Awareness of Yarn Materials for New Crocheters

Some new crocheters, as well as experienced ones like me, prefer yarn materials. However, I have noticed that until knitting or crocheting becomes part of someone's life, they may not have been aware of the materials from which things are made. Have awareness of yarn for its origins for a more informed choice.

You can leave me a comment if you learned something new when you became a crocheter in this realm.

Tracy is selling yarn from her Rolling Yarn Shop in Nova Scotia.

Awareness of Yarn

Acrylic, polyester, nylon, rayon, and other yarn blends are plastic-based. If you have checked the content of your clothing materials, you may be surprised by how much plastic is part of our lives. Plastic-based materials entered the scene around the 1950s and have become a staple item in our lives—from your carpet to clothing, cars, appliances, and much more. It's cheaper to make than animal-based fibres such as wool, linen, silk, and many more.

The primary source of plastic yarns is the petroleum industry. Your new yarn, clothing, and home accessories are coming out of the ground to be processed into something recognizable.

Petroleum Extraction in the Ocean

Although Petroleum is not a renewable resource, it is an advantage because it's not a seasonal product. It doesn't have to wait for the animals to be born, vet-cared for, fed, and housed, or for the seasonal removal of fibres such as shearing. This is what makes wool and animal-based fibres higher in price. It is not expensive, but it is relative to how it is created. Independent yarn shops can be treated like trash in being mean about the price of their yarns, most of which are in the animal-based fibres area. You pay for what you get.

Would I recommend learning to crochet using an animal-based fibre? No, use cheaper alternatives. It's less of an investment and will help you develop your skills. Some animal fibres make it difficult to get the yarn to pull out if you make mistakes. Don't complicate learning to crochet with the wrong types of yarn choices.

Petroleum Activism

Over the years, I have run into adamant people about using fossil fuels for yarn. Demanding an alternative solution to fibres that are not produced using petroleum. Our entire world is dependent on fossil fuels. From the home's furniture to how you get to work to the wiring of devices and machines. It's pretty much embedded into our world.

I'm unsure how a yarn user can be off the grid with petroleum when so much of our world operates on it for moving around products, marketing, etc.

Petroleum Activism

My mantra is that you must find solutions for your interests. Instead of expecting the world to change around you, change yourself and your choices.

Even natural materials like cotton are farmed, machine-processed, and moved several times around the globe before you see them.

Speaking of Cotton

Cotton yarn is robust, doesn't stretch, and is used in many applications in your life. It only becomes stretchable when it's mixed with other fibres. If you are making dishcloths, tea towels, placemats, and other items that can get wet and are used a lot, cotton is the way to go.

I cannot stress enough, ensure the cotton is 100%, not a blend.

Cotton can warm you up but also cool you down. When yarn is cotton-based, it's better to wear during the hot months, including blankets and much more. Acrylic and poly-based yarns tend to retain heat which is excellent for warm hats in the winter but definitely not a great idea for a summer slouchy.

What Yarns Would I Choose for Learning To Crochet?

Choose a value-based yarn, such as Red Heart Super Saver, Bernat Super Value, or Caron One Pound. Don't choose novelty yarn, eyelash yarn, roving, or materials that are not flat within the strand. You'll set yourself up for failure.

Yarn choices vary on where you live and how you access them. Just remember, comparing yarns between each other is apples and oranges. Price is dependent on the processing, content and more behind the scenes you are not aware of.

Mainstream yarn in big box retailers tends to be cheaper due to the volume and speed at which yarn is made. Independent brands take more time and are not at a volume where the manufacturing cost is split between smaller manufacturing facilities.

I have yet to see an independent yarn shop overpricing their yarn. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I have never seen it, knowing what I do about the industry behind the scenes.