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
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

Pure Silk

$13.00
Color
Wheat
Description

Knitting for Olive's PURE SILK IS BEAUTIFULLY LIGHT, RESPONSIBLY AND ETHICALLY SOURCED

KFO's Pure Silk is made of 100 % bourette silk. Bourette silk is made of silk waste created during silk processing. The short, leftover silk fibers are spun into a new yarn. It has a rustic and uneven look and is less shiny than other types of silk. This is the perfect yarn for summer tops and summer dresses, but it will also make a luxurious sweater combined with our Soft Silk Mohair.

100 % silk, Oeko-Tex Standard 100
3 mm / US 2.5"
250m | fingering weight
28 sts and 38 rows = 10 cm
Hand-wash in cool water, dry flat
50g

MEET KFO's ETHICAL YARN

KFO's silk is cruelty free. Silk is made of silk threads that come from silk worm’s cocoons. The cocoons are made of one single very, very long thread. In conventional silk production the cocoons are boiled, leaving the silk worms to die. This way the long intact silk thread can be used. Our silk is made of silk threads from broken cocoons, where the silk worms have evolved into moths and escaped from the cocoon. The broken cocoon is now many short pieces of silk thread. These short silk fibers are made into yarn. This is a very time consuming process and the final result is less smooth than other silk, because long silk threads make a more smooth final silk product.
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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!
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.