There are 3 important things you need to know about this yarn. The first two are that it isn’t actually a linen blend and that it’s a splitty yarn. Tynn Line is the finer gauge version of the Line yarn by Sandnes Garn, and it’s got the exact same fibre composition : it’s a viscose-cotton blend with 14 % linen thrown into the mix. That Line word? It’s a marketing trick. It makes it sound way more environmentally-friendly than it actually is and it gives it an aura of luxury. Anyone who knows anything about fabric will tell you that linen is THE fibre to look for in summer (as well as silk). Much more so than cotton, which still makes 53 % of its composition and will produce a garment that will feel clammier than linen would. On their website, Sandnes Garn claim that: “With this blend, the yarn acquires the absorbent and soft properties of cotton and viscose, combined with the cool feeling of linen” Let’s say that this supposedly “cool feeling of linen” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, or relying on knitters knowing very little about how a linen knit feels against the skin.
The second drawback is that it is very splitty. It creates a fabric that looks polished but that is not entirely even. Not accidentally catching one of the weeny strands that make up the yarn has been a recurring issue.. Creating M1L and M1R: not an enjoyable experience. Line feels very soft and smooth, like mercerised cotton. I don’t know much about spinning, but I guess it is loosely spun or it wouldn’t unravel the way it does ? I have knitted it flat. For sewing the pieces together, I cut short threads. The cut lengths will become increasingly frayed while you’re sewing with them, so keeping them short is the best way not to ruin your seams. If using the mattress stitch, I recommend pulling gently on the thread more often than you would with another yarn..
The third important thing to know about Tynn Line is that it is a proper summer yarn. It’s its main asset. It’s drapy, there is a silky quality to it (without having to go through all the hassle that silk knitting is), it’s shiny, it created a curated fabric. It comes in absolutely lovely colours and its dye colourfast. The garments you can create with this yarn is not the kind of summer garment you can buy in ordinary shops, In short, Tynn Line has all the appeal of handmade versus homemade.
I bought a skein of Line as it so popular on Ravelry and so many projects are created using it. But after creating my swatch I thought : no way, this is way too thick for a summer garment, let’s order some Tynn Line and see what difference it makes. It made a huge difference. I was actually quite surprised by that. On their website, they recommend to use needles size 3mm for Tynn Line, but I used 3.25 mm and I is nevertheless not see through. Knitting with 3.25 mm needles is still slower than with 4 mm ones as recommended by Sandnes Garn for Line. But just with a smallish swatch, it was already noticeable how drapier Tynn Line is compared to Line. Line is of course drapier than cotton. Viscose was initially created to mimic silk, and that 33 % vicose is what creates the softness and fluidity of this yarn blend.
So far, this summer 2026 has been a nightmare for me as we’ve been going from one heatwave to the next. One thing I am very grateful for is that knitting with this yarn is not an ordeal even when it’s very hot and humid. It has been very comforting to me to be able to continue enjoying my hobby.. To the hands, knitting with Tynn Line or Line is much softer than knitting with a 100% linen yarn. Despite this, I experienced some strain in my hands after a two-hours knitting session and I wouldn’t have liked to knit for more than 2 hours a day with this yarn. That might be due to my age (54!! in a month), yet I don’t usually feel any strain in my hands when knitting with wools. That being said, knitting with plant fibres is always harder on the hands than knitting with wool or acrylic.
Tynn Line goes a long way. For instance, I found someone who used just 3 skeins for Camisole Nr. 9 by My Favourite Things knitted in size M. I am knitting a sleeveless top in a size that is XL, currently it’s weighing 130g and all I need to do is finish the shoulder seams and knit a V-collar band. So I too am not going to use much more than 3 skeins, 3.5 skeins max and that includes 2 swatches plus some additional swatching to decide how to bind off my knit (I settled for a yarn over bind off).
In France, Tynn Line is retailed on rascol.fr at a little less than 6 euros. It costs more in Switzerland, but then everything is always more expensive in Switzerland. Tynn Line and Line are sold at the same price. For Tynn Line, I think it’s good value for money. I can get a sleeveless top for about 18 euros, 24 euros at most for a T-shirt, size XL/XXL. For Line, less so, as you need more yarn to cover the same surface. I wouldn’t be too happy to have to spend more than 18 euros for a sleeveless top and having to deal with such a splitty yarn.
Drops has created a dupe to Line : Drops Belle. According to yarnsub.com, Drops Belle is less dense than Line, which creates a fabric “that is lighter than with the original yarn” (an advantage when it’s so hot?). Drops hasn’t created a dupe to Tynn Line, nor has any other yarn brand, as far as I know. I’ve seen people comparing Drops Belle and Line and concluding that it was the same quality. From what I could see on the videos, I am not entirely convinced. When comparing prices, I compare the costs of finished garments : knitting with Line is more expensive than knitting with Tynn Line. Is knitting a top with Drops Belle really worth it when compared to Tynn Line ? More swatching would be required to find that out.
And you, do you have a summer yarn you like knitting with when it’s hot ?
UPDATE (late August 2026): Picking up stitches is a real hassle (as with any splity yarns). I used 1.75 mm Chiagoo lace knitting needles to do so, than knitted my neckband using 2mm needles. I am not saying that is the only solution. As for me, I did not manage to pick up stitches out of my cast-off edge with my 2 mm needles, so I decided to order some Chiagoo needles in order to solve this. On other projects, I have used a crochet hook to solve such issues : I pick up the stitch using the hook, transfer it to the knitting needle, and so on, stitch by stitch. Whatever you do, just use needles that are sharp and no larger than 2.25 mm for knitting up armbands etc. Due to Tynn Line particular fibre blend, I don’t think you can get a nice result with no gaping if you use the same needle size as the rest of your knit. I also recommend using the single crochet cast off method for this particular yarn
Unsolicited Knitting Advice 