Working with Linen

Working with LinenTips to Knit, Crochet and Weave linenGeneral TipsLinen is very stiff until it’s been “worked”. The more it is wound, knitted, twisted or washed and dried, the softer it becomes.bBalls wound on a ball winder may tend to spread in use. You can use a “yarn bra” or similar item to help contain the ball

Working with Linen

Tips to Knit, Crochet and Weave linen

General Tips

  • Linen is stiff until it’s been “worked”. The more it is wound, knitted, twisted or washed and dried, the softer it becomes.
  • Balls wound on a ball winder may tend to spread in use.  Hand wound balls work better machine wound balls or cakes.   Linen on cones behaves beautifully!
  • Items made with Euroflax can be machine washed, dried and steam pressed with a hot iron if needed.  It's best to remove items from the dryer while slightly damp.
  • It's normal for fuzz to gather in your dryer's lint trap for the first few washings. 

KNITTING TIPS

  • Wash and dry gauge swatches. Stitches relax and the size of the gauge swatch may change.
  • Don't be alarmed if your knitting looks messy! The stitches will relax and flatten when washed and dried.
  • With no natural elasticity, linen is not suitable for standard ribbing. Knit-in-hems, rolled borders, lace edgings and garter stitch borders all work wonderfully with this yarn. 
  • Linen works very well with cables, lace and knit/purl combinations.
  • Linen is often knit to different gauges.  The picture at the left shows Euroflax sportweight knitted in a lace pattern using size 8 needles, and the blue washcloth is knitted on size 3 needles.

WEAVING TIPS

  • It is important to wind your warp on with even, tight tension. 
  • Because there is no elasticity, there is less forgiveness for uneven tension
  • Linen is less prone to tangling than other fibers and winds onto the backbeam easily
  • Dampen Euroflax as you weave.  One method is to use a foam paint brush and water, painting a few inches from the fell line.   The weft can be dampened by moistening your fingers as you wind your bobbins or pirns.  Some run water over their bobbins or pirns and squeeze excess with a towel before weaving.   Although it's not necessary to dampen the yarn, it generally helps with selvages and relaxes the linen as you weave.
  • Advance the warp often, every two inches or so. 
  • Weight the selvages if having difficulty achieving even selvages.
  • Euroflax Sport is often sett at 12 epi for plain weave and 15 epi for twill.
    Euroflax 14/2 Laceweight is often sett at 18 epi for plain weave and 22 for twill.