If you’ve ever seen a finished tapestry crochet or worked on one yourself, you’ll likely agree that the tapestry crochet technique creates really striking patterns and beautiful designs. While tapestry crochet might seem intimidating at first, it’s actually quite simple and very enjoyable.
If you’re learning to tapestry crochet, you might be wondering what the best yarns are for the craft.
So what are the best yarns for tapestry crochet? You can use different types of yarn for tapestry crochet projects, but ideally you’ll want to look for any yarn with great stitch definition and which isn’t too thick.
We’ll take a look at a couple of the best yarns you can purchase today for tapestry crochet. First, let’s learn a little more about tapestry crochet and some tips that will enhance your work.
What Is Tapestry Crochet?
Tapestry crochet is a type of crochet that involves the use of different colored yarns which change to create beautiful patterns and designs – just like a tapestry. It’s a crochet technique that’s widely used in crochet projects. It can be used to make bags, plaids, baskets, hats, and many other items.
Tapestry crochet is typically based on single crochet stitches. The major difference is that in tapestry crochet, you switch between different colored yarns and carry them along as you work the crochet stitches. Thus, if you already have some experience with crocheting, you can can easily learn this nice technique.
Of course, tapestry crochet can also be done with other crochet stitches such as the half double, slip stitch, and double crochet stitches. Tight stitches are often preferred as they hide the carried colored yarns.
They also produce stiffer fabrics, while loose stitches, which reveal the carried colored yarn, result in fabric with drape. Drape is nice in many instances, but it’s not exactly common with tapestries.
Bead tapestry crochet involves the insertion of beads of the same color as the yarns into the crochet. The beads are strung onto the individual yarns on some or all of the stitches. This results in fabric with colorful motifs on one side and beads on the other.
How to Change Color in Tapestry Crochet
Changing colors is the most important technique to learn in tapestry crochet. Fortunately, it’s not very complicated. Now, when you’re learning tapestry crochet, it’s best to start with just two colors. This will make it easier for you to learn the technique.
When using multiple colors in one row, you the color on top is the one you see, while the other colored yarns are carried along behind it. Thus, it’s necessary to use tight stitches if you don’t want the carried colors to be visible though the top color.
When changing colors, you simply insert the yarn you are working with, yarn over and draw the yarn through. Now, yarn over with the colored yarn you want to switch to. Draw the new color through the loops on the hook to finish the stitch.
Now, continue working with the new color while carrying the old one and any others behind the work. When you need to switch colors again, simply follow the same process with the desired colored yarn.
Reading Tapestry Crochet Patterns
Tapestry crochet patterns are often written in text or using graphs and charts. In a grid-based graph, one square is equal to one stitch. The color changes on the graph indicate the stitches where you’ll need to change colors to create that pattern.
Odd rows are worked from right-to-left while even rows are worked in the opposite direction. To crochet the pattern on the chart, simply follow along by making one crochet stitch for each square and changing colors where they change on the graph.
If you’re working with a tapestry crochet pattern, it’s a good idea to mark off the rows you’ve completed. This will help you avoid repeating rows. You can put a checkmark next to the row you just finished, highlight it with a pen, or use a sticky note to cover up the rows you have already worked on.
When you gain some experience with tapestry crochet, you could try designing your own patterns. The easiest way to do this is to use a graph paper and different colored pencils or crayons. Color in the squares to create a pattern you like.
Once, you’re done designing the crochet pattern, simply follow it as you would any other chart to create your unique tapestry crochet.
Tips For Tapestry Crochet
When working with multiple colored yarns, there’s always the danger of the yarns getting tangled. To avoid that, keep each skein of yarn separate from the others.
If you’re working with two colors, for instance, keep one to the left and the other to the right. You can use cups or yarn bowls to help you keep your colored yarns separate.
It’s also a good idea to work with two colored yarns throughout a project, even when you’re not making color changes. If you only start carrying the second yarn before making a color change, as some patterns dictate, the resulting fabric won’t have a consistent density and texture all the way through.
You’ll save a little yarn the other way though. However, carrying the other colored yarns along as you stitch with the current colored strand will help maintain the correct tension throughout the project.
When working on flat crochets in rows, you’ll need to be mindful of where you’re starting – is it on the ‘right side’ or the ‘wrong side’? While the finished work will look great on any side (as long as it’s consistent), the goal is to make the right side look cleaner and neater.
