In this photo below you can see the 1ply Supreme (worsted) on the left has more of a halo whereas the 1ply Cobweb (woollen) on the right has better stitch definition - it almost feels like cotton although it is 100% wool. Yarn substitution is where you use a different yarn from the yarn recommended by the designer who wrote the pattern youre following. Great information! 140 yards/50 g. $15.50 each. So well illustrated and explained. Single-ply yarns are, to put it mildly, gloriously soft. Before beginning the process of spinning our woolen-spun yarns, the fiber is first cleaned and then dyed in the fleece. Because woolen-spun yarns retain lots of air pockets during the production process, they knit up into very insulating and warm garments. I once had it explained very simply: Woolen spun yarns are like bedhair in the morning - going every which way, and worsted spun are like hair after it's been combed. Worsted-style spinning, unlike woolen-style, does not allow twist to enter the fiber during drafting. This blooming also has the effect of softening and blending the appearance of your stitches rather like moss growing on a forest floor, in the words of Clara Parkes. AC Business Ventures LLC, DBA Nitro Knitters. To check your gauge, cast on 5-10 stitches more than what the pattern says will give you 4. My thanks also. Please refer to Blacker Yarns blog for an explanation: https://www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk/blog/woollen-and-worsted-spun-yarns-thoughts-wovember#:~:text=A%20woollen%20spun%20yarn%20will,high%20proportion%20of%20short%20fibre. Your best bet is always to know how to make the substitution yourself. This Targhee-Columbia wool blend comes from Wyoming sheep, and the fiber is fleece-dyed (dyed before spinning), which is made visible in Shelters thirty-two heathered colorways, especially the darker ones with lighter hues intermixed. A fluffy woolen wool blanket In side-by-side comparison of worsted and woolen yarns with the same fiber and yarn structure, the worsted yarn is more durable, less warm, and heavier than a woolen yarn. Now I know. Want to try out some wonderful wool yarns? Woolen yarns are the ones you might find bits of hay in. As a very new spinner (wheel) I found this article so informative and easy to understand. Desalegn Atalie. Combing was traditionally done on large heavy combs, and was done by men. Jill, I am a newbie to crochet and knitting, so this information is wonderful! The problem is that theyre not as durable as multi-ply yarn. November 2014 According to Clara Parkess The Knitters Book of Yarn, spinning or adding twist to the fiber while it is in a jumbled state (in other words, in a woolen-preparation) is one key aspect of woolen-spun yarns. and now the skies are clear, the the clouds have drifted away, and the sun is shining! Its easier to just add more rows than to recalculate the width of a garment. Because of the density, a typical worsted yarn is thinner than a typical woolen yarn of the same ypp. This means that they'll have very clear stitch definition, as opposed to woollen spun yarns which have a softer stitch definition. Beautiful fibre you'll love to work with. Thank you! The fibers are carded, or brushed, in a single direction and then tightly spun together, resulting in a yarn that is smooth and has a consistent thickness. Not every woolen-spun yarn has a rougher surface, and not every worsted yarn is smooth. I just started stranded colorwork and this with your swatches is a good resource. Todays topic is woolen and worsted drafted yarns. The last time we spoke, it was about sheep breeds and just what all those different fuzzy-bottomed critters had to do with your knitting. The distinctions between these has been a mystery to me until now. Very well spot on! September 2013 This post of part of my Spinning with a Purpose series, sharing swatches I've created for a. www.imperialyarn.com. Your book will be one of the few in my library, as I want those that provide me the knowledge to choose and knit wisely. This video is a brief overview of some different spinning techniques I've learned to spin worsted or woolen yarn and how that affects the outcome of your yar. Knit using the same needles and in the same style that youll be knitting the garment (i.e., flat or in the round). There are two yarns, one brown and one light green. Woolen yarns are spun with the fibers going every which way. Worsted is about both how you spin and how you (or your supplier) prep. Please confirm you want to block this member. Thank you for a well written and useful article. In most cases, semi-worsted and semi-woolen yarns could often be confused for the same thing. March 2020 www.blackeryarns.co.uk, Content: 100% Cormo wool Put-Up: 350 yd [320 m]/4 oz [113 g] Construction: 2-ply Care: Handwash gently or machine wash without agitation; dry flat, Elsawool creates both woolen- and worsted-spun yarns, all from the soft wool of purebred Cormo sheep, available in natural undyed colors. However, roping is more commonly used to refer specifically to this stage inwoolen-spinning mills. Woolen yarns are generally the least expensive industrial yarns to make. Woolen spun yarns are in the production of sweaters, carpets, tweeds. However, the cost of carded woolen yarn is lower. Many commercial yarns are spun with the worsted style. Woolen yarn is dense and is often made from the shorter strands of a sheep's fleece. You can also go to the (Ravelry link) yarn ideas tab to see what yarns other people have substituted. How about giving us more names of worsted and woolen yarns currently available? Many commercial yarns are spun in this way, particularly sock yarns. 2.22 yds UK Sherry 100% Spun Silk Fabric Luxury Suiting 9 oz Apricot 80" BTP . Miss Babs has an orderly line. If you want knife-edge stitch definition, go for a worsted drafted yarn. