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Makalu 100% Silk, made in China

This singles yarn is a handspun monofilament made of cultivated silk top, which is soft (loosely) spun, similarly to Icelandic wool. It is uniform in shape, shiny, super soft and elastic, and is slightly twisted for better pilling resistance. It drapes exceptionally well, and is not crunchy (tightly twisted plied spun silks are crunchy to the touch). This silk yarn is available in natural shiny white colour and hand painted shades. Because all silks are extremely versatile, they are warm in winter and cool in summer, don't forget to think seasons when making a silk garment. We would recommend this yarn for summer articles. Very gentle hand wash is recommended to avoid pilling.

Advice: though silk is a very strong and elastic fiber, it stretches. The softer the hand of the silk, the more prone it is to stretching. Knit tightly, using smaller needle sizes (3.25 - 3.75 mm). Plain, or designs in textured patterns are suitable, tight cables are great.

Hint: "Feel the silk as you wind it into a ball; it's elastic. The give and stretching you have when knitting with silk is one of the many reasons to work with this fabulous fiber. Be aware that when it's knitted into a garment, it can lose its shape and stretch out. However, the fabric will come back when blocked. Since silk has a reputation for losing its shape, keep this in mind when knitting a garment. You might want to go down a needle size so the gauge is firmer. Making a garment a little shorter than if you were using wool will allow for some stretch as it grows." - source: E. Eskensen, "Silk Knits"

• For information: Silk is one of the greenest fibers in the world because of the specific silk production (there are only a few chemical fertilizers that can be used on mulberry plants), and it works up into garments that are best worn close to the skin like camisoles. Also, Silk and human skin have a similar protein composition that makes silk very comfortable to wear even close to the skin. [Silk fiber, source: Color Works (The Crafter's Guide to Color) by Deb Menz.]

* Similar yarn: Silk Dream, Silk

FIBRE: 100% Silk Top Soft Spun
YARN WEIGHT: Heavy Worsted/Aran
TENSION: 16 sts / 20 rows
NEEDLES: tight knit on 4 - 4.25 mm (US No.6)
LENGTH: approx. 142 m / 157 yds
HANK WEIGHT: 100g (3.5oz)
Knitted Sample
PATTERNS: Silk Knits
Sample patterns for silk
Price: $23.99 /Natural and Paints, $19.99 /Tone-on-Tone
In inventory: undyed: 913 Natural White; hand painted: 903 Terrestrial, 907 Iridescent, 911 Divine, tone-on-tone: 902 Blue (3 hanks),04 Emerald (2 hanks)
* new from March 10: more stock of col. 911 Divine, new col. 907 Iridescent, 903 Terrestrial

Garment Care

Soak your silk garment 1-2 hours in the sink with lavender wash or any other woolwash "no rinse". Do not agitate as this can cause pilling. Before lifting the garment out, drain the sink, and very gently squeeze the garment to remove excess water using a towel or a piece of cotton cloth. Dry flat on a towel, pulling the garment into correct shape. Store silk knitwear flat in a storage bags for extra protection against pilling and stretching. Do not hang silk knitwear on hangers. Iron with a damp cloth, press lightly just to steam the garment.

• Makalu Yarns Index

Colour:	903, Terrestrial907, Iridescent911, Divine913, Natural White
Quantity:

Colour:	902, Blue904, Emerald
Quantity:

903, Terrestrial (Azure-Ocean-Slate-Marine-Evergeen-Moss-Khaki-Mocha-Coffee Rich)

907, Iridescent (Brilliant Yellow-Gold-Peach-Apricot-Pink-Blossom-Baby Pink-Lavender-Violet-Lavender Mauve)