Ball of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
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Close-up of green yarn with a textured surface
Gray skein of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Blue skein of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Close-up of blue yarn with a textured pattern
Close-up of a ball of dark green yarn
Ball of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Close-up of beige yarn strands
Ball of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Close-up of beige yarn with a textured pattern
Close-up of green yarn with a textured surface
Gray skein of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Blue skein of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Close-up of blue yarn with a textured pattern
Close-up of a ball of dark green yarn
Ball of yarn with 'Knitting for Olive' label on a white background
Close-up of beige yarn strands

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk Yarn – 100% Bourette Silk, Fingering Weight

$13.00
Color
Haze

Technical Specifications

• Fiber: 100% Bourette Silk
• Weight: Fingering Weight
• Yardage: 273 yards (250 m)
• Skein Weight: 50 g
• Gauge: 28 stitches x 38 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)
• Recommended Needles: US 2.5 (3 mm)
• Certification: OEKO-TEX® Standard 100
• Care: Hand Wash in Cool Water
• Drying: Lay Flat to Dry
• Animal Welfare: Cruelty-Free Silk

Product Description

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk is a beautifully textured fingering-weight yarn spun from 100% bourette silk. Made from silk fibers left behind during traditional silk production, this unique yarn has a softly rustic appearance, subtle matte finish, and exceptional drape that sets it apart from conventional silk yarns.

Unlike highly polished silk, bourette silk offers a natural texture and understated elegance. The resulting fabric feels cool and comfortable against the skin, making Pure Silk an excellent choice for warm-weather garments, lightweight accessories, and timeless wardrobe pieces.

Whether worked on its own for breathable summer tops and dresses or paired with Soft Silk Mohair for added softness and warmth, Pure Silk creates fabrics that are both luxurious and remarkably wearable.

Why We Love It at A Show of Hands

Pure Silk is one of our favorite yarns for knitters who appreciate natural fibers and quiet luxury. The texture gives finished garments character, while the silk provides beautiful drape and comfort.

It's especially lovely for summer knitting because it feels cool against the skin and becomes even softer with wear.

Perfect For

• Summer tops and tees
• Lightweight sweaters
• Dresses and tunics
• Shawls and wraps
• Warm-weather accessories
• Layering pieces
• Luxury knitwear
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Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!
Pay with Apple Pay We offer Apple Pay as a swift and secure way to make a payment at checkout.
Order online, collect in-store Choose in-store collection at checkout to pick up your order at select Fresh locations.
Gather and craft Join us in our store for crafting, to ask questions, or dream up new projects!

We’re here for the love of it and the fun of it. For the craft that connects us to something older than any of us.

Fiber Information

Yarn Weight + WPI

Yarn weight refers to the thickness of a yarn. Thickness determines appropriate needle or hook size, finished fabric density, and yardage requirements. Standard weight categories from thinnest to thickest: lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, bulky, super bulky.


Weight labels on yarn are approximate. Wraps per inch (WPI) gives a more precise measurement. To measure WPI: wrap yarn snugly around a ruler for one inch, without overlapping strands or stretching. Count the wraps.


WPI reference:

  • 30+ WPI: lace
  • 20–28 WPI: fingering
  • 14–18 WPI: sport
  • 11–14 WPI: DK
  • 9–11 WPI: worsted
  • 7–8 WPI: bulky
  • Fewer than 7 WPI: super bulky

WPI is most useful when a label is missing, when substituting yarns, or when working with handspun yarn.

Gauge and Sett

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch in a knitted or crocheted fabric. It is determined by yarn weight, needle or hook size, and individual tension. A pattern’s gauge is the measurement the designer used to calculate sizing. If your gauge does not match the pattern, your finished dimensions will differ. A small difference over many inches makes a big difference in fit.

To adjust gauge: a smaller needle or hook produces more stitches per inch; a larger needle or hook produces fewer. The goal is to match the pattern’s gauge, not its suggested needle size.


Sett is the weaving equivalent of wraps per inch (WPI). Sett controls how open or dense the finished woven cloth will be. A standard starting point for sett is half the WPI for a balanced plain weave. Twill structures generally require a slightly closer sett; lace structures a more open one.


Both gauge and sett are starting points that need to be confirmed by sampling. Calculate first, then verify with a swatch. Record what you find; your future self will thank you.

Wet Blocking

Blocking is the process of wetting a finished piece, shaping it, and allowing it to dry. It evens out stitches, sets the final dimensions, and for lace, opens the pattern fully.


For protein fibers (wool, alpaca, cashmere): soak in cool water with a small amount of wool wash until fully saturated, typically 15 to 20 minutes. Gently press out water without wringing. Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat, shape to finished measurements, and pin if needed. Allow to dry completely before moving.


For lace pieces, blocking wires threaded through edge stitches produces cleaner lines than pins alone.


Fiber-specific notes:

  • Wool holds its blocked shape well once dry.
  • Silk and silk blends block well and dry quickly.
  • Linen and cotton do not respond to blocking the same way protein fibers do, but wet finishing still softens and settles the fiber.
    Steam blocking is appropriate for fibers that should not be fully saturated. Hold the iron several inches above the surface. Do not press down on wool -- direct pressure and heat flatten the fiber's loft.

    Block to finished measurements, not to the dimensions of the piece as it came off the needles or loom.