Crocheting and knitting are techniques you can try out to create magnificent things. They’re useful for making your own clothes, blankets, sweaters, socks and more. Aside from this, these techniques are beneficial for the mind and body.
But for your projects to be successful, you should invest in the right tools. While knitting needles play a huge role in how good you’ll be able to knit/crochet, you shouldn’t forget about the yarn. In fact, the yarn is one of the crucial parts of these projects because it is closely related to the product’s state, tightness and quality.
Given the fact that yarn weights are important, in Australia a PLY system is used for categorising the yarn weight. The ply system is based on the number of twisted strands to create the yarn. Consequently, the higher the ply number, the thicker the yarn, and you can choose from 2ply, 3ply, 5ply, 8ply, 10ply and 12ply, out of which 10 ply yarns are among the most commonly used ones for a reason.
What Is 10 Ply Yarn?
First things first, you should know that the commonly used and popular 10 ply yarn is also known as Aran yarn and worsted weight yarn. Practice shows that this yarn is perfect for making blankets as well as thicker clothes and outdoor wear like sweaters, scarves, mittens, hats and more. Most of these projects are good to be knitted with 4,5 – 5,5 mm needles as this will create an overall fabric that is firm but not extremely tight.
Because of the yarn’s thickness and the needles’ size, it’s impossible for you to see any gaps and holes between stitches which makes it great for knitting cardigans and jumpers. However, keep in mind that the type and size of needles you use can also depend on the things you want to knit. For instance, if you want to knit some kind of scarf or shawl and add lace to it, you will probably need another needle, something like an 8 mm needle.
This will make the entire fabric a bit looser and airier with more gaps between the stitches which will leave you room for adding lace. Practice shows that those of you who plan on working from a pattern should check the gauge before starting anything. This is essential because each person has different knitting practice and strength, so while some knit tighter naturally, others knit looser, which is why it’s important for you to check the gauge and meet the requirements.
What Is It Made From?
Generally speaking, the yarn can be made from a large selection of fibres like cotton, wool, alpaca and acrylic. If you are a new knitter, it would be better if you stick close to the suggested yarn from the pattern in order to achieve the needed results. Why is that?! Well, according to more experienced knitters, all of these fibres are different, and if you use another yarn than the one recommended in the pattern, the finished project might look a lot different.
When it comes to choosing a yarn made of wool, you should also take into account the wool’s features. For instance, merino wool tends to be softer and gentler to the skin than regular wool which is known to be itchy. The latter, in fact, is the first reason why people hate wearing wool, but once they try Merino wool everything changes.
Alpaca wool, on the other hand, can be fuzzy and this is something that not everyone loves. Now, even though most of the knitting projects come with guides and yarn recommendations, some of them don’t so you will have to figure out which is better on your own. It might look scary at first, but the more you gain experience, the better you’ll be at recognising which yarn and needles are better for your projects.
Is There Any Difference Between UK, US and Australian Yarns?
Well, in the US the weight of yarn is categorised in numbers starting from 0 and ending up to 7, ranging from the finest to the thickest. That being said:
- 0 – lace weight
- 1 – superfine
- 2 – fine
- 3 – light weight
- 4 – medium weight
- 5 – bulky weight
- 6 – super bulky weight
- 7 – jumbo
What you should know about US crafters is that they take the medium weight, 4 yarn, as a normal one, and this is the most commonly used one. The chunkier ones are used for knitting blankets. In the end, the bigger yarns are used for outwear clothing pieces, while the thinner/finer ones are used for knitting socks, lace shawls and blouses.
In the UK, yarns are also categorised with words. Aside from ply, you can also see it marked as DK, Aran and so on. That being said, you can choose from:
- 1 ply -lace weight
- 2 ply – superfine weight
- 4 ply – fine weight
- DK – light weight
- Aran – medium weight
- Chunky – bulky weight
- Super Chunky – super bulky weight
- Ultra – roving/jumbo weight
As you already know, in Australia, you can choose from:
- 2 ply – lace weight
- 3 ply – superfine weight
- 5 ply – fine weight
- 8 ply – light weight
- 10 ply – worsted weight
- 12 ply – bulky weight
- 14 ply – super bulky weight
- 16 ply – jumbo
