i swear by mohair 🤞

esc // 27yo // they|them

[escaping-samsara]

my #1 aim is to knit plastic free.

i began knitting in 2012, though i recently began again after time away. coming back to the hobby, i've made it my ambition to find the best yarn for every purpose--the best quality, the best durability, the best price--without plastic.

no acrylic. no nylon. no superwash. not a vegan knitter. only ethical plant and animal fibers.

help me on my journey!

TAGS:

the list (my list of recommended yarns)

my thoughts (about knitting/sustainability)

my works (my knitting and other crafts)

other hobbies include: embroidery, sewing, writing, digital art, baking, sci-fi/fantasy novels

[velvet-jellyfish]

If you get into white work embroidery, you might discover cutwork. And when you start doing cutwork, you might get curious about incorporating detached elements. And before you know it the fabric is gone, you are making needle lace, and there goes the rest of your week.

Buttonhole stitch - not even once.

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

OP: Are you familiar with China’s silk fabrics?

Cnetizens: I know there are ling, luo, chou, duan.

OP: It's actually eight major categories, ling, luo, chou, duan, jin, xiao, sha and juan, and countless variations exist under them in history. (绫ling，罗luo，绸chou，缎duan，锦jin，绡xiao，纱sha, 绢juan) (cr珑师傅)

绫(Líng): It adopts twill or modified twill weave. The fabric bears clear mountain-shaped diagonal lines, featuring light, soft texture and subtle luster. It was the designated fabric for officials’ daily uniforms in the Tang Dynasty. The varieties of Ling appearing in Tang dynasty — Pattern Square Ling, Fish-Mouth Ling, White Braided Ling, Water Wave Ling and Checkerboard Ling(方纹绫、鱼口绫、白编绫、水波绫、方棋绫) — were all recorded as imperial tributes in the Tang Dynasty.. After the Song Dynasty, it was mainly used for mounting calligraphy and paintings.

罗(Luó) adopts a unique twisted warp weave. Intertwined warp threads create star-shaped holes, making it highly breathable, known as "the natural air conditioner of silks". Four-warp twisted luó demands 30 procedures. Weavers can only produce a few centimeters a day. Suzhou patterned luó is an intangible cultural heritage craft.

The fabric worn by ladies in Beauties with Flower Hairpins is luó. It is the top sheer silk fabric with outstanding transparency, yet extremely costly. Handwoven four-warp luó is priced above 10,000 RMB per meter, harder to get than an Hermès bag. What makes it expensive? Thirty elaborate steps. Threads are twisted manually, with only 5cm woven each day. It was royal exclusive. In the Zhou Dynasty, only emperors could wear it. Noble ladies in Tang and Song loved luó, including Yang Guifei. Covered with star-like holes, it is breathable yet not see-through, keeping you cool in summer.

绸(Chóu): Simple interlacing, tightly woven like a fine sieve. A major category of silk, using plain or modified plain weave, referring to silks without the special structure of luó, líng or duàn. Medium weight, tight, smooth surface with soft luster, prone to creasing. Thin chóu for blouses and skirts. Thick chóu for coats and trousers, widely used as embroidery base fabric and decorative material.

缎(Duàn): Long silk threads rest on the surface, creating a mirror-like glossy sheen. It adopts satin weave. One set of threads stretches across the surface with long floats, covering evenly distributed interlacing points.

锦 (jǐn)/Brocade is the most sophisticated silk textile. Its weaving consumes massive time and raw materials, resulting in exorbitant costs. Constructed with multi-layer warp and weft threads, it forms patterns with colored silk yarns through figured weaving techniques. It boasts raised three-dimensional motifs and a dense, heavy texture, making it the most technically challenging type of silk. It feels substantial and stiff, featuring dazzling, luxurious luster, intricate elaborate patterns, strong wear resistance and great shape retention. Laws in the early Ming Dynasty strictly restricted commoners from wearing high-grade brocade, which was mainly supplied to the imperial court and officials. By the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the booming commodity economy fostered extravagant customs in the Jiangnan region(generally refers to the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in eastern China). Violations of dress codes became widespread. Numerous wealthy landowners, merchants and affluent commoners ignored the regulations and wore brocade, figured flower brocade and gold-thread brocade. In short, it was prohibited by law, yet wealthy civilians could acquire and wear such fabrics in practice.

绡 (xiāo) took shape in the Shang and Zhou dynasties and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. Extremely thin like cicada wings, it became the iconic fabric for overgarments worn by noble women in Tang China. It adopts plain weave or modified plain weave, featuring low warp and weft density, few interlacing points and neat, clear mesh openings. Xiao is usually woven from raw silk, granting the fabric inherent stiffness and structure. Lightweight and translucent, it holds its shape well without sagging, with open, breathable pores. In ancient times, it was used for outer cover gowns. Today, it is made into wedding veils and sun protection blouses.

