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Knitspiration
🐑 Is wearing wool in summer a good idea?
This might sound crazy...
but one of the BEST fibers you can knit with during the summer...
...is wool.
Specifically MERINO wool.
But how is that possible, you ask?
Isn't wool supposed to keep you warm?
Yes, Reader it's great for that, but the same properties that make wool ideal for the cold ALSO help keep you cool.
Let me explain.
😎 How Wool keeps you cool
We've already discussed why wool is a great for sweaters.
Just like a on sheep, the wool fibers act like a tiny micro-climate surrounding your skin.
The structure of the fibers allow its core to absorb moisture, while the scales on the outside help that moisture to bead up and run off.
This wicking property acts like a mini-air conditioner, keeping you both dry and cool.
And the high crimp of Merino wool also means it does not spin uniformly.
This creates tons of tiny air pockets between the fibers, allowing wool to absorb twice as much moisture as cotton.
But Merino has another trick up its fleece...
Freshly shorn Merino wool fibers
🪄 The Magic of Microns
Microns are the thickness of fibers, and the smaller their count the thinner they can be spun. It also is a contributing factor in how soft the yarn will feel.
Luckily Merino is pretty darn small in the micron area.
That means that you can spin it very thin and it will also feel nice and soft against the skin.
These two factors are important for warm weather knits, because while Merino is good at keeping you cool, a thick sweater is still going to be hot.
Instead, you're going to want a light weight Merino if you plan to knit with wool this summer.
😍 Lightweight Merino Wool Yarns We Love
Here’s some of our favorite lightweight Merino wool yarns you might want to check out:
LB Collection Superwash Merino by Lion Brand Yarn - Get It Here
Soft, luxurious, and warm, our Superwash Merino is also washing-machine safe. The perfect weight for baby items and women's garments, this versatile yarn comes in 22 colors.
Twill is everything you’d want in a yarn: it’s bouncy, versatile, and luxuriously soft—it blocks beautifully too! Twill’s lovely sheen and next-to-skin softness combined with its machine-washable convenience make it the stash essential you’ll reach for again and again.
Valley Superwash DK by Valley Yarns - Get It Here
Don’t let the “DK” fool you — this yarn pulls its weight in stitch definition and softness. Made from 100% extra fine Italian Merino, it’s smooth, squishy, and machine-washable (yes, really). With 137 yards per skein, it’s a dream for baby knits, lightweight sweaters, and crisp colorwork. The 3-ply twist makes cables pop and keeps your stitches tidy, whether you're knitting or crocheting. Teal green not your color? There’s a whole rainbow waiting — plus an undyed base if you're feeling bold enough to dye your own.
This clever little DK blend (Merino, acrylic, and nylon) is soft, breathable, and doesn’t throw a tantrum in the washing machine. It’s the kind of yarn that plays nice when the heat is on — perfect for warm-weather sweaters, baby gifts, or that “I swear it’s not too hot to knit” tank top. It’s got bounce, it’s got drape, and it won’t leave you sweating just looking at it. Bonus: the colors are basically begging to be turned into stripes.
Urth Yarn's Harvest Fingering is offered in an assortment of beautiful colors, each yarn in this collection is named after the origin of its color, the roots, fruits and nuts we use! Like everything else in nature, the dyeing process for these stunning threads always end up in ways that surprise us in the most beautiful manner with each yarn portraying a unique, eye-catching color.
Conclusion
So there you have it!
Merino wool can be a great option for summertime knits.
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The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson (28% Off)
This one-of-a-kind encyclopedia shines a spotlight on more than 200 animals and their wondrous fleece.
Profiling a worldwide array of fiber-producers that includes northern Africa’s dromedary camel, the Navajo churro, and the Tasmanian merino, Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson include photographs of each animal’s fleece at every stage of the handcrafting process, from raw to cleaned, spun, and woven.
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook is a knitter's handbook, travel guide, and spinning enthusiast’s ultimate reference source all in one.
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