February 2016 Thanks! Also receive daily new post notifications, Superfun Giveaway: Celebrate BIPOC Designers, https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/techniques/3930171/1-25, https://garmentmerchendising.com/category/fiber/, https://www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk/blog/woollen-and-worsted-spun-yarns-thoughts-wovember#:~:text=A%20woollen%20spun%20yarn%20will,high%20proportion%20of%20short%20fibre. If you substitute with a yarn that is drastically thicker or thinner than the recommended yarn, you wont be able to achieve the right gauge. August 2018 That turning gives the yarn some stability. It's much faster to spin wool because the fibres are not tidied up before you begin spinning. Worsted-spun yarns, on the other hand, are smoother and knit up into fabrics with greater drape and stitch definition. Now, I finally understand what it really means and how it will impact my future knitting! Desalegn Atalie. Youll also want to identify whether the suggested yarn in the pattern is woolen spun or worsted spun. What a great article. Your email address will not be published. Ill choose a woolen spun yarn. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". When you look at yarns, hunting for worsted vs. woolen, some are obvious from across the yarn shop. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Woolen yarns are the ones you might find bits of hay in. Your explanation of the 2 ends of the spectrum also makes it very easy to understand our process and resulting yarns. After being spun into yarn, our worsted-spun yarns are dyed in the skein. For example, if they just list an email address for pattern inquiries, dont message them on every social media platform where you can find them, too. I was moving too quickly on that one, clearly. Theyre the same weight, but theyre not made the same way. Perhaps youve got a fiber allergy and need to switch to a yarn that wont irritate your skin. How about giving us more names of worsted and woolen yarns currently available? The table below lists some of their properties: To help you do that, Ive written out this guide to things you should consider before choosing a new yarn for your project. Some yarns are not so obvious. The worsted yarn spinner uses wool fibres which have been combed and are of a certain length, that is, about 2 inches or more. Thank you!!!! It isn't just a question of being one or the other though, there is a continuum of spinning structures with true worsted on one end, true woolen on the far opposite and lots of semi-worsted and semi-woolen yarns in between. Folks wait their turn to enter the booth and shop in a controlled way. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Put up is the way your yarn has been bundled up. April 2018 In all the photos, the left swatch of the pair is the worsted spun yarn and the right swatch is woolen spun. September 2020 I'm glad it was helpful to you! January 2014 The packing-in of the fiber as worsted yarn is made allows the fibers to protect each other for longer wear and less pilling. What Ply is Worsted Weight Yarn? Ive put off learning more about the structure and the why and have just let myself be lead around MLYS making choices that just add to the stash but may not be right for the intended project. When this "worsted spun" yarn is woven it produces fabric with these qualities unlike the more common woolen-spun wool yarns available to handweavers. They may not be able to get to yours quickly, or even at all. Just asking because s-on-s yarns produce a particular asymmetric shape when knitted. Maybe you have moral or ethical concerns about the recommended yarn company, or maybe you just dont like the recommended yarn, or maybe youve got another yarn you really like that youd rather use instead. November 2020 In colorwork, the edge that gives a worsted yarn great stitch definition also makes colors standapart, while woolen drafted yarns create softness and blur between colors. Wool Yarn Wool is the dense, warm , soft, often curly hair forming coat of sheep, also called a fleece. My question is how does one know whether a Yarn is worsted or woolen spun if one is not sophisticated enough to know just by looking? Our BWC Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns are two-ply in both the fingering and worsted weight and are available in 100 gram skeins. December 2016 This definitely affects your choice for a project that will be steeked, but also for fair isle or intarsia colourwork where the woolen spun will fill in the gaps between stitches of different colours. