Working with Natural-Fiber Yarns
Wool is probably the most common of all the natural fibers. Most people know that wool comes from sheep, but they may not know that different breeds of sheep grow different kinds of wool, which might be appropriate for some uses but not others. For example, fibers from the Lincoln breed are very long, wavy or curly, and coarse (thick); yarn made from this wool makes great rugs. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Merino sheep, whose wool is much finer, shorter, and kinky rather than wavy. Merino wool yarn makes wonderfully soft sweaters and garments that can be worn next to the skin; some people even make baby clothes from Merino.
You may be wondering how anyone could describe wool as soft if all the wool you’ve ever encountered has been scratchy and itchy. This may be because the garment – or yarn – was made from a mixture of many different breeds of wool. It is possible now, though, to buy commercial yarn that is soft, either because it’s only Merino, or because only finer breeds’ wool has been used to make it. And of course if the yarn is handspun, it will most likely be made from only one breed’s wool, and can be spun for a specific purpose.
It’s also common knowledge that wool is warm, but many people don’t realize that it also stays warm when it’s wet; this quality makes it perfect for socks. It’s also more elastic (stretchy) than other natural fibers, which makes it easier to keep to a gauge.
Cotton yarn, which may be more common than wool, is very absorbent, but unlike wool, it doesn’t stay warm when it’s wet. This is good to keep in mind if you’re making – or buying – an outer garment made of cotton. It’s also heavy, especially if it’s been spun thickly; there will be less yardage on a ball of cotton yarn than on a ball of wool of the same weight. And cotton is mostly inelastic; if knitted or crocheted loosely, an item made of cotton will eventually sag. But machine washing and drying is likely to “pull” the fibers back together, which should improve the way the item drapes.
Mohair yarn is made from the fiber of the angora goat. It will have different characteristics depending on the age of the animal; kid mohair (from very young goats) is fine and soft, but adult mohair is coarser and tends to look “spiky” – and may feel scratchy if you have sensitive skin. All mohair, though, has a lot of shine – called “lustre” in the fiber world – which makes its colors really glow. Like wool, it’s warm, but like cotton, it’s not very elastic; if you have trouble working with pure mohair yarn, you may want to try it blended with wool, acrylic, or another synthetic fiber.
Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant. It’s rare to find all-linen yarn unless you spin it yourself; in most commercial yarn the linen is blended with other plant fibers, like cotton or ramie. Yarn with a fairly large proportion of linen will look somewhat spiky, as the ends of the linen fibers tend to protrude, but unlike mohair, it usually isn’t scratchy. And linen gets softer over time – although it also has a tendency to wrinkle.
Silk is a luxury fiber, and commercial silk yarn is very expensive. If you can deal with its inelastic quality – like all other fibers except wool, it doesn’t stretch much – it makes soft, colorful (it’s usually more lustrous than mohair) garments. Silk is also quite warm, a quality that most people aren’t even aware of – unless they live in a cold climate. And it’s light; there will be more yardage to a ball of silk yarn than many other natural fibers.
Alpaca yarn is made from the fibers of the alpaca, an animal in the camel family that originated in South America but has in recent years “migrated” (with human help) to other parts of the world, including the United States. Alpaca yarn is warm, inelastic, slippery, and, depending on how it’s spun, may feel a bit scratchy to people with sensitive skin. Unless it’s handspun, it’s usually blended with other fibers, including wool and synthetics. If you buy a commercial yarn that includes alpaca, make sure it’s fairly tightly spun, or the alpaca may work its way out, causing your item to “shred.”
A yarn made of a blend of fibers, whether handspun or commercial, will not act the same as a yarn made of pure wool, cotton, or anything else. It will have some of the qualities of each type of fiber in it, depending on the proportions of each. Since most natural fibers, with the exception of wool, are not very elastic, it’s common to find them blended with something that is, like wool or acrylic. Unless you’re a purist – or a handspinner – blended yarns can be a good choice, because they provide the look and feel of the natural fiber, but are easier to work with. They may also be easier to care for; most natural fibers require handwashing, dry cleaning, or some other special treatment. Check your yarn label for specific instructions.
There was a time when all yarn was made from natural fibers. That’s no longer true, but they’re still available if you look for them, and if you’re a handspinner, you have even more options. And when you know what to expect from each fiber, you can choose exactly what you need, and your project will turn out exactly as you intended.
