Woolcentric

Well, here we are. Ninety degree weather (32.2C for everyone else). Which I'm liking - not so much. And rather than doing the sensible thing and gardening or something equally summery I'm ..... well..... take a guess.

Knitting with wool.

I know that some people do cotton. I've seen cotton blend socks popping up on blogs here and there. Me? I don't wear socks when its 90 out. I'm either barefoot or barefoot inside my shoes. If I can get my shoes on my miserable, swollen feet. But Cassie does cotton? Not likely - the stuff just plain hurts my hands.

Can anyone honestly say that they're rather knit with cotton than Koigu? Koigu and wool sock yarns work just fine for me, even in the heat of summer.

Really, I'm not here to bitch birch about the weather. I told myself I wasn't going to do that, because as my mother always says, "It'll be hotter in August." Now that I'm thinking about this, I realize I have no idea what she says when August comes around. I'll have to wait and see. So I've got to bide my time until some really serious heat wave stuff gets going. I'm optimistically sure that this isn't a heat wave.... yet. It will stop and give us a reprieve.

When I wrote woolcentricity the other day, I was thinking of eccentricity, but having to do with wool. And I realized it could also be thought of in the sense of being wool-centered, which I also liked. Wool-centered, wool-strange, woolcentric.

From such things buttons are born.

 

For the cotton impaired. For those who love wool even in the heat of summer - knitting it, if not necessarily wearing it.

Now, all we need is a woolcentric manifesto. A declaration of sorts. Anyone care to work on this with me? It'll give us something to do until the weather cools off.

With thanks (and thanks again) to Abby, who designed the button to my specs and then had the grace to respond to my nagging.

Comments

[Helen]

Wool; Its not just for winter anymore.

;-)

Yesterday was spent spinning wool at the Alden Amos workshop. Even in the air conditioning of the Fiber Arts Center, it was still hot. But did it feel nice going through my fingers! Gotta love it!

[Laurie]

I'm with you on the cottonphobia, so Woolcentric is now mine also. Woolophilia rules!

[cari]

I wish I could complain about having had to knit wool with sweaty fingers this weekend, but actually I didn't have time to knit at all (which is way worse than having to knit with 100% cotton. I can't stand 100% cotton.). Some cotton blends though... Have you felt Rowan Calmer? It transcends its cotton content. It's delicious.

[margene]

Well, since you asked...there is nothing nicer for knitting than Koigu. There are many cotton yarns I don't care for but this spring I've found a few I like. Cotton blends on the feet are still to hot for summer but I've enjoyed the colors. Actually, I could be happy knitting with wool forever. You can find wools that are good to wear year round. The bottom line, however...in the all of it, woolcentric is you to a T.

[Kim]

Go ahead and complain about the weather and I will complain right beside you. This weather is plain ole yucky (for lack of a better word). This Saturday at the Fiber Frolic was the first time that I have ever thought is was just too hot and stick to spin or knit.

Next week, we will probably be back to winter.....LOL.

[Jackie]

Well, I have to admit that I like cotton - not as much as wool, but enough to enjoy it in the summer...please don't hate me for it! :)

[Judy]

I like the cotton/wool blend sock yarns pretty well...that's what I'm knitting with right now. And they are fine even here in SC when the weather is rainy (or the A/C is turned up high!).

But there truly is nothing nicer to knit with than Koigu.

[Norma]

Have you not ever heard of tropical wool? It's the perfect fabric for the deep tropics.

[Juno]

Wool is genius - wool keeps you warm when you are wet or cold, and yet will still breathes enough so that you can cool down when you are hot, it is elastic and forgiving and strong and beautiful and comes from sheep.

I remember visiting Sturbridge village when I was a little girl - those poor women in those long dark dresses! But one of them told my mother is actually wasn't as bad as you might think - everything was made of wool or flax and it really did breathe. And the costumed staff actually looked far less disgruntled by the heat than the sweating tourists.

[Deb]

Wool rocks! I'd rather knit with it than just about anything I can think of . . . Yes, even in the summer! (Though I am forever grateful for the invention of air conditioning.)

[Johanna]

I don't even wear cotton socks, period. So knitting them...well, phneh! It's 90 in Connecticut & I'm still knitting wool socks & dreaming up my next project in Lopi...

Birch it, baby, birch it!

[Teresa C]

So cool, that button goes on my blog asap! I have some Koigu socks going myself, along with my shawl and always prefer to work year round with wool. That said-each summer I have one or two cotton projects at the end of which I ALWAYS say I will NEVER KNIT WITH COTTON AGAIN! Hurts my hands, never looks even........So, this summer, like every one previous, I have *forgotten* and have two projects that I have gotten cotton for. Once I start them, you may want to skip over my blog because it will be filled with posts of me *birching*.

[Annie]

Yep, woolcentric too. :)

[mindy]

100% cotton - not for me. Some of those blends, though, are yummy. Cari's right about Calmer. And have you tried bamboo? Eee, that stuff is nice.

That being said, I spent most of the weekend with the AC cranked up, knitting wool socks and finishing something in bulky merino. So much for my 'summer knitting.'

[Colleen]

Oh, it's so much cooler up north in Boston (not!)

Wool can be surprising lofty and airy if it's blended with the right fibers, say, cotton. That's what I'm telling myself, at least.

[Risa]

I love it. Woolcentric is so totally right. I've been birching about the cotton knitting I've done recently and I always happily return to the cush that is wool.

Got Wool?

[Liz]

Please tell me you have AC. I so want to be woolcentric. In fact, I've been re-bitten by the spinning bug and bought some cool stuff at the Fiber Frolic, but I'm so hot and sticky, i don't know how I'm going to do it.

[Rebekah]

Yes I too am not one to knit with cotton very often. I do own cotton in my stash, and I do have intentions to knit with it, because I do like to wear cotton, but I don't seem to thrilled to knit with it.

[st. carrie]

I'm a complete slave to wool. I hesitate to call myself a wool snob, but I am thinking that I can only run from the designation for so much longer. 95 degress outside and I am sitting on the patio drinking my sweet tea and knitting with wool. There may or may not be cackling invloved.

[Nancy]

Wunnerful. Wunnerful. Wool is wunnerful. Summer or winter, springtime or autumn -- makes no nevermind.