Yarn 101: Acrylic

    Yarn is a vital part of crochet, as we all know, but what yarn is the best to use? Well, that's not as straight-forward as you might think. It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish with your final project. In my next few posts (titled 'Yarn 101'), we're going to take a look at several different kinds of yarn and what they're used for. Today, I want to show you my go-to, non-novelty, acrylic yarns and what I use them for.

This post is not sponsored.

    Acrylic yarn is a synthetic fiber rather than a natural one like cotton, wool, or alpaca. It's basically a kind of plastic yarn. Don't let that scare you, though. While some acrylic yarns feel like Styrofoam and plastic, the ones I'm going to show you do not. Just because we're looking at some of the cheaper yarns doesn't mean they have to feel cheap.

    I love acrylic yarn for several reasons, one being the beginner friendly aspect of it. When recommending yarn to new crocheters, I normally point to a worsted weight, acrylic yarn. Depending on which brand you use, it's not overly splitty, they have large color selections, many weight options, and are sold for fair prices. Acrylic yarn is also good for intricate stitches like shell, bobble, or waffle patterns.

    A normal skein of acrylic from Hobby Lobby or Michaels is about $5 (not on sale), but you can find it even cheaper at thrift stores or the Dollar Tree.

Hobby Lobby

Michaels

Hobbii.com

Acrylic yarn is great for amigurumi, home décor, wearables, toys, blankets... Find the right brand and you can use acrylic for almost anything. There's a key phrase there, though: 'find the right brand'.

    Not all acrylic yarns are created equally. Some have terrible drape, are scratchy, or plastic-feeling. It might take some time to find an acrylic yarn you're happy with. After trying many different kinds of acrylic yarns, I've landed on ILoveThisYarn and Yarn Bee from Hobby Lobby. They're soft, come in different weights and colors, and hold up well to use.

     You can also check Hobbii.com for great acrylic yarn selections, but check the reviews on the yarns you're interested in before you purchase. Since Hobbii.com is an online shop, you can't feel the yarn with your own hands like at Hobby Lobby or other brick-and-mortar craft stores. That doesn't mean it's a bad option for buying yarn, but it does mean you will need to do a bit of homework to be sure of what you're getting.

    Keep in mind when crocheting or knitting with acrylic yarn that it is a kind of plastic, so it will not hold up well in the dryer. I've been able to wash my projects in a cooler temperature, but drying will melt the yarn and ruin your hard work. Be sure to take a look at the ballband (the piece of paper wrapped around your skein of yarn) to see what kind of process you should use to clean it. (Handy tip: don't throw away your ballbands until you've used up the skein of yarn. It tells you the color, weight, washing instructions, hook/needle size, and more. You may need this information if you end up needing to restock yarn, wash, or something else later on.)

    If you're a beginner to crochet, acrylic yarn is a great starting point to try out the hobby before jumping into the vast world of other fibers. It's a stable, reliable material that you'll keep coming back to.