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. The worsted spinning method creates yarns that are smooth and durable, with superior stitch definition. As a result, generally they will pill more easily and develop holes sooner. I am currently knitting with Empire and wondered what made me love it so much more than (another lovely but unnamed) yarn of the same gauge. Worsted yarn = worsted prep + worsted spin Semi worsted = woolen prep + worsted spin Woolen = woolen prep + woolen spin Semi woolen = worsted prep + woolen spin Examples of worsted spinning would be short forward and short backward drafting. In the videos below, I'm using hand carded alpaca. PHONE: 1-208-452-4948 Want to try out some wonderful wool yarns? In my spinning past, I've spun from locks, from picked fiber 'clouds' , from bats, had also tried a badly produced rolag or two and gave up ~~ but mostly all the years I've spun its been from roving, sliver, and combed top. Thank you, youre a great explainer. Great article, thank you for this very detailed account , I learned so much ! The fibers are carded, or brushed, in a single direction and then tightly spun together, resulting in a yarn that is smooth and has a consistent thickness. Both types require different fiber preparation on spinning techniques. Thats especially true if youre knitting a small, close-fitting garment like a sock or mitt. Spun worsted style, 2 ply, ~12 wpi, 183 yds/4 oz. www.solitudewool.com, Content: 100% wool Put-Up: 150 yd [137m]/4 oz [113 g] Construction: Singles Recommended Gauge: 12 sts and 16 rows = 4 (10 cm) on size 11 (8 mm) needles, The bulky single-ply Native Twist is a 100% wool, soft-spun singles and is Imperials most popular yarn. The result of this worsted-style preparation and spinning is a yarn that is smooth and dense, due to the fibers being neatly combed in a parallel fashion. WPI is a way to measure the thickness of yarn. Have you ever pet a puppy in that super soft spot at the base of its ears? Worsted is used to describe the thickness of a yarn (worsted weight), one way fibers are aligned before becoming yarn (worsted preparation), and how twist enters fiber to become yarn (worsted drafting). All Rights Reserved. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. March 2015 A 100% wool sweater will look different from a sweater made from linen or bamboo fiber. Time to read it again, more closely! One method is not better or worse than the other - just different. Well, the differences between woolens and worsted begin at the carding stage. The difference between Woolen Spun and Worsted Spun. Yarnsub is a great resource for substituting yarns from larger companies! March 2019 The best article ever on this subject. Now I also know the difference when spinning too. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. September 2017 100% Targhee-Columbia wool. If you compare those to the recommended yarns details, youll have a better sense of whether the substitution will work. Does it make that much difference to your gauge? Worsted is a high-quality type of wool yarn. January 2015 This information is just wrong as to pilling. Theyre great for items that wont get a ton of friction while youre wearing them and that you wear against sensitive skinthings like hats and cowls. While the definitions of woollen and worsted yarns can be debated, each style of yarn has a very distinct physical appearance when knitted, crocheted, or woven into cloth. Ah, you're right, thank you! Its a great way to see how things might turn out before you start working on your own projects. Multiply that over the many inches of a knitted item, and well, you can see how subbing in a yarn with a WPI of 12 for a yarn with a WPI of 18 could be a bit of an issue. Each of those packages generally indicates two key details: how many yards or meters are in the unit of yarn, and how much that unit of yarn weighs. June 2022 Instead of carding the fibres they're combed. Fabrics created with worsted spun yarns, on the other hand, will generally have better drape, smoothness, and stitch definition. You can write a comment on the yarns Ravelry page suggesting that drafting info be added. This is extra work youre asking them to undertake, and knitting patterns are already underpriced. What is the Difference Between Worsted and Woolen Spun Yarns? Thank you for this insightful article. This is a new day for me. What you do need is to know what youre doing if you plan to change things up. On the other hand, the woolen fabrics hold creases and shape well and are more durable. An alternative to spinning top worsted is to spin it semi worsted. Going to send people to this. Our Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun Yarns are about as close to homespun as we can get. The rub rollernext turns the sliver into roving and adds a false twist. April 2015 Non Wool Club Worsted-spun yarns are dense and strong. January 2017 The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". June 2016 So the semi-worsted spinning gets you more yardage since the yarn is less . 