My Favorite Yarn To Knit With In The Summer

Hint: it's not cotton (although cotton is a close second)

I love to knit. But I live in the desert, where it’s hot. Almost year-round. Even in the winter it’s too warm to wear true winter clothing.

For years, I’ve been searching for the perfect yarn to knit summer shirts with.

I tried cotton - it was a bit too stiff for garments, though not terrible. It proved to be perfect for dish cloths though.

I tried bamboo. I actually liked it, it had a nice drape and feel, but it was still a bit warm when worn.

And then I found linen. Linen yarn. It’s not too common, and you need to know you are looking for it to find it. I thought of the perfect material for summer clothing in a hot environment. My favorite pieces of clothing were linen. I remembered even my grandmother used linen to sew blouses for summer wear. I was not aware of linen yarn though, but I did a search - and found it!

Since then, I’ve been using it a lot. I made several summer tops from it over the years, all still in good shape after years of wear and washes (in regular cycle).

one of my favorite linen knitted tops - worn for years

Why linen?

Linen is a smooth and crisp yarn, made from fibers of the flax plant.

It is one of the most environmentally friendly fiber with the least harmful impact. The plant is eco-friendly since it requires little water, so no irrigation, and it is grown on rotation. The transformation process from plant to fiber requires no additional water and all parts of the plant are used.

It is a great choice for warm-weather knits because it is airy, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying. The initial crisp feel may deter some knitters, but the beauty of this yarn is the fact that it only gets softer with age, wear, and wash.

However, knitting with linen feels different from knitting with wool or other yarn, mostly because it is not as elastic. While knitting, linen yarn feels almost crunchy. It took a bit of getting used to. But also, it does not make me hot while knitting in the summer, as other yarn does.

And the finished piece is wearable in the summer. As I mentioned earlier though, it gets softer after a few washes.

Most linen yarn you’ll find is a blend. I use Lindy Chain from Knit Pick, which has a 70% linen content, with the rest of 30% cotton - both great choices for summer knitting.

Gray knitted top using Knit Picks Lindy Chain yarn

Tips to knit with linen:

Best if used with wooden or bamboo needles.

You can use almost any pattern, but since linen is not stretchy, it’s best to avoid cables and ribbing in patterns you use it for. I love cables but I found that linen is not the right yarn for them. On the other hand, it works great for simple lace and basic knit and purl patterns.

If you live in a hot climate, I hope you’ll give linen a chance.