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Rediscover colours with our special collection of organic cotton project bags hand-dyed and handmade in our atelier in Alsace, France.

*The cotton is organic*
This collection is made entirely of organic cotton, both the outer fabric and the lining. The cotton is sourced from European suppliers extremely conscious and aware of all the ecological and social problems involved in the supply chain.

*The dyes are fiber reactive*
The dyes I chose to create my colours are fiber reactive dyes: they blend with the fiber and will permanently stay there. No bleeding, no fading! I have longly debated with myself if to use natural dye or chemical dyes: I have read tons of literature on both choices, considering both the tinctorial proprieties and the ecological impact.

At the end I have chosen fiber reactive dyes: they last longer, they environmental impact is minor (see below), they do not fade and are light fast.

*The Technique is Unique*
The technique I have developed to create all these intense colour nuances is rather unique.

Each bag is dye individually, making it exceptional and distinctive.

I cut and wash all cotton before beginning the dyeing process. I then batch dye similar colours in small sessions. Each piece of fabric is dyed by itself: it is the only way I can control the effect I want to achieve and the intensity of the colours.

*The Process is Mindful*
In developing my dyeing technique I have payed the uttermost attention to use as less water as possible.

Each bag is dyed with less than 10 cl (3.5oz) of water. As I apply a special technique I have developed, before each dyeing session I calculate exactly how much dye I should make and use.
If there is some dye left I then use it to dye the lining fabric or even some bags pieces and handles.

*The Final Touches are conscious*
Once every bag is dyed and cured for 48 hours (at least), I plan the last fixing wash.

I batch similar colours together, saving not only water but also electricity.

I use my handmade unscented Marseille Soap washing liquid, and vinegar to fix the dye.

Once the rinsing water from the washing machine is completely clear, the fixing process is complete and eternal. I then let each bag dry before the first ironing.

*The Sewing is by Me*
Once the dyeing process is done, then there is the sewing left.

I sew everything myself, with the occasional help of my mother, in my atelier in Alsace, France.

I decide colour pairing, thread colours (all cotton!) and handles.

Each bag is sewn with the highest attention to details: each stitch is loved. The occasional rogue stitch can escape our watchful eyes, but there is no end to the perfect finishing touches.

Summer is here!

Imagine the birds singing, the crickets joining them, the wind soughing, and a nice shadowy spot, maybe under a tree. ⁠

And not imagine taking out your knitting…⁠

But wait! From what are you taking it? ⁠From a sad and old plastic bag, filled with holes made by your needles?⁠ Or from an elegant bag, handmade with soft cotton in small batches in France?⁠

Life is made of choices, isn’t it?⁠

At La Cave à Laine, we made some:

– 100% cotton! No plastic or animal-derivate materials! All our bags are made of natural fabrics!
– 100% practical, without compromising on style: pockets, small details and big spaces, our project bags are the ultimate practical bag.
– 100% zero waste, as we use to the last bit of fabric. We develop all our bag lines with a very pragmatic approach, designing each shape to make the most out of our fabrics!

Are you ready to pack your summer knitting for an adventure?

Our Cross Body bags just got an upgrade!
They now feature a fully detachable and adjustable cross body straps!

Some of the bags feature coated cotton. It is a special coated cotton, from Le Jacquard Français, an historical textile brand created in the Vosges (very near my home) in 1861.

Some of the bags feature soft cotton in dazzling colours and patterns.

All bags have:
– a generous pocket, three big and one for a pen or crochet hook

– drawstring cotton cord

– long crossbody strap or wrist strap (easily recognisable in the pictures)

– interiors lined with soft light weight cotton

– crossbody straps that are completely detachable and adjustable

– non-repeatable fabric patterns: once they are gone, they gone forever

– a super light weight, just over 120g for the biggest

– a lot of space, and they can carry several skeins of yarn

– super soft cotton

All bags are handmade by me in France, from the cutting, the washing, and the sewing, all to the last thread!

