When do I use which yarn? - My experiences and tips
Everyone who starts with the knot first asks himself "When do I actually use which yarn?"
In this blog I want to help you choose the right yarn by sharing some of my personal experiences with you.
Actually, any kind of thread and cord is suitable for knotting macramees. There is no official rule, everyone should make a decision based on their own experience.
Popular cords and yarns are generally made of organic fibers such as:
- cotton
- jute
- hemp
- sisal
If you want to tie a macrame knot that should be waterproof because it is hanging outside, then you should use cords made of synthetic fibers such as nylon.
Since cotton cord is used most frequently, I will explain the different versions of this macrame yarn and which project they are suitable for.
In general, there are the following types of cotton yarn:
- braided
- twisted (single twisted)
- 3ply (triple twisted)
Then let's start with the braided yarn.
The gbraided yarn, as the name suggests, is braided during the manufacturing process (usually around a white cotton core). In general, this yarn is more difficult to unravel than the other types of yarn. Since this type of yarn doesn't unravel, it makes knotting much easier (I find) and the knots look cleaner too.
Some don't want to do without combing out the yarn, as that often completes the boho look of a macrame.
Here's a tip from me... Not every manufacturer produces braided yarn in a way that it cannot be combed out .
Bobbiny, for example, makes braided yarn that you can't comb out. The other macrame yarn that you can find in my online shop is super easy to knot and comb out at the same time if you want to.
You just have to comb out the ends with a thin comb. Although this is a bit more tedious than twisted yarn, you can always keep in mind that knotting with braided yarn is generally quicker because you can just tie one knot after the other without worrying about the yarn unraveling (twisted yarn).
Et voila you have a neatly knotted macrame with a frayed boho look.
As you can see, I'm a big fan of this yarn, it's also the yarn I use the most.
The yarn from Bobbiny is available in 1.5mm, 3mm, 5mm and 9mm.
The SOFT Yarn Collection is available in 2mm, 3mm and 4mm.
Here I am listing some macramees on which I knot with different strengths and manufacturers:
- hanging baskets (bobbiny 3mm braided)
- vases and lanterns (mahina macrame yarn 2mm braided)
- wall hangings (mahina macrame yarn 4mm braided)
Then we come to the next type of yarn. The twisted yarn.
With this type of yarn, several strands of fabric are simply twisted together.
It is very soft and, as I have already explained to you, this yarn is easy to comb out.
That means if you are making a macrame with a lot of fringes, it makes sense to use the twisted yarn.
I think the knots look a bit less clean but hey who knows, maybe I'm just not cut out for this kind of yarn.
In a smaller size, the twisted yarn is often used for baby items or jewelry.
Here, too, I give you a list of my products with the respective thickness:
- key ring small (Bobbiny 1.5 mm twisted)
- key ring large (Bobbiny 3 mm twisted)
- bookmark ( Bobbiny twisted 1.5mm)
- Earrings (Bobbiny twisted 1.5mm)
- Dummy chains (Bobbiny twisted 1.5mm)
- Teethers (Bobbiny twisted 1.5mm)
Last but not least, there is the 3ply yarn (twisted 3 times)
This yarn is divided into three parts, each of which consists of many individual threads. These three parts are then twisted into each other, hence the name . The property of combing naturally also applies to this type of yarn. The only difference to twisted yarn is actually just the fact that this yarn is much stronger and more robust. The knots also hold their shape more easily. At the same time, the knots are not shown in detail as with twisted yarn.
This time I can only list the thicknesses of Bobbiny here, which are 3mm and 5mm. This 3ply version is not available from the SOFT Collection.
Since I don't work with this yarn personally, I can only name projects for which this yarn is suitable.
- Swing (Bobbiny 5mm 3ply)
- Tapestry (Bobbiny 3mm 3ply)
I want to reiterate that I wrote this blog mostly from my own experiences. Just try to find your own style and just try the different yarn types and weights.
You can find all types of yarn listed in this article in different colors in our online shop.
If you have any questions or need advice, please let me know.
I hope I was able to give you something help and now I wish you a lot of fun knotting.
-xx Nina
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