Dear Kay,
Twelve years later, I am back with my report on the durability of Euroflax linen yarn.
What I am about to report may astonish you—indeed it astonishes me even as I gaze at the photographic proof. No filters, no retouching. Take a look.
This isn’t one of those wimpy Consumer Reports laboratory tests. This is the real deal: twelve punishing years of hard and regular use of handknit items in an environment that can only be described as unforgiving, relentless, often involving toddlers, teenagers, and middle-aged men.
No human-shaped dummies were involved—all stress was generated by human-shaped humans doing the thing that humans do: wear stuff down, Grand Canyon style.
Exhibit A: Euroflax Hand Towels
I experimented with hand towel pattern ideas, back in 2004. Since then, these four towels have been a constant amenity in our guest bathroom, aka the bathroom where you go when you really want quality time all by yourself, aka the most popular room in the house.
These towels have been washed hundreds of times, left to dry on top of the clothes dryer all smoothed out, and they still look brand new:
What are you, Euroflax? Are you made of steely determination? Iron will? Pure grit?
Exhibit B: Euroflax Piano Bench Cushion
Hubbo plays the piano every single day. He comes home and starts playing whatever he’s got in his head. This piano bench is where he sits, every day.
I made this cushion in 2004 as an upholstered tribute to Hubbo’s grandfather, who played a lot of piano in his day. (Story here.) Sometimes you just want to memorialize somebody with a cushion.
You will notice that the sides of the piano bench cushion are deflating a bit. I’d go for a knife-edge cushion next time I make a memorial piano bench cushion. But what you’ll notice as well is that the Euroflax on top is not deflating, or tired, or stretched. It isn’t even worn. The colors are the same as the day I finished it. I find this completely amazing.
Why You Need to Know This
I mention all this because we are currently overseeing a giveaway of eight skeins of Euroflax yarn, and everybody needs to understand that this yarn is for the ages.
It will not fall apart. It will never die. The Sceles pullover that you make with this yarn will last so long that your grandchildren will dig it out of your antique Container Company wicker storage bin a hundred years from now and screech with delight at the perfection of Grandma’s taste in yarn.
Enter our Louet Euroflax Yarn For The Ages giveaway right here.
Trying to think what my next Euroflax project will be.
Love,
Ann
Wow. Impressive durability!
Do you have project notes on that gorgeous cushion somewhere?
There is actually a pattern for this cushion in our first book, Modern Daily Knitting: The Curious Knitter’s Guide, which you can get at your library or bookstore. I really would recommend a knife-edge cushion–it takes a superstout cushion filling to keep a box-edge cushion from getting mushy over time.
Thank you, Ann!
When I first saw your piano bench cover, (First book?) I had just the chair seat cover in mind. Even bought the yarn! Still have the chair, still have the yarn, and you just triggered another project. I really have to retire, it’s the only way I will be able to keep up!
Retire! Retire! You have cushions to make! ; )
Wow – and here I’ve been thinking we need a new piano bench cushion….
Do it! Pick out some awesome stitch pattern, knit at a firm gauge, get an upholsterer to cook up a cushion for you. Or make one yourself if you’re a genius about stuff like that. (I am not.)
Very impressive! Inspired to get back to hand towel knitting!
It really is kind of mind boggling to see.
Incredible. They are still so beautiful. I have recently purchased linen to guest towels for a dear friend. I was going to make them plain, figuring they would break down quickly like cotton can. But seeing these, I think I’ll go for some pattern! Thank you. (It always inspires me check the stash, perhaps to make myself a linen shell…..)
The sturdiness is so surprising to me, too. So different from cotton.
It’s still gorgeous! But — 2004? How can that be? I’m pretty sure I remember that post, although I didn’t comment on it (I checked!). That was in the early days of my return to knitting, probably during my blog-lurking period. Back then, I had a piano, and thought about making a cushion for the bench although frankly, the sewing of the cushion probably discouraged me more than the knitting part! Now that piano is in my sister’s house. I wonder if she needs a cushion?
Janna, I was stunned when I discovered that date. Where . . . does . . . the time . . . go . . .
I’ve always sworn I would never knit a hand towel or wash cloth, but you may have changed my mind. Yours are really beautiful. Not to mention, of course, that it’s a good reason to finally try Euroflax. And then of course you’ve got me asking, What could I upholster in Euroflax?
I was that way about socks until I made a sock at which point I was all ONLY LOSERS DON’T KNIT SOCKS.
Scary. Like Picture of Dorian Gray scary. Like mutant yarn scary.
We shall not contemoplate the moral hideousness lurking inside that cushion.
After Kay’s dishrag post yesterday, I frogged a worn Euroflax feather-and-fan scarf (circa 2006) that I’d considered putting in the giveaway bag because I rarely wear it any more. Frogged beautifully, and now it’s on the way to becoming dishcloths for my new kitchen. And my own single guest towel, knitted in Euroflax just after your first book came out, is still going strong. Ah, Euroflax!
