It isn't just a question of being one or the other though, there is a continuum of spinning structures with true worsted on one end, true woolen on the far opposite and lots of semi-worsted and semi-woolen yarns in between. Try Ravelry and yarnsub.com, or phone the manufacturer (or ask your LYS owner to). October 2016 Extremely helpful! It is named after the small English village of Worstead, in the county of Norfolk and this village was a center for manufacturing in the twelfth century. February 2022 Choose from twenty rich rustic heathers and support the Hydropower Project with your purchase. Check out our worsted woolen spun yarn selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. November 2018 By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 28 minutes. Woolen yarns are made of carded yarns and are fuzzy and bulky. July 2018 There are various form of long draw, some make more air filled yarns than others, but the one thing they have in common is that drafting backwards motion, allowing twist to enter the drafting zone. You can see the difference when its wound into a ball, and in the strand. This video of a Navajo Weaver has long been a favourite of mine. 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. This is a new day for me. But not always. However, though the staple length of the wool is short the yarn is strong over the length of a single knit or purl stitch, so the fabric worked in these yarns will be cohesive and strong. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. In fact, the answer may not even be the same every time. Single-ply yarns are, to put it mildly, gloriously soft. Worsted Yarn. Very clear explanation of a new topic to me. 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. Its more precise than the yarns weight category of fingering, DK, bulky, etc. Trust me, they r super different in thickness. However, the cost of carded woolen yarn is lower. And I also now understand my past failures a little better haha! The best ways to get in touch with me are by messaging me on Ravelry or by sending an email to abeeinthebonnet (at) gmail (dot) com. February 2015 ). I have been knitting for awhile and have yet to use the yarn recommended by a designer for various reasons. The table below lists some of their properties: Woolen fabrics are spun from short fibers, while worsted wool is made from longer and fine ones. March 2015 That makes them a great choice for items that are going to get a lot of wear, like socks and sweaters. Because of the density, a typical worsted yarn is thinner than a typical woolen yarn of the same ypp. Try yarnsub.com or ask LYS staff. The difference between worsted-spun and woolen-spun yarns lies in how the fiber is handled before the actual spinning. The difference between woolen and the worsted yarn is that woolen yarn is spun by carding fibers. But just to make things tricky, it's entirely possible for a yarn to be both woollen and worsted, generally when a previously spun woollen yarn is re-spun using the worsted technique, creating a so-called semi-woollen or semi-worsted yarn. This is what is meant by the gorgeous phenomenon of blooming. As with our woolen-spun yarns, fiber prepared for worsted-spun yarn is first scoured and then carded. The packing-in of the fiber as worsted yarn is made allows the fibers to protect each other for longer wear and less pilling. Id assumed it was me, but now I wonder if its my yarn? Because woolen-spun yarns retain lots of air pockets during the production process, they knit up into very insulating and warm garments. The combed wool is then sent through a pin drafter several times, resulting in the wool sliver becoming progressively thinner with each pass through the machine. There are two yarns, one brown and one light green. Shop Talk Generally, the higher the ply number the thicker the yarn. Im trying to educate myself on the different weights of yarn and could only find worsted listed as a weight. You might be able to get a good sense for what the project would look like in your chosen yarn or get inspiration for another yarn to use. June 2015 Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh great now Im going to spend all day weeping for Wuthering Heights Tom Hardy and wondering what kind of yarn he was. When worsted fiber is spun together after being combed, its yarn is strong and smooth. What is the Difference Between Worsted and Woolen Spun Yarns? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. Its easier to just add more rows than to recalculate the width of a garment. This article is so well written and I love how you explain how the type of yarn will effect the finished product. eCommerce Website by Virtually Everything, Country / Region*Select a country / regionAfghanistanland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelauBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Saint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongo (Brazzaville)Congo (Kinshasa)Cook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSo Tom and PrncipeSaint BarthlemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (Dutch part)Saint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia/Sandwich IslandsSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom (UK)United States (US)United States (US) Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (US)Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweUpdate country / region, State* You can write a comment on the yarns Ravelry page suggesting that drafting info be added. That's how I learned to do yarn substitutions, too, and it was a hard and frustrating process. It's then spun with the twist entering the drafting zone in a long draw technique. In this blog, we will take a closer look at worsted and woolen yarns and what sets them apart. That meant the hat could be knit at a much looser gauge than I would normally use for a fingering + lace combo. I just started stranded colorwork and this with your swatches is a good resource. But if the pattern calls for yarn from an indie dyer or one of the smaller manufacturers, it can be pretty hit or miss (I just checked for several of my favorites that I've used in designs this year, and nothing). . Wonderful study! . On the other hand, dont feel bad if you just want an easy knit without too much thinking involved. If you end up having to make a major substitution, remember that plant fibers tend to be heavier than animal fibers. Thank you for your thoughtful and careful drafting, and especially the photos! The Merino and Corriedale wool is gathered from Midwestern farms right here in the United States. Thank you so much for sharing. Youll see two different yarns, one pale pink and one a creamy color. Thank you!!! A light bulb has definitely gone on for me. This bulky weight blend of 80% acrylic and 20% wool offers the triple crown yarn benefits: it's machine washable and dryable, has the warmth and comfort of wool, and works up quickly. 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. June 2021 Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Thank you so much! Yarn tends to come in hanks, balls, skeins, cakes, and cones. Many commercial yarns are spun with the worsted style. A little history on worsted wool. As an example, aran weight worsted spun wool is going to be heavier than aran weight woolen spun wool, so there will be fewer yards per 100 grams of the worsted spun wool . www.harrisville.com, Content: 100% pure wool Put-Up: 215 yd [196 m]/4 oz [113 g] Construction: 2-ply Care: Handwash with mild soap in lukewarm water Recommended Gauge: 17 sts = 4 (10cm) on size 8 (5 mm) needles, Our mill has been in production on the same location for 158 years, so we do have some history in producing woolen-spun yarn, says John Little of Briggs & Little Woolen Mills. April 2014 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. Many commercial yarns are spun with the worsted style. Worsted-spun yarns are dense and strong. One method is not better or worse than the other - just different. 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 Durability, warmth and weight. In fact, I rarely do. This yarn delivers on every account. The twist brings air with it, and the surface isnt controlled by smoothing as it hits the fiber. 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. Your best bet is always to know how to make the substitution yourself. Very good, educational description. Cheers and Thanks. 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. Understanding helps tremendously and the side by side swatches were terrific. April 2022 Woolen yarns are generally the least expensive industrial yarns to make. Finally, more processed, worsted spun yarns don't aggravate my eczema . Worsted yarn, made in the USA. Worsted weight yarn is a 10 ply yarn. This causes the yarn to be light, airy with small fiber ends poking out. 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. If youre really comfortable with doing a lot of math, making adjustments on the fly, and pulling out your work if you decide you dont like how it works, then feel free to experiment with a yarn of a different gauge. I feel like I can make better yarn/pattern matches and explain these variables to others who want me to knit for them and their only concern is color. No need to go to the gym if you do an hours wool combing! This helped me understand the difference and will help me make better choices when picking a yarn to knit certain patterns. I learned about yarn substitution the hard way. That, in turn, means youll have more trouble knitting a garment that will fit you right. Knit using the same needles and in the same style that youll be knitting the garment (i.e., flat or in the round). I feel I finally understand the difference. Taking the spinning seminar from Cecilia Quinn I learned the difference between worsted and woolen is in the way the fibers were treated and spun. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Semi worsted will give you more fluff to . Spinning Select an optionAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict Of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces (AA)Armed Forces (AE)Armed Forces (AP). Flywheel is light and airy and lends itself well to both lace projects and warm, cozy sweaters. 