Aug 20, 2026

Why I Love Knitting with Unspun Wool: Tips & Inspiration for Knitting with Nutiden

Knitting with unspun wool is unlike anything else on my needles, and Nutiden has become one of those yarns (or not-quite-yarns) that I keep coming back to.

First, a little about what I'm working with. Nutiden comes from Höner och Eir, a Swedish producer run by Knut and Caroline, and it's 100% Swedish wool hand-blended from local breeds like Gotland and Swedish Finewool. It's washed and dyed in Sweden using chemical-free methods that keep the wool's natural lanolin intact. And because each batch is blended and dyed by hand, no two releases ever come out quite the same.

And it's unspun, which is what makes it stand out from typical yarns. The fibers are drawn out and wound into plates without ever being twisted into a conventional yarn. Twist is what binds a spun yarn together and gives it strength, so without it, Nutiden is far more delicate and needs a gentle touch. If you've knit with Icelandic plötulopi, you'll recognize the feeling; this is Sweden's take on the same idea. On its own it sits at a fingering weight, but that's only a starting point: hold it double or treble and it grows into something with real heft and coziness.

Two plates of Nutiden unspun wool in contrasting colors — Two plates of Nutiden, ready for a color change with no twist to fight through.

One of the things I love most about Nutiden is how easy it is to play with color. Because there's no twist holding things in place, the fibers separate and join so readily that changing colors feels low-stakes and forgiving. You can pull one color apart, layer in the next, and keep knitting without a lot of fuss.

But the finished fabric is really what makes Nutiden so compelling. It's incredibly airy and fuzzy, while also being surprisingly strong. That combination sounds like a contradiction until you see why it works: a loose, untwisted strand feels fragile by itself, but once it's worked into stitches, the fibers lock against one another and the fabric holds firm. It feels very different from something knit with either a traditional woolen-spun or worsted-spun yarn, and the lightness is hard to fully appreciate until you've knit with it yourself.

Two plates of Nutiden beside a striped sweater in progress on the needles — Those same two plates at work in Cait's striped sweater in progress.

I also love that Nutiden makes you knit a little differently. Because the fiber hasn't been spun into a conventional yarn, you have to learn how to handle it on its own terms. The technique isn't particularly difficult, but it's different enough to make knitting with it an experience.

There can definitely be frustrating moments while you figure out how much tension the fiber can take. But I think that's part of what makes it interesting. You start paying attention to how you pull the yarn, how you make your stitches, and even which kinds of patterns work best for the way you knit.

And then you finish the project and somehow want to immediately knit with unspun wool again.

Tips for Knitting with Nutiden and Other Unspun Wools

Unwind before you knit. Rather than pulling directly from the plate as I'm knitting, I like to gently unwind a few feet of fiber first, knit that section, and then unwind a little more. This puts less stress on the fibers and helps prevent unnecessary breakage.

If it gets thin, don't fight it. Just pull the fiber apart and layer two strands together. You don't need to do an elaborate spit splice every time you hit a thin spot or need to make a join. I usually overlap the two strands by about six inches and carry on knitting. The fibers grab hold of each other more readily than you'd expect.

A strand of Nutiden unspun wool that has broken in two — A broken strand of Nutiden. It happens with unspun wool, and it's no cause for alarm.

Two ends of a Nutiden strand overlapped and rejoined by hand — Overlap the two ends by about six inches and carry on. The fibers grab hold all on their own.

Add a strand of silk mohair for extra strength. You'll see Nutiden paired with silk mohair in lots of recommended patterns, and for good reason: it's a game changer! If you're finding yourself getting frustrated with Nutiden or another unspun wool, adding a little of nature's nylon (silk!) can give the yarn some extra strength while still preserving that light, airy fabric. It works so well, in fact, that after I tried it in this swatch I decided to remake my striped sweater to include some mohair!

A knitted swatch of Nutiden held together with a strand of silk mohair — Nutiden held with a strand of silk mohair, for a little extra backbone.

Know how your knitting style affects the yarn. I'm a thrower when I purl, and I find purling particularly challenging with unspun wool. I can actually feel myself pulling on the fiber more with each purl stitch. Knowing this, I tend to choose patterns with minimal purling when I'm knitting with Nutiden. Sometimes working successfully with a yarn isn't about changing how you knit: it's about choosing a project that works with how you already knit.

Swatch first, and listen to the yarn. Try it held single. Try it held double. See what feels best with your knitting style and what kind of gauge and fabric you get. Instead of choosing a pattern first and trying to force Nutiden to fit it, I like to swatch and then hunt for patterns that suit the fabric I've made. Let the yarn tell you what it wants to be.

Felt your yarn when you need extra strength. Grafting, sewing, and certain bind-offs can put considerably more tension on the yarn than ordinary knitting. When I need a strand of Nutiden for something like grafting underarms or working an Italian bind-off, I pre-felt it first. I wet my hands with a little water and rub the strand between my palms. This makes it denser and stronger so it can withstand more tension while I'm working with it.

