Types of Yarn

Yarn is yarn, right? Sure, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pick the wrong yarn. There are many different types of yarn and you need to be careful when choosing a yarn, especially for baby blankets. You don’t want to choose a yarn that is coarse that could hurt the baby’s skin.

Yarn fibers

Acrylic

Acrylic yarn is a very common yarn that you most often see in stores. It is cheaper and able to made in a variety of textures. You can buy soft yarns in acrylic that are sometimes more durable than acrylics.

For those of you just starting out, you may want to start with acrylic because it’s cheaper and you don’t have to worry about mistakes. Acrylic is great for many other types of crafts as well.

Cotton

Cotton yarn is a great yarn for making baby blankets. It is very soft and won’t hurt the baby’s skin. As you may know, cotton is soft, light, and easily washable which makes it ideal for baby blankets. TLC makes some great quality cotton yarn.

TLC Cotton Plus Yarn

TLC Cotton Plus Yarn

“TLC Cotton Plus Yarn-Cream: TLC Cotton blends the best qualities of two fibers into an extremely versatile yarn. Soft, absorbent cotton makes it comfortable to wear, while acrylic makes it lighter weight and more wash friendly than 100% cotton yarns. The light worsted weight is ideal for all climates and all apparel, from babies’ layettes to women’s sweaters and vests, to men’s wear and more. The smooth finish gives superb drape and a classic look, which shows off stitch detail well.Care:Machine wash and dry * 51% cotton 49% acrylic * 3-1/2 ounces (100 grams) 186 yards * 4″”=20 stitches on size 8 needles * Suggested crochet hook: H8 * We will try to match dyelots, but dyelots are not guaranteed”



Nylon, Polyester, Rayon, Wool, Cashmere

These are all other blends of yarn available. Some, such as mohair and wool, are thicker, bulkier, and not as soft, so you may not want to use them for baby blankets.

A lot of these types of yarns are mixed together or with acrylics to give them a certain versatility. You can also find cashmere yarn, often mixed with other blends, that are great for any project, but they are very expensive.

Weight of yarn

You can also purchase your yarn by weight. Worsted yarn is the type you are probably most familiar with, but there is also chunky, sport, and special types made just for baby blankets and clothing.

Yarn brands

There are several different brands of yarn that each have several different lines within their brand. There is caron, bernat, lion brand, yummy yarn, and several others that are all available at Jo-Ann.com.

I suggest you browse through Knit & Crochet @ Jo-Ann.com! to find the yarn perfect for your baby blanket or other project!

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