Skill Guide: Identifying Mystery Yarns

I think it’s safe to say that all weavers have a mystery yarn of some sort in their stash, and most of us have more than a few. Whether it’s a souvenir skein that lost its tag in transit or a mystery cone bought so long ago that the original contents have been forgotten, these yarns tend to sit around and collect dust. So, what’s a weaver to do?

Well, fortunately there are a few methods you can use to identify yarns and help you get those mystery yarns off the shelf and onto a loom! In this skill guide we’ll cover the steps you can take when approaching an unknown yarn. As you read, you’ll learn about:

• Steps for inspecting an unknown yarn
• Burn tests and what we can learn from them
• How to use a yarn balance to tell yards per pound
• How to use the Master Yarn Chart

Every item we’ve selected for this guide is part of your All Access program and will help you get the most out of your subscription. Check out the Little Looms Library and our video course website for more learning opportunities.

Happy Weaving,
Christina

---

Figuring Out Fiber

Adapted from “String Theory: Identifying the Fiber Content of Mystery Yarns” by Deanna Deeds

Almost every weaver eventually ends up in this scenario: you have a particular skein, tube, or cone of yarn, and you’d like to use it in a project ... but you don’t know what the fiber content is. Maybe it was a freebie you picked up—or it was a gift—or you bought it so long ago you can’t remember, and the label has long ago fallen off and been lost forever. How do you know how the yarn will perform, how much it will shrink, how durable it will be, or how it will combine with other yarns?