I decided to test some of the thrift store yarn I picked up last week and, after some careful consideration, chose to try the Melon Scarf pattern from Victorian Lace Today. As I've already written, I have no idea what this yarn is other than the fact that it's wool. And how do I know that? Well, I did the burn test.
What's that, you ask? Well, you take a little piece of the yarn and burn it. If it melts and doesn't flame, it's acrylic. If it burns (in this case, quickly!) and smells like burnt hair, it's wool. This burned very quickly (had to drop it into the sink because it would have burned my fingers) and smelled like burnt hair, so it's wool.
I'm using 3.5 mm needles (no idea what that is in US sizing). This wool isn't the softest, but I'm hoping it will soften up during the washing/blocking process. Originally, I just wanted to see how this yarn worked up, but I really like the stitch pattern with the yarn and the colour, so I'll keep going with it. I'm in no rush to finish it, so if I don't feel like working on it for weeks at a time, that's okay. No pressure.
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Burn test for the win! I've used them many times to help determine fiber content - very useful :)
ReplyDeleteThe pattern is very pretty - and so neat and even despite not having been blocked yet.
3.5 mm is equivalent to a US size 4 needle :)