Know your yarn

Knowing your yarn and needle is always a good habit especially when you want to go a level above amateur crochet/knitting. 

With no Redhearts,Lionbrands, Carons and other fancy yarns around, the local yarns try their level best to match with international standards and they do an amazing job to bring we Indians the satisfaction of doing something equally good. The yarns available outside India usually come with a brand name and tips like size, how to wash it, what can be made out of it, and most importantly the what is it made of ( acrylic, wool, cotton). But in India most of the local made yarns are available without these instructions. So understanding the yarn is a very important task before beginning any of our projects.  Here in India we try to follow the UK standards. The yarns are mostly referred in ply.  Most of the yarns are 100% acrylic. We do get cotton, silk and wool.

"PLY IS THE THICKNESS OF YOUR YARN."

Fellow crochet friends who already know the ply difference and texture difference can differentiate and choose their yarns accordingly. But most friends who are beginners always ask how to choose their yarns.  

So to make it handy, I wanted to write it down as a post.

These measurements are written by experts.

Ravelry Standard Yarn Weights

Name	Ply (UK, NZ, AU)	Wraps per inch	Knit gauge (4 in / 10 cm)	Crochet gauge	Yarnstandards.com
Thread					0 : Lace
Cobweb	1 ply				0 : Lace
Lace	2 ply		32-34 stitches		0 : Lace
Light Fingering	3 ply		32 stitches		0 : Lace
Fingering	4 ply	14 wpi	28 stitches		1 : Super Fine
Sport	5 ply	12 wpi	24-26 stitches		2 : Fine
DK	8 ply	11 wpi	22 stitches		3 : Light
Worsted	10 ply	9 wpi	20 stitches		4 : Medium
Aran	10 ply	8 wpi	18 stitches		4 : Medium
Bulky	12 ply	7 wpi	14-15 stitches		5 : Bulky
Super Bulky		5-6 wpi	8-12 stitches		6 : Super Bulky

I personally recommend beginners to choose 8 ply yarn to start learning your crochet. This way you will first know how to handle your yarn firmly and will never be disappointed once your beginner level project gets completed. Initially while learning do not bother about the size of the end product and perfection. Learning the basics perfectly is your first lesson and not achieving the perfect size end product. Practicing makes you perfect and I'm sure you will end up with cute little projects . :) Happy Crocheting/Knitting.