'Carding' is one of the processes which untangles the woo. That doesnt happen when fiber is being compressed and smoothed while it becomes a worsted drafted yarn; that happens when the twist limbos into the fiber. A drumcarder can also be used. Goodness, though, was it ever the wrong choice for this one. Oh thats right! The problem is that theyre not as durable as multi-ply yarn. yarns. Natural fibers will be easier to block than acrylics (which can be killed with steam, but otherwise just are what they are). Youve just figured out your yarns WPI. Worsted wool is smoother than woolen, takes shine more easily, does not sag, holds a crease well, is lighter and less bulky, and wears longer than woolen. November 2017 The terms roping and sliver are often used interchangeably. Appreciate the double check. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The combing process removed all the shorter length hairs, leaving behind fibres of the same length, free from tangles. It was a cotton-acrylic blend that was great for items that will get heavy use. They are the same weight and have the . This was a grat posting. Your email address will not be published. This is a fantastic article and helped me to understand in the ins and outs so clearly however, even after refreshing Im getting broken links for all the in article photos what happened? However, there are differences between worsted weight yarns and woolen yarns as well. You can read more about the ranges of WPI for each yarn weight on the Craft Yarn Councils website. Woolen yarns have variable fiber arrangement In woolen spun yarns the fibers are running in multiple directions, like a cloud. The semi-woolen swatch weighed 4.5 g versus 4.3 g for the woolen-spun - not a huge difference in a swatch of this size. New spinning innovations have produced wind and waterproof wool fabrics. On Instagram, just type #ProfiteroleHat into the search bar, and check out the other versions people have posted. Dyed: United States. A light bulb has definitely gone on for me. Keep up with her exploits at jillianmoreno.com. To begin the spinning process, apickeris used toloosely separate large masses of fiber into smaller onesand to mix the heathered shades of our woolen-spun yarns. Designers chose yarns, in part, based on the fiber content, knowing that fiber content will affect the appearance of the garment. Thank you so much! Rudy Amann was mentored in handspinning by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. October 2019 Woollen yarns (upper) have a softer, more diffuse look whereas worsted yarns (lower) make very distinct stitch patterns. If youre really comfortable with doing a lot of math, making adjustments on the fly, and pulling out your work if you decide you dont like how it works, then feel free to experiment with a yarn of a different gauge. Maybe youre trying to use up some of your stash. Worsted spun yarns are smoother and have better stitch definition to make your cables and textured stitches pop. Other linen yarns are wet spun linen and dry spun linen. Worsted spun is smooth, while woolen spun is a little more rustic. Most people whove knit the hat have substituted yarns, but if they didnt use one with a halo like the silk-mohair, they sometimes found that the resulting fabric was too loose. June 2021 www.harrisville.com, Content: 100% pure wool Put-Up: 215 yd [196 m]/4 oz [113 g] Construction: 2-ply Care: Handwash with mild soap in lukewarm water Recommended Gauge: 17 sts = 4 (10cm) on size 8 (5 mm) needles, Our mill has been in production on the same location for 158 years, so we do have some history in producing woolen-spun yarn, says John Little of Briggs & Little Woolen Mills. Many commercial yarns are spun in this way, particularly sock yarns. Yarn substitution is where you use a different yarn from the yarn recommended by the designer who wrote the pattern youre following. So many Tom Hardys. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Holland & Sherry98% SUPER 100'S WORSTED 2% LYCRA 2.46 YDS X 62" 159648 at the best online prices at eBay! The fibers in stitches knit from woolen-spun yarn seem to literally bloom into the space theyre given. Brava! Our worsted spun wool and wool blend yarns are available in lace to bulky weights in a wide range of colors. January 2016 googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('interstitial-ad');}); Save patterns, share updates, and connect with your community. Does this happen with all yarns? December 2020 Many commercial yarns are spun with the worsted style. It will help a lot in future project planning. Both woolen and worsted spinning methods make beautiful yarns. Thanks for explaining the difference, it's interesting to see those subtle contrasts between the stitching! There are various form of long draw, some make more air filled yarns than others, but the one thing they have in common is that drafting backwards motion, allowing twist to enter the drafting zone. Shop our 50% Off Online Workshop Sale! No need to go to the gym if you do an hours wool combing! PHONE: Toll Free 1-800-483-8749 Our most popular workhorse yarn is the Heritage two-ply, but if you want even more wear, the Tuffy is an 80/20 blend of wool and nylon. Heritage comes in forty-five colors of the rainbow, including plenty of neutrals and heathers. Another very important factor is the ply. This means that they'll have very clear stitch definition, as