It's February, so your Social Media feed ads are probably flooded with all sorts of cushy, lovey-dovey, chocolaty, reserve now, buy now marketing to prove to your loved ones how much you love them this Valentine’s Day. (I really love fine, dark chocolate…just in case anyone plans to send a delicious bar or two in the mail. 🤭) But seriously, you don’t need to prove your love for fortuknit. Your love and support is always felt around here. Keep it coming, because we love you back!

This month, as I started binge knit-watching (binge watching while knitting) Netflix’s Griselda and finalized the remainder of fortuknit’s trademarking requirements (congrats again, fortuknit!! 🥂), I thought about how to bring “ewe part 2” to life in this month’s blog. This time last year, I wrote to you from one of my favorite places on earth—Barcelona! (If you’re looking for a trip down memory lane with me, check out that post here.) While I would always much rather be there in person, I only have the pleasure of enjoying the photo memories popping up in my phone. But I can never forget the feeling of being there and the love I have for that vibrant place. Y, mientras que Griselda es Colombiana, siempre me vale la oportunidad para practicar mi vocabulario español cuando no puedo hablar en España.

So, I am not in Spain right now (sigh), but I remember some of the beautiful yarns I bought while I was there, and a few quick things I knit up during my stay, and on the plane home.

And that brings me back to ewe…part 2. Last month, I shared a few of the yarn fibers that I enjoy using for my projects and that you might find in fortuknit’s product descriptions as you’re shopping. We covered Acrylic, Alpaca, Merino Wool, and Bamboo. Here are a few more that might pique your interest!

Nylon

Wait, huh!? Yup—if you’ve been a fortuknit fan from the beginning, you know that I have been experimenting with unexpected materials for some of the things you’ll find in the shop. Nylon, though it doesn’t come from sheep, is one of those unexpected fibers. One of my absolute favorite fortuknit items is the Villa Beach Bag—made almost completely from nylon rope found at the hardware store!

Nylon is completely synthetic, so I don’t necessarily love it for clothes, but I appreciate its value, practicality, and durability. If you took a fortuknit Villa Beach Bag, say…to the beach, it’s definitely going to hold up against the outdoor elements. (hey, vacay!) Nylon yarn, which is readily available almost anywhere you can buy yarn, is a great option for accessories and home décor because it is so durable.

(Keep an eye out, because fortuknit is really excited to show you a new experimental product really soon!)

Cotton

Ok, so big confession. Cotton has yet to prove itself to me that it’s enjoyable to work with. Don’t get me wrong. I love a beautiful, cotton, summertime dress or top. But I don’t have a ton of experience working with cotton and I haven’t really loved it so far. I won’t stop using it completely, but maybe I need to change my methods (different needles or something). I know some of you have asked for crop/halter tops, and I just know how cute they would be in cotton, so I will keep at it. In the meantime…

I dunno…from tea to cotton, the British East India Company seemed to be involved in a lot of drama surrounding the simple things in life. (Bet you never heard of the Philadelphia Tea Party!) Anyhow, tarring and feathering and prohibition aside, cotton is very soft and super strong and is great for anything from clothes to dishcloths. Plus, if you’re a science buff, or you care about the environment, you’d be glad to know that not only does cotton have a nucleus with DNA (gene jeans, ha!), it also keeps carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. How cool is that?? Schools can even incorporate STEM-based sustainability programs about cotton into their curriculum. Here are some more cotton fun facts! And if you thought the info on Cotton Inc.’s site was interesting, did you know that The Coleman Mill in North Carolina was the first Black-owned cotton mill in the United States!? More on that at these links:

Coleman Manufacturing Company

Celebrating Black History Month – First Black-Owned Textile Mill Made History

And last, but not least…

In fact, I have been working on a test bag with some vibrant linen yarn (BC Garn Lino) that I picked up right here in town from Weaver House Co. inside Bok (my dad’s old school turned collective workspace, believe it or not). You may have seen me testing out that yarn in this Instagram video @i.am.fortuknit. (Make sure to follow, like, and leave a comment if you watch it!)

Linen softens over time when washed, but it is incredibly durable nonetheless. It’s actually a flax-based fiber (for those who are familiar with flaxseed). And while you won’t get your daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids from wearing linen, you’ll still look fabulous in it! It’s probably one of your favorite materials to rock in the summertime because it dries fast and keeps you cool and stylish. (I am picturing my fashionista sisters in their linen dresses now.) Linen, like cotton, is also pretty ancient and his been around for centuries. I’m happy to inform you that linen doesn’t appear to be caught up in any smuggling or otherwise scandalous stories, but rather the opposite. In fact, the General Assembly of the United Nations made 2009 the International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF) to raise awareness about linen (and other natural fibers, too). From that was borne the Discover Natural Fibres Initiative (DNFI), which works to promote the benefits of natural fibers on the world’s economy and environment. Sustainability is everything when it comes to handmade!

While I could go on and on with more fibrous facts, you can take some time to see what else is out there, from sisal to hemp, right on DNFI’s site. And I do hope you really enjoyed this month’s post as much as I did writing it. I learned a lot just by doing some of the research and hope you take a moment to check out some of the links.

Until next month, wishing you all a Happy Black History Month and a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Love ewe! 💓

-Mallorie, Chief Creative Officer of fortuknit®