If you are interested in knitwear, you may have encountered some terms like 2/26nm and 2/48nm. But what do they mean and how do they affect the quality and characteristic of knitwear? In this blog post, I will explain these terms and give you some tips on how to choose the right yarn for your knitting project.
The term nm stands for normal metric, which is a system of measuring the fitness of yarns. It is based on the length and weight of the yarn. The first number before the slash indicates the number of piles or strands that are twisted together to form the yarn. The second number after the slash indicates the yarn count, which is the number of 1,000- meter hanks of a single ply that would weight one kilogram.
For example, 2/26nm means that the yarn is made of two piles and 26 hanks of one ply would weigh one kilogram. This means that one kilogram of this yarn would have a length of 26,000 meters. Similarly, 2/48nm means that the yarn is made of two piles of 48 hanks of one ply would weigh one kilogram. This means that one kilogram of this yarn would have a length of 48,000 meters.
The higher the second number, the finer the yarn. Finer yarns are more expensive because they require more raw material and more processing to produce. They also produce lighter and softer knitwear. However, finer yarns and not necessarily better for every knitting project. Depending on the gauge, stitch pattern, and design, you may want to use thicker yarn like 2/26nm, which will produce a denser and heavier fabric. If you want to knit a delicate and airy scarf, you may want to use a thinner yarn like 2/48nm, which will produce a finer and lighter fabric.
In CH Cashmere, for the ease of our customer to distinguish the difference in between different normal metric, we categorised our yarns by seasons. For example, yarns with a lower number, such as 2/26nm, are thicker and warmer, so they are ideal for Autumn and Winter garments. On the other hand, yarns with a higher number, such as 2/48nm, are thinner and cooler, so they are perfect for Spring and Summer garments. We want to help our customers to choose the best yarn for their needs.
Of course, there are other factors that affect the quality and characteristics of knitwear, such as the type of fiber, the spinning method, the dyeing process, and the knitting technique. But knowing the meaning of nm can help you make informed choices when buying or using yarns of your knitwear.
I hope this blog post has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.