Tufting yarn
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
Generally speaking, any yarn can be used for tufting as long as it can be threaded through the eye of the tufting gun and is thick enough so that it doesn't slip out of the hole.
Of course, there are still differences in yarn quality, depending on the diameter, the type of fiber and the nature of the yarn (how many strands and how it is twisted).
In this post, you can read about the background of different fiber types and how they differ. You'll also learn why studio knot primarily works with wool yarn.
What types of yarn are there?
Any yarn that's about the thickness of a knitting yarn can be used for tufting. For particularly thin yarns, two or three strands can be threaded into the gun at once. Ideally, the thread should fill the eye well without clogging as it passes through; this will achieve the most consistent weft pattern.
However, the quality of the yarn has a strong influence on the quality of the finished rug and on its possible use - can it be placed on the floor, is it suitable as a seat cushion or is it more suitable as a wall hanging.
The most common materials found in yarn balls or on cones are:
Acrylic
Alpaca wool
Cotton
Bast fibers such as linen and hemp
Merion wool
polyester
viscose
Virgin wool
It should be noted that alpaca and merino wool are very soft and fine, therefore they have a small diameter and a certain price, which is why they are more commonly used for clothing.
Bast fibers are the exact opposite, they are quite stiff and have a high friction when passing through the tufting gun, so they can get stuck, slip out of the eye or even tear
This leaves us with the following categories, which we will discuss in more detail later: cotton and viscose, acrylic and polyester, and virgin wool.
How do the fibers differ?
Cotton and viscose
What unites these fibers is their cellulosic origin, even though cotton is a naturally growing raw material, while viscose is a man-made or regenerated cellulose fiber.
They are made from renewable raw materials, are biodegradable and easy to dye.
Although these yarns are inexpensive, they are quite soft and therefore cannot withstand heavy use. They are suitable for wall hangings, picture frames, or mirror frames, but not for seat cushions or rugs, as the fibers are flattened and cannot maintain their structure.
In addition, they are not very resistant to dirt or lint and are sensitive to moisture and abrasion.
Acrylic and polyester
These two materials are made from purely synthetic raw materials. They are very inexpensive, offer high colorfastness, low moisture absorption, high bulk, and are moth-resistant.
However, these yarns are not suitable for tufting as floor coverings because they fray easily and acrylic in particular is not heat-resistant and therefore loses its shape due to friction and constant stress.
Wool
When we talk about wool here, we always mean the protected term virgin wool: it is obtained from living, shorn sheep and no other fibers such as acrylic, merino, or cotton are added to it.
This fiber is obtained from a naturally renewable raw material, is biodegradable, flame-retardant, heat-resistant and insulating.
So why wool?
In the tufting context, it is particularly worth emphasizing that wool has sound-absorbing properties, while the fibers are dirt- and moisture-repellent thanks to a natural wax film (lanolin on the fiber surface).
The yarns also offer warming insulation and the highest durability of all the yarns presented. This makes them particularly suitable for carpets, as they retain their structure, meaning they won't be crushed, keep feet warm, and are resistant to soiling.
In the past, carpets were also traditionally made from wool, whether knotted or woven.
If you want to learn more about the sustainability aspect of the wool used, click here !
