Q&A for How to Tell Wool Yarn from Acrylic Yarn

Acrylic yarn will wash well. The felting process is why wool yarn shrinks when you put it in the washing machine.

Acrylic is inexpensive, it lasts well, and it will hold up well in the washing machine. There are a lot of different varieties of yarn—some are scratchy and some are super soft, so it just depends. The care for wool can also be more complicated—it's best to hand wash it and lay it flat to dry. However, if you can keep the moths away from them, wool pieces will last forever.

Tie a knot at the end of the yarn to prevent it from unraveling. Also, fray glue can be found at fabric/crafting stores.

Your local yarn store will be able to direct you to brands that have no acrylic fibers in them. There are many natural fiber options to choose from - silk, bamboo, cashmere, wool, angora, cotton, and blends of all of these and more. All have different properties and vastly different prices. If you are not lucky enough to live close to a yarn store, then you can look on the internet. You can find some great prices on Amazon, but many of their sellers are from other countries where labeling laws are different than in the U.S. or Canada. You will want to check out websites with specific info on their goods.

Use the size of needle that your knitting/crocheting pattern recommends. A pattern will be designed to use a certain thickness of yarn. Thicker yarns require larger needles, like US 9, 10, and larger. Many patterns for beginners use "worsted" weight yarn, 4 ply (with 4 thin strands twisted to make yard). For both acrylic and wool yarn, size 7 or 8 knitting needles are common for beginner patterns for scarves, hats, or sweaters.