Every crocheter or knitter have experienced the frustration of a yarn tail coming undone. This can happen for many reasons, but no matter how careful you are, it is bound to happen at some point. It’s just one more thing that we have to deal with as crochet and knitting artists! But fear not my fellow crocheters! I am here to share with you some great ideas on how to avoid those pesky yarn tails from ever undoing and ruining your beautiful work of art again! So without further ado, let’s get started:
First off, make sure that when you finish a row or round of your project and cut your yarn, leave about an extra inch of tail. Then take the end and wrap it around your working yarn, making sure to go behind or under your current row. This way when you work on the next row, you won’t be stuck with two tails of yarn to deal with. As for what kind of yarn is best for tails?
Cheap acrylic yarn is best for yarn tails because it doesn’t fray too much and makes a bigger knot that can easily hide under crochet stitches or knitting stitches. For more delicate fibers like cotton or silk, I suggest using a smaller knot if possible so that there are no big chunky knots at all!
There are also various other methods out there but some are not as great as others. If you try to wrap your yarn around wood, plastic, metal, etc., then the whole project will unravel when the yarn tail gets pulled on. Also, if you tie your tails in a knot by hand, it tends to come undone pretty quickly so this is not an ideal solution either.
1.Acrylic yarn
I genuinely enjoy working with acrylic yarns for any weaving or knitting projects. Firstly, acrylic yarn is accessible everywhere as they are easy to manufacture thus available to your local yarn stockiest.
The yarn offers versatility in terms of color range and the sizes of threads. Acrylic yarn is very lightweight, producing a beautifully airy, bouncy tail, which looks dense yet quite manageable.
Acrylic yarn is very durable since synthetic polymers are pretty strong despite how they might feel. It is less prone to digestion by moth larvae which usually affects some natural fibers. It is also enduring many washes without stiffening or degradation, thus reliable for business projects and long-lasting gifts.
Acrylic yarn is quite affordable, despite the sizes of strands. It provides numerous opportunities for experimentation before you even think of breaking the bank. It is the best type for beginners just starting on weaving in yarn tails.
Acrylic yarn is straightforward to clean because of its outstanding balance of rigidity and softness. It is less prone to shrinking, unlike other natural fibers, after several rounds in the washing machine. It is also less prone to excessive shedding, as might generally be the experience with linens and kinds of cotton.
Lastly, the synthetic nature of acrylic yarn makes it highly suitable for lanolin allergic people. It is also very efficient for its warmth and lushness, despite being a petroleum by-product. I love how long the strands can be since you can create enormous bushy tails, whether you choose a long or short yarn tail.
Let’s take a closer look at different types of yarn and how well they work for yarn tails.
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Woolen Yarns for Yarn Tails
Every ball of wool reminds me of a beautiful cup of hot chocolate with the most delicious cookies to go with it. Woolen yarns are the second most efficient yarn type, only that they cost just a little bit more than acrylic ones.
Here a few reasons you should choose wool for the yarn tails.
Wool fibers are robust and turgid; hence they offer more extended durability for your yarn tails. Wool yarns offer a different excellent feeling even after several years that you can’t just get even from blended acrylic yarns from the local store.
If you are going for luxurious and high-quality yarn tails, wool yarns will do that just for you. For thousands of years, the grand produce market seems to live even longer, and I bet the same would go for the individuals with expensive taste.
Cashmere yarns are also another great bet to invest in when choosing top-notch quality yarn tails.
Wool yarns are also repellent to molding and other minute bacteria that tend to ingrain in natural fibers. Wool also has proven antibacterial benefits which means it highly ejects bacteria s that may try to embed within its fibers. It also reels microorganisms such as dust mites that are kept by coarser yarn blends.
Wool also barely catches fire as first as synthetic fibers or cotton, which might happen quite first with yarn tails, especially near a bonfire or the home fireplace. It ignites at a higher temperature than these other fibers that knitters use to make their yarn tails, and neither does it melt or trickle near a fire. If you are trying to save face and have fun at the fall friends’ bonfire, you are a good choice.
