The Clever Construction of Chainette Yarn

Most yarns are made by spinning fibers into strands and twisting those strands together.

That twist gives the yarn strength and structure.

But sometimes traditional plied yarn has a problem.

It can get heavy.

No one wants to spend weeks knitting a sweater only to end up with something that feels like a weighted blanket with sleeves.

Especially when you’re knitting for warmer weather.

Not only that but certain fibers don’t like to be spun the same way wool does.

Luckily there’s a way to construct yarn that solves all these issues and more in a very clever way…

A Little Yarn History

For most of knitting history, yarn was made in a fairly straightforward way: fibers were spun into single strands, and those singles could be twisted together to create plied yarn.

That twist helped make the yarn stronger, rounder, and more balanced.

The number of plies often determined the yarn’s weight (or at least it used to).

3-ply was a dk weight yarn. 4-ply was a worsted yarn.

Nowadays you can get 8-ply yarn that’s aran weight and bulky yarn that has only one ply.

And while those plied yarns have their advantages, the industry needed a way to create light weight yarns with lots of volume.

On top of that fibers like linen, silk, and bamboo did not spin well using traditional methods.

So rather than wrap the yarn strands around each other a new type of yarn construction was invented.

What is Chainette Yarn?

Chainette yarn is made by forming fine strands into a chain-like (or sometimes tube-like) structure.

Instead of taking several plies and twisting them together, the yarn is constructed more like a tiny knitted cord or crochet chain.

That structure creates little pockets of air inside the yarn.

And that air is the whole point.

It helps the yarn feel larger, softer, and lighter than a dense, traditionally plied yarn of the same thickness.

These kinds of yarns have been around for a long time, but only more recently have we’ve seen them show up in the hand knitting world.

NOTE: There is a different kind of yarn that uses a chain construction that is filled with another fiber, but we’ll cover those another time.

What is Chainette Yarn Good For?

Chainette yarn is great when you want a project to feel cozy without becoming dense.

It’s especially useful for sweaters, cardigans, cowls, hats, scarves, and warm-weather garments made from plant fibers.

It can make alpaca feel lighter.

It can make cotton and linen feel softer and more flexible.

It can also make bulky yarns feel more balanced, giving them plenty of volume without all the extra weight.

Chainette yarns can also have lovely stitch definition.

That being said it’s not all sunshine and roses.

Downsides of Chainette Yarn

No yarn is perfect (except maybe Malibrigo - kidding), and chainette is no exception.

Because the strand is already constructed into a chain, sharp needles can sometimes poke through the structure.

That can make the yarn snag easily and feel splitty.

And some chainette yarns don’t love being ripped back over and over.

They’re more delicate.

Which is why I wouldn’t choose chainette yarn for socks, hard-wearing mittens, or projects that need a very firm fabric.

They’re great for projects you want to feel light and airy, not protect you from the elements.

Chainette Yarns We Love

There’s a lot of yarns like this out there, and sometimes it can be hard to parse through them all.

So to save you some time, here’s a few of our favorite chainette yarns you might want to add to your stash:

• 

  Lindy Chain by Knit Picks

  CYC #1 Fingering | 100g | 360 yds | 70% Linen, 30% Pima Cotton

  A lightweight linen-cotton chainette that works beautifully for summer tops, tees, tanks, and light accessories. The linen gives it drape and stitch definition, while the chainette structure keeps it from feeling too stringy or dense.

  Get it here
• 

  Får by Woolfolk

  Worsted Weight | 50g | 142 yds | 100% Ovis 21 Ultimate Merino Wool

  A luxurious merino chainette with beautiful softness, warmth, and structure. Får is a great example of how chainette construction can make wool feel lofty and substantial without becoming heavy. It’s especially nice for sweaters, cardigans, blankets, and cold-weather accessories.

  Get it here
• 

  Vera by Berroco

  CYC #3 DK | 100g | 279 yds | 80% Organic Cotton, 20% Viscose Aloe Vera

  A smooth plant-fiber yarn with lovely drape and a soft hand. Vera is a good option for warm-weather garments, transitional layers, and knitters who want the breathability of cotton without the dense, heavy feel cotton yarns can sometimes have.

  Get it here
• 

  Sky by DROPS

  DK Weight | 50g | 190m | 74% Baby Alpaca, 18% Polyamide, 8% Merino Wool

  A soft alpaca-merino chainette with a complex tube-like structure that keeps the yarn lightweight, breathable, and warm. Sky is especially useful for sweaters, cardigans, hats, scarves, and other projects where you want alpaca softness without quite as much weight.

  Get it at Amazon
• 

  Cool Merino by Lana Grossa

  Worsted Weight | 50g | 150m | 90% Merino Virgin Wool, 10% Polyamide

  A light merino chainette that gives you warmth, bounce, and softness in a more airy construction. This is a nice choice when you want a classic wool project, but with a lighter feel than a traditional plied merino yarn.

  Get it here

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Conclusion

So there you have it.

Chainette yarn is not magic.

But it is very clever.

If you’ve ever avoided bulky yarn because it felt too heavy, or avoided cotton because it felt too dense, chainette yarn might be worth a try.

But what do you think?

Have you used chainette yarn before?

We’d love to hear your experience. 😊