Spring Yarns - Cotton Classic & Cotton Classic Lite

Los Angeles Pullover

The tulips are blooming in Northern Illinois!  Time to put away the snow shovels, roll out the bar-b-q grill . . . and switch to spring knitting!

"Spring" knitting?  Yup.  As in lighter yarns, lighter colors and lighter projects. 

Spring Yarn.  Put away the heavy wools!  It's time for lighter weights in cotton and linens, refreshing yarns that will breathe and wick to keep you cool while you look cool!

Bonus:  Tahki's Cotton Classic Lite and Cotton Classic are both 100% Mercerized Cotton, and both are on sale at 20% off until May 31st. 

New Leaf Shell

Spring Colors.  Deep brown, black, navy blue and forest green look great against the winter snow, but spring makes me think of light pastels like amethyst, light blue, bubblegum pink and light lavender.

Spring Projects.  It's cozy to have a heavy afghan or sweater on your needles (and on your lap!) as you knit away the cold winter months, but who wants anything but sunshine on their lap during the warm spring days!  Vests, airy summer sweaters and sleeveless tanks are the perfect spring projects.  They are comfortable to knit on a warm day - and you can wear them immediately, no stashing your completed project away waiting for next winter. We've got some great light weight cotton projects for you in Cotton Classic and Cotton Classic Lite.

Olive You free pattern!

Bonus:  Want a free pattern?  Get the "Olive You" fitted vest pattern FREE with the purchase of any amount of Cotton Classic Lite!

The Mercerized cotton of Cotton Classic Lite is an ideal fine gauge yarn for crochet work.  Maybe a lacy cardigan or light-weight shell for spring?  Let Cotton Classic Lite make your stitch patterns pop!

Stuff for Kids!  Kids are rough on their clothes.  I mean, really rough.  Cotton holds up well, and is easy to wash.  With bold colors and machine washability, it's easy to see why so many parents (and grandparents) love dressing their children in Cotton Classic Lite.

John Mercer

So what is Mercerized Cotton?  It is named after John Mercer, who invented the process in 1844.  A chemist and a fabric dyer, Mercer treated cotton fibers with sodium hydroxide.  The process made the cotton easier to dye, which was his intent, and as a pleasant surprise it also made the cotton much stronger.  Unfortunately, the process also caused cotton fabric to shrink, so it wasn't used much until the process was improved (and the shrinking stopped) in the 1890s.  Today crocheters favor Mercerized Cotton to give lightweight yarn extra strength. 

Happy Knitting and Crocheting . . . . Amy