Knitting goes back as early as the 14th century, and probably existed in one form or another long before that in societies that grew livestock whose hair could be used to spin thread and produce yarn. Today the process is accomplished commercially by knitting machines but the old-fashioned method remains one of the most popular forms of handwork in the world.

There are two type of knitting techniques, weft knitting and warp knitting. Weft knitting is usually done by hand, although knitting machines have the ability to do it as well. The technique consists of horizontal parallel courses of a single length of yarn. A knitting machine commonly does warp knitting involving a length of yarn for every stitch in the row thus producing vertical parallel wales.

Types of Knitting Yarn

Yarn comes in varying weights and materials making a variety of choices available to the knitter depending on the intended use of the finished piece.

Laceweight Yarn

These are the finest yarn available. Their diameter is the smallest compared to other yarns and are mostly 2 to 3 plies thick

Synthetic Yarn

These yarns, as the name suggests, are made of synthetic materials and can be produced from polyester, carbon yarn, polypropylene, or nylon.

Fingering Yarn

This is 4-ply yarn used in making baby clothes and lacy garments. In Australia and New Zealand, this is referred to as the 5-ply yarn.

Sport Weight Yarn

Otherwise known as the double knitting yarn, the 8-ply thickness of this versatile yarn makes it suitable for a range of garments from winter baby clothes to adult garments.

Continue to: Starting to Knit using Basic Knitting Instructions