Crochet Beginners Basics - Picking the right yarn

If you’re just learning how to crochet you might be confused with the variety of yarns that are out there to select from.  There are a variety of things that will go into your decision about what yarn you should be using including:

• Cost
• Weight of yarn
• What you are making

There are a variety of yarns that are suitable for crocheting any type of garment but there are some yarns that lend themselves better to the beginning crocheter.  Let’s break out some of these common issues we listed above.

A)  Cost

            Buying enough yarn for a single project can be a costly adventure.  If you’re purchasing yarn for instance for a king sized bedspread you’re going to need far more yarn than you’ll need for making a placemat for instance.  You might look at the price of yarn and think to yourself that a single skein of yarn isn’t terribly expensive but when you stop and think about how many skeins you’ll need for a very large project, the cost quickly adds up.

            Different yarns have different costs – for instance an acrylic yarn is less costly than a wool yarn and ‘fun fur’ types of yarns are even more expensive.  If you’re working on a first time project you probably want to consider working with an acrylic blend yarn if it’s suitable for your project. Blankets, pot holders, etc. can be made with a basic acrylic blend.

Yarn Color Variations

            Keep in mind that if you’re making a garment or a blanket in all one color you’re going to have to purchase your yarn all at one time. The reason for this is that yarns are done in ‘dye lots’ which you can read from the package that the yarn is sold in.  Even ‘no dye lot’ yarns can have color variations.

B)  Weight

            This is an important feature of purchasing yarn.  For instance while a fine yarn might be perfect for a bed covering that is going to be used purely for decoration it’s probably not suitable for making a poncho that is designed to keep the cold out. 

            When you’re making a specific type of garment for wear make sure you read the pattern carefully and see what weight yarn that is recommended for that garment.  The weight of your yarn may also change depending on the crochet hook that you’re using on your project because the hook will determine the size of your stitching and that will also have an impact on the weight (and thickness) of your project.

C)  What you’re making

As mentioned above the type of yarn you purchase should work for the type of item you are making.  While a fun fur yarn makes a great scarf it’s not practical for a blanket and even less practical for a placemat.   Make sure when you’re purchasing yarn for your project that you keep in mind how the item is going to be used and select your yarn accordingly.