Yarn weight ?

[stretchmark]

So through the past few months I have found that each company seems to have a different idea of what worsted weight means. I am going to make the ilthy hat from LTK freebies and it calls for worsted weight. THe person I am making it for finds wool itchy so I was thinking of buying some cheap acrylic from walmart, the only alternative to the yarn stores. It's like 3$ for a bunch but does that stuff qualify as worsted weight? I don't even know the brand, maybe red heart. Will that work?

[Alison]

You can probably make it work if you check your gauge first. Make a tension swatch and use the needles that make it come out the same tension as the pattern calls for. I've used acrylic instead of wool before and not had any problems.

Alison

[AdinaL]

Yeah - the red heart is worsted weight. Most acrylic is. Do a guage swatch first though!

[Knittin' in the Shade]

you're talking about two different thigs here-fiber content and yarn weight

Fiber content is acrylic, wool, cotton, etc, what the actrual yarn is made up of.

Weight is how thick the strand of yarn is. The smallest is cobweb (like sewing thread, seriously) used for knitting faroe shawls (so small you could pull them through a wedding band, they are exquisite!) then fingering, then baby, then dk/sportweight, then worsted, then heavy worsted, then aran, the chunky, then bulky, on up to super bulky. Any fiber can be spun to make any weight yarn. You can (generally) substitute any worsted weight yarn for any other worsted weight. For a hat, definitely substitute easily and you'll probably get gauge right off. When it comes to garments, it gets a bit trickier becuase each fiber has it's own properties and drapes differently. So even if you sub a yarn the same weight, say you like a cotton but the pattern calls for a wool, your finished product will be different becuase even though the yarn weight is the same thickness, each fiber has VERY different properties and drape.

Does that help, or is it too much info, LOL?

[stretchmark]

It does help, I wasn't confusing the content/guage thing. I was just curious if this acrylic stuff is considdered worsted. I've gotten two different kinds of wool that were called worsted and they were totally different. Since the pilthy hat calls for worsted, I was hoping that this cheap stuff would do.

Sorry if I was confusing gals.

And it's never too much info for me, the more the merrier!

[Queen Gwen]

Some of the Red Heart stuff is incredibly itchy. Some is quite soft, though.

Just a thought.

[2devils_1angel]

Originally Posted by Queen Gwen

Some of the Red Heart stuff is incredibly itchy. Some is quite soft, though.

Just a thought.

Caryn or TLC makes a softer acrylic yarn. its called worested but it inbetween sport and worest imo.
Skip the red heart, you will definately itch more than wool...and sweat.

[stretchmark]

Well, I bought the red heart and can absolutely not knit with it! It doesn't want to slip on my bamboo needles and feels awful. I had no idea.

I ended up buying SIL a vest yesterday instead at a great sale. I am going to knit a scarf out of some merino wool from handpaintedyarn.com and I think that won't itch her at all. SHe's not allergic, just a bit sensetive on her ears to regular wool. This merino I have is a boucle and is super beautiful, no itch!