Unspun wool does ask a little more of you than a spun yarn. You pay closer attention, you make peace with the occasional break, and you learn to adjust your knitting to suit the fiber rather than the other way around. But that's also part of the appeal. You're not just knitting a project: you're learning how this particular fiber wants to be handled.

And then you end up with this impossibly light, fuzzy fabric that feels unlike anything else you've knit. For me, that finished fabric more than makes up for those little moments of frustration, and it sends me reaching for another plate of Nutiden.

Shop Nutiden (opens in new tab)

A Few Projects to Get You Started

Once you've got the feel of Nutiden in your hands, the real question is what to cast on. Its light, fuzzy fabric flatters texture, and its no-twist structure makes color changes a pleasure, so it suits far more than you might guess. Here are a handful of patterns to get you started, several of them knitted by fellow Thistlers.

Koyamae by Joanna Ang

Koyamae pullover knitted by Caterina in Nutiden, showing crisp textured stitches — Koyamae knitted up in Nutiden by Catarina F. from our Facebook Group. The unspun wool brings the texture into crisp, clear definition.

Koyamae (opens in new tab) is a seamless top-down pullover shaped with German short rows and a tidy Italian tubular cast-on at the neck. Catarina F. (opens in new tab) from our Facebook Group knitted hers in Nutiden, and the yarn makes the stitchwork sing: the unspun fibers throw the texture into sharp relief, giving every raised stitch remarkable definition.

No Frills Cardigan by PetiteKnit

Catarina F.'s No Frills Cardigan in progress on the needles, knitted in Nutiden — Catarina F.'s version taking shape in Nutiden.

For something to live in, the No Frills Cardigan (opens in new tab) is a long, top-down raglan worked mostly in stockinette, with afterthought pockets added at the end. Plain stockinette lets Nutiden's fabric do the talking, all lightness and soft fuzz, so a longer layer like this stays cozy without ever feeling heavy. Catarina F. (opens in new tab) has this one on her needles in Nutiden too. A pro tip from Renee on our team: knit the afterthought pockets as your gauge swatch, so your swatching does double duty and nothing goes to waste.

Diamond Twill by Nina Pommerenke

Diamond Twill vest knitted in Nutiden, patterned with an allover diamond motif in knit and purl stitches — The Diamond Twill by Nina Pommerenke, knit in Nutiden by Maggie in place of the original plötulopi.

Unspun wool meets geometric texture in Nina Pommerenke's Diamond Twill. (opens in new tab) Originally written for Icelandic plötulopi, the vest is worked with two strands held together and patterned entirely through knits and purls. Nutiden makes a natural candidate for the same construction, bringing its own character to the deeply textured diamond lattice. Maggie substituted Nutiden for her version, and the yarn’s loft helps the lattice stand distinctly across the fabric.

Gardener's Prayer Hat by yamagara

Gardener's Prayer Hat with gradient colorwork and embroidered detail — The Gardener's Prayer Hat by yamagara, with its gradient colorwork and embroidered detail.

If you're drawn to color, the Gardener's Prayer Hat (opens in new tab) is built for it: a colorwork design that plays with gradient and a touch of embroidery, with a matching mitts pattern available if you want the pair. Nutiden's no-twist structure makes shading like this a pleasure, letting one color melt into the next with almost no fuss, and the soft halo blurs the transitions into something dreamy.

Tulip by Melody Hoffmann

Tulip pullover with a scalloped hem, knitted in Nutiden held with silk mohair — Tulip by Melody Hoffmann, knit in two strands of Nutiden with a thread of silk mohair.

Remember that silk mohair tip? Melody Hoffmann's Tulip (opens in new tab) puts it to work: two strands of Nutiden held with a thread of silk mohair, for a rustic-soft fabric with a bit of extra backbone. It's a simple top-down raglan: endless meditative stockinette culminating in a delicate scalloped hem, shaped with short rows. Melody is another friend of ours, and this design shows a softer, more romantic side of Nutiden.

Barren Land Sweater by Lív Ulven

Barren Land Sweater, a yoke pullover with a minimalist band of stranded colorwork — The Barren Land Sweater by Lív Ulven, a study in earthy, understated color.

The Barren Land Sweater (opens in new tab) takes its cues from Iceland's volcanic soil and glaciers: a relaxed circular-yoke pullover with a spare, minimalist band of stranded colorwork. This one is an invitation to play with a muted, earthy palette, and Nutiden's undyed and gently dyed Swedish shades are made for an understated color story like this. The airy fabric keeps a yoke sweater feeling light on the shoulders, too.

Laneus shawl by Teti Lutsak

Laneus crescent shawl with garter, textured stitches, and floral inlay colorwork — The Laneus shawl by Teti Lutsak, worked in garter, texture, and floral inlay colorwork.

In the mood for an heirloom-worthy accessory? The Laneus shawl (opens in new tab) is a crescent-shaped knit that moves through garter, textured stitches, and two panels of floral inlay colorwork. Its name comes from the Latin for wool, which suits a design so devoted to fiber. Nutiden gives the inlay work soft, blended edges and lends the finished shawl a weightless drape. If you fall for the stitch pattern, there are hat and pullover versions to match.