opposed to woollen spun yarns which have a softer stitch definition. Twist is the magic that makes fiber into yarn, and drafting is how the twist gets into the fiber. March 2018 Case in point, hobby lobbys I love this yarn and their soft secret are both worsted, but one is 4 ply and the other 3 ply. Now, Cotton-Ease was a perfectly good yarn (its since been discontinued, alas). We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. . Unfortunately you cant tell from the ballband unless the manufacturer has included that information. Share. Woolen yarn consists of fibers of varying length that are carded so the fibers are not parallel. Today, Im talking about the last one. This means it offers remarkable warmth and lightness and is adaptable in gauge, able to compress to a denser fabric on small needles or bloom to cohere as a gauzy fabric when worked on large needles. - From the online magazine Knitter's Review, by Clara Parkes. That's how I learned to do yarn substitutions, too, and it was a hard and frustrating process. Ive wondered lately why some yarn I loved in my LYS seemed perfect, but when swatched, especially in garter stitch, looked so shiny, something I didnt want. Thanks for the good explanation. You'll also want to identify whether the suggested yarn in the pattern is woolen spun or worsted spun. November 2014 See, what I didnt understand at the time was the fine art of yarn substitution. Generally, the higher the ply number the thicker the yarn. You are however spinning long draw, which is a more woolen type of draft and will be trapping more air in the yarn. Thank you! Woolen yarn is less durable as compared to worsted yarn which may last longer. Thanks. Semi-woolen yarn is spun woolen-style, using fibers prepared in a parallel arrangement. the fiber(s) used. But just to make things tricky, it's entirely possible for a yarn to be both woollen and worsted, generally when a previously spun woollen yarn is re-spun using the worsted technique, creating a so-called semi-woollen or semi-worsted yarn. On Ravelry, you can go to the (Ravelry link) Projects tab on the pattern page to see other versions of the hat knit by other people. This exciting variety can be attributed to similarly multiple factors such as individual spinning style and preference, fleece and fiber characteristics, or even environmental considerations like humidity levels. I have noticed that in even acrylic yarns, worsted is not the same. There is a lot of technical information about the differences between woolen spun and worsted spun yarn, which you can read about here on the MDK blog. That wasnt the silhouette I was aiming for. This article is so well written and I love how you explain how the type of yarn will effect the finished product. At Brooklyn Tweed, we employtwo basic spinning methods that occupy either end of this broad spectrum of possibility: woolen-spinning and worsted-spinning. Yarn stashes are nice, but at some point, I become a yarn collector instead of a knitter if I never get projects done due to errors in purchases. My substitutions have been just based intuition and have often resulted in less than desired results. Countryside So much yarn, so many choices the Lust Factor will now have a bit more knowledge backing it up! The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. November 2022 This has just lit a light bulb in my head. Worsted yarns are spun from fibers that have been combed; they are lightweight; these yarns are used for knitting. December 2014 The fibers of a worsted-spun yarn are first straightened and then oriented in the same direction, making the yarn smooth and shiny, which gives your knitted fabric lots of stitch definition. Well it's all a matter of different fibre preparations, and different spinning techniques. For example, a yarn labeled 2/fine (often known as fingering or sock weight) can have a WPI of anywhere from 12-18. The fiber is compressed and smoothed, and air is squeezed out as the twist is applied to the fiber. Thank you for helping me understand these yarn differencesthis will help me understand why one yarn will make me swoon, and another yarn, totally different, really makes my knees weak. Native Twist is available in twenty-nine bold, earthy, and jewel-toned solid colorways. Safe home and already knitting a scarf . Woollen yarns are used for flannel, tweed, melton, knitwear and felt. Woolen yarns feel lighter, can feel textured and have a halo, and if the fibers like to be hairy or fuzzy, they will be flying their fuzzy freak flag. This post of part of my Spinning with a Purpose series, sharing swatches I've created for a. The last time we spoke, it was about sheep breeds and just what all those different fuzzy-bottomed critters had to do with your knitting. Woolen spun yarns will bloom more after washing and are lighter and airier. Sign up for our email list and get 10% off your next order in the MDK Shop! Which do you like and want to work with? Woolen yarns are generally the least expensive industrial