Made from the fleece of sheep and one of the most popular yarns. Very warm, breathable and durable, however it can be­­ slightly itchy  and prone to pilling over time. 

There are many types of sheep, so we have many different types of wool: 

- Merino wool is considered the finest of the fine breeds, it's softness, elasticitsy and warmth. 

- Lamb’s wool: Comes from a young lamb’s first shearing. 

- Pure new wool/virgin wool: Wool that’s made directly from animal fleece and not recycled from existing wool garments.

 - Shetland wool: Made from the small and hardy native sheep of Scotl­­and’s Shetland Islands.

 - Washable wool: Treated chemically or electronically to destroy the outer fuzzy layer of fibers.

Warm and drapey are some of the biggest characteristics of Alpaca ,so this type of yarn is best for small winter projects. It is light in weight, soft to the touch, water-resistant and water repellen, less elastic than wool.

This dense fiber is hypoallergenic, making it a good option for those with sensitive skin, particularly for baby knitwear. 

 The softest and fluffiest yarn. It comes from goats. Because of its superior insulation, it is well-suited for winter cardigans and accessories.

Cotton is a plant-based fiber, it is light and breathable, so it's a popular fiber for the summer season.

The biggest drawbacks of cotton is that is inelastic and it is a rather rigid yarn. To fix this, find a blend with wool.

Acrylic yarn is a man-made fiber. It's cheap and the best choice for beginner knitters.




It's durable, lightweight and easy to clean, you can use the washing machine to clean it without shrinking or shedding. If you are planning on knitting something you know you have to wash regularly, this is the yarn to go for, such as sweaters, linings, gloves, furnishings, baby garments and blankets.




However, once you've gotten a better hand on knitting, its best to move onto the natural fibers.

Angora wool or Angora fiber refers to the downy coat produced by the Angora rabbit. While their names are similar, Angora fiber is distinct from mohair, which comes from the Angora goat.

 




 It is much warmer, soft, thin and lighter than wool so this yarn is a favorite for cowls, hats, mittens and scarves.

The Yarn Weights Chart is an infographic with everything you need to know about knitting needles, yarn types, and projects. 

A Guide to Knitting Yarn

If you want to learn to knit, you must have a knitting needle.

Let's start with needle sizes & length.

You can find out what size knitting needles and gauge you will need to achieve with a specific yarn by looking at the product details on a yarn page or by simply looking on the label of a skein of yarn.

Long or short. The type of project determines the length of your needle. Most patterns have suggestions for the length.

 




Most straight needles are 10-16″ (25-40 cm) long. Circular needles range enormously and can be as short as 22cm (8½in) or as long as 150cm (60in), however the most commonly used lengths are 40, 60 or 80cm (16, 24, or 32in)

 




If you want to knit blanket or sweater needs a longer needle. Small, flat projects can be worked on any needle length. Small ones like socks need a short circular needle or double-pointed needles.

Straight needles  come in sets of two needle, and each has a point at one end and a knob or stopper at the other, they are straightforward and easy to use.

Double-Pointed Needles also known as DPNs. These shorter straight needles have points at both ends and usually come in sets of four to six needles. 

You can use them for knitting socks, mittens, gloves, knitted toy.

When working on a large knitting project in the round, use circular needles. These needles have a flexible cord that connects them so they are almost like one long knitting needle.




Some knitters love this type of knitting needle because there's little chance they'll come apart andthey allow you to make bags and sweaters without seams (for knitting hats and socks)

They have a firm tip and a flexible cord. Interchangeable knitting needles have a lot more functionality than fixed circulars, the pieces separate so you can change out the needle sizes and cord lengths. You can also connect needles to cords and attach caps at the ends so you can use them like straight needles.




Having this flexibility is incredibly helpful for most knitting projects

These needles hold stitches when forming knitted cables.This is a handy tool for keeping active stitches safe while moving them around.

Material choice really comes down to personal preference. However, here are a few general guidelines for commonly used knitting needles.

Bamboo, birch, ebony, and rosewood are very common. Bamboo knitting needles are usually rather inexpensive as well. 

Wooden needles are probably the best choice for knitting beginners . They are lightweight, smooth, moderate friction but break easily, damaged surface can easily pull threads. 

Many knitters like metal needles as they are durable, smooth and fast. They often crafted out of aluminum, stainless steel, brass, or nickel plated.

Plastic knitting needles are lightweight, smooth, and flexible. making them a popular choice. They are also great for beginners as they are the most lightweight and have a smoothness comparable to wooden knitting needles.

Types of plastic include normal grey plastic and acrylic.

This material is harder to find and less commonly used. It's beautiful

, smooth,  stitches don’t slide off accidentally. But it can breakable and not too durable.

 

A Guide to Knitting Needle

If you're a beginning knitter wondering where to start, you've come to the right place.

Ready to start knitting?  Some things you'll need to get started:

The size of a needle is described first by its diameter and secondly by its length. 

Needles are divided into two basic categories: straight or circular. Straight needles allow the knitter to work back and forth, producing flat pieces, circular needles allow the knitter to work in a continuous round, producing tubular pieces.







They are further categorized by use as single-pointed, double-pointed, interchangeable, and cable types. 

There are many different types of knitting needle materials such as metal, wood, bamboo, or plastic, acrylic. This is not to say that these are the only types of knitting needles out there. Simply, these are the most common knitting needle materials used today.

Yarn is a textile commonly made of either animal-based fibers (sheep's wool, mohair, angora), plant-based fibers (cotton, hemp, silk), or synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, rayon). These interlocked fibers (referred to as plies) are spun together into thicker strands. 

The number of plies (for example, a single-ply yarn or two-ply yarn) will affect the drape, stitch definition, and general feel of the yarn.  

 Choose a yarn that is suitable for your project. Refer to the ball band (or label) which states the fiber content, weight, suggested needle size, gauge, and dye-lot number. To ensure that all your yarn for a project is exactly the same color, buy it all at once and check that the dye-lot numbers match.  

You’ll need a pair of scissors to cut the yarn when you finish your project or want to switch to switch colors.

A row counter is a tally counter for counting rows worked, for counting stitch pattern repetitions, or for counting increases or decreases of the number of stitches in consecutive rows.

A tapestry needle is a hand-sewing needle that is useful to knitters, it is a large sewing needle, with an eye big enough to accommodate bulky yarn.

Some knitters opt for the kind seamstresses use and others use ones commonly found in a knitting materials kit.



A measuring tape is particularly important if you’re knitting a scarf, because you will need to measure your work to determine when it has become long enough to bind off or especially when making pairs of things, like mittens or sleeves.

While these rings might look small, they’re a pretty mighty tool. These small, colorful rings slip on your needles to mark particular points in your pattern, they can help you keep your place, nail a complicated stitch, remember to swap out colors and more.

A stitch holder is like a large safety pin. When a pattern calls for you to set some stitches aside to come back to later, you simply slip those stitches onto a holder. We will knit those stitches later.

It may seem counterintuitive to suggest buying crochet hooks for a knitting starter, but crochet hooks are not just for crochet! You can use them for many different tasks, from picking up dropped stitches to making a provisional cast-on.

When it comes to essential knitting tools, point protectors perform two important functions, also commonly called a "stopper," point protectors are small rubber caps that cover the pointed ends of your needles to ward against dings, and scratches. Another benefit: They prevent stitches from slipping off the needle, which is helpful when you're knitting on the go.



And, they can also be used to turn a double-point needle into a straight needle.

Knitting needles come in many different sizes.  The sizes printed somewhere on the needles, but these printings often rub off over the years.



If you unsure of a needle's size,  slip it into each of the holes until you find the best fit.