When you’re starting a row on the right side, hold the other yarns behind the work and then crochet over them with the current yarn. When starting on the wrong side, the background yarn should be held in front of the work.
If you’re ambidextrous with your hook, you can avoid having to switch sides! Simply work a row in one direction with one hand and then work the next row in the opposite direction with your other hand.
If you’re just getting started, you might find working in rounds to be easier, as you’ll always be working on the right side with the background yarn behind the work.
Top 5 Yarns For Tapestry Crochet
So what are the best yarns you can buy for tapestry crochet in 2020? Here are a couple of excellent products to consider.
| Rank | Brand | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Heart Super Saver Yarn | Acrylic |
| 2. | Lily Sugar'n Cream Cotton Cone Yarn | Cotton (100%) |
| 3. | Mira Handcrafts Acrylic Yarn Set + E-books | Acrylic |
| 4. | Lion Brand Hometown Yarn | Acrylic |
| 5. | Knitsilk 3 Ply Mulberry Silk Yarn | Mulberry silk (100%) |
1. Red Heart Super Saver Yarn
The Red Heart Super Saver Yarn is an excellent product for tapestry crochet. This yarn is made from 96% acrylic fiber and 4% other fibers.
This Super Saver yarn also comes in a number of colors and prints, and is generally suitable for 5.5 mm crochet hooks (about an I/9 hook in U.S. sizing).
The standout feature of the Red Heart Super Saver yarn, however, is its bold, solid coloring. Of course, you can always opt for a striped variety of this super-popular yarn. Since striped batches change color periodically as you stitch, you can make cool looking designs without having to change colors.
Super Saver yarn is also a very good value, easy to find, and is a great option to consider if you’re getting started with tapestry crochet.
2. Lily Sugar’n Cream Cotton Cone Yarn
Next up, we have a natural, soft, cotton yarn that’s ideal for 5 mm crochet hooks (H/8 U.S.). And this Lily Sugar’n Cream yarn is made from 100% cotton, for those who really like a natural yarn.
It comes in a number of colors and prints including black, potpourri, beach ball blue, and yellow. Some of them have variegated colors, which might be nice background colors for your tapestry patterns.
The yarn comes in an economical 14 oz ball size, stretching out a distance of 706 yards. It’s a versatile worsted weight yarn that’s ideal for a wide variety of projects including tapestry crochet ones. It’s machine washable and dryable and offers good value for money.
3. Mira Handcrafts Acrylic Yarn Set + E-books
Looking for a variety of colored yarns that enable you to work on several tapestry crochet projects – or to work with many colors at once? The Mira Handcrafts pack of 40 colored acrylic yarns is an excellent product to consider.
The pack offers decent value for money with a total of 875 yards over the 40 included skeins of colorful yarn.
Plus, having a variety of colors in the same type of yarn ensures the different color strands will crochet easily with each other. While you can use different yarns in tapestry, it’s probably easiest to stick with the same general type and thickness in a project.
You get 24 unique colors and 16 duplicates. The pack is a great starter kit for beginners and for small tapestry crochet projects. It also comes with 7 e-books with guides and patterns!
4. Lion Brand Hometown Yarn
The Lion Brand Hometown yarn comes in a wide variety of colors. Skeins are 64 yards, or 59 meters, long and weigh 4.2 ounces.
While that’s a little small for some crocheting projects, this may be plenty for the design of your tapestry project. Why buy more than you need?
It’s a soft and relatively thick yarn that’s easy to work with. Stitches will definitely show up in this beautiful yarn. It’s ideal for any knitting and crocheting projects, so any leftovers can go to good use.
5. Knitsilk 3-Ply Mulberry Silk Yarn
The Knitsilk Mulberry Silk yarn is another option for tapestry crochet projects. This 3-ply or light fingering yarn is ideal for crocheting light, flexible fabrics.
These mulberry silk yarns are available in a number of colors ranging from golden mustard to twilight blue.
They produce fabrics with a nice silky and elegant look. If you want a little more drape or less stiffness to your project, this silk is a great way to go.
We hope this guide for the best tapestry crochet yarns has been useful and sparked your creative senses. Best of luck with your fabulous creations!
Up Next: The Best Yarn For Weaving
