Inspiration: Soft & woolly knit with Kimsa
Kimsa from Smuksak is a soft and fluffy thread with baby alpaca, super kid mohair and mulberry silk. It is a yarn that gives knitwear a slightly woolly look, extra softness and a beautiful, vibrant surface.
Kimsa can be used as an alternative to classic Silk Mohair, but the expression is slightly different. Where Silk Mohair often gives a light and airy veil, Kimsa gets a fuller and voluminous look. At the same time, it is somewhat softer, due to the high content of Baby Alpaca. Therefore, a good alternative to follow thread for those of you who are sensitive to scratches.
In this blog post, you will get brief facts about Kimsa, what you can expect from the yarn in knitting – and inspiration from our knitting.
Briefly about Kimsa
Material: 54% Baby Alpaca, 22% Super Kid Mohair, 24% Mulberry Silk
Weight & running length: 25 g / 200 m
Guidance stick: 2.5-3 mm alone
Expression: Soft, fluffy and cuddly
What type of yarn is Kimsa?
Kimsa is a light and fluffy yarn that can be used both as a trailing thread and knitted in several threads alone. This makes the yarn very useful, regardless of whether you want to give a project extra softness - or knit an entire project with a light, soft and woolly look.
Kimsa can be used, for example:
- as a companion thread together with merino, wool, alpaca or cashmere/merino blends
- in 2 threads for light sweaters, cardigans and soft accessories
- in 3 or more threads, if you want more fullness and a more obvious waxy look
Kimsa consists of three delicious fibres:
- Baby alpaca, which provides softness, warmth and fullness
- Super kid mohair, which provides lightness and a fine fluffy veil
- Mulberry silk, which adds shine, strength and a beautiful fall
How does Kimsa feel in knitwear?
Kimsa feels soft, airy and fluffy. It gives a lively and fluffy surface, which makes the knit softer to look at - and comfortable to wear.
Compared to Silk Mohair, Kimsa often seems a bit fuller and "waxy soft" in feel. Therefore, it is an obvious choice if you want an alternative to mohair, but still want the light, fluffy look.
Kimsa is especially good if you want to:
- a soft trailing thread with more depth
- an alternative to classic Silk Mohair
- knit with a woolly and cozy expression
- a supporting thread that does not make the project heavy
Kimsa as an alternative to Silk Mohair
Kimsa can be used in many recipes where a silk mohair thread is otherwise indicated as a follower thread.
It makes a small difference to the finished result. Silk Mohair is more glossy and long-haired, while Kimsa gives a slightly fuller, soft and waxy look. This makes it particularly good for sweaters, cardigans, scarves and scarves, where you want an extra soft surface.
What can you knit in Kimsa?
Kimsa is most often used together with another thread, but can also be knitted alone if you want a very light and transparent expression.
As a follow-up thread, Kimsa is suitable for:
- sweaters and cardigans
- scarves and neckerchiefs
- hats and cozy accessories
- popular recipes with accompanying thread
- projects where you want an extra soft and fluffy look
You can use Kimsa tone-in-tone with your base thread for a calm expression – or choose a contrasting color if you want to create more play in the project.
Inspiration: our knitting in Kimsa
At Smuksak, we use Kimsa when we want to give a project extra softness, fullness and a waxy look.
Below we have collected our knitting in Kimsa as a yarn alternative, so that you can be inspired by colours, yarn combinations and popular knitting recipes.
1) Sweater No. 1 from My Favorite Things Knitwear
Yarn: 2 threads Kimsa (fv. 4330 and 1170)
Consumption:
XS-S - 6 keys Kimsa
M - 7 keys Kimsa
L - 8 keys Kimsa
XL - 9 keys Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
2) Cloud Blouse from PetiteKnit
Yarn: 2 threads Kimsa (fv. 8145)
Consumption:
XXS - 8 ngl Kimsa
XS - 9 ngl Kimsa
S - 9-10 ngl Kimsa
M - 10 ngl Kimsa
L - 11 ngl Kimsa
2XL-3XL - 12 ngl Kimsa
4XL-5XL - 13 ngl Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
3) Sophie Scarf from PetiteKnit
Yarn: 1 thread Kimsa (fv. 4330) + 1 thread Baby Alpaca (formerly SFN61)
Consumption: 1 key Kimsa + 1 key Baby Alpaca for both sizes
Find the recipe here.
4) Light_Loop_Sweater from Other Loops
Yarn: 1 thread Kimsa (fv. 1395) + 1 thread Baby Alpaca (formerly B118)
Consumption:
XS-S - 3 ngl Baby Alpaca + 3 ngl Kimsa
M-XXL - 4 ngl Baby Alpaca + 4 ngl Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
5) Novice Cardigan - Mohair Edition from PetiteKnit
Yarn: 1 thread Kimsa (fv. 4330) + 1 thread Perlata d'Australia (fv. 14559)
Consumption:
XS-S - 4 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 5 ngl Kimsa
M - 5 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 5 ngl Kimsa
L-XL - 5 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 6 ngl Kimsa
2XL - 6 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 6-7 ngl Kimsa
3XL - 6-7 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 7 ngl Kimsa
4XL - 7 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 7 ngl Kimsa
5XL - 7-8 ngl Perlata d'Australia, 8 ngl Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
6) Smuksak Tee from Butik Smuksak
Yarn: 1 thread Kimsa (fv. 6488) + 1 thread Baby Alpaca (fv. 4559)
Consumption:
XS-S - 4 ngl Baby Alpaca + 4 ngl Kimsa
M-L - 5 ngl Baby Alpaca + 5 ngl Kimsa
XL - 5-6 ngl Baby Alpaca + 5-6 ngl Kimsa
2XL-3XL - 6 ngl Baby Alpaca + 6 ngl Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
7) Sevilla Blouse from PetiteKnit
Yarn: 1 thread Eco Soft Cashmere (fv. 2755) + 1 thread Kimsa (f. 1391)
Consumption:
XXS-XS - 7 ngl Eco Soft Cashmere, 4 ngl Kimsa
S-L - 8 ngl Eco Soft Cashmere, 5 ngl Kimsa
XL - 9 ngl Eco Soft Cashmere, 6 ngl Kimsa
2XL - 10 ngl Eco Soft Cashmere, 6-7 ngl Kimsa
3XL - 11 ngl Eco Soft Cashmere, 7 ngl Kimsa
4XL-5XL - 12 ngl Eco Soft Cashmere, 8 ngl Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
8) Chunky Dahlia from LeKnit
Yarn: 1 thread Samay (formerly ZG03) + 1 thread Kimsa (f. 6488)
Consumption:
XS-S - 6 ngl Samay, 5 ngl Kimsa
M-L - 7 ngl Samay, 5 ngl Kimsa
XL-2XL - 8 ngl Samay, 6 ngl Kimsa
Find the recipe here.
