, KNITTER'S CHOICE! Yarns are split into two major groups: Natural and Synthetic. Your
yarn label will tell you the Yarn Content and you will sometimes see that it is a mix
of both natural and synthetic. Natural Yarns can be further categorized down by either
Animal or Plant Fiber. Common yarns created by Animal Fiber include Wool, Alpaca, Angora,
Cashmere, Silk, even Possum from New Zealand! Plant Fiber yarn content is often Cotton,
Bamboo, Hemp, and Linen. Synthetic fibers are made from Acrylic, Nylon, and Polyester.
These are typically inexpensive. So even though there might be a stigma to fake fiber, it
can also be great both for starting to learn how to knit, and be really durable throughout
the years. Now, cost is a consideration. As you browse your options, you will see that
yarns can vary greatly in cost. Yarn hauls can get expensive as they add up, so it's
an important consideration. High-end natural yarns can actually cost as much as $300 for
one ball of yarn. Seriously. But, there's a lot of lower priced options, many for under
$10, so have fun with it! YARN COLOR. Pick a Color! Once you've decided Yarn Weight and
Fiber, pick a color that speaks to you! Lighter yarns are sometimes easier to see, where dark
yarns can be a bit more difficult. But, you know, if you're in an emo state of mind and
fall in love with black yarn, go for it. Solids are recommended, as well. Because I want
you to very clearly see your beautiful knitting piece, I suggest choosing a solid color Yarn.
That would be a yarn that is one solid color, so it's not stripped, variegated, or too fancy.
Keep it simple with a basic one-color yarn for now and then you can go wild with the
glittery neon stripes later. ACTION ITEM OF THE DAY: Sit Tight and Await Day 3. Because
we need to pair our knitting yarn with the correct needle size, feel free to hold off
on making any purchasing decisions quite yet. Tomorrow, we're going to be looking at knitting
needles. Once you've completed that, you can decide how you'd like to pair up your selections.
So for now, just sit tight and eagerly await the next lesson in the Series! And now it's
time to check off how to choose yarn in your Series Planner. Oh, and while we're on the
topic of yarn, I have to suggest this movie that I saw with my Local Yarn Shop Imagiknit
in San Francisco while it was in theatres last year: Yarn the Movie! Now that you’re
a yarn expert, you just might want to check it out. That mermaid!!! Narrated by Barbara
Kingsolver. I just loved every minute of it! So, I hope this information on exactly how
to select your yarn has been helpful to you. If you haven't yet, please make sure to SUBSCRIBE
to my channel here, click that BELL so you receive notifications each time a new video
comes out, and also you'll want to make sure you're on my mailing list, I have the link
in the description below, so that you are notified directly from me each time more information
comes out that's going to be helpful to you in your knitting journey. Thanks so much for
watching, guys! I'll see you next time. Bye!