Linen Gets a New Look
…and by a “new look,” I don’t mean that it looks different. It means that I am looking at linen in a new light. I usually don’t like knitting with plant-fiber yarns; they seem too slippery, too inflexible, and in the case of linen, too hard and crunchy-feeling to make pleasing garments. However, recently I saw a sweater one of our WEBS Expert Knitter Certification Capstone candidates knit in Classic Elite’s Soft Linen (35% wool, 35% linen, 30% baby alpaca), and it really changed my mind. Rather than being a wrinkled, stiff armor-like tunic, this sweater was soft and drapey, but with enough body to show off the shaping and stitch definition. The lace pattern around the sleeves and body was open and light, with enough personality to show the eyelets to great advantage.
Classic Elite’s pattern support for their yarns is legendary, and I found the perfect sweater to show off this lightweight yarn: Doodlebug, a sleeveless shell with a delicate chevron/eyelet pattern and a wide ribbed hem to put on top of skirts or summery capris.
What yarn changed your mind this year?
- 2019 Capstone Graduation Wrap-Up - June 27, 2019
- Class of 2018 Capstone Graduation - June 26, 2018
- WEBS Expert Knitter Certification Capstone Graduation 2017 - July 10, 2017
Tags: Classic Elite, knitting, knitting patterns, yarn
June 6th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
I’ve been intrigued by linen for a while and this winter caught some MerLin on crazy sale and made a lacey shell with it that I’m just in love with. I, too, am a convert!!
June 7th, 2014 at 11:10 am
I made the Sunburst shawl for my mother last year with this yarn, and it made me hate it with every step.. There was itchy HAY all throughout it in every skein, drove me crazy. But the drape was lovely and the finished project was nice, even if I did have a pile of hay on my chair arm as I knitted.