User:Lsmunsiff/Yarn

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After first sentence: It is also used in conventional craft-making in versatile ways.

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Section title: Types of Yarn Skeins

There are many different ways in which yarn is wound. A "ball" is a generic term that encompasses any mass of yarn.


 * 1) Hank
 * 2) A hank of yarn is a looped bundle of yarn (link merriam webster), similar to how wire is typically sold. The yarn is usually tied in 2 places directly opposite each other to keep the loops together and to keep them from tangling.
 * 3) Hanks are a preferred method of fastening yarn for many yarn sellers and yarn-dyers due to its ability to more widely display the qualities of the fibers.
 * 4) It is often wound using a swift (link wiki Swift (textiles)), a standing contraption, usually made of wood or metal, that holds a yarn hank without obstructing the yarn length and avoids tangles. The swift also spins on a central axis, allowing for easy winding.
 * 5) Swifts have a one-size fits all construction for traditional yarn weights and lengths, as the body structure expands and contracts to fit any hank size.
 * 6) source for swifts: https://www.interweave.com/wp-content/uploads/Hand_Weaving_Supplies2.pdf
 * 7) There are two subtypes of hanks: twisted and folded. A twisted hank is a hank that has been twisted into a rope braid. A folded hank is a hank that has been folded in half and wrapped in a label for retail purposes.
 * 8) Skein
 * 9) Skeins are one of the most common types of yarn ball. The word "skein" is a generic term for a ball of yarn, though there is a specific type of yarn ball called a skein. (source https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/lisas-list-yarn-ball-types/?query=yarn%20swift)
 * 10) Skeins are yarn that has been wound into an oblong shape.
 * 11) Many large scale yarn retailers sell their yarn in skeins. (no source)
 * 12) Unlike other types of yarn balls, a skein allows you to access both ends of the yarn. The yarn end in the inside of the skein is called a center pull.
 * 13) One major complaint of center pull bullet skeins is that the inside yarn end is not easily found, and often is pulled out of the skein in a jumble of yarn called "yarn barf."
 * 14) There are two types of skeins: a pull skein and a bullet skein.

Other types of yarn balls include donut balls, cakes, hard core cakes, and cones.

Yarn quantities for handcrafts are usually measured and sold by weight in ounces (oz) or grams (g). Common sizes include 25 g, 50 g, and 100 g skeins. Some companies also primarily measure in ounces with common sizes being three-ounce, four-ounce, six-ounce, and eight-ounce skeins. Textile measurements are taken at a standard temperature and humidity, because fibers can absorb moisture from the air. The actual length of the yarn contained in a ball or skein can vary due to the inherent heaviness of the fibre and the thickness of the strand; for instance, a 50 g skein of lace weight mohair may contain several hundred metres, while a 50 g skein of bulky wool may contain only 60 metres.

Title: Weight

There are several thicknesses of craft yarn, also referred to as weight. This is not to be confused with the measurement and weight listed above. The Craft Yarn Council of America is making an effort to promote a standardized industry system for measuring this, numbering the weights from 0 (finest) to 7 (thickest). Each weight can be described by a number and name. Size 0 yarn is called Lace, size 1 is Super Fine, size 2 is Fine, size 3 is Light, size 4 is Medium, size 5 is Bulky, size 6 is Super Bulky, and size 7 is Jumbo. (https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system)

Each weight also has several common, unregulated terms associated with it. However, this naming convention is more descriptive than precise; fibre artists disagree about where on the continuum each lies, and the precise relationships between the sizes. These terms include, fingering, sport, double-knit (or DK), worsted, aran (or heavy worsted), bulky, super-bulky, and roving.

Another measurement of yarn weight, often used by weavers, is wraps per inch (WPI). The yarn is wrapped snugly around a ruler and the number of wraps that fit in an inch are counted.

Labels on yarn for handicrafts often include information on gauge, which can also help determine yarn weight. Gauge, known in the UK as tension, is a measurement of how many stitches and rows are produced per inch or per cm on a specified size of knitting needle or crochet hook. The proposed standardization uses a four-by-four inch/ten-by-ten cm knitted stockinette or single crocheted square, with the resultant number of stitches across and rows high made by the suggested tools on the label to determine the gauge.

In Europe, textile engineers often use the unit tex, which is the weight in grams of a kilometre of yarn, or decitex, which is a finer measurement corresponding to the weight in grams of 10 km of yarn. Many other units have been used over time by different industries.