Buying wool: a practical guide to knitting with pleasure

Whether you're a passionate beginner or a seasoned knitter, buying yarn is always a key moment. Faced with the diversity of materials, brands, and sellers, it's not always easy to navigate. Fiber quality, intended use, yarn type, and even available colors: many criteria must be considered to make the right choice. Here's a complete guide to buying the right yarn for all your projects.

The different types of wool to know

Before purchasing, it's important to understand the differences between the major fiber families. Natural animal wools like merino, alpaca, cashmere, or mohair offer warmth, softness, and thermal regulation. Plant fibers like cotton or linen are perfect for lightweight summer knits. Finally, synthetic fibers are often blended to improve strength or reduce cost.

Each type of wool yarn has its own properties: softness, elasticity, wash resistance, and knit appearance. The choice depends on the desired result, the season, and the intended use of the knitted garment or accessory.

Choosing the right wool for your project

A hat doesn't require the same yarn as a baby cardigan or a blanket! For clothes worn next to the skin, choose a soft, non-irritating, and breathable wool . For washable items, choose an easy-care yarn, sometimes superwash treated.

It's also crucial to respect the yardage, yarn weight, and gauge recommended by the pattern you're following. This ensures that your knitting is true to the pattern, without any unpleasant surprises regarding size or texture.

Should you buy your wool in a store or online?

Yarn stores offer the advantage of personalized advice and the opportunity to touch the yarns. This is ideal for discovering new textures or asking technical questions. However, their selection may be limited depending on the brands or colors available.

At the same time, online wool sales offer a wide range of yarns, often sorted by material, color, or brand. Specialized sites like Torsades Wools offer very detailed information sheets, with composition, samples, and precise visuals, which helps you make your choice with confidence.

Quality criteria to monitor

To buy quality wool, there are a few tips to know:

• A composition clearly indicated on the strip
• Long, regular fibers (little pilling to be expected)
• A well-twisted thread, without strands that split
• A uniform shade

Well-known brands like Lang Yarns guarantee a high level of quality and good traceability. They are often chosen by demanding knitters, particularly for their cashmere , alpaca or merino ranges.

Prepare your wool purchases

Before placing an order or heading to the store, it's helpful to carefully define your project: what style, what size, what season, and what budget. Don't hesitate to order a ball to test if you're unsure between several yarns.

Also remember to check the availability of the shade in the right batch, especially for large projects. And if you're following a pattern, don't forget to buy all the balls you need at once.

Buying wool becomes a real pleasure: it's the first step towards successful knitting, combining quality material, comfort, and aesthetics. And with a little experience, you'll learn to identify the yarns that suit you best.