Super Bulky Yarn 101

If you’re a beginner knitter who is just learning about the different types of yarns, needles and knitting techniques, you came to the right place. As we already talked about, it’s important to choose the right yarn for your project and not all yarns are the same and have the same quality and shine, nor do they require the same wash.

If you’re still perfecting your knitting and prefer not to spend too much time washing the finished clothes, then you’re going to love working with the many options of super bulky weight yarn. This type of yarn is ideal for people who prefer washing everything in the machine and who don’t want to bother themselves with handwashing. Superwash wool has certain properties that will survive machine washing, and before you get your yarn, make sure to learn the most important things about it.

What Is Super Chunky Yarn?

The chunky yarn has grown in popularity in recent years since the super-sized yarn trend took off. All those chunky sweaters and blankets that are dominating our Instagram feeds are made of it.

In addition to being machine washable, this type of yarn also won’t felt easily because every hair of the wool is made up of scales. The felting occurs when the scales bind together. Chunky wool is ‘protected’ because the superwash process keeps the scales from binding in one of two ways.

How Is This Type of Chunky Yarn Made?

If you’re slowly getting into the whole knitting thing, you probably wonder how super bulky weight yarn is made? During the manufacturing process, superwash wools go through an acid bath that removes their scales. Some manufacturers coat the yarn with a polymer or resin which is a protective coating so the yarn won’t felt.

Superwash wool will stretch more than normal thanks to the scales of the yarn that can’t bind together. Not all washable yarns are superwash so make sure to always read the label.

Fibre Structure

When you buy the chunky yarn notice that it has a scaly outside that encloses the inner core. This scaly outside part repels water. The inner core absorbs water and provides the wool with the ability to absorb about 30% of its weight in moisture. This happens because the water remains on the inside. So what you’re touching is the hydrophobic water-repellent surface. This is why this yarn won’t smell when it dries and it dries pretty fast.

How to Take Care of Items Made of Super Bulky Yarn?

The edges of the scales of every fibre of the chunky are removed and smoothed. It prevents them from getting tangled, which is excellent because this also prevents shrinking and felting when you wash the wool.

Keep in mind that although items made of this type of yarn are machine washable, the hot setting on a washing machine or a dryer can damage the superwash coating which could lead to felting. Cold washing is the best option for items made of chunky yarn.

Simply put the chunky wool piece of clothing in the washing machine and let the machine do its job. Set it on a wool scale, cold temperature and then set it to rinse and hold. It can be set to spin up to 100rpm. Then remove the wool immediately, shake it gently and put it into shape. Put the clothing on a hanger after washing it to let it dry.

How Does It Compare to Regular Yarn?

If you’re new to knitting and are still learning about wool, you probably can’t tell the difference beteen a common wool and chunky wool. Chunky wool is a bit thicker than the traditional option and is a bit shinier. Be sure to check for colourfastness in your gauge swatch, if you plan to work with more than one colour on your project. Sometimes the process used to descale the fibre could make it less visible.

This wool’s qualities can vary widely from yarn to yarn. That’s why it’s recommended to go for chunky yarns that have a scale that gives the yarn the possibility to stick to itself. You wouldn’t want to see all your effort and time get ruined when the sweater or pullover begins to drag.

All things considered, the super bulky yarn is an excellent option if you’re into natural fibres and don’t want to spend too much time handwashing your knitted items. If you’re going to knit somethinbg for a gift, it would be an excellent choice for a person who is busy or simply isn’t skilled at washing wool things. Super chinky yarn is also an amazing option for babies and kids’ clothes because parents are too busy to spend time washing the yarn any other way but in the washing machine.