Is Linen Sustainable? A Brief History of Linen and Tips for Using Flax
Is Linen Sustainable? A Brief History of Linen and Tips for Using Flax


When Was Linen First Used, How Linen is Made, What makes Linen a Sustainable Fabric and Tips for Knitting with Linen Yarn.Unlike other plant fibers like cotton, which is made from the seed head of the plant- designed to hold onto moisture, Linen is made from the stem of the plant, and the stem of the plants job is to move moisture, so linen is a naturally cool and moisture wicking fabric.

Flax was one of the first plants to be cultivated in the fertile crescent, dating back to 7000 BCE. Making linen one of the first fabrics humans used.

There are hieroglyphs in Egypt depicting the process of linen textile production, and mummies were often wrapped in linen cloth.

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How to dye Wool Yarn with Acid Dyes and Snow
How to dye Wool Yarn with Acid Dyes and Snow

It snowed again here in Wisconsin, and I wanted to get some practice with my snow dyeing…


What Can I use to Hand Dye Yarn?

For Acid Dyes to Work you need to use ported based fibers, that means, Wool, Alpaca, Silk, etc. Acrylic won’t work.

Dyeing wool with snow is somewhat of a surprise. I never really know what I’m going to get.

I applied the dye on top of the snow and as the snow melted, the dye entered into the yarn in the natural way the snow melted, and stuck where the citric acid was strongest. after mixing your colors and applying the dye there’s not too much you can do except watch as your bare yarn turns into beautiful hand dyed yarn.

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Knitting Yarn Review: Universal Yarn Deluxe Bulky
Knitting Yarn Review: Universal Yarn Deluxe Bulky

Right away I started creating with the yarn. I’ve been absolutely obsessed with this coral color lately, and it fits right in with 2021 spring/summer fashion trends. My upcoming brand Purlwear features universal yarn in a couple designs.

Let the Yarn Ideas Flow

I wanted to see how the yarn would hold up against a baby. *Rubbing hands together*

The first thing that I made was a baby cardigan, I used my free pattern mairzydoats.

I chose a baby cardigan because I knew it would get a lot of wear, and I would have to wash it often so I wanted to see how the yarn would stand up to heavy usage.

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How to Make Blended Batts on A Drum Carder (3 Ways!)
How to Make Blended Batts on A Drum Carder (3 Ways!)


When I am making an art batt I usually only let the batt go through the carder one time,

An art batt is less blended and the colors are less mixed, you have texture and layers and some lovely surprises!

I myself am attracted most to art batts, but sometimes can be intimidated by color,

If you’re new to color blending I would suggest consulting a color wheel or using a reference photo.

I tend to like monochromatic or analogous colors, and you can’t really go wrong there. If you want to spice it up a bit, a safe bet is to use complimentary colors!

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Why ply?
Why ply?

To ply this way you need to spin two singles in the same direction, and then ply by twisting the two singles together in the opposite direction on your spinning wheel.

I usually spin my singles in the clockwise direction (z spin) and then I ply in the anti-clockwise direction (s spin)

When my goal is to spin for consistency I like to spin my singles worsted, with a short forward draw, and then choose a 2, or a 3 ply yarn.

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