Knitted Shoes Reduce Manufacturing Waste

While this story has nothing to do with hand knitting, it’s still a really cool example of how knitting can impact lives.

Both Nike and Adidas have been producing athletic shoes with entirely knit uppers, and earlier this year Adidas came out with the first soccer shoes that were completely knit other than the sole. They also have a shoe-sock combo that is completely knit.

The shoes are not only cool from a knitting/style standpoint, they’re also greener than other shoes, because traditional athletic shoes are sewn together from several different pieces, which leads to wasted material. When Nike introduced its Flyknit running shoes, it said the reduction in waste compared to other shoes was about 80 percent, which is great.

Since both Nike and Adidas are working on this technology, the hope is that even more shoes will be produced this way, limiting waste and making shoe production less expensive because there is less labor involved. And when you see these shoes, as a knitter, you just have to smile.

[Photo via Fast Company.]

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I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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