There is no one simple answer to the question about what the best yarn for weaving is. There are many variables and the answer will depend on many considerations.
Some of these considerations might be:
- What do you intend to weave?
- Will you be using the yarn for warp or weft?
- What will it be used for?
- Who is it for?
- How frequently does it need to be laundered?
- What yarns are accessible to you?
- What is your budget for the project?
- Will it be for a wearable item?
And then the answer can also come down to a personal preference. Lots of weavers love unmercerised cotton for weaving towels, but I prefer to use it for more decorative items.
Again, for kitchen towels, soft and fluffy cotton is not going to do you any favours, you are much better to use a durable cotton that is absorbent and unlikely to shed.
For a woven item that is going to be worn, like a scarf or shawl, comfort needs to play a big factor in your yarn choice. Does it feel pleasant against the skin? No one, and I mean no one (and especially not me!) wants to wear a scratchy or irritating garment!
Another important factor is the yarn strength. Is it strong enough to use for warp? If an unsuitable yarn is used for warping, you may find that you’re constantly dealing with broken warp threads – that can be frustrating enough to make you give up on a project.
There are some yarns that will not pass the “snap test” (they break when you pull or snap them apart quickly) but are still suitable for warp as long as you are careful of consistent warp tension. An example of this is rayon chenille. It will snap quite readily when pulled apart quickly, but with even tension it is lovely to weave with for both warp and weft. My Maria Scarf uses this yarn.
In opposition to yarn that snaps and breaks too easily, is the yarn that drifts apart. If you haven’t experienced the pain of unwittingly warping with one of these yarns yet, you can get a real life look in this video, so you will know the type of yarn to avoid warping with.
One thing that frequently confuses newer weavers is trying to choose the right sized yarn for the correct heddle size and attempting to understand what the numbers on weaving yarns mean, or the sizing information on knitting or crochet yarns.
I have two resources that will really help you to understand and identify yarns according to numbers:
The Weaver’s Toolkit (ebooklet which includes yarn weights and thicknesses plus recommended heddle sizes)
What do all the numbers mean? (online class)
I also have quite a few free yarn resources that will be helpful to you-
Choosing and using yarns in weaving…
The difference between knitting and weaving yarns…
Which cotton yarn should I use?..
Which yarn is best for scarves?..
3 Yarns beginner weavers should never use…
