How to Choose Knitting Yarn

Choosing the right knitting yarn is one of the most fun parts of starting a new project. For the novice and experienced alike, standing in a yarn aisle or walking into a specialty yarn shop is like being a kid in a candy shop. But with so many colors, fibers and textures to choose from, it can be slightly overwhelming too. These steps will get you on the right track.

• Step 1

Read your knitting project's pattern to see what gauge yarn it requires. The gauge is the number of stitches and rows in four square inches and directly relates to the size of knitting needles the project uses.

• Step 2

Feel the difference between synthetic and natural fibers. Synthetic yarn is what you typically find in craft and discount stores. It's cheap, but can create some beautiful projects. Beginners usually start out with synthetic yarn, but once they're introduced to natural fiber yarn, like wool, cotton and silk, they rarely go back. Natural fibers are more expensive, but feel softer and have a much richer and cozy look to them.

• Step 3

Select a yarn that the store has enough of in order to complete your project. If you fall in love with a clearance skein, either find a small project that only uses one skein of yarn or force yourself to walk away. If you allow yourself to purchase small increments of yarn, your supply soon gets out of hand at home and you suddenly have a hodge podge of mixed yarns that don't coordinate.

• Step 4

Consider the needs of the person who receives the project. For instance, if a baby is to receive a knitted baby blanket, the blanket must be made with baby yarn because it's softer than other yarns and doesn't pill or stretch like others. It's also important to use the pattern's needle suggestion in combination with the right yarn to be sure that your loops are big enough that baby's fingers don't get stuck in them, but small enough that it's still safe.

• Step 5

Purchase all the yarn your project requires at the same time. One mistake that beginners often make is they buy one skein of yarn at a time in order to lessen the impact of the yarn's cost. The problem with this is that yarns are made in different dye lots, so even though you bought a skein Magnificent Marmalade on Monday, and then went back for another skein of the exact same color and brand, you may not get the exact same color.