Burning Questions

Q. Which kind of knitting is better, English or Continental?

A. Here (as in many other places) "better" is a relative term. My favorite explanation about those two knitting styles is from Elizabeth Zimmerman. In Knitting Without Tears, Zimmerman says that Continental is more efficient by one motion. She's very funny in her explanation, so it's worth a look. Meanwhile, more on knitting styles can be found in the link below.

Q. Why doesn't all yarn come pre-wound into balls? Is there an advantage to putting up yarn in hanks?

A. Yarn packaged in hanks is easier to store and ship. And hand-dyed yarns are dyed in a hank. Furthermore, winding yarn into a ball puts a bit of stress on the yarn, so unless you're using it right away, leave your yarn in hanks while you store it.

**Q. What is the warmest animal fiber? **

A. Musk ox, bison and mink top the list, but if they're too hard to find, here is Lisa Shoyer's list of 17 cozy and not-so-cozy fibers.

**Q. If I have two balls of sport-weight yarn and my pattern calls for worsted, can I substitute? **

A. Yes, you can! Other substitutions follow a logical pattern. Read more about it below.

Q. Do they use actual bamboo trees in bamboo yarn?

A. Yes, and no. Bamboo** pulp **is a more accurate description. The pulp is processed and bonded into yarn strands, then dyed.

Q. Is rayon yarn the same as viscose?

A. All are plant-based fibers, but they are processed differently. With each processing advance, the fiber gets a new name (that's the short answer; read on for the long answer).

Q. Hank, ball, or skein: what do I call it and how do I use it?

A. There are lots types of yarn packaging. Some can be knit or crocheted directly from the ball or skein, and some must be wound into a ball before you can start your project.

**Q. What size hat should I make for a one-year-old? **

A. Go with an 18" circumference. (That, and many other measurements can be found on the chart below.)

Q. How do you find the center of a ball of yarn?

A. Insert your thumb and another finger of both hands into each end of the skein. Try to squeeze the skein so your fingers touch, giving you the ability to find the center of the skein. You can then pull the center out with one hand; you'll also be pulling out extra yarn with it, but one end of the skein should be there.

Q. What are modal and tencel? Are they natural fibers?

A. That depends on whom you ask. They are plant-based fibers, like bamboo. Rayon, modal, and tencel are made from processed wood pulp.

Q. How do you pronounce "skein"? And please tell me more about the different yarn bundles.

A. "Skein" rhymes with "lane" (…as in "neighbor" and "weigh").

Q. Can one sew zippers on crocheted sweaters and other crocheted items?

A. But, of course! Check out this handy tutorial.