纱 (Shā) is matured in the Han Dynasty and remained popular from the Tang and Song dynasties through the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was widely used for summer court robes, official garments and noblewomen’s attire. Generally woven in plain weave with sparse warp and weft threads, the fabric features evenly distributed tiny openings. It represents the lightweight, thin and sheer category of silk. Extremely light and breathable, it feels soft and flowing with natural drape. In ancient times, it was used for veils and outer overgarments; today it is crafted into lightweight dresses and veils. They may look alike, yet Shā is soft and supple with little rigidity. By contrast, Xiāo is woven from raw silk, firm and shape-retaining, and does not sag easily.

绢(Juàn) is one of China’s oldest silk fabrics and a vital carrier of cultural heritage. It served as the base material for many famous ancient paintings handed down through generations. Woven in plain weave, it features warp and weft threads of similar thickness arranged in neat, uniform intersections. The fabric boasts high density and a solid, stable structure. Varieties include plain juàn, dyed juàn, and juàn specially made for painting and calligraphy. It has a fine, smooth, firm texture and great durability. Soft against the skin, it balances suppleness and structural rigidity. Its applications cover painting and calligraphy, cultural relic restoration, and minimalist luxury apparel.

There is another fabric category not covered in this video.

绉 (zhòu) (ancient name 縠hú) first appeared before the Qin Dynasty and matured in the Han Dynasty. In ancient times it was called hú. It is the earliest silk fabric made with highly twisted yarns. Mostly woven on a plain weave base. Yarns are tightly twisted in alternating directions. After degumming, the threads shrink and twist, forming natural fine ripples across the fabric. It features inherent subtle crinkles and soft matte luster. Elastic and breathable, it does not cling easily to skin. In ancient times, it was used for summer overgarments and scarves. Today it is made into blouses, dresses and silk shawls.

[escaping-samsara]

Hidden Plastic - Metallic Yarn

There are many unsuspecting ways plastic can make its way into yarn. Not everyone realizes that certain fibers (nylon, acrylic) are made from plastic. It’s not common knowledge that making a yarn Superwash almost always includes coating the fibers in a plastic film (and SW yarn rarely discloses which kind of superwash treatment is used). Once someone can recognize these things they are easily avoided, but still plastic can sneak through.

Metallic Yarn

We’ve all seen yarn with glittery strands or speckles among the fibers. On the label, this is commonly listed as ‘x% metallic’. The name implies that these additions are made of metal, but this is rarely the case. There are many different materials which can be used to make metallic fiber, though rarely are they named, and more often than not they are plastic. In fact, the only non-plastic 'metallic' material I've found used in yarn is stainless steel, primarily included to create yarn that can hold its shape rather than add a metallic shimmer. The fact that all these different materials are described under the broad term of ‘metallic’ just adds to the labor of determining if something is really plastic free or not.

How to find out what the ‘metallic’ component is really made of:

If a yarn is listed as metallic, I first check the Ravelry page for more details. If this doesn’t produce clues, I’ll check sites selling the yarn. I’ve found that some list a specific fiber type, which I then check for plastic. If I can’t find any description of the metallic components, I reach out to the spinner/dyer for more information. This might seem like a lot of work to some people, but it is important due diligence. To be safe, most non-plastic knitters may wish to avoid "metallic" yarn all together.

Examples of plastic ‘metallic’ components used in yarn I’ve found:

Stellina - Metallic toned nylon or polyester

Lurex - Aluminum coated plastic film

Metallic Polyester - Polyester treated with vaporized metal

Payette - aka Payette sequins, a style of sewn sequins that are often plastic

Glitter - Plastic particles

Anything “Poly” - ‘metallic poly’, polyester, and polyamide are all polymer-based plastic fibers

Lamé - ‘Metallic fiber’ (most commonly plastic laminated aluminum) wrapped around natural or synthetic fibers

Mylar - Polyester film

Plastic-free metallic yarn options:

Tetsu from ITO - 61% Silk, 39% Stainless steel: https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/ito-tetsu

A-148 1/17.6 Wool Stainless Steel from Habu Textiles - 75% Wool, 25% Stainless steel: https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/habu-textiles-a-148-1-176-wool-stainless-steel

Plastic-free alternatives:

Using glass beads, metal beads, or spangles

Spinning or double stranding with metal thread (aka gilt thread)

Gold plated copper: https://parawire.com/craft-store/gold-plated-wire/

Metal plated silk: https://maydel.com/product-category/threads/real-metal-threads/

[vagisil]

the people yearn for nonplastic fabrics

[annaplexis]

Jogless #knitting week pt. 3

Jogless cast on edge

When casting on in the round, you can eliminate the jog at the beginning of the round by casting on an extra stitch and passing it over the first stitch.

