Natural fibers have been woven into yarn by humans for thousands of years. Wool yarn remnants dating back 7,000 years have been discovered in Switzerland, and there is evidence that Egyptians have been cultivating cotton for yarn since 12,000 B.C. Yarn’s primary purpose is, of course, to make clothing. However, somewhere along the way, people realized that yarn could be as beautiful as it was useful, and they began to create yarn art. Weaving, painting, knitting and crocheting, and knotting are all examples of yarn art.
Weaving is the oldest form of yarn art. Everything from clothing to blankets and rugs were woven with yarn of various gauges and weights, some of which featured beautiful patterns. The intricacy of the pattern, as well as the colors used, represented wealth and status, and skilled weavers were well-known and highly valued. Weavers would intentionally introduce a small flaw in their art to avoid offending the goddess Athena in ancient Greece, where it was considered heretical to weave a flawless piece.
The Huichol Indians of the Sierra Madre Mountains are famous for their intricate yarn painting. To make a mandala-like circular design, a wooden board is coated with wax and brightly colored yarn is pressed into the wax. The patterns were usually symbolic in nature, holding deep spiritual significance for the tribe, and included many representations of natural elements that they encountered on a daily basis. Modern reproductions are still available, despite the fact that original examples are rare and mostly found in museums and private collections.
Knitting and crocheting are the most popular types of yarn art today. Both processes involve pulling yarn loops through other loops in a specific pattern to create a stitch pattern, but they are quite different. Modern knitting and crocheting have evolved into a sort of underground movement with a rabid fan base, originally used to fashion clothing. Modern knitters and crocheters create a wide range of stuffed animals, pillows, toys, and dolls in addition to high-fashion clothing.
Many knitters advance their skills by learning the art of felting. To make a felted piece, knit the piece as usual, but scale it up by about 30% to account for shrinkage. The best results are achieved with wool yarns. After the piece has been completed and all ends have been secured, it is washed in hot water and agitated for a long time. The piece shrinks as a result of the heat and friction, and the individual fibers lock together and tighten, resulting in a thick, woolen fabric.
Women began using scraps of old clothing and blankets to make knotted rugs using a latch hook in the mid-1800s, despite weaving being the traditional method of rug making. Yarn gradually replaced the old rags as the craft gained popularity, and it is still primarily a yarn art today. Individual strands of yarn are knotted onto a net background to create a plush, open-weave rug. Latch hook kits come with a pre-patterned background, a hook, and pre-cut yarn in the required colors in most modern craft stores.