How to Identify Mystery Yarn Without a Label

[@rebeccatelgenhoff8223]

Barbara, i have learned so much in this video. While vacationing I seen a lady who was spinning alpaca/silk yarn and she was selling it by 3+ oz. Hanks and purchased one from her. Once I got home I realized I didn’t know what weight it was or how much yardage it had. After watching this video you gave me a the exact answers I was looking for. Thank you so much for this help. 😊. I am glad you did this video for me.😊🎉

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I am so glad that this is helpful and I totally made it just for you ... I'm glad you are willing to share it with others.

[@sandygrogg1203]

So happy that you popped up in my feet today. You probably don’t remember me, but I am Sandy, and I am from Cincinnati. I once lived down the road from you in Northport, Florida. I hope you and your family have been happy since the move is the sunshine. Going to heat up my coffee and watch the video now. I hope you’re having a good week, and that your Monday was spectacular. Mine was kind of laid-back, the biggest event was that my groceries were delivered. I love those beautiful blue Kroger bags.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I definitely remember you! I've been contemplating using the Kroger delivery but haven't done so yet.

[@Winterseve86]

I love explainations of testing fibers! I want to do an experiment with testing fiber with my kid for a project over winter break. Thank you for the breakdown with the burn test! I haven't heard that much detail before. Looney Toones reference FTW

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Make sure to check out the links in the descriptions. One of them leads to a very detailed pdf on the burn test results that would be helpful in a science project.

[@elisekt1860]

Figuring out the yardage was just what I needed as I have several leftovers that I didn’t think about documenting. Thank you.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Excellent! I hope you find something fun to make with your mystery yarn.

[@dorothydishman4664]

Thanks for the most organized study to assist in determining content of yarn and amounts of yarn. Donated bits of yarn are most welcome and being able to measure with a reasonable result certainly helps in planning projects. Your research and sharing the results is most appreciated.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

LOL, I've been called many things but organized is rarely one of them. Thank you!

[@rcl-crafter8]

Thanks for all your descriptions, especially about identifying fibers. I buy a lot of yarn from thrift stores and I can do the "break" test at the store. Nice job!!

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

That is the fastest and easiest.

[@kathleensnow5358]

Thinking of you and hoping you, your family and your birds are hunkered down in a safe location. ❤❤❤

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

We made it through everything relatively unscathed (but also unbathed LOL). We have some fencing down and haven't managed to pull our hurricane shutters down yet (it takes multiple people and we don't have enough hands). Thank you for your thoughts.

[@liddymarsh931]

A wonderful refresher of my textile course!

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

You probably know more than me!

[@liddymarsh931]

@@WatchBarbaraKnit I doubt it lol

[@nancybwilborn6752]

Wonderful and understandable information!

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Yay! Understandable is a good thing.

[@karendewillers5190]

Your haircut looks great

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Thank you!

[@Monique-TheYarnCurator]

This was so informative ❤ wow 😮 💡 thank you ❤ I've learned alot today

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

You are so welcome

[@dorothygarriott9721]

I am finding this video very very interesting & useful. Thank you very much.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I am so glad you liked the video.

[@kathrynmorgandesigns5083]

All this info is so helpful. Thank you x

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Awesome!

[@viviantruong8708]

Very comprehensive and informative! Thank you.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I am so glad that you enjoyed the video. It was a bit more dense than I typically make them.

[@pammerryweather7914]

Great video! Thanks for all the information...

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dnordfors5845]

How did you know that I have some unlabeled yarn on my craft table that I needed to identify. I purchased it at Seattle Recreative (craft thrift store) and really want to use it, now I have some ways to identify and make a pattern selection. Also 100% on Ticonderoga pencils! Just bought a new box of them this weekend. Thank you for the informative and well timed video!!

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Spy cameras LOL

[@dnordfors5845]

@@WatchBarbaraKnit I kept looking over my shoulder when I was watching the video..."Is she looking at me?" 😄

[@jeaninegunn4118]

Great info and tips - thanks!!

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@roli3342]

DISCLAIMER: i am a NERD - now that that's out in the open and out of the way - technically - to figure out yardage you should divide the total weight by the sample weight and then multiply by the yardage per sample weight - the answer is the same but gms should be divided by gms and then multiplied by yardage - really liked this video - i learned a lot - thanks for posting this

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I'm afraid I'm a different flavor of nerd and I totally suck at math. I shared what works for me and as long as it comes out with the right answer I'm good LOL.

[@lucindazelaya365]

Very informative. Thank you. Learned quite a lot today. 😍🙏🌻

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

That's the goal! Huzzah!

