Choosing the Right Yarn

The yarn decides more about the finished piece than the design does.

**Wool** is my default. It has natural spring, so loops hold their shape, it takes dye with depth, and it wears beautifully. It is also the most forgiving to carve.

**Acrylic** is affordable and comes in bright, consistent colours, but it flattens under pressure and can pill. I use it for accents rather than whole surfaces.

**Blends and cotton** sit in between: cotton gives a crisp, matte finish that suits graphic designs, though it lacks bounce and shows every uneven stitch.

Thickness matters just as much. The yarn must fill the needle without straining it — too thin and loops fall out, too thick and the fabric tears. When in doubt I run a small test patch in the corner of the cloth before committing to a full piece.

Colour is the last decision, and I always view yarns in daylight next to each other. Earth tones that look distinct under a lamp can collapse into one shade by a window.