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. The fibers in stitches knit from woolen-spun yarn seem to literally bloom into the space theyre given. New spinning innovations have produced wind and waterproof wool fabrics. Carding, and the rolling in to a rolag creates a spiral of wool fibres wrapping round the tube. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. I hope this will help you skip some of the hiccups! Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Yeah, were talking that level of soft. Want a refresher on the difference between worsted-spun and woolen spun yarns? To really make sure you stand the best chance of getting the right gauge, you need to check your new yarns put up and/or WPI. If you can use Ravelry, the project pages are very helpful. 4.5 sts / inch on size US 8. Heres an example of what I mean: in February 2020, I released the Profiterole Hat. . Countryside If your gauge is too loose (that is, fewer stitches per inch than it should have), try going down a needle size. Each of those packages generally indicates two key details: how many yards or meters are in the unit of yarn, and how much that unit of yarn weighs. Woollen Yarn Woollen yarn is spun using a short staple fiber prepared by handcarding and rolled into rolags. During the Middle Ages, common agricultural practices were in flux because new breeds of sheep were being . However, roping is more commonly used to refer specifically to this stage inwoolen-spinning mills. I guess I thought it referred to the ply, like 4-ply. Dyed: United States. The yarn is less hairy than worsted yarns. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. 4/9. June 2013 Worsted wool is smoother than woolen, takes shine more easily, does not sag, holds a crease well, is lighter and less bulky, and wears longer than woolen. Non Wool Club Worsted Spun vs. Woolen Spun. February 2018 Be sure to use the stitch indicated in the pattern when it tells you how gauge was measured. Can you spot the other difference? Pilling should not be conflated with the characteristic bloom of woolen spun yarns. Ill choose a woolen spun yarn. Woollen and worsted yarn are two types of yarn that can be handspun. As such, each stitch worked from a worsted-spun yarn renders individually, crisply, and vividly, making yarns spun in this style suitable for cables and showing textural knitting to maximum advantage. The yarn is spun using the woolen process. The result of this worsted-style preparation and spinning is a yarn that is smooth and dense, due to the fibers being neatly combed in a parallel fashion. In my spinning past, I've spun from locks, from picked fiber 'clouds' , from bats, had also tried a badly produced rolag or two and gave up ~~ but mostly all the years I've spun its been from roving, sliver, and combed top. September 2015 June 2014 > >, Knitting on an Airplane and Other Travel Tips for Makers, Why You Shouldn't Buy a Knitter Yarn as a Gift, Reasons to Take Your WIP to a Sporting Event, A Free Bracelet Beading Pattern for Valentines Day. lovely wool yarn selection from Jagger Spun. Rudy Amann was mentored in handspinning by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. My thanks also. Some yarns are not so obvious. September 2014 If its too tight (that is, more stitches per inch than it should have), try going up a needle size. December 2019 Thats especially true if youre knitting a small, close-fitting garment like a sock or mitt. Theyre great for items that wont get a ton of friction while youre wearing them and that you wear against sensitive skinthings like hats and cowls. Miss Babs has an orderly line. Ive been knitting for 15 years and never knew any of this! Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin. Worsted-spun yarns, on the other hand, are smoother and knit up into fabrics with greater drape and stitch definition. She wrote the book Yarnitecture: A Knitters Guide to Spinning: Building Exactly the Yarn You Want so she could use all of the fiber words. Any amount of twist, be it a lot or a little, is essential for creating knittable yarn. That ratio helps you understand how thick the yarn is. Worsted ( or ) is a high-quality type of wool yarn, the fabric made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. Woolen spun and worsted spun are references to the way the yarn is actually spun in the spinning process. When I unplied the yarn and looked at individual strands, I could see a difference and a dead giveaway. February 2020 Worsted wools are slick when woven, woolen wools are knitted, crocheted, or woven into softer, fluffier fabric, or fulled fabric. Unfortunately you cant tell from the ballband unless the manufacturer has included that information. On Ravelry, you can go to the (Ravelry link) Projects tab on the pattern page to see other versions of the hat knit by other people. It might be worth sacrificing a bit of cable definition to get a lighter, cozier feeling sweater. Woolen spun is traditionally spun from carded rolags (this was the job small children carried out). 