Knitting ‘Sleek and Polished’ Garments in Nutiden Yarn?
Q: As a fellow Nutiden fan, I always enjoy seeing your Nutiden garment samples. I am especially intrigued by how you manage to take unspun wool beyond the rustic, bohemian aesthetic, and adapt it to a more sleek and contemporary style. I have tried, but cannot seem to accomplish this. Even when I choose a streamlined pattern such as Versal or TULC, I cannot get that polished look when knitting with Nutiden. Are there any special techniques you can share?
I’ve been asked this question in some form or other almost since I began working with Nutiden. And up until now I have been hesitant to address it publicly. First, because whenever I answer it privately, I tend to get pretty strong pushback against my suggestions, which has made me feel that answering is kind of pointless. But second, and perhaps more importantly: I do not want to come across as implying that the tendency for Nutiden garments to look ‘rustic’ is somehow problematic.
Different yarns have different characters; that is the whole beauty of it. For those not familiar, Höner och Eir Nutiden is a small-batch production Swedish yarn with a cult following. It is a raw, minimally processed, unspun wool, and as such it has certain inherent attributes. It is textured and variable in thickness. It contains lanolin and some vegetable matter. It is fragile and unstable to knit with, making tension trickier to control than with a traditionally spun yarn. And because the sheepswool is overdyed without bleaching, the colours are always somewhat heathered - reflecting the natural tonal variance of the underlying fibres. When knitting with Nutiden, these factors combine to produce a rather unique fabric that indeed is more conducive to a rustic/ Bohemian aesthetic than it is to a sleek and polished one.
And to be clear, more often than not, I prefer to go with this aesthetic rather than against it. I would say that most of my Nutiden knits can be described as folksy, bohemian, rustic - or whatever term you prefer to use.
But sometimes it is interesting to experiment with contrasts. And Nutiden is a versatile enough yarn to make a ‘streamlined, polished’ look possible, even if it does go against the grain of its inherent characteristics.
If you are interested in how I accomplish this, it really boils down to these 4 things:
1.Adhering to the Correct Gauge
Typically, my patterns which are compatible with Nutiden held double, state a gauge between 17 and 19 stitches per 10cm. However, I am aware that Nutiden yarn is easier and perhaps also more pleasant to knit loosely. Which is probably why many Nutiden knitters opt for a looser gauge than my patterns actually state, going down in garment size to compensate. This is a perfectly valid tactic - as long as you are aware that knitting at a looser gauge will accentuate the wild and uneven qualities of the yarn. Conversely, going with a tighter gauge will result in a smoother, more ‘manufactured’ looking fabric. So if the latter is your goal, it is important to adhere to the gauge stated in the pattern.
2.Being Meticulous About Edgings
Related to the pervious point, is the issue of edgings: that is, hem, cuffs and neckband. Now I do understand that because edgings are typically worked last, it is tempting to consider them almost an afterthought and want to get through them quickly. On top of that, I have noticed that many Nutiden knitters tend to ignore the pattern’s instructions to use (often considerably) smaller needles for the edgings than for the main fabric. As a result of these two things combined, edgings can easily be made to look sloppy and vague - which is the antithesis of a polished-looking garment. While it might seem like torture to knit rib in Nutiden held double on teeny tiny needles, that is exactly what needs to happen for the edgings to look crisp and well defined. Try it, and you will find that this can really make or break a garment.
3.Putting Extra Effort into the Finishing
There is a popular opinion, that with Nutiden it is not necessary to weave in ends - because if you simply leave them be, they will felt and fuse into the underside of the fabric. And technically, this is true. But whether the result is what you want aesthetically, is another matter. Because leaving the ends to felt rather than weaving them in and trimming, will result in a lumpy fabric. It can also have the effect of the fabric not fusing optimally in the spots where you’ve left the ends to just do their thing. For example, I have seen finished Nutiden garments where the knitter did not even bother to weave in the yarn tail at the end of the bind-off/ start of the cast-on. This results in a noticeable ‘step’ at the start/ end of round along the edgings. I have also seen distorted gaps in the underarms, where the knitter opted not to weave in ends from the underarm pickup points. So really, in my opinion this is an example of ‘just because you can, does not mean you should.’ If anything, I would err on the side of putting extra effort into the finishing of Nutiden garments, if you are aiming for a polished and streamlined look.
4.Making Friends with the Steam Iron
If I haven’t alienated you already with the previous 3 points - don’t worry, this might be the one to make you run for the hills. In the finishing instructions of most of my garment patterns, it is suggested to press (this means iron!) the fabric as the final step of the blocking process. I am under the strong impression that most knitters recoil in terror at this idea and definitely skip this step. Which is a shame, because it is a huge contributing factor in my finished pattern samples looking ‘streamlined and polished’. It is a widely held, but incorrect belief, that ironing handknits somehow damages them. It is done with commercial knits routinely. And it is the crucial final step for ‘setting’ the fabric in its smooth and even state. If you are worried, use a gauze or microfibre pressing cloth between the steam iron and the garment. And turn the garment inside out just in case. But do try it. And you will see what an amazing difference it makes to the overall presentability of your finished project.
And so there you have it. I don’t think I have written anything earth-shattering or even super controversial here. But as mentioned earlier, I do get a lot of pushback and debate on each of these points whenever I raise them. For which honestly I think there is no need. It is by no means my suggestion that you are ‘doing it wrong’ if you are not following the above advice. But when asked how I accomplish a certain look to my finished samples, this is my answer.
Whether you prefer a more rustic or a more polished look to your knits, I think it’s wonderful that Nutiden is capable of both.
Patterns Left to Right:
6x2 Pullover
Nostalgic Sweater Coat
TULC (The Ultimate Lazy Cardigan)
Tearoom Pullover
Saglan Pullover
LLF (Long Lost Friend)