Wool is, however, not as soft as acrylic yarns and might produce a stiffer yarn tail. It is, however, solid and supple, which will give the bushy effect you want on your tails. It does feel very soft, though, as a result of the moisturizing effect of lanolin.
Linen Yarns For Yarn Tails
Sometimes, you want to create a rough-looking yarn tail depending on whether you are trying to make a wolf or dog tail costume. Such yarn tails have a coarse look that goes down to the linen or cotton type material of yarn you intend for your project.
Linen yarns are quite puffy and will shred excessively with a pet brush. However, they are very reliable for mild strokes and result in a beautiful, strong dog or wolf tail, which is less fluffy yet still full in its particular way.
Linen yarns are highly accessible, and you will find different types in the local DIY store. Linen yarns are also quite affordable since cotton is readily renewable and available. Linen yarns are also generally hypoallergenic hence safe for susceptible people or children.
The fibers tend to shrink after various rounds in the washing machine and could easily irritate you if you intended for the long term. Linen yarns are also highly prone to molding, especially if stored away for a long time. I only recommend linen yarns if the situation is dire and the other brands are inaccessible.
Why Should You Use Yarn Tails?
Yarn Tails are created at the end of a skein of yarn to make it easier for you to find the beginning of the next skein.
Lace yarns, superwash wool and animal fibers like Angora will more often than not tangle. Using Yarn Tails will help minimize this problem by giving you something long to grab instead of worrying about untangling all that yarn. Good news is if you end up with excess tail, you can always turn it into an extra loop on your next project!
Whether it’s on socks or knitting projects, tails really come in handy when combined with contrasting colors so its easier to keep track without having to worry about things “running” together. It’s also good practice for kids who are learning to knit and crochet.
Why It’s Important To Care For Your Yarn Tails
You should always take the time to care for your yarn tails because it could be a safety hazard if not cared for properly. Not taking care of them will increase the likely hood of unravelling, losing stitches and worst case scenario, getting caught up in machinery which could cause serious injury.
This would also make it much harder (if not impossible) to find and correct mistakes when you’re in the middle of knitting or crocheting something. Always keep your yarn tails in mind anytime you start a new ball or skein of yarn and remember to do this every time you finish a project too!
How To Keep Your Yarn Tails From Unravelling?
The number one enemy of the yarn tail is unravelling. The degree to which you care for your yarn tails will depend on the fiber content of your yarn. Acrylic, cotton and other plant fibers are weaker than wool or animal hair fibers.
If you’re making a hat with only one color for it, then there’s no need to worry about this as much since it will be covered up later. However, if you are planning something like a scarf or socks which don’t have any borders nearby where this could happen, you should take care to avoid unravelling by doing the following:
- 1) Always make sure that your tails are at least 2 feet long before beginning this process! This might seem excessive but its better to be safe than sorry. Plus, if you ever do run into problems with unravelling , having excess tail length will make things easier.
- 2) Make sure to use a yarn needle with a blunt point to weave in your tails! This step is very important since the sharp needles could potentially cause problems for you if you make a tiny mistake. It’s also harder to get undone . Trust me on that one.
- 3) Always remember that the two threads are never supposed to meet!
Yarn tails are pretty easy to make with the proper techniques and equipment. The best part about industrialization and mass production is the numerous types of yarns recreated by blending the above materials to produce so many yarn types, giving you various options to select from for your yarn tails.
There are also plenty of acrylic blended fibers such as acrylics and cotton or acrylic and wool blends. The main objective of such combinations is to standardize the brittle materials to move the products. The acrylic-cotton blend gives off such a soft feeling thread, which I’d prefer for my yarn tails. All in all, the best yarns for your yarn tails are acrylic yarns due to the price, convenience, and high quality.
