Yarn is made from a variety of different fibres and it is important to have an understanding of where these fibres come from. The following table show some of the most common types and their origin:
| Fibre type | Yarn | Origin |
|
Natural (cellulose)
|
Cotton | White boll which surrounds the seed of the cotton plant |
| Flax/linen | Filament fibre from flax plants | |
| Hemp | Hemp plant (a Angiosperm phylum) | |
| Jute | Corchorus olitorius plant | |
| Ramie | Bark of Boehmeria nivea | |
| Sisal | Leaf of the Agave sisalana plant | |
| Bamboo | Stem of the bamboo plant | |
| Paper | Wood pulp | |
| Abaca | Leaf of the banana plant | |
| Banana | Stem of the banana plant | |
| Pineapple | Leaf of pineapple plant | |
| Coir | Husk of the coconut fruit | |
| Lyocel (tencel) | Wood pulp | |
| Seacell | Wood pulp and seaweed (algae) | |
|
Natural (protein)
|
Sheep wool | Sheep hair |
| Alpaca | Alpaca hair | |
| Cashmere | Cashmere goat | |
| Mohair | Angora goat | |
| Angora rabbit | Angora rabbit | |
| Camel | Camel hair | |
| Horse | Horse hair | |
| Lama | Lama hair | |
| Mulberry Silk | Silkworm cocoons | |
| Tussah silk | Tussah silk moth cocoon | |
|
Synthetic
|
Vicsose | Wood pulp |
| Rayon | Cellulose from a variety of plants | |
| Polyester | Synthetic resin | |
| Elastane | Minimum of 85% polyurethane polymer | |
| Acrylic | Minimum of 85% acrylonitrile monomer |
Some fibres come from a natural source but are classed as synthetic. This is due to the manufacturing process the fibre has gone through to and whether the end fibre is biodegradable.