Crochet Thread is categorized as a size 0 yarn, but there are so many size variations within crochet thread it can get confusing. Crochet thread is wonderful for doilies, tablecloths and bedspreads. Crochet thread comes in sizes 3, 10, 15, 18, 20, 30, and 35 with size 10 being the most versatile and popular size, but all lying in the category of a Size 0 Lace Weight Yarn. Aunt Lydia's crochet thread is one of the most popular brands of crochet thread but you can also find it from manufacturers like Red Heart and DMC. Like other yarns you can typically find this yarn made from fibers such as cotton, nylon. 

Sock yarns are so diverse and not just for socks anymore. With extensive fiber contents, and gorgeous colors no wonder people are knitting and crocheting everything from afghans to sweaters and shawls with their favorite Super Fine yarns. I have a retired friend in my knitting group who buys a hank of sock yarn from a LYS (Local Yarn Store) every time she travels and knits mitered squares for a growing afghan. It’s a wonderful memento of her travels. You can easily find sock yarn in a large variety of fiber contents from wool (such as Patons Kroy Sock yarn) to alpaca, merino, bamboo, nylon and acrylic. Most sock yarns have a natural fiber content, so if you like the feel of natural fibers this is a great way to craft items at a lower cost depending on the pattern you are using.

Fingering weight yarn is a Super Fine weight yarn that is similar to sock yarn but in general isn't as sturdy as most sock yarns which are spun to withstand heavy use. Fingering weight yarns are wonderful for knitted sweaters, accessories and baby items.  

Fine weight yarn is in the middle of the typical baby yarns. Although subjective, we say typically as this is the yarn weight, you will find a lot of designs. There are certainly no hard stance rules in art and with soft, delicate yarn who wouldn’t want to make beautiful items for themselves with this yarn.  

We have a wonderful post on Mercerized Cotton here for more information. Currently, 56% of all textile fabrics in the United States are made up of cotton or a cotton blend. The use of cotton in garments can be found as long ago as 3000 B.C. and found in that time period in both India and South America. Crochet cotton is a high quality mercerized cotton that is typically used for Crochet and usually comes in a cone. We also call it cone cotton. It’s natural luminescence makes gorgeous garments and is full of possibilities. Crochet Cotton is typically in the Fine Weight category of yarn. We also carry 100% cotton yarn that makes great dishcloths, towels, and more. 

DK weight yarn is one of those yarn weights that is very gauge dependent. Changing your needles could move you from a size 3 to a size 2 yearn. DK yarns make wonderful baby items and garments. The letters DK stands for Double Knitting, a common technique used in vintage knitting. It’s a technique where you use two strands of yarn, but it is more commonly known as a yarn size. DK is referring to using two strands of this yarn to equal one strand of Worsted Weight yarn.

Worsted weight yarn is by far the most popular size yarn. It’s the most versatile and used for pretty much anything. When most people think of yarn, they think of worsted weight yarn. The term worsted refers to the 12th-century city of Worstead, England, and was the epicenter of English weaving and spinning. If you wanted high quality woven fabrics and yarn in 12th century England, you went to Worstead. Worsted yarn can also refer to the worsted technique of spinning, also known as short draw, is generally spun from long stapled fibers. Short draw spun yarns are smooth, strong, sturdy yarns, and dense. Short draw spun yarns have low elasticity, making them good for use in weaving.

Many use the terms Worsted Weight and Aran Weight yarns interchangeably, but they are not the same. Both categorized as Size 4 Medium Weight Yarns, Aran yarn is slightly thicker but not bulky. Aran yarn historically referred to yarn used to knit iconic Aran cables. Check out our post on Aran Knitting. Today it simply refers to a slightly thicker worsted weight yarn. You may also see some describe white or cream yarns referred to as an Aran yarn, but they are referring to the hue of the color not the weight of the yarn, and it’s important to understand that technically Aran only refers to weight.

Chunky yarn is a common type of yarn in the bulky category. Chunky yarn is a lighter weight bulky yarn somewhere in between an Aran yarn and a true Bulky weight yarn. You may find some reference the texture of a yarn and the way that it is spun as what makes a yarn a chunky yarn but in fact it is a subcategory of Bulky weight yarns.

As trends change, yarns come in and out of fashion. Our Titan, a Size 5 Bulky weight yarn, was very popular for graph-style sweaters in the 1960’s and is a re-emerging trend today. There are so many gorgeous cabled bulky knit and crochet items (yes, I said cabled crochet items) available it’s no wonder that this size yarn is a recent favorite.

Super bulky yarns have risen in popularity lately and are traditionally used to make home goods; however, we have seen these yarns featured in garments and blankets recently. Many novelty yarns have been introduced like T-shirt yarns, and other tape yarns.

The current trend in Jumbo yarns is the roving style yarn. When yarn is this thick, stitch definition is important and roving yarns produce wonderful stitch definition. Take a look at our blog post on Size 3 roving yarns.