yarns to make. The woolen yarn fabrics do not hold the crease well and are less durable than worsted yarns. In this installment of our Foundations series, we explain the differences between how our woolen-spun and worsted-spun yarn families are produced, as well as describe the different kinds of fabrics one can achieve with either kind of yarn. To aid you in making an informed choice when choosing between woolen-spun and worsted-spun yarns for your future projects, below is a general guide to the kinds of fabrics you can achieve with either kind. Woolen yarns are made of carded yarns and are fuzzy and bulky. Worsted yarn is best used in outerwear, hats and mittens. Spun In Maine. Take a look at the picture in this section. Beautiful fibre you'll love to work with. Theyve both got their benefits and drawbacks, which Ill cover next. February 2020 The name derives from Worstead, a village in the English county of . Oh my gosh! The same process squeezes out the air making it not as warm. This can get a bit tricky if youre substituting because you have a fiber allergy. But it made a noticeable difference to the feel of the swatch in my hand. Look at the picture that accompanies this section. I have been looking for something to help determine how best to substitute yarn. Worsted spinning is generally done with the longer fibres, whereas woollen makes use of the shorter ones, which means that worsted yarns are generally denser. Block it the same way you plan to block the finished knit item, and set it somewhere safe to dry. There are two yarns, one brown and one light green. Typically worsted spun yarns will have fewer yards per pound verses woolen. I have just started spinning using a Navajo type spindle and I was unsure that I was l on the right lines. The carder opens up the fiber and blends it evenly, resulting in a thin cloud- or web-like sheet commonly known as abatt. I feel like I can make better yarn/pattern matches and explain these variables to others who want me to knit for them and their only concern is color. Is there a list? The fibers in a worsted spun yarn are combed to be parallel and uniform before spinning whereas the fiber for woolen-spun yarns are more casually arranged. worsted-spun. That makes them a great choice for items that are going to get a lot of wear, like socks and sweaters. When it comes to choosing between a woolen-spun yarn and a worsted-spun yarn, there really is no right or wrong answer. Contains spam, fake content or potential malware, Free Resin Jewelry Video: Yupo Paper, Alcohol Inks, and Resin, Knitting-Themed Artists We Love: Inspiration from Fiber & Needles, Celebrating Beadwork Artists on International Womens Day. Youll see two different yarns, one pale pink and one a creamy color. There are two yarns, one brown and one light green. The Clun Forest yarn is lofty and warm, hand-dyed in variegated and solid colorways, and also offered in undyed white. This is what is meant by the gorgeous phenomenon of blooming. February 2017 Jill, I am a newbie to crochet and knitting, so this information is wonderful! Yours has been my favorite series to date Im learning so much and feel like I can make better choices! Chickens Sometimes, those individual strings are then twisted together to form a stronger, denser yarn. Thank you for an excellent and informative article, Jill! . The Empire is more uneven looking, a little airier as well as fuzzy. Try yarnsub.com or ask LYS staff. August 2013 September 2013 When dyed the same color, woolen and worsted drafted yarns wont look the same. Before you go subbing in your new yarn, though, think about the following issues. You cracked the egg for me.I want to read more of your writing. Ok, first up lets look at how the fibres are running in to the yarn. Woolen drafted yarn gives a texture and an overall softness and visual motion to all the stitches, something I like, but occasionally I find some small stitch repeat patterns get lost with woolen yarns. Its knit using one strand of fingering-weight wool yarn and one strand of lace-weight silk-mohair yarn. This is so helpful and interesting not to mention how easy to understand. Worsted wools are slick when woven, woolen wools are knitted, crocheted, or woven into softer, fluffier fabric, or fulled fabric. Worsted Spun vs. Woolen Spun. Worsted spun yarns are smoother and have better stitch definition to make your cables and textured stitches pop. May 2022 Finally, more processed, worsted spun yarns don't aggravate my eczema . Many commercial yarns are spun with the worsted style. Excellent article great swatch/photo examples too. Thank you Jagger Spun for the information! You are the Rachel Maddow of yarn, delving in at a granular level, exploring every detail, and explaining it all with an engaging writing style drenched in clarity. August 2019 I have been knitting for almost 50 years and have never understood what worsted yarn was all about. Your explanation is great, and reaffirms my decision to purchase your Yarnitecture book awhile back.