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It can be so confusing to look at yarn labels. Cotton and cashmere, wool and alpaca, wool and cotton, cotton and yak. And then you pick up a skein of Noro and it has four or five different fibers in there. What the heck?” Right?!?
It’s a good question. Wool is pretty much perfect for knitting, but that's not to say it can't be enhanced. Same with other fibers we love. The truth is that some of the very best
There’s something wonderfully satisfying about trying a new craft—especially when it’s easy, fun, and you end up with something totally adorable.
It's always about the color. Whether it's my favorite powder soft pinks, bold brights, or elegant neutrals, color is what draws us to a skein or a project in the first place. But using colorful yarn in projects can be an iffy proposition. If you've ever gazed a a
We’ve been talking about linen for a while now, so it’s no secret how I feel about most 100% linen yarns. They can be stiff, wiry, and very hard on your hands. It’s a shame, because linen is such a fabulous fiber to wear—cool, breathable, and durable, growing softer and more lovely over time. But no one wants their knitting experience to be a battle of wills. That’s why I’ve never carried 100% linen yarns in the shop… until recently with DanDoh Linen, which I love. Now, I want to talk about another yarn that really changes the game: Rowan Creative Linen.
If you've ever seen a Noro garment in a magazine and wondered what it looks like in real life—or how it might look on you—then our Noro Trunk Show is a must-attend event.
Join us Thursday, June 19th, from 5 to 7pm for a fabulous evening celebrating the vibrant beauty of Noro Yarns. We’ll have every single garment from the brand-new Noro Magazine Issue 26 available for you to see, touch, and try on. It’s your chance to experience these designs firsthand and get inspired for your next colorful project.
Finishing is super important for sweaters that look great, and a big part of finishing is the blocking. If you’ve been with me a while, you’ve heard me say more than once that I’m not a fan of wet-blocking sweaters, especially wool sweaters. Wool is springy and elastic, but it’s also surprisingly fragile when it’s wet. That’s why, when I’m working with wool, I’m all about steam and gentle shaping. But when it comes to plant-based fibers like linen and cotton, the rules change—and that’s exactly what I want to dig into today.
You know that I am fanatic about fit. Club Crazy for Ewe is all about helping knitters make sweaters that fit perfectly—from length and width to armhole depth and sleeve length, shaping the garment to fit your body contours and preferences. But there’s a different kind of garment design that doesn’t shape the fabric to conform to the body. Instead, it allows the body to create the shape. This is the guiding principle behind the fluid, modern silhouettes designed by Yumiko Alexander, and Shellie Anderson, and Britt-Marie Brehmer, to name a few. Creating that fluidity and drape is often what's behind
If you’ve ever knit with 100% linen yarn, you know it can be...a little tricky. Linen, for all its amazing qualities, tends to be stiff, crisp, and not exactly the most enjoyable fiber to work with on your needles. It’s hard to deny the beauty and comfort of a linen garment—no fiber keeps you cooler in warm weather—but knitting with traditional linen has always felt kind of like jogging: good for you, but maybe not the most fun.
One of my favorite techniques for creating beautiful fabric is simply this: hold two yarns together. It sounds simple—and it is—but the effect is transformative. Whether you’re combining textures, adjusting gauge, or enhancing drape, holding two yarns opens a whole world of possibilities in your knitting.
Ever since I showed this on the Ikigai Trunk Show video and mentioned it in the Boring Knits video, everyone has loved it, Even me, and you know I'm not a top down girl. But this construction is like the Terrazzo, which I was happy with, so I'm going to give it a go. And I'm going to use Ikigai Paka Washi.
There are garments that feel trendy and clever, and then there are garments that feel like they’ve always belonged in your wardrobe. Lova, designed by Britt-Marie Brehmer, is one of those timeless pieces. It’s simple, elegant, and wonderfully wearable in a way that makes you wonder how you ever lived without it.
There are lots of things to love about cotton and other plant-based fibers—breathability, softness, and beautiful drape, to name a few. But as any knitter who’s spent time with cotton yarns knows, plant-based yarns have their quirks. Cotton doesn’t have the elasticity and recovery of wool. It can feel heavy in larger garments, and it doesn’t always behave the way you want it to once it’s off the needles.
