Paper out of Linen

originally posted at Ori Ami Knits blog

I am not sure how did it start for many of you, but my first Habu Textiles yarn was Shosenshi Linen paper that I purchased back in 2006 from Knit Purl store online. How do I remember? I have just found my receipt the other day. It was funny that I was actually looking for a raffia like yarn.. and I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. When it has arrived it took me 3 hours to gently wind it by hand, as at that time I didn't own yet a swift or a ball-winder. The feel of it really surprised me, it was much thinner and more fragile than I would want from this "raffia" to be. So my crochet swatch of it really didn't do what I needed. I put it in the basket thinking what a fiasco... Only later to find out what a treasure I had acquired for my stash.

I know I have heard many stories later that people had purchased yarns like that from Habu textiles and not knowing what to do with it. But with time I have learnt - you can pair that yarn with anything or knit by itself and get an amazing result. This is what yarn from Habu Textiles was all about. Create your own with an array of their yarns to find one in particular you love.

Swatch above made using 4 different colors of A-60 on 4mm needle knit only with a single strand of it.

This season starts with a linen paper additions. Thinner (2mm) version of Shosenshi Linen N-67B has joined the team, it is still rustles as you knit with it and still has all the features of the A-60, but now you can incorporate it with with lots of other tiny threads or work it on its own as shown in a charcoal swatch below, knit single-stranded on 3.25mm needle.

And a thicker addition of Linen paper has also made appearance in a face of N-70, which represents 3 linen paper strands individually twisted, then plied together to create one yarn. It gives it rather chunky weight and can certainly suit those who love quicker results on bigger needles. Swatch in brick color below is made using 5.5mm needle and is also held single-stranded.

While doing some research one can find out that traditionally paper, linen paper has been used in kimono weaving in Japan for centuries. Paper has this amazing feature of heat insulation (for a laugh, bums on the street stuff their jackets with newspapers to keep warm, rather dorky correlation, but it has a point). And on the subject how is it made.. flax is ground into cellulose-like mass and then strung into a flat tape that is later re-enforced with sizing/starch like glue. Garments created with this yarn are air light, if handled wrong this yarn can give you couple paper cuts, so be careful. But overall it is an amazing experience to try knitting with this one-of-a-kind material. You feel like a part of some secret club. It would sing in your hands, just give it a tune and listen.

triple play::xposted

It has been months since I showed off my Habu explorations, as it seems to be the only projects/yarn/concept I am being drawn to in between my deadline projects..
I am... I have accumulated 3 finished Habu garments.. shame on me, heee.. well. I just didn't have time.. I wrote a huge post... clumsy me, hit something on the keyboard and it was gone.. sometimes this happens, but at that moment I was almost done, so pulling my hair out or just yelling some words to my non-russian speaking cat.. didn't fix it.

So here that goes..

The first is a long time "yo-yo" cocktail commute project, it all has started from Vanessa sending me some leftover caramel colored Rowan KSH.. I added some test skeins of Habu Silk Mohair A-32b and there you have it.. a Nymphadora Scarf.. it is super long.. just like I wanted.. at one point I was about to toss it into a washing machine to perform some hazelnut stuffed shibori, overlooked at Nicky Epstein's Knitting never felt better, but then.. I haven't decided on it yet.. it is simple, yet cute, starting with frequent striping transitioning into wider ones. So I need a public opinion for once: Should I or should I not proceed?



And then there is a kit I got.. and long time wanted, ever since Isel pointed out the fabulousness of it while paging through my copy of Setsuko Torii's Hand-Knit works. Though I have knit a skirt before, it was a little worrying me how the silk would look and behave while worn around one's behind!
I didn't have any help on taking a decent photo, so self-timer on the edge of my balcony was the best friend for time being..
Here is a triptych, click on either to zoom







Habu Textiles
Gradation Tsumugi Skirt : kit-102: A-1, 5 or 6 colors triple stranded and wound in 10 variations in mini skeins (come ready to knit in a kit): charcoal: US 7 (4.5mm) needle: 30" of 1/2" black elastic.

