Knits and the test of time
We love our handknits and after finishing that project you've been working so hard on, the pictures are always amazing.
But how to knits stand the test of time? It varies-- a lot. It depends on the type of yarn, the softness, the wear and tear on the garment itself and the amount of twist that was originally in the thread.
I think it's interesting to see how the knits stand the test of time. I've knit a lot of socks for Eisirt, and he wears them daily. They stand this test very well, but sock yarn is meant to be durable.
There are rumours flying around that the softer a yarn is, the easier it pills. I'm not 100% sure of that. I don't wear my Hitchhiker shawl enough to get an accurate idea. A very soft, high twist merino, it could go either way. My cashmere cardigan, very soft, tiny stitches, has a lot of pilling. And the Rockefeller I knit in 2016 shows it is clearly more a matter of yarn type than just fiber content: the Malabrigo sock is still perfect, while the Filcolana Anina is pilling. Both are merino's.
This category will be popping up occassionally, showing the wear and tear on the garment after a time. Today's showcase: The Sprout Cardigan.
At my work it's wonderful to wear sleeveless or short-sleeved cardigans with a longsleeve in winter. The longsleeve has tight sleeves and doesn't get in the way of work, while the extra layer on my torso, combined with my walking around every now and then to iron my work, keeps me warm enough.
This cardigan was knit from Zeeman Julia. It is a pretty soft yarn, a blend of 80% acrylic and 20% wool and not itchy enough to bother me much. It had very little twist and it was cheap. I finished this project in June of 2019, which means I wore it for two winters now. This is the state of it:
There is plenty of pilling going on in the chest and waist area, and I feel this much pilling means the cardigan should be replaced with a new one. I'm not sure how soon I'll get around to making a new one though. We'll see.
But how to knits stand the test of time? It varies-- a lot. It depends on the type of yarn, the softness, the wear and tear on the garment itself and the amount of twist that was originally in the thread.
I think it's interesting to see how the knits stand the test of time. I've knit a lot of socks for Eisirt, and he wears them daily. They stand this test very well, but sock yarn is meant to be durable.
There are rumours flying around that the softer a yarn is, the easier it pills. I'm not 100% sure of that. I don't wear my Hitchhiker shawl enough to get an accurate idea. A very soft, high twist merino, it could go either way. My cashmere cardigan, very soft, tiny stitches, has a lot of pilling. And the Rockefeller I knit in 2016 shows it is clearly more a matter of yarn type than just fiber content: the Malabrigo sock is still perfect, while the Filcolana Anina is pilling. Both are merino's.
This category will be popping up occassionally, showing the wear and tear on the garment after a time. Today's showcase: The Sprout Cardigan.
At my work it's wonderful to wear sleeveless or short-sleeved cardigans with a longsleeve in winter. The longsleeve has tight sleeves and doesn't get in the way of work, while the extra layer on my torso, combined with my walking around every now and then to iron my work, keeps me warm enough.
This cardigan was knit from Zeeman Julia. It is a pretty soft yarn, a blend of 80% acrylic and 20% wool and not itchy enough to bother me much. It had very little twist and it was cheap. I finished this project in June of 2019, which means I wore it for two winters now. This is the state of it:
There is plenty of pilling going on in the chest and waist area, and I feel this much pilling means the cardigan should be replaced with a new one. I'm not sure how soon I'll get around to making a new one though. We'll see.