Fancy Yarns

Fancy and novelty yarns can be a challenge to work with, especially if you don't have a lot of experience with the technique you're using (knitting, crochet, etc.) Here are some tips to help make the process easier.

• Fancy yarns have a tendency to hide complicated stitch patterns so it's usually better to use simple stitches like garter stitch or stockinette (in knitting) or single or double crochet. Some lace patterns will work but it really all depends on the specific yarn you're using; some, like eyelash yarns, may hide the holes that are a big part of any type of lace.


• Many fancy yarns don't rip out easily. So either work very loosely (and be prepared for your work to stretch), or work at a "normal" gauge and have extra yarn handy in case you make a mistake or change your mind about what you want to do.


• These kinds of yarns don't do well as center-pull balls - if you pull from the center it tends to collapse and the yarn can tangle easily. Instead, try a regular ball, or if you don't like all that bouncing around, wind the yarn around a core - like the inside of a toilet paper roll.


• If you're having trouble getting the gauge right, or if your stitches are just inconsistent, try adding a "carrier yarn" - something smooth and plain and preferably with a bit of stretch, carried alongside the fancy yarn and knitted (crocheted, etc.) right along with it. Depending on the color of the carrier yarn, you can also get some interesting effects with this technique.


• When you're working with fancy yarns it can be hard to see the stitches. If you have a choice of knitting or crochet, and know how to do both, you might want to choose knitting; all the stitches will stay on the needle and will be easier to find. If you're crocheting, afghan (Tunisian) crochet might be a good choice, for the same reason. Regular crochet can be tricky, because there's only one stitch on the hook at a time, and it can be hard to know where to insert the hook for the next stitch. It will depend on the particular yarn, though; some are easier to see than others.


• If you don't needle-knit or crochet try loom knitting (this is a PDF file so it might take a while to open) - it works really well with fancy and novelty yarns for a number of reasons. As with needle knitting, it's easy to see the stitches because they're all on the loom. Also, loom knitting and fancy yarns are a good match because the yarns tend to be thick - in the bulky and super-bulky categories - and a lot of looms work best with thick yarns. Finally, while you can do fancy stitches on a knitting loom the basic stitch is stockinette - a really good choice for fancy yarns.


• Spool knitting is basically loom knitting on a very small scale. It's been around for a while and was originally intended, I think, for making the kind of cord which is now called "i-cord." But there's no reason you couldn't make fancy cord! Or a necklace or bracelet.


• Finger knitting is also good for fancy yarns, for the same reasons as loom knitting (which is basically what finger knitting is). Unless you have very thin fingers the best yarn to use for this type of knitting is something very thick - like a super bulky. Of course the width of the project is limited to about 4 stitches (unless you have someone helping you and can use both hands), but that's enough for a narrow scarf or tie.


• If you'll need to count stitches at some point in the pattern, use stitch markers; they'll make the process much easier.


• If you need to do a gauge swatch but are having trouble seeing the stitches, try making the swatch the same number of stitches and rows as the instructions say for the gauge; for example, if they say "20 stitches and 16 rows to 4 inches," make your swatch 20 stitches, do 16 rows, and then measure it. It's not the best way to do it, since you're really supposed to count only stitches in the middle of the swatch, but if you can't do that, this will at least give you a good idea of whether you're using the right hook/needle size. If your swatch is bigger or smaller than the instructions say, change your hook or needle size until it matches.


• Sometimes the hardest part of working with these yarns is darning in the ends when you're finished! If your yarn has one strand (ply) that's lumpy and bumpy, don't try to darn both strands in together; those bumps may not go through the stitches. Instead, darn the plies in separately. Not only will it be easier, but if the yarn is slippery there's less chance the ends will work their way back out.


• Sometimes you can get more mileage out of a yarn by separating the plies. Some fancy yarns have two - or more - different plies that are only loosely twisted together. If you can untwist them you can use each ply separately. This can be really tedious if you need a lot of yarn, but if you need only a little - for example, if you need to tie a package - you can use one ply and save the other for later.


• Fancy yarns can be a bit fragile so they may not hold up as warp threads in a weaving project. Instead, try using them as weft threads, or use a simple weaving technique that doesn't require heddles, like frame loom weaving.


• If you're doing macrame or kumihimo try to stay away from yarns that are really stretchy. They'll be hard to work with and if you stretch them too much while you're working they could un-stretch once the cord is finished - making it twist or kink. This could produce a really interesting effect, but it may not be what you wanted.