Novita Yarn: Every Range and What to Knit With It
A guide to Finnish Novita yarns: 7 Sisters, 7 Bröder Raita, Aura, Halaus, Hehku, Loisto and Laine 4PLY. Fibre, yardage, needles and what to make.
The short answer: Novita is Finland’s big yarn brand. Choose 7 Sisters for soft sweaters and cardigans, 7 Bröder Raita for striped socks, Aura for cotton bags and summer pieces, Halaus when it needs to be quick, Hehku for a fuzzy mohair halo, Loisto when it should sparkle and Laine 4PLY for thin, light garments.
About Novita
Novita was founded in 1928 by Ernst Gylfe, who had learned worsted spinning in Bradford, England, and brought the craft home to Helsinki. The company is still family owned and today spins yarn in its own mill in Koria, near Kouvola. Novita calls itself the largest maker of craft yarns in the Nordic countries.
Its best-known yarn is the sock yarn 7 Veljestä, developed in the 1970s and named after Aleksis Kivi’s 1870 novel Seven Brothers. Several of the yarns below build on that family.
Novita yarns at a glance
| Yarn | Fibre | Ball | Needles | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sisters | 75 % wool, 25 % merino | 100 g, 200 m | 4 mm | Sweaters, cardigans, hats |
| 7 Bröder Raita | Wool and polyamide, self-striping | Socks, striped pieces | ||
| Aura | 100 % cotton | 50 g, 80 m | 4 to 5 mm | Bags, hats, baskets, cushion covers |
| Halaus | Cotton, alpaca and wool | 50 g, 100 m | 5 to 6 mm | Light, warm garments that knit up fast |
| Hehku | 60 % mohair, 40 % wool | 50 g, 125 m | 5 mm | Accessories and garments with a fuzzy halo |
| Loisto | Mohair and alpaca with sequins | 50 g | Large needles | Party pieces, shawls |
| Laine 4PLY | Wool (Falkland, Bluefaced Leicester, Bluefaced Kerry Hill) | 100 g, fingering | Small needles | Light sweaters and accessories |
Where the table gives no yardage or needle size, you will find it on the ball band.
Which Novita yarn should I choose?
- A soft sweater or cardigan: 7 Sisters. A soft wool yarn with merino, giving a gauge of about 18 stitches and 26 rows to 10 cm on 4 mm needles. It suits most patterns written for 7 Veljestä, but not socks, because it has no polyamide.
- Socks: 7 Bröder Raita. It knits even Finnish-style stripes without changing yarn and has the same blend of wool and polyamide as the classic 7 Veljestä. One ball makes a pair of socks in size 38. There is more on socks in our sock yarn guide.
- Something that grows fast: Halaus. Alpaca and wool are blown into a cotton mesh, so the yarn is airy and light. On large needles even a whole sweater goes quickly.
- A fuzzy, airy halo: Hehku. The mohair blend puts a soft haze over the knitting and suits accessories and garments.
- Summer, bags and crochet: Aura. A sturdy cotton that works for both knitting and crochet, can be machine washed at 40 °C and is certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
- Something that sparkles: Loisto. Mohair and alpaca with sequins, for garments and accessories that should feel festive.
- Thin, light garments: Novita x Laine 4PLY. A fine yarn of selected wools, developed together with Laine. Its airy structure and clear twist make it pleasant to both knit and crochet.
Novita in our shop
We run Knytfolket, the craft shop behind Knytstudio. These are the Novita yarns we stock:
- Novita 7 Sisters: the soft sweater yarn, 100 g and 200 m per ball.
- Novita 7 Bröder Raita: self-striping sock yarn with polyamide for durability.
- Novita Aura: cotton for bags, hats and homeware.
- Novita Halaus: airy yarn of cotton, alpaca and wool.
- Novita Hehku: mohair and wool with a fuzzy surface.
- Novita Loisto: mohair and alpaca with sequins.
- Novita x Laine 4PLY: fine wool for light garments.
All our Novita yarns are together on Novita’s page in the shop. We ship from Sweden, within Sweden and to the rest of the EU.
Before you order
- Knit a swatch in the yarn and needles you plan to use. Here is how to measure your gauge, and the gauge calculator turns your swatch into stitch counts.
- Work out how much yarn you need with the yarn calculator, and buy all the balls at once so they come from the same dye lot.
- Substituting yarn in a pattern? Compare the weights in the yarn weight chart first.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Novita yarn made?
Novita is a Finnish family company founded in Helsinki in 1928. Today it spins yarn in its own mill in Koria, near Kouvola. The exception in our shop is Novita x Laine 4PLY, which is made in West Yorkshire, England.
What is the difference between 7 Veljestä and 7 Sisters?
7 Veljestä is Novita's classic sock yarn of wool and polyamide. 7 Sisters is a softer yarn of 75 % wool and 25 % merino with no polyamide, made for sweaters, cardigans and accessories. It works for most patterns written for 7 Veljestä, but not for socks.
Which Novita yarn is best for beginners?
Aura and Halaus. Aura is a slightly chunky cotton that grows quickly, and Halaus is an airy yarn knitted on large needles. Novita describes both as easy to get started with.
How many balls of 7 Bröder Raita do I need for a pair of socks?
One ball makes a pair of regular socks in EU size 38. A knitted garment in size M takes about 600 g.
Can Novita yarns go in the washing machine?
It depends on the yarn. Aura can be machine washed at 40 °C, while Hehku and Loisto should be washed by hand. Always follow the care instructions on the ball band.