Since Monday is the start of the week I thought I'd begin a series for each Monday about Getting Started. It will take you back to the basics of learning how to crochet. Today I wanted to talk about reading a yarn label. Each Monday will start with something to help you gain an understanding of this amazing world you're about to enter.
Okay, you've done it... you decided you're going to learn how to crochet and now you're looking at the yarn section of your local supply store. Stay calm, take a deep breath. If you're like I was you had no idea there were so many options! What are you supposed to do now!? Bewilderment is about to set in, but don't turn around! Square your shoulders, lift your chin up and head right into that aisle. You've got this! I know, because I'm here to help you out.
Depending on where you go your ball of yarn will have a tag attached, or it will have a label wrapped around it. These will tell you all you need to know about the yarn you're holding in your hand. To help you out I'm going to break down a yarn label for you. Let's take a look at this Issac Mizrahi yarn I purchased, reading it from the top.
Okay, you've done it... you decided you're going to learn how to crochet and now you're looking at the yarn section of your local supply store. Stay calm, take a deep breath. If you're like I was you had no idea there were so many options! What are you supposed to do now!? Bewilderment is about to set in, but don't turn around! Square your shoulders, lift your chin up and head right into that aisle. You've got this! I know, because I'm here to help you out.
Depending on where you go your ball of yarn will have a tag attached, or it will have a label wrapped around it. These will tell you all you need to know about the yarn you're holding in your hand. To help you out I'm going to break down a yarn label for you. Let's take a look at this Issac Mizrahi yarn I purchased, reading it from the top.
The first line tells you that there is 127 yards/116 m and that the ball weighs 2.47 oz/70 g. Therefore, if your pattern has told you that it requires 300 yards of yarn you will need to purchase 3 balls of this yarn to make sure that you have enough. When this happens you need to make sure that the Lot Numbers are the same. These are also found on the label, so there's not need to panic. This is something I will go into later, but if you're really confused the customer service person is always there to help you distinguish the lots numbers. Don't be afraid to ask.
The next line tells us what the yarn is made of. This particular ball is made up of 77% acrylic, 15% metallic and 8% polyamide. When I first started crocheting I bought 100% acrylic yarn because it was simpler for me to understand. When you start adding other fibers you have to take into account how to wash the finished product. Not all acrylics are equal though. Some are rough and scratchy, others are soft and smooth. I'll go into this further in next Monday's post.
When you look at the next 2 figures there are little pictures in the middle of the square. The first square is for knitting. If you were going to knit you would pay attention to this square. Since we are crocheting we can skip that and look at the last square. Along the left side of the square you can see that it says 4"x 4" and along the top 10 cm x 10 cm. Along the right side and the bottom of the square you see 10 R, 9 SC (10 Rows, 9 Single Crochets). In the middle of the square above the hook (because we're going to crochet) is 9 mm and below is US M-13. All of this diagram works together to tell you something. First and foremost, is the size of hook you will, or may, need to work with this yarn. It's important to mention that a 9 mm/USm-13 are the same hook. It's like a sweet potato is the same as a yam. The numbers around the square are telling you that if you crochet a 4" x 4" square you will end up with 10 rows comprised of 9 single crochets in each row. This is called your gauge, I'll go into this further in a couple weeks. If you crochet up your square and it doesn't measure 4" x 4" then you will need to adjust your hook size, up or down, and crochet another square until it matches what the label says. Clear as mud? Excellent.
The next line we need to focus on are three characters. The first one is a picture of a ball of yarn with the number 6 in the middle. Underneath it says 'super bulky'. This is called the weight of the yarn. Not to be confused with much the ball weighs. Your pattern may be calling for a certain weight, i.e. worsted, chunky or super bulky. The chart at the bottom of the page will help you understand what projects work best with which weight of yarn. It should be noted that worsted or medium weight yarn is used most frequently. Here's an example- super bulky would be a nice warm hat, or beautiful soft and thick scarf for those cold months. I actually made my sister in law a cardigan with this yarn because she wanted something to keep her warm.
The very last lines are your basic washing instructions for whatever you decide to make. For this yarn you should hand wash it and lay it flat to dry. With acrylic yarn you can wash and dry anything you make like most other garments.
That is the yarn label in a nutshell.
Your turn:
Do you have a favourite type of yarn? What is it?
What weight of yarn do you like to crochet with most?