>>Continental Knitting
Lesson 1: Basic Definitions
Lesson 2: Cast On
Lesson 3: Slanting of a stitch
Lesson 4: Knitting First Row
Lesson 5: Purling First Row
Lesson 6: Forming selvage or edge stitch
Lesson 7: Working in rounds
Lesson 8: Analysing knit and purl stitches
Lesson 9: Types of yarn
Lesson 10: Types of needles
Lesson 11: Knitting gauge & happy knitting
Lesson 12: Basic Shapes
Lesson 13: Correcting Mistakes
Lesson 14: Cables
Lesson 15: Connecting Two Yarns
Lesson 16: Bind Off
Lesson 17: Seaming
Lesson 18: Picking Up Stitches
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CONTINENTAL TECHNIQUE Lesson 9
Types of fiber and what fiber is right for you
Knowing what fiber is right for you is probably one of the most important factors
in hand knitting & crochet.
We will discuss the best known types of yarns, their advantages and disadvantages
and their effect on the knitting process and eventual use of the garments.
There are two types of fibers: natural and synthetic
Natural fiber yarns have no disadvantages. Each type of yarn serves different purpose.
Wool is the yarn made out of sheep fleece. It is considered as a warm fiber.
Quality of woolen yarn directly depends on what kind of the sheep fleece was originated
from. For example, wool collected from meat sheep is usually coarse. Wool collected
from sheep that were bred specifically for wool is soft. Coarse wool is the best
for outer garments such as coats because it resists moisture. Medium course wool
is the best as a second layer of garments, for example heavy pullovers and jackets
that are worn on the top of the cotton apparel. Soft wool can be used for anything.
It has all positive qualities that are needed for pleasant knitting: elasticity,
softness and shape and keeps us warm.
Here are the examples of soft wool.
Wool shorn from Merino sheep, who have no coarse hair.Virgin wool is the fiber
that has been shorn from a lamb before coarse hair is developed.
Cotton is considered as a "cold" fiber and its best purpose is for making
thin first layer, such as a shirt or a blouse. It does not keep shape and therefore
it works the best for simple designs that do not require elaborate shaping. It absorbs
moisture quickly and retains it for long time. Try to avoid working with thick cotton
because of that. When cotton is damp it becomes heavy. If you use cotton in a winter,
make sure you are not getting sweaty. Remember that it is a cold fiber. If you sweat
in cotton in a winter you will be cold right away.
Rayon though being man-made is considered as a natural fiber and it is always
a good choice for summer garments. Rayon does not keep shape and therefore use it for
garments that do not require keeping the shape.
There are some other yarns that you may find comfortable to work with and wear garments
knitted out of them.
True alpaca that is not crossbred with llama (llama has coarse hair) is very
soft.
It is softer then soft wool and has less elasticity comparing to it.
Work with this fiber when garments do not require keeping shape.
Yarn normally handspun from any dogs with soft undercoat, such as Alaskan
malamute, Collie or Newfoundland is considered to be warmer that wool. Having socks
knitted out of dog yarn may be a good idea if your feet are getting cold quickly.
You should be careful how to take care of garments made of animal fibers.
Unless specially treated, animal fibers have tendency to
shrink. To our advantage, modern yarns often come blended with synthetic fibers
to prevent from shrinkage. Any blend of natural fibers with acrylic is probably
the best combination. You also have to know that animal fibers require less washing
comparing to synthetic fibers.
Advantage of working with 100% synthetic fibers: Garments knitted out of
synthetic yarns are machine washable.
Disadvantage working with 100% synthetic fibers and waring them:
Knitted garments are usually shapeless because these fibers are not elastic
Hands can get sweaty especially if you knit in summer and eventually you will be
sweating in the garment, the same way your hands sweated while you were making it.
Very poor quality yarns feel crispy on touch
You can burn your fingers from pulling yarn too fast
It is difficult to connect yarns because these fibers do not have matting qualities.
Even tying up a strong knot can be difficult
You will be using more chemicals to keep garments static-free or your body sweat-free
Garments themselves keep you neither warm nor cold
Garments require washing more often because these fibers are not resistant to dust
All synthetic fibers are made of petrolium and therefore you should know that these fibers are FLAMABLE!
How our skin reacts to different fibers?
There are different reactions to different fibers:
reaction to lanolin, which is a part of the wool fiber
irritation from coarse fiber, which can be a part of any fiber as natural as synthetic
reaction to dye and chemical treatments
All reactions can be avoided by working with right fibers for you for the right purpose
For more information on fibers, please go here>>
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>>Allover Topics
Yarn Over stitch (YO)
Magic Loop
Slip stitches onto waste yarn or cable needle
Twisted knit stitch (Granny Stitch)
Make 1 Stitch (M1)
2-Tail Cast ON
Connecting 2-colored yarns
Bind off stitches in the middle of the work
Decrease stitches and changing the slant
Making cables without cable needle
Slip first stitch
Fixing mistake with crochet hook
Bind off with crochet hook
Two-Needle Bind off
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