And if you are worried about me going to queue at the post to send your orders, rest assured: I self stamp all your orders in my atelier and I then slip them in the mailbox! It is sure, it is practical, and it will reach safely your home!

Lying on the beach or sitting beside the fireplace, knitting is always at our side!

These yarn baskets, handmade in my atelier in Alsace, are the perfect companion of your knitting.

Practical, stylish and spacious, they can easily carry a sweater project, perfect to follow you around during your vacation!

Light as a feather, they feature three pockets and a functional draw string to close it up and keep it safe from falling.

If you are looking for the perfect, light and stylish yarn basket, free standing by your side, but also to transport your precious knitting and crochet around, go no further!

Carefully curated fabrics, along with modern colours, create a basket that is pleasing to the eye and to the touch, but also very handy with its colourful pocket.

The Super Gioia Yarn Basket is made up of a durable cotton canvas, lined with soft light cotton, two handy handles and a super pocket divided in three handy compartments, all in vibrant colours. There is no interfacing or anything plastic to making it stand up.

Exclusively conceived by La Cave à Laine for the knitters and crocheters, it is the big perfect yarn basket.

It can also be easily folded and used as a small carry on bag, always ready to welcome new yarn or groceries.

Super Gioia means huge joy in Italian.

*Sewing Nerd Alert*: the thread, 100% cotton, is always matching the fabric, so if the outer layer is red and the lining is yellow, the thread will be red for the outside and yellow for the inside.

Since last year I have fallen into the wonderful world of linocut! A variant of woodcut, linocut was used for the first time at the beginning of the 20th century, by the German expressionist group Die Brücke. Not to be confounded by general block printing (which normally uses some kind of rubber) linocut uses linoleum, a natural material made from linseed oil, rosin, wood flour, cork, limestone, pigments and jute. So all natural and recyclable: when I am finished with a block I put it in the compost in my garden!

Carving a block of lino is one of the most satisfying activity I have ever tried! The next logical step was to apply all this happiness and joy to my work!

And then the Linocut Tote where born!

These totes are big enough to help you carry around your yarn or your groceries. They are foldable, and you can always keep them in your purse, to hold your last shopping spree!

They are made of 100% cotton and hand printed by me with my original drawing, hand carved in linoleum. Every tote is part of a very small batch of numbered pieces and they won’t be replicated in the future in these

All prints have some kind of connection to my life:
– #Tricot: I live in France, and tricot means knitting in french. If you share something about knitting #tricot is the go to hashtag!
– Stripes and pipes is a variant of my original drawing that I created last year for a limited edition of zip pouches.
– Gortyna, inspired by the many dry wild carrots flowers we have seen near Gortyna, Crete, Greece, during our 2018 summer vacation.
– Knit Knit Knit is what we all want to do in our spare time 🙂
There are only few items available for each design: hurry up!

Spring is in the air and also in the fabrics!

The first batch of the new collection is ready and it is filled with colours, flowers, koi carps (!!!), pois, subtle leaves, drama llamas and flowers from the ’70s! Discover the new yarn basket: the perfect couch companion for your knitting: standing by your side, holding the small notions in its handy pocket and filling your life with colour! It is made with sturdy soft cotton, and it is completely reversible!

The new Origami bags are also entirely reversibles, giving you so much choice of colours! From lamas to koi carps, to flowers and pois, let your knitting be held in style and high in colour! Match your WIP with its own project bag!

If you are asking yourself, “Why koi carps???” the answer lies in my place of residence: I live in the east of France, in the south of Alsace, almost on the border with Switzerland. This part of Alsace is called Sundgau and the culinary speciality of the region is fried carp fish, served à volonté (at will) with French fries and salad! I wouldn’t eat it everyday, but once a year, why not! So, as an homage to this part of the world I have found the perfect fabric!

As usual, all my products are handmade by me in my atelier in France with 100% cotton fabrics carefully chosen from European suppliers. They are sturdy, they can be washed (preferably by hand) and they are the perfect companion for the stylish knitter.