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. This is the type of information that makes a knitter more knowledgable about our purchases. The Empire (on the right) is less consistent, and looks a little puffier. Thanks for clearing up my confusion over what I scored at the thrift shop today and helping provide some direction on what project might be right for it. To read the applicable privacy policy, please. May 2014 This information is just wrong as to pilling. May 2017 Instead of carding the fibres they're combed. If youre making socks or colorwork, though, or working on a project that requires clear stitch definition, you should pay extra attention to how your yarn is spun. Worsted wool fabric is typically used in the making of tailored garments such as suits, as opposed to woollen wool, which is used for knitted items such as sweaters. Worsted spun is smooth, while woolen spun is a little more rustic. On the other hand, the woolen fabrics hold creases and shape well and are more durable. If you can only achieve one, though, choose accurate stitch gauge. Now I can make better informed decisions when selecting yarns for a project, and now that next trip to my LYS will really become an adventure! Rhinebeck It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. As you might have guessed, most worsted-spun yarns are not ideal for felting (fibers which are all perfectly aligned are difficult to felt! October 2013 The fiber is compressed and smoothed, and air is squeezed out as the twist is applied to the fiber. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. This causes the yarn to be light, airy with small fiber ends poking out. Ill never look at yarn the same way again! The way a yarn is spun - worsted vs. woolen - also determines how much fiber is used per yard. Put up is the way your yarn has been bundled up. The difference between these two is not as clear at first glance. Wool is warm and lightweight and takes dyes well. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". December 2020 Desalegn Atalie. Thank you for there explanation. Does it make that much difference to your gauge? The squeeze of drafting a yarn worsted brings fibers closer, for greater depth of color, and the smoothness of the surface reflects light, intensifying the color and shine. There is a great site called yarnsub which compares most if not all of these elements and suggests alternatives. 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. Going to send people to this. Native Twist is available in twenty-nine bold, earthy, and jewel-toned solid colorways. Its knit using one strand of fingering-weight wool yarn and one strand of lace-weight silk-mohair yarn. You have made it so clear to me. 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. January 2016 Oh thats right! July 2021 Heres why: when the fibers in the yarn irregular in length and nestled together in every which way are soaked in water during the blocking process, they get the chance to relax, and then they readjust and mingle with each other even more as they dry, creating a solid and cohesive piece of fabric. Woolen and Worsted yarns. April 2020 In the production of Quarry, which was inspired by unspun yarns, we skip the process of spinning the individual plies of yarn and instead nestle together three strands of roping drawn out to the right thickness, before gently twisting those strands together in a mock twist. Hairs are aligned to be parallel, instead of being rolled up to perpendicular to the direction of the yarn. 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. Thank you! *Membership cannot be purchased with Gift Cards. Most people define semi-worsted as spinning worsted using carded fibers while spinning the way you would for worsted yarn. If your allergy is very specific (e.g., you cant do wool, but you can do alpaca, or you cant handle linen but youre fine with cotton or bamboo), itll be easier to substitute than if your allergy is more broad (e.g., you cant do any animal fibers at all and have to use plant fibers, or vice versa). To check your gauge, cast on 5-10 stitches more than what the pattern says will give you 4. To measure WPI, take out a ruler and an item of uniform thickness that you can wrap your yarn around. Share. A drumcarder can also be used. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Dye baths are created using a precise calibration of dye, temperature, and water flow to protect the lofty, softness of the wool and to ensure the colors are repeatable with every new dye lot. It's then spun with the twist entering the drafting zone in a long draw technique. And now for the tricky, but crucial, part of yarn substitution: making sure you hit gauge. Thanks for the clear and concise approach I get it now! Brooklyn Tweeds Arbor (Targhee wool, worsted spun) and Shelter (Targhee/Columbia wool, woolen spun) are perfect examples. Woolen yarns are spun with the fibers going every which way. July 2020 The yarn is spun using the woolen process. April 2016 Our BWC Wisconsin Woolen Spun yarns are two-ply in both the fingering and worsted weight and are available in 100 gram skeins. July 2013 . If you ever created your own cord or unwound a hank of yarn, then that's the exact same process. The combing process removed all the shorter length hairs, leaving behind fibres of the same length, free from tangles. Woolen spun yarns will bloom more after washing and are lighter and airier. Great article, thank you for this very detailed account , I learned so much !