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Snippets is the Saturday newsletter full of MDK news, specials, and first look at new offerings. A woolen yarns loose, lofty structure traps and holds air, making it warm and light, but the air between the fibers allows them to abrade quicker. Want a refresher on the difference between worsted-spun and woolen spun yarns? These are actually a scaled down version of the historical combs, but having handled a pair I can tell you that they're still seriously heavy to handle. That is woolen drafting. That's how I learned to do yarn substitutions, too, and it was a hard and frustrating process. Worsted Weight: 250 Yards / 100 Grams. NOW I KNOW. This will save me a lot of headache as well as trial and error. Worsted noun. Prepare to fiddle with needle sizes and maybe make a math adjustment or two if your chosen yarn doesnt quite match the gauge in the pattern. Original Yarns Thank you, thank you, thank you. The indie Dyer might know how their base is spun if one is buying direct but maybe a LYS owner might not. The project aims to restore the hydropower installation to produce clean energy from the waterway that runs under the mill. When dyed the same color, woolen and worsted drafted yarns wont look the same. Be sure not to violate boundaries, too. April 2014 November 2021 Thanks for sharing. January 2015 This was a great post. I think it also helps to think of the woolen spun as grippier (as in grips more) since all the fibres are not tamed into a smooth yarn but are sort of sticking out all over. Thanks! Our BWC Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns are two-ply in both the fingering and worsted weight and are available in 100 gram skeins. Sometimes, even after all that, you still might not be sure whether the yarn you want to substitute will work for your project, check out other peoples projects. I am currently knitting with Empire and wondered what made me love it so much more than (another lovely but unnamed) yarn of the same gauge. Two different systems are followed in wool processing, the woolen system, and the worsted system. February 2016 There are two basic ways of drafting fiber by hand or by machine: worsted draft or woolen draft. Youve just figured out your yarns WPI. So how do you spin yarn to be either worsted or woolen? October 2018 From that basis it's pretty much impossible to create a woolen yarn, which relies on trapping hairs perpendicular to the direction of the yarn Just like cotton worsted is not always better than woolen. Very clear explanation of a new topic to me. The way a yarn is spun - worsted vs. woolen - also determines how much fiber is used per yard. from Brown Sheep Company. This is what is meant by the gorgeous phenomenon of blooming. As for me, well, I love hearing from people who are working on my patterns and do my best to respond to messages quickly. The fibers of a worsted-spun yarn are first straightened and then oriented in the same direction, making the yarn smooth and shiny, which gives your knitted fabric lots of stitch definition. You also need to consider WPI. Because there is less air trapped in the spun fibers, the resulting yarn is dense, smooth and resistant to abrasion. Woolen spun wears like iron without the amount of pilling common to worsted spun yarns. Compared to woolens, worsted wool fabrics are brushed in two directions with special brushes. Before you go subbing in your new yarn, though, think about the following issues. However, there are differences between worsted weight yarns and woolen yarns as well. This has just lit a light bulb in my head. Some have a naturally rougher surface. August 2017 I have been knitting for almost 50 years and have never understood what worsted yarn was all about. The difference between Woolen Spun and Worsted Spun. The yarn isn't smoothed, it's simply stretched out like a piece of chewing gum, that traps lots of air in the yarn, and makes it very bouncey and elastic. Spin: Worsted or Woolen How a yarn is spun affects a yarn's weight and crimp. Since it doesn't have air, it does not tend to be "fuzzy". Learn how your comment data is processed. Because the yarn is smoother than woolen yarn, it will be less itchy when worn next to the skin, provided the fibers are not too coarse for comfort. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. December 2020 Shop our 50% Off Online Workshop Sale! Check out our worsted woolen spun yarn selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Check out our worsted spun wool selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Content: 100% pure new wool Put-Up: 119yd [110 m]/134 oz [50 g] Construction: 3-ply Care: Handwash in cool water Recommended Gauge: 20 sts and 28 rows = 4 (10 cm) on size 6 (4 mm) needles, Woolen-spun yarn creates little air pockets in the fiber; I like to think the process is similar to backcombing ones hair, offers Blacker Yarnss Sonja Bargielowska. November 2020 https://garmentmerchendising.com/category/fiber/. 'Carding' is one of the processes which untangles the woo. You'll also want to identify whether the suggested yarn in the pattern is woolen spun or worsted spun. The Classic British Wool yarn line is available in four thicknesses and fifteen heathered colorways. That ratio helps you understand how thick the yarn is. That makes them a great choice for items that are going to get a lot of wear, like socks and sweaters. You can write a comment on the yarns Ravelry page suggesting that drafting info be added. This was a grat posting. They are also stronger, more durable, and less prone to pilling. The same process squeezes out the air making it not as warm. The difference between woolen and the worsted yarn is that woolen yarn is spun by carding fibers. Its not just the beautiful dyeing. Combed top can be used to make yarns for items that are still going to be warm, like a hat, it just will not have the insulating ability of a yarn spun woolen, but will be stronger than a woolen spun yarn. Thank you Jagger Spun for the information! The dead giveaway of the woolen-ness of Empire is the blip of fiber sticking out. Another essential characteristic of woolen-spun yarns, according to Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont, is that twist is allowed to play an active role in drafting the fiber drafting refers to when the fiber is pulled slightly to open up and lengthen the fiber structure before being twisted. Examples of Woolen Spun:Cascade Eco+ Merino DKCascade BFL, Examples of Worsted Spun (not a complete list):Malabrgio RiosCascade 220 Superwash. Here, we take a closer look at some of the industrys top woolen-spun yarns. April 2020 One of the most basic attributes of a yarn is woolen or worsted spun. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.