It’s that time of year again! Time to cast off chunky wool and start thinking about spring fibers, spring colors and lighter knits. Though I am devoted to wool (and have vowed to spend summer knitting myself more winter sweaters), I’m always excited when ‘cotton-time’ comes around again. There’s something magical and vibrant about the way cotton accepts color, and boy, am I ready for color right about now!
Here’s an old stand-by that has graced the shelves of yarn shops for decades. Because it’s so ubiquitous, I often forget what a pleasure it is to use. I think Butterfly is one of the few mercerized cottons that comes in a DK weight. Once marketed under the brand name “Kertzer Super 10” and with its trademark sheen, it creates items with a graceful drape and a silky hand. It comes in, conservatively, 5 million colors. Most people associate Butterfly with crochet but I’m knitting up a sample of the Market Tote we’ll be making in Knitting 101. We’ll use it for Crochet 101 as well; it showcases stitch combinations beautifully.
Ever wonder what “mercerized” means? It’s a process by which cotton thread is treated with a chemical compound, originally sodium hydroxide, which causes the cell wall of the fiber to swell making it stronger, more reflective and easier to dye. Add to that the finishing step of “gassing” where the thread is passed over an open flame burning off stray threads. This gives mercerized cotton its shiny appearance and silky feel.
As a former resident of the deep south, I can tell you truly that cotton is a fuzzy ball of paradox. The puffy, fluffy bits are soft alright, but the plant is as sharp as a bag of razor blades made even more cruel by its curved and thorny pods and leaves. I’m always surprised by the unmercerized cottons, the natural ones with a soft, fuzzy feel like Rowan Handknit Cotton. They’re duller in finish with a deeper lustre that seems to drink the light right in. For our Crochet Project class, we’re making this precious cotton picnic blanket. The pattern is by Lion Brand, but we’ll be using the Rowan yarn. And check out these whimsical fruit-inspired potholders and trivets! I’m using this pattern from PurlBee for our summertime crochet workshop. Pretty, huh?