This skirt became a success because I had a great buddy in face of Julianne (Ravelry link), who was making this skirt at the same time (she is actually making also a habu mohaired skirt as well!), so we got connected and figured it out together, we had to email Takako once. As usual she was very helpful and it was all cleared out. Printed english pattern had some typos, but it felt good about putting some idle brain cells to work. Japanese patterns are all about math afterall.

I have eliminated seaming, by doing provisional cast on and grafting it to the end of the fabric after and did a casing with elastic instead of drawstring, just by knitting extra fabric and turning it into a hem.
And eliminated doing 2 parts of the yoke, by just picking up and knitting garter stitch in a round, but still doing the decreases along the sides indicated by strategically placed markers. The least favorite part- it took about 2 hours and tons of patience just to weave in those zillion of ends, but in the end I saw how it improved the sturdiness of the bottom edge.
The skirt before blocking looked like an elongate mini.. and original is shown in your mid-calf, I am not a model height, so just below the knee was the right length and I wasn't blocking it to the original measurements. But, seriously, if you are taller and need longer skirt, it will block out , plus it is silk and in a skirt gravitation power would still pull it down.

The next was a secret gift.. which I can already reveal, Happy Birthday, Vanessa! It is my Birthday gift for her!

It is linen paper A-60 from Habu again, in two colors used for A Chinese Style Pullover aka kit-89. I have used the pattern from my book and US 9 needle, though next time I make it I may try it on recommended US 10 (6mm).
I love how airy and noisy this project was and is as a garment. Kirsten of assemblage fame pointed it out, this is a musical garment at some point.. so who needs a fireplace with crackling firelogs? Just get one of those and you kill two birds at the same time!
I hope V enjoys wearing it! It is perfect for steamy summers, as you get style and breeze constantly!



I know for a fact there are couple Rustling kits 89 in progress, so ladies please don't be shy, show off the goods, it is just a perfect, quick summer knit, that you can layer as well if needed.

Habu linen paper sweater

This sweater was my first experiment with Habu yarn. The first thing I made was the paper silk shoulder bag (kit 13S), and I knew I had to knit with the paper yarn again - no doubt, you all know the feeling.   I combined three strands: Habu linen paper and lace weight merino wool, and Crystal palace kid merino, which I already had.  The border at the bottom is in khaki linen paper and grey merino, the body is in grey linen paper and olive merino wool. The third strand is the same color for the whole project. I like the color, but I don't think I'll use Crystal Palace kid merino again, apart from the price there is nothing much to say for it. The sweater is in soft A-line, sleeves are bell shaped at the bottom. To give the illusion of a longer neck I tried a “deception device”: to make a crew line in the front and a stand-up collar in the back with an edge in khaki linen paper. It’s light as a feather and surprisingly warm - it kept me warm in December in Moscow!  It was not easy to photograph (especially with one’s computer camera), I am afraid. I tried!

:: Notes on Kit#100

As I have promised some doodles on making of my Habu kit #100, seaming less and making it reversible.
So originally you are to make 10 pieces and seam them all up.

A little bit of brainstorm and instead of 10 we only make 4.
2 of which are pocket linings.
So you will have to cast on twice, both times from each cuff edge and placing marker in the middle (why? because there are increases to be made). You will technically make two parts of the top of the coat, but we join them in the back by weaving/grafting so it is one!



And when the whole top part is knit and assembled and seamed we can pick up the stitches all around the bottom of it. The longer the needle you are picking up/making the bottom of the coat - the better, so you could try it on multiple times in case you need to mess with the length (if not just put it on a couple of circular needles to try it on and see).




You make one nice long bind off which will be the bottom of your coat.

Each Pocket consists of 2 parts (so 4 parts for all pockets) in the original pattern: just do a provisional cast on and then put the stitches back on the needle and make the second part, fold it in half when seaming and attaching it to the coat. And don't forget to work the mirror decreases in them.

Not some much to brain afterall, the thing with japanese patterns is that the pattern is mostly numeric and when to some reason or circumstances the numbers and your gauge don't make sense follow the scheme by measurements this should always lead to success!
Have a question-ask away!

:: blueberry fields ::

photographers: Isel and Paloma.

