Everything You Need to Know About Nylon Knitting Yarn

If you’re into knitting and are just learning the secrets of fibres and yarns, you’re probably familiar with nylon. Used in the making of many yarn blends, nylon is an affordable and durable option that will help you create the exact garment or accessory you want. If your project for a cashmere sweater requires cashmere yarn which is quite expensive, you can easily get the cheaper substitute – nylon knitting yarn. It will feel like the real deal and you won’t spend a fortune. Nylon yarn is a good way to get introduced to knitting, but also a cheaper and low-maintenance fibre that will stay good as new even after frequent use and wasing.

What’s Nylon Yarn?

Nylon is a man-made polyamide fibre that was made before World War II. Ever since it was used for various things such as women’s nylon stockings, backpacks, jackets, and even yarn. In knitting, nylon is included in yarns to provide extra strength, elasticity, and durability but can be turned and put into 100% nylon yarns as well. Commonly used in novelty yarns nylon knitting yarn can easily resemble many natural fibres. The main reason why it was made was to resemble silk when this material was hard to find. It’s strong and a bit stretchy, but much cheaper than natural fibre yarns.

It makes it a great choice for knitting projects because it’s easy to work with so it can work well for beginners. Natural fibre yarns like wool can be quite pricy, so if you’re new to this whole knitting thing and are on a budget, nylon yarn can be your go-to choice. It can feel and look like cotton, wool and even suede. You can even find nylon yarn designed to look like fur (where many fibres stick out from one base thread).

What Kind of Thread is Nylon?

Nylon is a man-made synthetic fibre and yarn can be divided into four general categories – animal fibres (wool, silk, and alpaca), plant fibres (cotton and linen), biosynthetic fibres (rayon and bamboo), and synthetic fibres (acrylic and nylon). Nylon is part of the synthetic fibre category since it’s a chemically-derived product that moves through a synthetic process to become a usable fibre.

What is Nylon Yarn Used For?

This type of yarn is often used in small amounts in yarn because it gives more elasticity, durability and strength which are desirable features in many yarns, especially inelastic or delicate yarns. Nylon will give you everything you’re looking for and will help you create the exact projects that won’t sag or tear after a while.

Polyamide Yarn

Polyamide yarn is the generic term for nylon; nylon is the original Dupont brand name for polyamide fibre. It has replaced polyamide as the generic term used for this type of synthetic fibre. Both terms are often used on yarn labels, so if you may see polyamide or nylon listed, it’s all right, they’re the same thing.

Nylon Advantages

As mentioned before, this is a strong (if not the strongest) textile fibre and will last for a long time. The fact that it’s elastic and lightweight makes it a popular choice for various projects including garments and accessories. It’s often included in sock yarns to provide more durability to hand-knit socks.

Disadvantages

The only disadvantage of this material is that it’s heat sensitive and may easily get into flames even during ironing or when placed into a dryer. This could be quite a risk and danger not only for damaging certain garments but for injuries and accidents as well.

How Is Nylon Made

Nylon is a synthetic, man-made yarn so the process of making begins by mixing different components into a liquid form. The thick liquid is pushed through a spinneret with different sizes of holes (the diameter of the holes determines the girth of the filaments). The liquid then thickens and creates long filament threads. These threads can then be added to other fibres and turned into useable yarn. Also, the nylon threads can be cut into staple lengths and treated like fibre and can spin into 100% nylon yarns.

Nylon Yarn Maintenance

The great thing about this type of yarn is that it’s not too demanding and you can easily take care of it. Most nylon yarns can be machined-washed in warm or cold water and placed in the dryer at low temperatures. My suggestion is to wash or rinse the yarn by hand before using it, since the chemicals used to treat this fabric may cause an allergic reaction to the skin. Since it’s often used with other fibres, the type of care for those fibres will determine the type of care you need to do. Make sure to read the label on the yarn and check the exact instructions for your yarn.

A Few Tips

When choosing a nylon yarn, it is important to choose a type that will fit your project. Some yarns have a more rough feel and might not be ideal for garments (they can be a better choice for rugs or tapestries). When knitting a baby blanket, get yarn that is very soft and won’t irritate the baby’s delicate skin. When choosing your nylon yarn, make sure to feel different types (pure nylon or blends) and see how they feel to the touch.