by Betty Carew

Created on: March 04, 2010   Last Updated: June 13, 2010

Selecting different kinds of yarn is a part of the excitement that comes with the hobby of crocheting. There is a world of different color and types of yarn to choose from and perhaps when you see the color and type you want your mind is already envisioning the crochet piece that you have in mind. Deciding the type and color of yarn you want can be a little overwhelming at first, but there is a guide to different types of yarn that will make your selection a little easier.

Starting with the most basic explanation, yarn is made up of several plies of threads of yarn. These are twisted together to form a string of yarn which eventually becomes ball of yarn that can be used in knitting or crochet. When yarn is plied in this manner for the most part it is a very smooth easy product to work with. Here are a few of the types of yarn that can be ready to use.

Cabled yarn

Cabled yarn is a yarn that when it is threaded together retains a look of braids. This yarn is excellent in knitting or crocheting heavy sweaters. Of course this type of yarn can also be used in Afghans and other projects that call for a heavy yarn. It will totally depend on how heavy you want your project to be.

Sock yarn

Sock yarn is a little different as it is used specifically for socks. It is a finer yarn that usually has wool involved in the making. This helps with the absorption of the sweating that occurs when wearing wool socks. It is also a good yarn to keep the wearers feet warm and has an insulating quality. This is the type of wool that you can use for making funky socks that holds lots of different colors.

Boucle yarn

Boucle yarn is a yarn that is just two ply. There is a main thread with another ply that is used to surround the existing thread which leaves the outside thread in loops that can be visually seen. This type of yarn may prove to be a bit more difficult to use than other yarns as it is easier to mistake the wool on the needle as one stitch when you may be placing your needle in the loop that sticks out. An easy way to make this yarn work for you is to add another small plied yarn to it and you will find it knits up a lot easier and will not snag or pull while you are using it making it easier to place your needle through the whole loop.

Brushed yarn

Brush yarn is the yarn you see that has fuzz all over it. It was quite popular in knitting sweater with its soft fuzzy texture. The wool gets its fuzzy look from brushing the fibers and lifting them into a furry look. This is

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