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How do I Choose the Best Glitter Yarn?
Choosing the best glitter yarn depends on the project that is to be made from the yarn. In order to choose the appropriate yarn for any given project, several things must be considered, including yarn gauge, yarn weight and what the yarn itself is made of. Depending on the needed gauge, weight and drape, several types of yarn might work well for your specific project.
One good way to choose the best glitter yarn is to purchase a single skein of the yarns that look promising for the given project. Knitting or crocheting sample swatches of these yarns will give a good idea of the look, feel and drape of the final product, and it will enable the knitter to determine the yarn's weight and gauge. From these swatches, it will be much easier to determine the best yarn for the final product. Other elements to consider include the ease of knitting, the tendency of the yarn to split while being worked with and how much of the glittery fibers show after the yarn has been knitted.
Considered a novelty yarn, glitter yarn is a type of yarn in which the standard yarn fibers are spun together with glittery or even metallic fibers to give it a reflective look. Garments or other items made from glitter yarn will look as if they have had glitter scattered over them, letting them glint in the light. Appropriate for a wide variety of projects, from toys to novelty garments to evening wear, glitter yarn adds interest to whatever item is constructed from it.
Glitter yarn has added fibers that give it it specialized look, so it can have a feel and drape that are different from those of yarn made only from the base material. For example, a regular nylon yarn or acrylic yarn usually will have a slightly rougher feel than a regular silk yarn or angora yarn. Glitter yarn made from the same materials tends to be a bit stiffer and rougher because of the metallic or reflective fibers spun in with the base fibers.
For this reason, a glitter yarn might not be the best choice for a garment that is meant to be worn close to the skin. If the item is a purse, hat, shawl or a novelty item of some sort, though, glitter yarn is likely to work well. Glitter yarn also works well as a trim for various small items, adding texture and interest.
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![Ladder yarn with glitter can be considered novelty yarn.]()
By: PaddlerLadder yarn with glitter can be considered novelty yarn. -
![Like any yarn, it is important to achieve the specified gauge, or stitches per inch, when working with glitter yarn.]()
By: Ekaterina LinLike any yarn, it is important to achieve the specified gauge, or stitches per inch, when working with glitter yarn. -
![Some glitter yarn features metallic fibers spun with regular fibers to create the glittering effect.]()
By: apelaviSome glitter yarn features metallic fibers spun with regular fibers to create the glittering effect.
Discussion Comments
@Mae82 - Personally I would go with the berroco yarn as it does come in different weights, and I love how it feels. You could try to make your sweater striped if you want to control the amount of glitter going into it. I made one that used a simple berroco yarn and a berroco yarn that had glitter and sequins. It turned out really nice.
Another great yarn for sweaters is Bernat yarn. I love their bamboo yarn as it looks really natural and mixing it with a glitter creates a really unique look. I guess if you are really lost, just talk to someone you trust at your yarn store and they should be able to hook you up.
What kind of glitter yarn do you think would be best to make a sweater out of?
Right now I am torn between aran yarn, moro yarn or berroco yarn. I haven't worked with really bulky yarn before, so I am not sure if the berroco yarn I saw would be the best bet or not. I just want something that feels soft and has a really great look to it.
What is important to me is that the yarn I choose is stylish and that the glitter isn't too overwhelming. i would prefer a nice sheen. Also, nothing that is too bristly, as I don't want to have to wear a long sleeve shirt under the sweater.
One of the things to watch out for when buying glitter yarn is that the texture of the yarn will actually be wearable once you work with it. I purchased some mohair yarn with thick glitter strands running through it and while I find the yarn usually soft and fun to work with, the glitter strands were made out of some sort of metallic material.
I ended up making a scarf out of the glitter yarn and found it too scratchy to wear. For some reason or another it felt like the glitter strands were more abrasive than the rest of the scarf. I loved the way the scarf looked, but it just wasn't comfortable. I ended up giving it away to a friend who didn't mind the feel of it.
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