Start Knitting with Linen

Linen is a wonderful fiber for summer knitting but has a reputation for being challenging to knit. Taking inspiration from the patterned knits of Sweden’s Halland province, instructor and knitting designer Wendy will share tips and tricks for knitting with linen while students cast on a small cloth, perfect for use as a washcloth. Students will cast on a small (approx. 6” x 5”) cloth, featuring a subtle star surface design from a very old Halland pattern-knit style.

While students knit, Wendy will discuss the linen industry in Sweden, her experience with cultivating and processing flax for making linen, and present unique techniques for working successfully with 100% linen yarn. By the end of class, students will have learned about some of the early history of knitting in the Halland province and know how to read a chart pattern for flat knitting.

Prerequisites:

• Skill level: Open to students with previous knitting experience, including the ability to cast on, knit and purl, and bind off.

• Ages: Suitable for ages 16+.

Tools and Materials:

A $20 materials fee covers the pattern and the project’s linen yarn and is payable to the instructor in class. Students need to bring their own 24 inch wooden or bamboo (not metal!) circular needles in US 2, 3, or 4. Loose knitters should bring a size 2 or 3, and tight knitters should bring a size 3 or 4. Please also bring a tapestry needle and any other favorite knitting tools.