And that brings us directly to the topic. Is that really the case? Can you only wear knitwear in the cold season? This question gets a very clear answer from me: Nope!
And why is that, you may be asking yourselves. Well, first of all it's because of the cut of the garment. Obviously, if I wear a long-sleeved, high-necked jumper in the summer, I'll probably get very hot. However, the answer lies not only in the type of knitted piece, but also quite clearly in the material - in other words, in the choice of yarn!
In this first blog post of my new series #YarnWhisper, I would like to tell you something about different yarn compositions and why they are suitable for different seasons.
Anyone who loves knitting knows the feeling of the overwhelming choice of materials for the next project. Not only all those colours and thicknesses, but also the yarn compositions! Then you finally decide on the perfect skein and start knitting full of anticipation, only to realise when wearing it that you're sweating your heart out. The frustration is great and the piece ends up sadly in the wardrobe, where it is usually forgotten. At least, that's how I felt the first time I knitted a summer top - out of pure new wool!
So to save yourself the whole debacle, you should also invest time in picking out the perfect yarn. And what about the compositions? I could simply give you a list of which yarn is suitable for which season. But I would like to give you a little more insight into the background of why each is so. Don't worry, there still is a compact list.
In general, the thermal effect of yarns is related to the air pockets and crimps per inch in the fibre. The larger these pockets, the more space there is to insulate air. The more crimps the fibre has, the warmer it holds you, because there is more space for these littel air pockets. Depending on the fibre density, this means that there are materials that are better suited for winter or summer.
Let's just start with the classic: animal wool. Generally speaking, wool is a material derived from animal fibres, and it is not only sheep with all its wool types, as one might first assume.
Sheep are joined by alpacas, angora rabbits, cashmere & mohair goats and the silkworm caterpillar.
The caterpillar's fibres are extracted from its larval cocoons, which is what makes silk so expensive. Because, as you can imagine, this process is very laborious and time-consuming. The smooth silk fibres hardly insulate heat, which makes the material more suitable for warmer outdoor temperatures than winter.
The wool of all the fur-containing animals mentioned has a warming effect. Even though many of these wools are temperature-regulating, this should not be understood to mean that a cool breeze will blow around you as soon as you get too warm in your clothes. That would be nice! Rather, the hollow spaces in the fibres are able to insulate body heat well, which keeps you warm. However, their natural ability to absorb moisture (e.g. sweat) and release it back into the environment at the same time creates a cooling effect that protects you from overheating. Somewhere the whole thing is logical, because it is still an animal fur that is normally found on the animal - summer and winter - and therefore must have a thermal effect.
Despite the temperature-regulating effect, I personally wouldn't go for animal wool for summer clothing, because in my view, plant-based alternatives are better suited for this. At least not in large wool thicknesses and for high summer. However, for a transitional piece worn in spring or autumn, the regulating effect can prove useful. The warmest winter days are best spent with pure new wool, alpaca or angora wool.
I would also like to point out to you that there are very big differences in animal fibres when it comes to animal welfare. Without going into great detail in this post (because that goes beyond the scope of the topic and is enough material for another time), it is still very important to me to draw attention to this. Because regardless of the suitability of the yarn, I don't think any animal should suffer for the benefit of humans.
Angora wool is often obtained by plucking rabbits alive, causing them great pain and distress, and they usually do not survive the procedure. When buying, make absolutely sure that it is not Chinese wool, where this is the common material extraction. If you want to avoid this suffering, you can look for rabbit wool at the local German Shop Seidenhase, for example. Their angora wool is obtained from happy free range bunnies without cruelty to animals in Thuringia.
Caution is also advised with merino wool! The process of 'mulesing' is a torturous procedure in which folds of skin in the tail area of merino lambs are cut off without anaesthesia and subsequent care. Mulesing is banned in many countries, including Germany. Nevertheless, when buying wool, you should make sure that the yarn has been produced without mulesing.
Moving on to plant fibres, the vegan alternative. Cotton, linen and bamboo are all materials that can be used to knit garments that are perfect for summer. The earlier mentioned principle of air pockets can also be taken as an explanation here - only in reverse. Because what the animal fibre has a lot of, these plant fibres have less of: space for cavities to store heat. For this reason, they lie excellently on our skin on warm days.
Pure bamboo and cotton yarns are pleasantly soft to wear, while linen yarn feels a little stiffer and more robust. However, they are all strong and extremely tear-resistant. When knitting, you get a very clear knitted pattern, which is very suitable for an airy lace pattern.
Cotton yarn in particular is perfect for summer knitting andy sweaty days, as the pieces can even be washed at up to 60° in the washing machine. Quite different from many animal wools, which can be more time-consuming to care for.
And last but not least, we come to the (semi-)synthetic fibres. There is a whole variety of them. Polyamide, polyester, polyacrylic, viscose, modal...the list is long! Many of these can be found in the form of blended yarns. That is, they are either combined with each other or with parts of natural or animal yarns. I am now referring to the use of the synthetic fibres, which are used purely or as a main substitute for wool.
Personally, I avoid artificial yarn for the reason that it is quite simply just that: artificial. Especially for sustainable reasons, the composition is already problematic for me in the production process. Nevertheless, everyone has to make this decision for themselves.
However, semi-synthetic fibres, i.e. fibres that have a natural origin but were produced synthetically, provide compensation. In my list, these are viscose and modal, for example, although modal is only found in blended yarns. The advantage of the semi-artificial is that they are still biodegradable. Both fibres are more suitable for summer clothing, as they have no heat-retaining functions.
That leaves us with our poly...-family. Unfortunately, I cannot argue without 'ifs and buts' with these yarns. Because in themselves they are all-rounders, but nevertheless they also have a catch.
Polyester is very durable and keeps you warm, especially in winter. Unfortunately the yarn does not have the breathability that plant and animal fibres do. Therefore the heat is trapped and cannot escape. The result: you sweat very quickly. For this reason, polyester yarns are not well suited for summer.
Polyacrylic is a fibre that is very easy to care for. It is machine washable and the knits do not weigh a lot. Like polyester, it keeps you warm, but unfortunately it also shares the disadvantage of not being breathable. So if you don't want to sweat too much, like me, it's better not to use it.
Obviously, my list does not include every single yarn that exists. This is just an excerpt of what I myself find most important. Have I left out the best in your opinion? Feel free to let me know!
And here is the promised list:
SUMMER YARN | WINTER YARN |
Silk | New Pure Wool |
Cotton | Merino Wool |
Bamboo | Alpaca |
Linen | Mohair |
Viscose | Angora |
| Cashmere |
| Polyester |
| Polyacryl |
I hope I was able to shed some light on the fibre compositions of yarns. Maybe this will make it a little easier for you to choose the material for your next project! :)
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