Worsted Vs. Woollen Spun: What Yarn, When?

Wintertime is the season we revel in as knitters and crocheters. It’s the time for snuggly jumpers that are lofty and light, keeping us cosy through the shorter days. Shawls are wrapped around us to keep the drafts off our necks as we run errands and meet friends for coffee. Cardigans are always close at hand, waiting for us to throw them over our shoulders to keep the drizzle at bay as we pick herbs in the garden ready for a pot of soup. 

All our projects require different types of yarn as they do different jobs, and today we are going to be looking at the difference between Worsted and Woollen Spun yarns. I’m asked a lot about these two types of spinning yarn at show and workshops, and sometimes people aren't clear about why they should use one over the other. The rules are not hard and fast, and they can always be broken, but a knowing the key differences is a great foundation to have.

Woollen Spun Yarn

Quite simply, woollen spun yarn is our most authentic yarn; it is what was being dropped on the spindles of our ancestors. It is the ‘rustic’ yarn; the hard wearing and durable wool that we use to defend ourselves out on our walks at the weekend. But to think of it as the ‘itchy’ option is to do it a complete disservice; woollen spun yarn can be soft, luxurious and lofty, and because of its combination of lightness and fluffiness, it traps air into the fibres and offers us incredible insulation. 

The shorter fibres of a woollen spun are ideal for colour work as they are jumbled together as they are spun, when it comes to being knitted, the stitches start to connect together, allowing for a perfect set up for steeking! When you cut the work to place a button placket or sleeve, the stitches don’t unravel away from you, giving you time to pick the stitches up and pop them on your needles to work later. (This is much harder with smoother yarns that are worsted spun.)

It is also worth mentioning here that when you have the double layers of yarn that are created in a colour work project together with the insulating nature of the yarn, it is easy to see why sweaters created in this manner were a wonderful work-wear option for those tending to the farms and woodlands. As jackets can become bulky when working outdoors, woollen spun jumpers are a fantastic option when out and about. I know I appreciate the spin more than ever when I am looking after my dye garden; I can be out there for hours with the spring showers, the wind coming off the hills, as well as being bathed in the sun between the clouds, and be completely comfortable without the cumbersome nature of a jacket flapping around as I go about my business. Hats and mittens, as well as cowls and scarves offer even the most intrepid hill walker a light and breathable option to enjoy an adventure in. 

Vittra Sweater by Anna Sjosvard - knitted in Jacob DK

Worsted Yarn

Worsted yarn owes its name to a small village in Norfolk, England; Worstead. It was the place where they started to breed sheep with long staple fibres, and where the spinners started to add an additional step to the fleece production process. They decided to comb the long fibres in one direction before the spin, rather than simply spinning off the card as with the woollen spun creating a smooth texture to the yarn. 

The result is yarn with a superior drape and a tighter spin, making it ideal for stitch definition. You can use a worsted yarn for many projects, but I especially like using it for shawls because of the drape, as well as designs that rely a lot on stitch patterns. Lace and cable work stand out beautifully with a worsted yarn, and give a crisp finish, where using a woollen spun yarn can mean that the details get a little lost in the fluffiness.

As worsted spun yarn is smoother and very tight, and so doesn’t trap air as easily within the fibres, which makes it a cooler option for your projects. This is wonderful when you are looking to create an item of clothing that will be worn next to skin that can be a little sensitive, as well as if you are wanting a project that will suit a warmer climate. A wool spun in a worsted 2ply yarn would be ideal for a lacy tee-shirt in the summer, for example. If you were to add a lace pattern to the tee-shirt, you would have a staple in your wardrobe that you would wear time and again through the years.

In a similar manner, if your worsted yarn was being used in a DK weight, a cable sweater for autumn would look stunning, and you would be able to wear a woollen spun knitted jacket or cardigan over the top. The combination of both spins would offer you the warmth and lightness in the jackets, as well as a smooth, durable, easy to wear sweater, ideal for the changing seasons.

Although rules are there to be broken, and worsted spun yarn can be used in colour work, you won’t get the same easy result with it as you would with a woollen spun option, and your steeking may not be as successful. 

One Skein Shawl by Helen Hickman - knitted in British Wool DK

Here at Nellie and Eve, I enjoy both spins for the yarns that I dye. I knit with them interchangeably and have come to respect both for the different properties that they offer my projects. My sadness is that they are not often understood as much as they could be, and in this blog we are simply scratching the surface. As you start to look at the art and craft of preparing wool for spinning, there is so much more to discover! 

As you have fun at the yarn events that are coming up this year, I hope that you enjoy exploring the different options of spun wool with fresh eyes. Ask the vendors at the shows what they use their yarns for, and your local yarn store owners will have lots of information for you so that you can choose the right wool for your next project. 

As always, it is such a thrill to share my love of wool with you, and I do hope that it excites you so that you can maybe try something that you haven’t before. 

Until next time, walk softly,

Helen xx

Take a look at my latest yarns in the shop and you will see ‘Dales and British Wool’ collections are worsted spun, where as the ‘Jacob, Trysori-treasure and Shetland’ collections are all woollen spun.