Maybe we’re just missing the point and we should each have maybe ten skeins of Euroflax that we knit, undo, and reknit over and over. #frugal
Perusing the new Knitty and there’s a Euroflax pullover: http://knitty.com/ISSUEss16/PATTinhabit.php !
That’s such a classic pattern! I really love it.
Hand-knits that endure. Every knitter’s dream (or at least this knitter). I don’t enjoy knitting with linen (the process, I mean) as much as wool, but this is a large argument in favor of “It’s Worth It”.
Definitely a different feel from wool. Takes a little faith that it’s going to all turn out.
My Euroflax towel is ten years old, well used and looking great. It was one of the first things I knit from your first book. Love the book and have knit many things. I’m “in process” of destashing and have an afghan quantity of yarn waiting to become a mitered square blanket. Thanks for the inspiration.
Don’t rush the destashing. I ended up destashing and keeping most of it because I LURVED IT ALL.
Curious to see your mitered square blanket–kind of craving one myself…
I am so inspired by this post! Completely and utterly amazing!!!! Now I just have to win the contest so I can get some of that Euroflax yarn!!!!
GOOD LUCK!
This made me laugh. I am still wearing the Euroflax top I knit at least 12 years ago. Like a vintage linen towel, it is softer with time, but still looking great, and it still gets compliments from strangers. An all over lace, I wear it in ordinary circumstances and while it catches on things, it has never snagged. I make one linen garment every spring, all still in circulation
This spring there is a Ravelry KAL for Lichen…mine is Euroflax.
No snagging? Yet another excellent quality . . . hadn’t experienced this.
Will go scope Lichen. I love lichens, just saying.
I made the hand towels when your book came out — one green, one purple. They are beautiful. The problem is nobody ever used them — people kept looking for anywhere else to dry their hands! Too nice, she made them by hand, etc. I put them away eventually. Now I’m going to find them and try again.
Can you tell me which Euroflax yarn you used to knit your towels with? There are so many euroflaxes it is confusing – lace weight 14/2, 14/1, sport weight, DK, worsted, etc. I would love to knit some towels need some guidance.
Hi Lynne! That’s Euroflax sport weight. There are two hand towel patterns in our first book, Modern Daily Knitting: The Curious Knitter’s Guide, which is available at your library or at a bookstore. Have fun!
You are fabulous! Thanks for your quick reply -now I’m off to find your book!
Love the towels and the piano bench cushion! Think I’ll frog that Euroflax vest that has been in the time-out corner for a number of years. It would make nice hand towels. Thanks for the inspiration!
Maybe I’ll need to put a note on them when we have company: “Yes, these are pretty and yes, I made them. And yes, please USE them.”
I think that’s the hardest part!
The ancient Egyptians knew a thing or two about durability, and linen was one of them.
I hang my Euroflax hand towels in the kitchen where folks have no other choice for drying hands so the linen gets used. Still looking brand new after many years.
I mean, the Shroud of Turin is still around, and it’s linen . . .
This is such good news. I have a chair that needs a cushion and I was really hoping to knit one. Nah, I thought, it won’t wear well. Well. Now I just have to google knife pleat and decide what color to make and I’m on my way. Thank you!
Black Trillium Lilt, Yoth Big Sister, Blacker DK, Habu Gima, Madelinetosh Vintage.
I remember seeing that piano bench cushion in your book and thinking I should knit one. That was when I was playing the piano daily. Now I’m just knitting daily! I do love Euroflax linen; I have a tank top knit with it. I washed it by hand the first time, because I wanted to feel it transforming from string into swingy drapey fabric. I was not disappointed!
It really is one of the great transformations in knitting. MUST BELIEVE.
My couple of Euroflax sweaters are still looking and wearing great after 10 years ++. They go in the washer and dryer too, where they shed much lint but keep looking new. Awfully tempted to make a piano bench all of a sudden.
Well, I love all those linen Monteagle bags that I’ve knitted (from your second book). I have two that I shove down in my purse when I go shopping (they don’t take up much space) and pull them out to hold vegetables or whatever. I’ve amazed many cashiers with how much stuff they can hold. Linen is notorious for being strong and durable! The Monteagle bag is fun to knit (with all those crazy stitches) and they make great gifts!
Francie! At least you hung onto yours–I gave my three away, one by one. I am feeling a need coming on!
Wowza, that fabric is Some Kind Of Durable! And it looks fantastic! I remember when you knitted the cushion, but it was so long ago I think it was back when I was too shy to actually comment on blogs.
(I know, right?)
I honestly don’t remember the towels, but did you also knit (forgive me if I dreamt this) a linen curtain? Because when I put all those windows on my porch last year, there was a crazy moment when it occurred to me that knitting eight unmatched lacy half-curtains would be brilliant, and one nanosecond later you came to mind as the likely source of “my” idea.
The knitted curtain thing continues to haunt me. I have a number of windows that would really benefit from such a thing, yet I don’t know when I’m going to get those. You need to go ahead and crank your eight curtains. Imagine how it would look!
I remember when you made that piano bench! Dang – we’ve been virtual BFFs for a long time…