So, I got this new knitting machine a while back, and let me tell you, figuring out the right yarn has been a trip. At first, I was just grabbing whatever yarn I had lying around from my hand-knitting stash. Big mistake! Some of them worked okay, but others? Total disaster.
Experiment Time
I started by trying out some of my chunky yarns. You know, the ones you’d use for a cozy blanket? Nope. They were way too thick for the machine’s needles. The machine just jammed up, and I spent way too long untangling a huge mess. Lesson learned: chunky yarn is a no-go.
Next, I moved on to some lighter yarns, like those fingering weight ones I use for socks. These seemed to work a bit better. The machine handled them okay, but the fabric they made was super loose and not very nice. It was clear that I needed to find the sweet spot.
Finding the Right Fit
After a bunch of trial and error, I figured out that worsted weight yarn is kind of the magic yarn for my machine. It’s not too thick, not too thin, and it flows through the machine really smoothly. I finally made a scarf that I was actually proud of! It was even and looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.
I did try a couple of other yarn weights. Sport weight was okay, but still a little too loose for my liking. I even tried some lace weight once, just for kicks. It was tricky, but with some adjustments to the machine’s tension, I managed to make a delicate, lacy fabric. Not something I’d do every day, but it was cool to know it was possible.
My Yarn Box Now
- Worsted Weight: This is my go-to now. I’ve built up a decent stash of different colors and fibers.
- Fingering Weight: I keep a few around for when I want a lighter fabric, but I mostly use it for hand-knitting still.
- Sport Weight: I have a little bit, but I don’t use it that often on the machine.
- Lace Weight: Just a couple of special skeins for when I’m feeling adventurous.
- Chunky/Bulky: Nope, nope, nope. Stored far away from the knitting machine!
So yeah, that’s my yarn journey with my knitting machine. It’s been a learning process, but I’m finally at a point where I feel pretty confident about choosing the right yarn for my projects. I can now easily finish my projects with my knitting machine! No more guessing games!
