So as soon as my LYS, Urban Yarns, got Euroflax linen I started plotting a project to try it out. Although the yarn felt rough at first I was promised that it would become silky soft after some use. I was skeptical, believe me, but the more I thought about it the more I had to try it! The colours were so alluring, the pattern so delicate and lovely, and the online advice for working with linen promised a lovely drape. The other upside to the Euroflax Linen is that it is machine washable and dry-able! My mission was clear: find out whether or not the rumors were true about knitting with linen.

I found a gorgeous online pattern from Louet, the Lacey Shawl and picked up 3 skeins of the linen in a lovely green. I started to knit with it and I was still unconvinced. How could something so rough and string-like become a soft and lovely shawl? I even had to take it out a couple of times and it didn’t really get any softer. The pattern was going well, the name describes it perfectly. I began to think of how I would make this shawl with something else, not this rough linen.

When I completed the project I was still unsure. I bought some soak hoping that this would help the situation. I put my completed shawl in the washing machine (something that always makes me a smidge nervous). When the wash cycle was over I pulled it out ( all in one piece, hooray!) and put it in the b with the soak. I still wasn’t sure but I was going to give it my best shot! Once it had soaked for 15 minutes or so I put ‘er in the dryer and crossed my fingers! Well, my fears were unfounded. The shawl came out soft and lovely with a nice drape and a kind of sheen to it that I find quite becoming. I have also heard that 2 washes is better than one so I will definitely be giving that a try!