Habu Kit 100# - $105 (comes at colors of your choice)
Pattern: Setsuko Torii Hand-knit works Book. page 25, page 88.
ISBN: 4895113825
Materials:
Habu A-1 Tsumugi silk in color 70/lavender - 150 grams
Habu A-60 Shosenshi Linen Paper in color 116/eggplant - 200 grams
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) 36" Addi Turbo.
Modifications: I altered the pattern to make it reversible and eliminate the unnecessary seaming.

It wasn't hard, another reason to love the math in the Japanese patterns. I got the book thanks to Siow Chin in our swap, I have seen the book before at Knitbuddies and I really wanted to see in person what it is like. Vanessa seemed to get one of the last copies of it in Kinokuniya. That book is vastly popular and just the other day I even spotted it on ebay. I do not know any Japanese Language, people, and just a little more thought and you could put the pattern puzzle together. Plus on Ravelry now they have a volunteer group in Japanese knitting who would gladly decipher anything you would need. But that's only if you need help. Numbers are numbers!

The Whole Set of Pictures is HERE.

kitty: The love of habu and what is on the needles

White Item #: A-20 1/20 silk stainless steel
Green Item #: A-60 "shosenshi" paper

It is hard to believe this yarn started it all and has been setting in my stash box since March 17, 2005. This yarn marked the first step of my Habu Obsession. I even set up a water strength test back then because I couldn't believe how easy this yarn tore that it would hold up as a garment. I remember just holding the yarn and looking at wonder at the folds in the hanks.

I knew back then exactly what I wanted to make with it, but I guess I was too chicken to start until now. So after talking to Olga & MG a couple of weeks ago, I got the nerve to just do it. So we will see how the cover sweater of the"Knit" book turns out.

The other day I was in my LYS and some one asked me why I loved Habu yarns so much. The answer came so easy; it is the unusual texture, the natural colours, the lack of the feel of commercial yarns, and most of all it is the feeling that you are buying one of the last remainders of textile history. Cottage industries that are still hand making yarns that they have made for hundreds or years. These are yarns and fibers where the sheer skill set need to create them are slipping away from us due to steps that began with the Industrial Revolution and the desire for cheaper faster products.

A Habu though you can still find rare treasures you might have only read about. Hand tied twisted ramie made from the stalks of a ramie plant and hand tied together. A yarn made from fishnets sourced out of Indonesia that has been cut apart and hand tied back together. A traditional northern Japanese yarn from Nigata, Japan made of Fiddlehead fern cotton and silk. Or a handspun yarn from Indonesia made from a rare silk cocoon and it the colour of gold naturally. And if you are feeling like you would rather spin your own fibers there is the under hair of Guanaco that is the colour of nutmeg.

There is an element where history and tradition lives on, and Habu is bringing it to our doorsteps.

:: Blueberry Dreams ::

What can be ever better on a day off than a cup of a fresh made coffee from a French Press, blueberry yogurt, some Knitting with Habu and an Setsuko Torii book to get inspired and look at endlessly!

For the yarn for the kit I acquired while out trip in NYC I have to thank Vanessa, as I have made this Jacket already before but in A-60 Habu Linen Paper in red and some recycled Cashmere from a sweater I got at goodwill for 4$.

And loved every minute of it: the progress, the drape, the wear, it behaves like nothing else I ever had knit before... and making a second one - I didn't even hesitate for a moment, the same, but with A-1 Tsumugi Silk this time as the pattern calls for it.

But My Dear Friend Siow Chin who made a great effort to get me this book and which I am so thankful for.. inside it I came across this coat.. Same principal, same designer, longer length.. bestill my heart, I decided I want this duster now and I will use this blueberry combo and hope there is enough for this coat. SO whatever you see on the top is going to a frogging pond as soon as I have a window apart from my deadlines to make this beauty live.

This coat is calling for Washi Bisu and Tsumugi silk yarns and with help of Nora who translated as Washi Bisu means "Thin Paper" in my understanding it is A-60 "shosenshi" linen paper and that amazing combo makes you see these fibers anew, takes me on adventurous trips every day that's why I can't stop loving it and probably will never get enough...

On info matters:
I must thank again all enthusiasts for posting and sharing your most intimate thoughts and impressions. Please keep them flowing! AND we are 30 members now! Yey!

Olga