Yarn Question

[Tartanmam]

Hello,

Do most people usually buy the actual yarn stated in the pattern, or is it very common to substitute? When i learnt to knit i was only making clothes for my dolls so have never followed a pattern or anything before. (They weren't very professional items but i was 10 so its allowed)

Also, i've read mixed reports on using polyester yarn, are natural fibres much nicer to work with or does it not make a huge amount of difference?

yes, it's quite normal to substitute yarn. i would definitely go with natural fibres. wool being the best because it's more elastic. silk is lovely, though beware of the smell. sniff before you buy.

If you want to subsitute, you want to make sure that the yarn is similar to the yarn you're subbing for (e.g. made out of the same stuff, similar gauge, etc etc), and of course you need to check the gauge, anyway.

There are three kinds of yarn: animal (wool, alpaca, cashmere etc), vegetable (cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo), and synthetic. I prefer animal-based yarns, they are springier, and nicer to work with. Some people like working with vegetable yarns. I don't think anyone likes working with polyster, although I've used some that were ok.

I'm fairly new to this knitting lark (did a bit when I was about 8, then tried some last year and now finally doing some proper knitting for the baby) - don't know much but I bought some lovely merino/cashmere wool this time round and the difference between that and the polyester stuff i bought last year is amazing. So much nicer to work with, and feels and looks so much lovelier when done.

I very rarely use the type of yarn stated in a pattern, though I do check the gauge and change sizes accordingly. I try and get it so that the resulting fabric has the right drape and so on. I hate knitting with acrylic and man-made fibres personally, although there are some blends that feel fine to work with, like All Seasons Cotton. Good luck