Your Cart is Empty
We think wool is great as it's one of the most versatile, adaptable, and healthy fibres ever created (you can read more about that in our ‘Immortal Fibre’ blog post here) but any natural fibre could be suitable - it just depends on your needs! For example, cotton is easier to care for than wool but is also less insulating.
A knitting pattern should tell you what weight of yarn is most suitable for the project, for example laceweight, Double Knit (DK), 4ply and so on.
It's important to choose a ‘defining feature’ of your project - generally either texture, colour, or structure. Texture refers to the techniques used on the item (for example, fringing) and the stitch definition of said techniques. It’s easy to make colour the defining feature of any project - just go BOLD! Finally, structure refers to the shape of the garment - is it drapey or very rigid? This is not to say that your project can’t have all 3, but for intermediate knitters it can be easier to prioritise one and do it effectively, instead of doing all 3 to a lower quality.
Do you want a soft item or a crunchier one? Our Beacons yarn is buttery soft and perfect for snuggly shawls, and our Number 3 yarn is much crunchier - ideal for a warm winter jumper.
Are you making something which is very drapey and flowy or something a lot woollier? This can sometimes be the difference between a woollen (generally a lot ‘woolier’) yarn and a worsted (much drapier) yarn. You can read a comparison of our Number 2 range (woollen spun) and our Preseli range (worsted spun) here.
Again, soft vs clear stitch definition can be boiled down to whether a yarn is woollen spun or worsted - generally worsted spun yarns have much clearer stitch definition than worsted spun yarns which have a lot of halo.
Consider what your favourite colours are, but also the wearability of your item…Do you want a neutral item or a statement piece? Is this something you want to wear everyday or just on special occasions? Are you trying to stay on trend or going for something a bit more timeless? Do you want to be in your comfort zone or push yourself out of it?
You can work this out by looking at the meterage of a pattern and dividing that by the meterage of each skein you’re using to find out how many skeins you need.
We love helping you out with your projects, just drop us a message here if you have any more questions or would like any advice. Make sure to tag us in your makes on Instagram or use #hellogarthenor as well!