What makes a great yarn for beginning knitting projects? There are as many ways to think about this as there are beginner knitters, of course, so how to narrow down the choices? Here are my top suggestions for picking a great yarn to help you stay motivated as you knit, and make sure you fall in love with your finished project.
A great beginner knitting yarn is worsted weight or heavier
With beginning knitting projects it’s important to set achievable goals. Loving the learning process is super important for staying motivated and sticking with your project. Now, I love lighter weight yarns, but I didn’t start there. When I was learning to knit I worked with heavier weight (which means thicker) yarns, usually worsted weight. Heavier weight yarns work up faster, so you progress through your project and can see results more quickly. They’re also a little easier to manage on the needles. Thicker yarns form more obvious loops on the needles, and are usually less frustrating to work with for newer knitters.
I recommend starting with a worsted weight or bulky weight yarn.
A great beginner knitting yarn is soft and cozy, but also durable
You’re learning, so you are likely to make a few mistakes along the way, and that’s ok! Be kind to yourself, and choose a yarn that will be kind to you, too. Look for a yarn that will hold up to frogging (pulling out your knitting if you want to go back and redo something). Good choices for this are yarns that don’t have too much fuzz or halo. To test for this, rub your fingers against the yarn and see if any fuzzies build up. If the yarn looks the same after you (gently) rough it up a little, it’s a good candidate for holding up to your learning process.
With this, though, you also want a yarn that will be gentle on your hands. Choose a yarn that feels soft to the touch. There’s no one right answer here – it’s a matter of preference. You’re going to be spending time with this yarn against your hands, so you want to like the way it feels. This is one of those situations where if you love it, it’s right for you.
Great choices that I loved as a newer knitter include merino or acrylic blends.
A great beginner knitting yarn won’t break the bank
Let’s think practically for a minute. You probably know beautiful yarn can run a huge range of prices. I’ve purchased yarn all across the price spectrum, and have loved both pricy and economical options. One great advantage of an economical yarn is that it relieves some of the pressure of producing a ‘perfect’ project. There’s no such thing as perfect in the creative process, right? Especially when we’re learning to knit, it’s helpful to work with a yarn that allows us to feel comfortable exploring our skills, accepting a few mistakes along the way, and feeling great about what we spent and the experience we had as we worked on our beginner knitting project.
One yarn I’ve been loving lately, that ticks all the boxes of a great beginning knitting yarn, is Everyday Merino, by Twice Sheared Sheep. I’m using this yarn on a knitting design in development now, Apple Trees in Springtime. The yarn is soft on my hands, but holds up to frogging (I usually pull things out at least a few times when I’m developing a new design). It’s a worsted weight 100% merino wool, and comes in at a very reasonable price point.
Have you been working on beginner knitting projects lately? How did you choose your yarn?