Knitting for Olive Merino is available in a stunning range of shades that pop and soothe, so you can choose classic combinations or out-of-the box pairings. Whatever your style, let your imagination run wild, one delightful stitch at a time. 

Not only does Knitting for Olive Merino Yarn deliver on comfort, but it's also durable and breathable, ensuring your hand made heirlooms will last through many cozy seasons.

Plus, it's ethically sourced, so you can feel good about what you're using. The merino wool in Knitting for Olive yarns is independently certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).

This yarn is produced in Italy with high respect for animal wellbeing, and with social responsibility. Additionally, the spinning mills that produce this raw fiber into such lovely knitting and crochet yarns follow ethical, technical and environmental standards, creating yarns free from harmful chemicals.

Knitting for Olive mohair is RMS certified. RMS stands for Responsible Wool Standard, and the certification ensures that animals, farmers and the environment are treated respectfully. The certificate protects the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, injury and disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and freedom from fear and distress.

Equally, RMS farms protect soil health, biodiversity and native species, and the RMS certification protects social welfare, working conditions and health safety of farmers and workers. The complete RMS document from Textile Exchange can be found here.

The silk used in Knitting for Olive yarns is cruelty-free. Silk is made of silk threads that come from silkworms' cocoons. The cocoons are made of one single very, very long thread. In conventional silk production, the cocoons are boiled, leaving the silkworms to die. This way, the long, intact silk thread can be used. Knitting for Olive silk is made of silk threads from broken cocoons, where the silkworms 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 smoother final silk product. 

This slightly rustic, strong wool is perfect for durable sweaters. If you're looking for an extra cozy touch, combine it with Knitting for Olive's Soft Silk Mohair for perfectly matched tones. This pill-resistant yarn means you'll have a long-lasting wardrobe staple.

Heavy Merino's traceability makes it possible to identify the specific farms where the wool originates, ensuring that the animals are well cared for and the farmers are treated fairly, with good working conditions.

The wool in Cotton Merino is certified by RWS – the Responsible Wool Standard – ensuring that animals, farmers, and the environment are treated with care. This certification comes with a lengthy list of requirements, including protecting the Five Freedoms of animal welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behavior and freedom from fear and distress. RWS certification also ensure that healthy soil, biodiversity, and social welfare for farmers and workers are prioritized. 

Bourette silk is cruelty free! Silk yarn is made with the silk threads that come from silk worm cocoons. An intact silk worm cocoon is made of one single very long thread. In conventional silk production the cocoons are boiled, leaving the silk worms to die. Bourette silk, on the other hand, is made from the silk threads of naturally vacated cocoons – ones from which the silk worms have completed their natural metamorphosis into moths. During this incredible process, the cocoon breaks apart leaving the silk thread in pieces. These short silk fibers are painstakingly collected and spun into yarn. Creating bourette silk is a very time consuming process resulting in a more rustic, but no less luxurious strand of yarn. 

A versatile garment, the Olive top can be knit with any fingering weight yarn! Use Knitting for Olive Pure Silk or Cotton Merino or Merino... You can't go wrong!

The Olive Top is worked from the top down, beginning with shaping back and forth the front and back top triangles. All pieces are then joined together, and the body continues in the round to the hem, which is sewn down on the wrong side, creating a scalloped edge. Shoulder straps are worked from live stitches, and grafted together at the shoulders. Olive Top is size inclusive, and is designed to be hip-length and close fitting.

Olive Top stitch patterns are charted only.

By using three balls of Knitting for Olive Soft Silk Mohair held together, the Darjeeling Cardigan is airy, lightweight, and oh so drape-y. It has an open front, with a ribbed belt for closure. Short rows are used throughout to shape the design. Work begins at center back of the neck with a cast on for the left neckband, to which shoulder stitches are then added. The left front is worked to the underarm, then placed on hold, while the right front is worked in the same way, beginning from neckband stitches picked up from the left neckband. The back is then worked to the underarms from stitches picked up along the neckband and shoulders. Back and fronts are then joined, and worked in one piece. Sleeve stitches are picked up from the armholes, and worked in stockinette stitch to the ribbed cuffs.

The Darjeeling Cardigan is designed to be worn with ample positive ease, ranging between 15 and 70 cm 6 and 25“ depending on your size. Finished chest circumference measurements are provided, but when choosing your size, please refer to the “to fit bust circumference” measures. For example, if your bust circumference is 98 cm 381⁄2”, you should choose size 2 in order to obtain the positive ease intended for this design.

Note: This product is for a single, physical paper copy. No digital download is available.

This design is worked from the bottom up in the round with 1 strand of either Merino or Pure Silk. The top is divided into front and back at the underarms and each piece is then shaped and finished separately while working back and forth. The Barbroe stitch pattern is charted only and easy to follow. I-cord edges finish the front and back neckline.

Barbroe Top is intended to be fitted and is therefore designed with negative ease. To choose the correct size, look at the ‘to fit chest circumference’ measurements. If your actual chest circumference is, say, 98 cm [38½”], you should choose to knit a size M in order to achieve the intended fit.

Note: This product is for a single, physical paper copy. No digital download is available.