[@carolynlambert6989]

G’day Barbara, great information 👏👏👏🇦🇺

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@donnaleiffer7056]

Thanks Barbara, very helpful information!!! 🙂

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

You are so welcome!

[@heidicook2395]

Thanks for all the info. I have an off rhe wall question. On the WPI does the diameter of the measuring tool make a difference? i.e. a half inch cylinder versus a two inch cylinder? Thanks for the contrasting yarn in the demo. Like you I would only use the break test. Bleach messes up my breathing and working with fire and small amounts of yarn, even using tweezers, would be dangerous. Thanks for doing the research and sharing the knowledge. I learned a lot, as always.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

The size of the cylinder doesn't matter for the measurement. But you will have to unwind more yarn.

[@Bsolomon166]

Thank you! This was very informative.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

You are so welcome!

[@patriciaherzig1945]

very interesting content! thank you very much 🧶🫶🏻👍

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AnneluvsKatz]

VERY helpful!

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

So glad!

[@AnnSpeer-r3l]

Great info! Thank you ❤

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@userpharnorth]

Thank you, as a weaver I was only taught the burn test.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Now you have a couple more tools in the kit!

[@mariejoseebercier6426]

Very interesting. Thank you

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bonnielundholm5535]

Just a heads up: Some synthetic fibers are made from soy oil now, so people allergic to soy oil should be careful about doing the burn test. I learned this the hard way. Now my hubby does the burn test outside for me. I don't remember hearing about the bleach method before, but I'm allergic to bleach also, so I might have just forgotten it as irrelevant data.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Having allergies sucks. Hence why I didn't demo LOL

[@kaye-q1k]

Thank you I have had cones of yarn donated to me and they have no labels.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Cool! One thing about cones. Frequently cones are not actually marketed for hand knitting but instead for weaving and sometimes even machine weaving. That doesn't mean that you cannot knit with them, but they might have spinning oils still on them which makes them appear to be thinner than they actually are. I would highly recommend knitting some swatches and washing them to get any possible oils out. They may bloom unexpectedly. I had a knitting friend who had a cone of yarn that, straight off of the cone, it would measure in as a fingering weight yarn based on WPI but it was actually a DK weight yarn. You could only tell it was DK after it was washed and all of the spinning oils came off.

[@kaye-q1k]

Thank you I will certainly do this.

[@karenalbery2773]

I can usually tell just by looking at my yarn what it is most likely. I guess my stash is too small. I mean there might be a scrap or 2 that i cant figure out if its superwash or not but thats about it.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Your stash is well curated!

[@hilarycohen1470]

No issue mixing grams and yards?

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Not really. It is just a if/then kind of thing. I use this same method to figure out stitches per gram.

[@ginninadances]

Here's a thought, couldn't you substitute peroxide for bleach? At least for looking for bubbles?

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I honestly don't know. I'm not a chemical type of mad scientist LOL.

[@mariecouture7591]

Are from the States? I would of use meters and grams. It finally comes to the same conclusion, but sounds funny. There is certainly a reason that I don't see. 😊 Great method, thank you.

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Yes, I am in the US and we use our silly yards. Meters work great too!

[@karendewillers5190]

Couldn't use a ruler instead of another thing to store?

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Well, I did demonstrate it using a ruler.

[@Marilou-g5t]

Tenths is one digit to the right, hundredths is the second digit to the right of the decimal point

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

The things I know normally and the things that I can call to my brain when in front of a camera are two different sets LOL

[@Marilou-g5t]

@@WatchBarbaraKnit i often cannot recal the right word when i want it. I cannot imagine what i would be like with a camera focused on me.

[@abigaillauer601]

I didn't even get a minute in before I noticed your light sticks on the shelf. Are you perhaps a STAYTINY my friend?

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I am indeed! In July I drove to ATL to see Ateez and it was awesome. I'm gonna try for SKZ tickets when they come to the US but I know it's gonna be tough.

[@amydebuitleir]

The pencil name is pronounced TIE CON DER OH GUH

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

I would have never gotten there, thanks! LOL

[@ginninadances]

I was just burning a piece of yarn the other day because it had no label

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

And it must be punished.

[@Marilou-g5t]

In teh gers

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

Knowing it and making my mouth do it are two different things LOL

[@MonicaLea]

17:36 Or you could just wrap it around a niddy noddy

[@WatchBarbaraKnit]

That would totally work and I legit have 2 (one fixed one travel) within arm's reach .... but the idea was a substitute for someone who didn't have a WPI tool. And if you don't have a WPI tool I have the feeling you probably don't have a niddy noddy laying around LOL