What is the difference between pure wool and acrylic hats? What one should I order?

I get asked this question all the time when my customers are placing an order. So if you don't know the answer you don't need to feel silly. I'm going to try and explain the pros and cons of both in this post.

First things first though. I have found here in New Zealand most people refer to ALL kinds of yarn fibres as wool. Wool is wool which is a type of yarn. Acrylic is not wool, it's a different type of yarn. So when you are referring to anything used to crochet it's called yarn.

Let's look at acrylic yarn. This is a man made or synthetic yarn that is relatively inexpensive to buy. That means it is cheaper for you to buy items made from acrylic yarn. It is very easy care and won't irritate your skin. Acrylic is a lot lighter than wool which is great for items for little kids.
That all sounds great right? Well there are some downsides to acrylic also. Acrylic doesn't burn when it is heated to high temperatures, it melts which means you need to be very careful when it is in use near a heat source. It doesn't breathe as well as wool either which can make you sweat if you are in a warm climate.

Now let's compare that with 100% pure wool yarn. This comes from the fleece of sheep. Or as my toddler calls them "baaaaap" (the p isn't a type error). That makes it a natural yarn and because of that it requires a higher level of care than acrylic yarn. Wool is really nice and soft, and breathes well to eliminate that sweaty feeling when wearing it. It is great at keeping you nice and toasty warm. Unfortunately wool is quite a bit more expensive than acrylic, which is why my wool items have a higher price tag. Wool can sometimes irritate sensitive skin. I am one of these unlucky people that find wool really itchy so I spent ages finding a range of wool to use for my work that wouldn't irritate me. I found a lovely soft range that doesn't seem to irritate me at all, so hopefully you will all like it too.

Hopefully that explains the benefits of each of the two yarn types I offer here at Meys Made - Cool Crochet For Cool Kids. The best choice for you will depend on your circumstances. Low budget = acrylic, cold climate = wool, sensitive skin = acrylic, renewable resource = wool.

Now you will know what type of Meys Made hat your cool kid needs this winter. Head on over to my Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeysMadeCoolCrochet) and place your order before 8pm 26th April NZ time. Why? You will get 15% off your purchase of $30NZD or more using the coupon code YARNFIBRE .

As always if you do have any questions about yarn types please just ask.

- Sarah <(")