Chunky Knitting with Wool Roving

Autumn is coming (sorry ladies) and we better prepare for cosy autumn-on-the-porch nights and fireplace winter evenings!

That’s why we all have to start Knitting! And since knitting small yarn takes more time than most of us have, we advise to get into Chunky Knitting!

Chunky knitting is BIG! 

So big that you need oversized needles (or just your hands!), a lot of yummy wool roving, and a big heart to get it done! And because everything is so big the knitting goes pretty quick too! Finally, the result is not just big, but also warm, cosy and stylish, just like you, except fluffier (maybe).

How do you start a chunky knitting project? What to buy, what to know and how to actually do it? We will tell you! Pick your colours and start knitting!

What do you need?

• Big Knitting Needles (or just your hands!)
• (European) Wool Roving XXL Big Wool (so chunky, responsible and sustainable!) 
• Bubbles

How to do Chunky Knitting?

Knitting is hard to explain but simple to show! And if you have no wise grandmother around to help you get started these videos will get you on your way!

How to Knit

How to Start with needles instead

How to End

What to know?

What if my roving breaks during the knitting?

You smile, watch the video below, pick up your blanket and continue working!

How do I break off a piece of roving?

When you want to start a new colour, or just have reached the end of your blanket you might want to break the wool roving. If you grab the wool roving with two hands, REAAALY close together, like with your hands next to one other, and you pull really hard, yes try it, you will absolutely not get anywhere!

Got you there!

Wool has this special quality where the microscopic fibres on the hairs grip into one-other if under pressure. This means that pulling hard does not really work well. 

Instead you grab the roving with two hands far apart and pull gently. The roving will slide apart like your curtains in the morning midday.

Aftercare and maintenance

Since your blanket is made out of allllll wool you cannot wash it conventionally in the washing machine. It also does not fit. But worry not, wool is naturally dirt repellent and the blanket will keep itself mostly clean! You can gently wash it by hand with wool washing detergent and some TLC! Which brings us to the next point;

Wool Roving through time sometimes releases small balls of wool. These come because the wool fibres felt a bit because of all the friction and temperature and moisture changes that happen when you cuddle it. To preserve your Blanky and reduce pilling you can felt your blanket purposefully after you have knitted it! Make your hands wet with warm water with a smidge of soap and gently rub the blanket across the roving. The wool will “felt” a little bit (Felting is when you ruin your cashmere sweater by washing it too hot, I mean, that happened to your “friend” right? but on purpose). The felting process will close off the fibres and make the blanket sturdier and less prone to losing hairs. Do not do it too much or your sweater will end up as your “friends” cashmere sweater!

How Do I Get Out Of It It Is SO Yummy?!?!

We honestly have no good advice to you here, we lost a friend to Yummy Blanketing Syndrome and now she only makes snoring sounds and she yaps at us when we try to remove the Blanket. R.I.P. Bianca!