There are other (equally good) ways of doing this. If you have a different method, don’t hesitate to share it in the comments. We all learn from each other 😉

[annaplexis]

Agreed, those underarm gaps on raglan/yoke sweaters can be VERY frustrating 🤨

Here’s the most effective method I have found so far to eliminate them:

At the point where you’re transitioning from picking up stitches to knitting the stitches on hold (or vice versa), 👉 pick up one loop inserting the right needle back to front

👉 pick up the next loop inserting the right needle front to back. Tighten the working yarn before knitting on.

On the next round eliminate these stitches as follows:

👉 Knit to last stitch before these 2 extra loops, make an improved SSK, i.e. slip the stitch knitwise, slip the loop purlwise and knit together as you would and SSK

👉 knit the next 2 sts together. (Here it may be a bit tricky to get the needle into the stitch). Again tighten the yarn before you knit on.

[catasters]

[annaplexis]

Cast on mid-project in colourwork

I can’t remember where I saw this tip, but I really love it 🧶😍😉🙌 If you are knitting colourwork and need to cast on extra stitches, e.g. for a thumb as in the video, or for the sleeves/armholes on a top-down sweater, you can use your 2 yarns and do the long-tail cast on.

I’m getting ready for winter and knitting a new pair of StripesNFlowers mittens ❄️

StripesNFlowers Mitts pattern by Anna Pantelous

Fingerless mittens in fingering weight yarn worked in stranded knitting. The pattern includes an option to make the mitts with or without i

[annaplexis]

🧶 Cow hitch increase

Unlike all other single-stitch increases I know, this one is perfectly symmetrical. I’ve been seeing it a lot in my feed lately, so I thought I’d share it. Haven’t tried it yet in a project though.

It mimics the structure of a cow hitch knot - hence the name.

🎥 🧶 👀✨

How to make increases

Depending on what you are making, you may need to increase the number of stitches on your needles. There is a number of ways to do this. For

[annaplexis]

Jeny’s interlock cast off

Which is my preferred stretchy cast off for ribbing?

I often end up doing Jeny’s interlock: It’s stretchy and matches the long-tail cast on pretty well.

🎥🧶

Everything you need to know about casting off

Regular cast off This is the most basic way to cast off. It normally turns out rather tight though. I like to go up half a needle size to ge

[annaplexis]

Jogless stripes in the round

Knit to the last stitch of the round and make a yo with the new colour bringing it up from behind the working yarn. Knit the last stitch with the old colour.

Knit the new round with the new colour without twisting the yarns.

When you get to the last stitch, knit it together with the yarn over.

This technique is demonstrated on the sleeves of the StripesNCotton Cardigan. Pattern available on Ravelry.

StripesNCotton Cardigan pattern by Anna Pantelous

The StripesNCotton Cardigan is a light summer cardigan with a fitted silhouette and inset sleeves. The instructions include an option with

[annaplexis]

Stretchy k2tog tbl cast off

Garter stitch is normally slightly looser in gauge than stocking stitch. This also means that the regular cast off will turn out too tight on e.g. a garter stitch shawl.

One solution is to go up a couple of needle sizes.

A better solution is the cast off shown in the video: Knit 2 stitches, insert the left needle through both of them and knit them together through the back loop.

Everything you need to know about casting off

Regular cast off This is the most basic way to cast off. It normally turns out rather tight though. I like to go up half a needle size to ge

[annaplexis]

Embroidery is another option for embellishing your knits. You can use any type of stitch. One type of stitch, however, is peculiar to knitting: the duplicate stitch, which mimics the knit stitch.

To embroider a stitch, bring up the tapestry needle from the back at the base of the stitch you want to cover. Then follow the path of the stitch and bring the needle down again through the same hole. Bring the needle up again at the base of the next stitch you want to cover. Try to cover the original stitch as much as possible.

Work in one direction and when you get to the end of a row of duplicate stitches, turn your project upside down to work the next row in the opposite direction.

[annaplexis]

Catching floats: catching the non-dominant yarn

Catching the non-dominant yarn is slightly more complicated than catching the yarn to the left. Once you get it though, it’s not so hard and you can do it in one fluid movement.

20. The Catchy One

How to catch long floats

[sosuperawesome]

Dinosaur and Dragon Cowl Patterns // Hunt Hand Knits

[annaplexis]

Changing colour

You may have seen that I join skeins by sewing one yarn end into the other, but that method obviously doesn’t work when changing colours.

This is what I do, if I have a colour change at the beginning of a row.

If the colour change is in the middle of a row or if I’m knitting in the round, I weave in the end the usual way, since this method would “close” the first stitch and it wouldn’t look neat.

And, I am often asked, doesn’t that extra thickness show, when you sew the end into the yarn? It depends on the yarn and on how well you tapered the ends beforehand.