Jane's Ten Reasons to use Fine Yarns

By Jane Waller

I am pleased to find that many more knitters are seeing the value of using the finer 3 and 4 plies.

These are my 10 reasons why it is good to knit in these finer yarns:

1. The look of a 4 ply garment is infinitely better, since the close texture of the stitching creates knitting that will last longer, while still looking well. So you don't have to perpetually buy new. There is a wartime motto: "Never buy new when old will do". A good motto for our future?

2. A garment knitted in 4 ply flatters the figure, as it will accentuate all your good points and luscious curves.

3. A garment knitted in 4 ply is able to keeps its shape better, whereas larger plies often fall out of shape quite quickly, having a looser weave. I still have a pullover that was actually knitted in the 1940s, it is still going strong, and I wear it often. So knitting in 4 ply is good for the planet.

4. The older patterns, to my mind, are often better written and of a better quality than the modern ones. (The old 3 and 4 ply patterns are certainly much cheaper than the modern ones and there will be more than 100 patterns for you to choose from in the new 'A Stitch in Time'.)

5. Yes, a 4 ply pattern may take longer to knit. So what. It's so relaxing to pick up the needles and knit an inch or two whenever you feel the urge - or when you're at a boring meeting, train journey, waiting room...bus stop... And carrying around a 4 ply garment doesn't take up as much room as hefting about thicker balls of wool and chunky, bulky bits of knitting.

6. Apparently, knitting exercises the correct eye-muscles when you look up at the tv , down at your knitting , up at the tv, down again. OK, so many of you can knit without looking. Well, look for a change, so you can exercise those muscles - or you are quite obviously not knitting a difficult enough pattern! In the war, the girls got so adept at knitting that they vied with one another as to who could knit the most difficult 4 and 3-ply patterns, and would 'show off' in the train when going to their war work. (Hence, the 1944 'Willow Pattern' jumper in 'Knitting Fashions of the 1940s', where almost every row is different.)

7. And, of course, the 3 and 4-ply yarns are far cheaper. Many of the most beautiful 4-ply garments take only 5 or 6 50gm balls to knit a complete garment (use pure wool, or a good expensive silk, cashmere or alpaca etc if you can - it's worth it and you will need far less than when you knit with thicker plies.) Pure wool has a springy consistency which is unrivalled.

8. And you have made it yourself - even if it did take slightly longer - and it will take star place in your wardrobe, having a strong personality. (Many of the designers from those days actually gave their 4-ply pullovers names like 'The Tea-time Jumper' or 'Madame - When You Walk'.)

9. This is maybe a small reason - but for the older knitters, it really counts - it's much lighter to hold up the knitting on finer, lighter needles and lighter yarns. (Interestingly, during the war, especially down in the dark shelters, one was advised to use pale needles for dark wool and dark needles when knitting with pale wools, being much easier on the eyes. Needle manufacturers - take note.)

10. One psychologist /four-ply knitter informed me recently that when you knit, you are using both parts of your brain - left and right. This, presumably, is why you feel calmed down and clear-headed after a bout of knitting. You become well balanced.

Jane Waller is the author of a number of knitting pattern books including,
the soon to be re-published, 'A Stitch in Time'.