What is cotton, what is it like?
Cotton grows on shrubs – cotton plants, it is a white soft cover protecting the seed box. 95% of its composition is cellulose, the remaining 5% – various fats and minerals. Poplar down or dandelion umbrellas have a similar composition. Cotton can be found in China, the United States, India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. It is these countries that are the main producers and suppliers of cotton around the world.
THIS IS INTERESTING! The age of the first fragments of cotton fabric, found by archaeologists, is more than 5 thousand years. Cotton yarn consists of individual fibers twisted into thin, soft yarns. The longer the fibers, the stronger and more durable the yarn.
Popular types of cotton:
- Mercerized. Products made of such yarn are shiny, durable. It absorbs moisture better than others, has a saturated color and is very wearable.
TAKE A NOTE! Many needlewomen think that this kind of yarn is only suitable for crochet. However, some varieties of mercerized cotton are quite soft for needles. - Unsercerized. The yarn has no luster and looks more natural and noble.
- Fleece. The yarn has a small pile on it. This is achieved by a special processing technology. Due to the presence of pile, the yarn holds heat better, the products are suitable for wearing in cold seasons.
- Harsh. The yarn is not cleaned, not bleached, as a result it is uneven, rough and rough.
- Melange. A yarn with multicolored fibers woven together.
- Bleached.
Pros and cons of cotton yarn
The main advantage of the yarn is high hygroscopicity, i.e. cotton products perfectly absorb water. At the same time, they breathe. That’s why many needlewomen prefer to knit summer things out of cotton. In addition, they do not cause skin irritations and allergic reactions.
Yarn is not afraid of mechanical influences, i.e. washing and drying in the machine: products are not deformed. Things made of natural material are long-wearing, knitted product will last you for several seasons and almost will not lose its original appearance. If you take knitted wool products for comparison, they do not have this property.
Cotton yarn is easy to dye, holds shape well, does not stretch. Therefore, it is often used to knit openwork patterns. Due to the inelasticity of the fibers, cotton is excellent for knitting draped things.
Nothing in the world is perfect. Cotton yarn also has pitfalls. Since the material is natural, it does not tolerate direct sunlight and fades. It is recommended to store cotton things in a closed closet or where the sun does not shine. Bright yarn tends to “shed”, it is not desirable to combine yarns of contrasting colors in one product.
If you put on a thing that has not had time to fully dry, it will stretch. Such an effect is associated with the property of cotton to absorb and retain moisture. This also explains why knitwear takes so long to dry.
The yarn does not make voluminous patterns like bumps, braids, etc., because it is not elastic, heavy. Many knitters don’t like that cotton slips because it makes knitting more difficult. Some do not pay attention to it. And if you pick up the right needles, for example, bamboo or wooden, the problem disappears.
Beginner knitters prefer to use a hook to knit cotton things. Since the yarn does not stretch, the cloth knitted with needles is either too dense or too loose. It looks ugly in the finished product.
TIP: If you like to knit with needles, do it in a circle, avoiding seams. Otherwise you will get a dense and thick stitch, which will not decorate the thing.
When taking off the stitches, do not use an extra needle, but a yarn, and help yourself with a needle. As a result, the loops will not stretch. Natural cotton is not suitable for knitting an elastic band, it is not elastic enough, it almost does not hold its shape. This element can be made with a blended yarn – cotton with acrylic.