Congratulations, you're learning to knit! Learning a new skill can be intimidating, and using the wrong materials can make the process downright miserable. While it’s true that you can knit with any yarn you like, choosing the right yarn when you're starting out will make your first projects smoother, easier, and way more fun.
What to Look For in Beginner-Friendly Yarn
When you’re just getting the hang of knitting, look for yarns that are:
Pliable
If your yarn is stiff and has no stretch, it can be hard on your wrists and fingers. Choose yarns with some wool content for natural elasticity. Try to avoid yarns made primarily of cotton, alpaca, silk, or linen—these fibers have very little give.
Smooth
Skip highly textured or fuzzy yarns when you’re learning. They can obscure your stitches and make it difficult to see what’s happening on your needles.
Medium Thickness
Look for yarn labeled Worsted, DK, or Aran. These “just right” weights make it easier to control tension and identify stitches.
Well-Spun
“Splitty” yarns (ones whose plies separate easily) can snag or separate on your needles and lead to confusion. Choose a yarn with plies that stay together as you knit.
Comfortable to Touch
You’ll be handling your yarn constantly, so make sure it feels good in your hands. If you don’t enjoy touching it, you won’t enjoy knitting with it!
Our Top Yarn Recommendations for Beginners
Each of these yarns checks the boxes above and is a great option for new knitters.
Cascade 220
A worsted-weight, 100% wool classic.
Cascade 220 comes in over a hundred colors and is a beloved, reliable wool—affordable, durable, and pleasant to knit. It’s non-superwash, which means it can felt if washed in hot water, so treat your finished projects with care. This also means it retains all the good qualities of natural wool, like warmth, lightness, and hydrophobia. Natural wool also stays cleaner for longer than other fabrics!
Malabrigo Rios
Hand-dyed, superwash Merino softness.
Rios is made from 100% superwash Merino wool; a breed known for exceptionally soft fibers. Thanks to the superwash treatment, it won’t felt, and it’s wonderfully smooth and easy to work with. The hand-dyed colors don’t hurt either!
Cascade Anchor Bay
A balanced blend of cotton and Merino.
You might be thinking, “But you said to avoid cotton!” And yes—100% cotton can be tricky for beginners. But when cotton is blended with wool, something magical happens. We originally brought Anchor Bay into Harmony for baby knits, but quickly fell in love with it for garments and accessories, too. It’s 50% cotton, 50% superwash Merino, and 100% gorgeous. Bonus: Cascade redesigned the ply structure recently, so it’s no longer splitty.
Cascade 220 Superwash Aran
A little thicker, a lot softer.
Slightly heavier than its little sister, Cascade 220 Superwash Merino, this Aran-weight yarn gives each stitch a bit more presence, making it easier to see and handle. It’s soft, cozy, and perfect for hats, scarves, and sweaters.
Cascade Elysian
A touch of acrylic, a lot of versatility.
Cascade Elysian is a worsted-weight blend of wool and acrylic that offers warmth and elasticity along with durability and easy care. It comes in beautiful colors and is a fantastic choice for beginners.
We're so excited for and proud of you for learning this new skill!