Linen

Characteristics Of Linen Yarn

Linen is made from fibres from the flax plant and is one of the oldest textiles in the world. 100% linen yarn is not very elastic so it can be quite tough on hands while knitting but will improve with washing and wearing to create beautifully soft finished items. It is also often blended with other fibres to increase the elasticity and make for easier knitting.  Because linen yarn can be quite slippery to knit with, it may be better to use wooden or bamboo needles to give you a little more grip on the stitches as you work them. It is also important to keep a nice loose tension as you knit so allow the yarn to glide through your fingers as you work.

Gauge swatches are really important to do when knitting with linen as it's such a different knitting experience. This is especially true if you are working a garment originally designed in wool as the tension will be completely different. 

Benefits of Linen Yarn

Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather, keeping you cool by absorbing moisture and wicking it away from the body. It also has other distinctive characteristics, notably its tendency to wrinkle.

Uses of Linen Yarn

Linen yarn is great for lighter weight knits. It is especially suited to garments including t-shirts and jumpers as well as larger wraps and shawls due to its drape. It is often knitted quite loosely to generate additional drape. 

Care of Linen Yarn

We recommend hand washing all your linen garments and drying them flat to reduce stretching. 

Linen yarn doesn't need as much blocking as your woollen knits, partly due to its lack of elasticity. If you do choose to block your linen knits, wet blocking is the best option as steam blocking, while not damaging to the yarn, can flatten the stitches especially if your iron touches the finished item. 

Selecting the right yarn

When selecting yarns it's important to be aware all yarns handle differently and will give varied textures and drape. This is why it's important to knit or crochet a gauge swatch. This allows you to both check the feel of the fabric and the needle size to use (again all knitters have a slightly different tension)

For more information about substituting yarns click here.

For more information about gauge swatching click here.

If you need more help finding a yarn for your project feel free to send us a message, and we’ll get back to you with our expert advice or even pop into your local store.

FAQs

What yarn is linen?

Linen yarn is made from fibres from the flax plant. It is one of the oldest yarns in the world. Known for its ability to keep the wearer cool and fresh it is perfect for summer garment.The long linen fibres have a natural wax coating, providing a lovely sheen to completed projects.

Linen yarns can be 100% linen or blended with other fibres such as cotton or wool. 

Can you knit with linen?

Yes, you can knit with linen yarn. Linen is inelastic so it can be a different knitting experience to knitting wool. You need to keep an even tension and try not to knit too tight. It can also be slippery on your needles so using  wooden or bamboo needles may make for an easier knit

Can you crochet with linen?

Yes you can crochet with linen yarn. Like when knitting with linen it can be a little slippery so consider a wooden hook and also remember linen yarn has no elasticity so will be a different crocheting experience to woollen yarns. 

Does knitted linen shrink?

Items knitted with linen yarns can shrink if proper care is not taken when washing. Always wash at cool temperatures with a mild detergent. 

Linen yarns will soften with use and wear to give more drape over time. With proper care linen garments just get better and better with wear!