Free Shipping on orders over €75 (Germany) | €125 (International) – We're on a short shipping break, but the webshop is open! Next shipping date: April 30
Free Shipping on orders over €75 (Germany) | €125 (International) – We're on a short shipping break, but the webshop is open! Next shipping date: April 30
We're here to help you stitch sustainability into every aspect of your making.
With our carefully curated selection of non-superwash, plastic-free yarns and notions, we have everything you need to get started on your next project - and the one after that.
Here's to a wardrobe of knits we love and want to wear for years to come!
We're here to help you stitch sustainability into every aspect of your making.
With our carefully curated selection of non-superwash, plastic-free yarns and notions, we have everything you need to get started on your next project - and the one after that.
Here's to a wardrobe of knits we love and want to wear for years to come!
July 07, 2019 3 min read
With the launch of the Making Stories Summer Sock KAL, it's safe to say we have socks on our brains as well as our feet. We nearly always have at least one sock pattern in each of our publications, and a gorgeously natural sock yarn always accompanies them. Though we have often mentioned the natural sock yarns we use on social media and included articles in our work, we haven't talked about it much here on the blog, so I thought I would write a little today about just why we love them.
When it comes to choosing a sock yarn, it's become the norm for knitters to reach for a superwash blend with nylon added for strength, and I can see why. Firstly, the convenience of being able to pop your socks in the washing machine is a huge bonus, and secondly, you've put all the time and effort into knitting your new socks, you want to make sure you won't find holes in then after only a few wears. It makes sense! And if that is your favourite yarn for sock knitting, I'm not going to tell you your wrong, because, at the end of the day, you do you! For us, however, some definite drawbacks come with the convenience of superwash yarn.
As you know, we are passionate about living and working as sustainably as possible, and a lot of the processes that are involved during creating superwash yarns are incredibly toxic for the environment. If you are interested in reading further on this topic, Ashley from Woolful has a fantastic post on this. There are also huge benefits to using natural fibres for your feet, and I'm going to share them with you here, along with a few tips on how to get a pair of hardwearing socks, naturally!
There are lots of factors that go into having a pair of socks that will stand the test of time:
Socks have traditionally been knit out of wool, and there's a good reason for that. Hardwearing, temperature regulating, and moisture-wicking, it's no wonder it has always been the fibre of choice for socks. It's also very elastic, which is so essential for both a comfortable fit and for retaining shape after wearing. To create a stronger sock yarn, we are now seeing spinners and yarn companies adding natural alternatives to nylon to strengthen such as mohair and silk.
You will often hear people talking about how much twist a yarn will have. This simply refers to how tightly a yarn is spun, and it can affect the strength of a thread; the tighter the spin, the stronger the yarn
There's a reason sock needles are always so tiny. A tighter gauge will give you longer-lasting socks as there is less room for the stitches to move around. A looser gauge leads to the stitches rubbing against each other, causing friction and wear.
The pattern you choose for your socks can have a significant impact on how long your socks last, particularly in the areas that take a lot of wear. There's a reason you never see fun lace details on heel flaps, they wouldn't last a week! Often you will see designers add slipped stitches to 'high-traffic' areas such as these to create a more durable fabric. They also look pretty nice too.
Hand washing your knitted socks is obviously not as easy as throwing them in the washing machine, but it is easy and really not terribly time-consuming. By investing in a good wool wash such as Euclan or Soak, all you need to do is give them a good soak, gently squeezing out any air bubbles and making sure they are completely submerged. Leave them for about an hour and lay flat to dry. The most important things to remember are to never have your water too hot and don't agitate your knitting, this will lead to felting, and never wring out your hand knits, or you'll be left with a misshapen sock. Roll them in a towel to take out any excess water.
You've made socks that you love, and you never want to wear anything else! It doesn't matter that you've picked a durable wool yarn with a high twist and knit to a tight gauge with slipped stitches at the heel (phew!). At some point, you're going to discover some wear and tear. At one time, sock darning was not only a way of life but a necessity, which has, unfortunately, gone out of style. It's the perfect way to breathe new life into a well-loved item, and for some, it doesn't stop there. Check out this post by Tom of Holland, who is making visible-mending into a work of art!
What is your favourite sock yarn? Share in the comments below!
Comments will be approved before showing up.
April 10, 2024 4 min read
Hi lovelies! Spring has sprung here in Berlin – as I am typing this (mid March), the buds on the chestnut tree out the window are a few days away from bursting, the forsythias are in full bloom, and our strawberry plants have started their comeback as well (leaves so far, but Aurin checks every day for berries :)).
So it's no surprise at all that today's blog post is very much inspired by the sun and the warmer days to come! I have put together a sweet roundup of 6 joyful spring knitting patterns, all of which I'd love to have on my needles soon. (If someone can get me an extra day or two per week to knit (oh, and to spin), I'd love that!)
The three yarns I've paired them with are my favorite spring / summer yarns: De Rerum Natura's Antigone, a delightful sport-weight linen yarn, Wooldreamers' Saona, a 50% Spanish cotton, 50% Spanish wool blend, and Natissea's Pernelle, our newest spring yarn: A 100% European hemp yarn!
April 02, 2024 3 min read 1 Comment
Hi lovelies! As you might know, we are slowly, surely expanding the portfolio of the shop – I am always on the lookout for wonderful sustainable yarns that might fill gaps we still have, and one that was on the list since last summer was an additional spring / summer yarn.
When I learned about Natissea, a French yarn company dedicated to organic plant yarns, from Audrey Borrego last year, I immediately contacted them to order some samples. As soon as I had Pernelle, their 100% European hemp yarn, on the needles, it was love – grippy, but not ropey, with a lovely drape that only got stronger after a good washing and blocking session.
The shade cards had me swooning too – a really comprehensive, well-composed range of colors with something for everyone in it, from neutrals to spring-inspired pastels to deep jewel tones.
So I was so pleased when Natissea accepted us as a stockist – and I am extra excited to introduce Pernelle to you. Our first 100% hemp yarn, perfect for summer tops, T-Shirts, and lightweight sweaters!
I reached out to Mathilde over at Natissea and she graciously agreed to answer a few questions about Pernelle. I loved reading her answers!
March 11, 2024 1 min read 2 Comments
Hello lovelies!
I am back today with a slightly unusual post that starts with a big, big apology to Liza Laird. Liza is a wonderful author (you might know her book Yoga of Yarn), knitter, teacher and yogi, and we were supposed to publish her beautiful poem "in and out", inspired by the ocean, in our Issue 11, "Seashore".
While I was putting the final touches on our layout, I realized that we had a spread too many (we always print in increments of 4 pages, or 2 spreads) and inadvertently cut the spread with Liza's poem instead of the photo spread I meant to delete.
We're a delightfully tiny team dedicated to all things sustainability in knitting. With our online shop filled with responsibly produced yarns, notions and patterns we're here to help you create a wardrobe filled with knits you'll love and wear for years to come.
Sign up to our weekly newsletter to get the latest yarn news and pattern inspiration!
Every Tuesday our newsletter arrives in your inbox, full to the brim with Making Stories goodness. If you would like to join in on the fun, fill in the form below.
As a thank you, we gift you a digital publication of your choice!