How to Choose the Right Yarn for a Crochet Project

Have you ever crocheted a project and it turned out looking or feeling completely different than the picture on the pattern?

If this has happened to you, it could be that you didn’t choose a good yarn for that specific project. Today I want to share my best tips for how to choose the right yarn for a crochet project.

When possible, use the same yarn as the designer.

For the absolute best case scenario, use the same yarn as the designer.

Most patterns and/or their Ravelry listings will tell you exactly what yarn was used for the sample project.

If you want your project to look and feel almost exactly like the designers, you’ll want to use the exact same yarn.

I say when possible, because I know it’s not always easy to get the same yarn that was used, but if you can I promise it will be worth it.

If you can’t use the same yarn, at least use the same yarn weight.

I totally get that it’s not always possible to use the exact same yarn as the designer.

Sometimes I would much rather buy something new or use something that’s in my stash already.

So, if you aren’t going to use the same exact yarn at least use the same weight yarn.

If the pattern calls for a sport weight (#2) yarn, it is not going to look and feel the same if you use a worsted weight (#4) yarn.

Plus, you may run into gauge and fit issues because of the difference in thickness of the yarn.

Choose the same or similar fiber content as the designer.

Another way to ensure the same look and feel of the project is to choose a yarn with similar fiber content as the designer used.

It doesn’t have to be exact, but if the designer used a cotton blend, it would help if you used a yarn with cotton in it.

Combining the same weight with a similar fiber content is going to get your project to turn out super similar to the designer’s sample.

What about choosing yarn for something you are designing or creating yourself?

If you aren’t going off of a pattern and are creating something on your own, how to choose the right yarn is still very important.

When creating a wearable, do you want it to keep you warm or be cool and breathable? If you are not creating a wearable, does it need to be sturdy? But soft?

These will all have a factor in the yarn you choose.

A bulky weight yarn is going to be much warmer than a sport weight yarn. Certain fibers are going to be softer than others. So take all of this into account when choosing your yarn.

I also recommend creating swatches of a few different yarns when making your choice.

This will allow you to see and feel how the yarn works up, how it looks with the stitches you have in mind, and how well it drapes.

From their you can decide what yarn you think will work best with your project.

Sometimes it will take some trial and error to get the right yarn for your project.

I used to be afraid to use lighter weight yarns, so I’d use worsted weight for every project, even the ones made for summer!

Then I discovered fingering weight yarn, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using worsted for spring and summer designs!

With time you’ll be able to quickly figure out exactly what type of yarn you want to use for your projects!

For more information on the lightweight yarns I am loving for spring, check out the post Five Yarns I am Loving for Spring!

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