Maker Q & A: Is it itchy?

Maker Q&A is a monthly feature here on TWT blog. We'll answer questions from our customers and explore all things yarn, fiber & knitting in an effort to better understand our yarns and knitting to help us all grow as makers.

Question: Is it itchy?

We get this question a lot from our customers and honestly, it's very hard to answer. Some yarns are easily described as rustic and more likely to cause itching. But there are many yarns that are itchy to some people but not others. It is very subjective. However, there are things you can look at when trying to calculate if you personally will find a yarn itchy.

The first things you can look at is the yarn content and the preparation method used with the wool. Looking at the yarn content can be extremely helpful but it does require you to be a little familiar with at least a few breeds and their characteristics. If necessary, a quick google search can assist you. You should also check to see if any other fibers are blended in the yarn such as Alpaca or Linen since those additional fibers will impact the softness of the yarn. 

The yarns that we carry here at the TWT fall mostly into the categories of fine, medium and long wools. A couple of examples of fine wools are Merino or Falkland Merino & Shetland*. Fine wools are generally very soft and easy to wear, even directly next to the skin. Medium wools, such as Finn, Dorset, & Suffolk, have a longer staple length than the fine breeds and each individual fiber is a bit thicker. Yarns made from these wools can still be fairly soft but they won't be as soft as the fine wools. They can usually still be comfortably worn close to skin by many knitters. Long wools, such as Wensleydale, Romney (some people count this as a medium breed), & Bluefaced Leicester, have a lustrous look to them and they vary in softness. Please note, this is not nearly a complete list of sheep breeds and classifications but merely a very basic start which hopefully is helpful if you're looking at the yarns we carry here in the shop. If you are interested in learning much more on this topic, I highly recommend both The Knitters Book of Wool and The Knitters Book of Yarn both by Clara Parkes. 

Looking at the wool preparation can also be really helpful. Worsted spun yarns are made with all of the wool fibers laying in the same direction making for very smooth & dense yarn. Since all the fibers are smooth and going in the same direction, they tend to offer fewer opportunities for the individual fiber ends to poke the wearer thus making them itch. Examples of worsted spun yarns that we carry include John Arbon's Devonia & Knit by Numbers. If you're interested in seeing the spinning process for worsted spun yarns, I recommend watching the mill tour on John's Arbon's YouTube channel. 

Woollen yarns are spun from wool fibers that have been carded before spinning. In the carding process, the fibers get jumbled up in all directions and air is incorporated. The resulting yarn is light weight with a very woolly look and feel. Woollen yarns have more potential fiber ends on the outside of the yarn because the fibers go in all directions during the spinning process. Over time, they soften up as those ends wear down. These yarns shine in stranded knitting, plus they are lightweight and warm.

When looking at yarns you've not used before, it can be helpful to think about about what yarns you've used in the past that you really liked as well as yarns you found too itchy. If you know the wool/fiber content for those, make a note that you can refer to later on. If you know you really like Jamieson & Smith 2-ply, then you can use that information to look for yarns that use either the same breed of wool (Shetland) or at least a breed of the same classification (fine) and prep (woollen). When customers email us for yarn suggestions, those are the main things I look at first to help me make suggestions.

Sometimes though, you won't really know if a yarn will be itchy to you until you try it. You can always knit a swatch and tuck it into your bra strap or waistband to see if you like it or find it irritating. I also think it's a good idea to swatch at different gauges since that will also effect the finished fabric. I think there's a place for all yarns in one's knitting life. You might really want a softer wool when knitting a sweater but what if you're making mittens or socks? What would you like for slippers? Let's not just ask if the yarn is itchy but is it also the right yarn for the project you have planned. 

 *Shetland fleeces can have multiple grades of wool in a single fleece depending on where on the sheep it grows. The Shetland wools we carry fall into the fine category. You can find out more information about Shetland wool on the Jamieson & Smith website if you're interested.

Maggie Nichols is an avid knitter and hand spinner as well as an employee of TWT. She can be found on Ravelry & Instagram as Nestingmag. If you have a question you'd like answered on the blog, email us at info@thewoollythistle.com with Blog Question in the title.