[Nfb-krafters-korner] novelty yarn

[Cathy]

Hi yarnaholics

 

I am not certain whether I have already posted this information. However, I
was reading it over as I thought about the upcoming yarn class tomorrow
night, so decided I would pass it along for anyone who might be interested.

 

This way, you can ask Sarah more about these yarns if you want.

 

I personally would like to know which of these yarns would work on the KK
looms and would also like a better understanding of which of these yarns are
good for knit and for crochet. Also I am interested as to which of these
yarns are commonly used for what types of projects. For example this article
says that “ladder” yarn is most often used for embellishments not entire
garments, this is the kind of thing I want to know. 

 

 

novelty yarn

 

Eyelash

 

 

These are made from a polyester fiber with a furry texture resembling
eyelashes. These novelty yarns are made of a thin central ply surrounded by
short

"hairs". This yarn differs from "fur" type yarn in that it contains
evenly-spaced threads at intervals between lengths of bare core thread,
whereas fur

yarns have an abundance of threads covering the entirety of the core thread.
Eyelash yarn comes in a wide range of colors, with the "hairs" sometimes
being

made of multicolored or metallic fibers.

 

Bouclé,

or looped, yarns are created by loosely looping an effect yarn around a base
yarn. They can be made of any type of fiber and are usually composed of
three

plies, or strands, wrapped around each other. The texture is created by
spinning one of the three plies more loosely than the other two. Fiber
artists

who choose to create projects in bouclé yarn must use extra care because if
not handled carefully, the loose strand may split and snag on the knitting

needles or crochet hook.

 

 

Ribbon is a type of yarn that resembles a ribbon. It can be made from
synthetic or natural fibers, such as silk or cotton. Some ribbon yarns are
flat, while

others are tubular in construction.

 

 

Ladder resembles a ladder, with two flat threads representing the two sides
of the ladder held together by a strip of material at the center that
represents

the rungs. The material at the center of ladder yarn can be metallic,
beaded, or otherwise adorned. This type of yarn is more often used to create
trim

or embellishments than to knit or crochet entire garments.

 

 

Nub

A nub or knot is created by tightly twisting an effect fiber around the base
fiber. The nub is most easily identified when the effect and base yarns are

of different colors.

 

 

A slub or thick spot in a yarn is created by varying the tightness of the
twist of the yarn at various intervals.

 

 

Corkscrew or spiral

The appearance of corkscrew or spiral yarns is achieved by using yarns of
two different fibers and often twisting one under a different tension than
the

other.

 

Chenille

The soft, fuzzy surface of chenille yarns, which resemble 

pipe cleaners

 in appearance, can be created in several ways. Most commonly, a fabric is
first produced and then cut into narrow strips resembling a yarn. Then, when

the fabric is cut, the raw edges become very fuzzy and produce the chenille
appearance. Other chenilles are created by trimming a loosely-attached
effect

fiber to create the fuzzy appearance. Still other chenilles are created by
attaching or gluing fibers to the yarn.

Metallic yarns

Metallic yarns are often classified as fancy yarns and are created by adding
a metallic fiber or yarn to the blend. These are not to be confused with
actual

wire used in jewelry that is sometimes knit or crocheted.

 

Crepe yarns

Crepe yarns may be classified as fancy yarns and are created by tightening
the twist given to a yarn, resulting in a kinked or looped strand.

 

 

The more I learn, the more I want to learn!

 

Cathy