Ever wondered what all the different kinds of yarn fibers are? Learn about 3 different types of yarn fibers used in knitting which are synthetic fibers, animal fibers, and plant fibers. Learn about the different kinds of yarn created from each type of fiber and where you can find this information on a ball of yarn.
[Start of image description for above image: At the top is the words "three different types of yarn fibres"under it is the words 'kniting essentials". With a photo of a table with a basket full of yarn which is red and different shades of green sitting on top of a table.End of image description.]
[Start of image description: a picture of a basket full of yarn which is red and different shades of green sitting on top of a table. In the middle is a white rectangle with a sage green border with the words " yarn fibers" and underneath it has the words "by Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits. Underneath is two containers the first one has balls of cotton yarn which are green, turquoise, red, blue and brown. The second container has balls of acrylic there is a few balls of varigated yarn, blue and green. End of image description]
This blog post was last updated September 2022
This blog post was last updated September 2022
Different types of yarn fibres
There are so many different kinds of yarn created from each type of fiber, this guide briefly explains the different kinds of yarn fibers. For a beginner either acrylic yarn or cotton would work best, as these are the more affordable yarns you can buy. There is nothing worse than buying expensive yarn only to find its tricky to knit or to keep frogging (unpicking) it all of the time.Synthetic fibres
Synthetic fibres are often blended with natural fibres, they are strong, durable and machine washable. Most synthetic fibres are made from an oil base like plastics.
Acrylic
- Hard wearing and easy to wash
- Dye well so you can often find bright and vibrant colours
- Easy to knit with
- Cheap to buy
Nylon
- Tough and strong
- Commonly blended with sock yarn to strengthen them
Polyester
- Often blended with cotton
- Durable and machine washable
Metallic
- Sparkly yarn often with metal thread or sequins
- Some of these can be a bit tricky to knit with
[Start of image description: a basket of yarn on a table, the yarn is white, black, blue, green, tan and an orange variegated one. End of image description.]
Animal fibres
Wool
- The most common animal fiber
- Warm and durrable
- Often blended with different yarn
- Soft, fuzzy and sometimes a bit prickly
Merino
- Is the finest and softest wool
- Durable and snugly
- Ultra fine merino wool is often blended with cashmere
Cashmere
- Comes from certain breads of goats
- Is fine, soft and eight times warmer than wool
- Does not contain lanolin
Mohair
- Also comes from Mohair goats which have short hair
- Soft and fuzzy
Silk
- Made by silk worms
- Can be a bit hard to knit with but bamboo knitting needles can help stop the yarn from slipping off the needles.
- Often blended with mohair, merino, cashmere, and alpaca.
- Quite a cool yarn that is suitable for summer knits
Angora
- Comes Angora rabbits
- Uses the fur from plucking hairs that have naturally fallen out, grooming and shearing
- Is silky and soft
- Doesn’t contain allergens like other animal fibers
Alpaca
- Warm, smooth and soft
- Does not contain lanolin which is great if you are allergic to wool for this reason.
Possum
- Mainly seen in yarn from New Zealand
- Possum hair is collected when possums are culled, due to being a pest
- Soft and often blended with merino
Plant fibres
Plant fibres are processed before they can be turned into yarn. The processes vary and gives a different result the fibres can be soft or a lot smoother. They also are better for the environment compared to synthetic fibres. These are perfect for vegans or knitters allergic to wool or lanolin like myself.
[Start of image description: a basket of yarn on a table, in the basket is red, sage green, green, turquoise yarn. End of image description.]
Cotton
- The most common plant fibre
- A smooth and breathable yarn
- It is quite a strong yarn
- Often dipped in lye to give it softness which adds to the definition of a stitch
- You can also get natural cotton that has not been dipped in lye
- Easy to knit with suitable for a beginner
- You can find some that are quite affordable and around the same price as acrylic yarn.
Bamboo
- Has the same strength as cotton
- Is perfect for baby and children’s items due to the antibacterial properties in the bamboo.
Linen
- Made from a flax plant
- Light weight yarn
- Soft and durable
How do I know what yarn is made from which fibre?
[Start of image description: the label on a yarn band with the words "Here is what yarn fibre this ball of yarn is made out of" with a turquoise arrow pointing to the words 45% Acrylic/55% Nylon.]
Its fun to try the different types of yarn fibres there are and feel how the different fibers feel in your hands. It's also lovely to see how it knits up and the different feel they have. Please leave us a comment below with what your favourites yarn fibre to knit with is?
Thank you for visiting Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits!
Have fun knitting with the different yarn fibres. Check our essentials Knitting essentials for more essentials posts like this one.
[Start of image description: Arjaye's signature with a blue feather floating in the air. Below is a meadow with yellow flowers with a a basket of pastel yarn and a hedgehog next to it. In the middle is two toadstools and a black cat running through the grass. End of image description.]
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