I love linen! Some linens are better than others though. If the yarn is 100% linen I would wash and dry the garment with your regular laundry a number of times. This should soften it up quite a bit. You might want to try yarns that are blends. If they have a bit of wool in them it will give them more structure.
Here is a list of some of my favorite non-wool and wool blend yarns.
- Manos Del Uruguay Milo - 65% Merino, 35% Linen;
- Geilsk Wool Cotton - 55% Wool, 45% Cotton;
- Purl SoHo Cattail Silk - 100% Silk;
- Malabrigo Susurro - 50% Mulbury Silk, 25% Merino Wool, 25% Linen;
- Shibui Twig - 46% Linen, 42% Recycled Silk, 12% Wool (I love all Shibui yarns, they have quite a few blends with other fibers);
- BC Garn Tussah Tweed - 100% Tussahsilke;
- Berroco Summer Silk - 45% Silk, 43% Cotton, 12% Nylon (look up Berroco - Liana, Farro, Cambria and Mantra Stonewash as well);
- Kelbourne Woolens Mojave - 60% Cotton, 40% Linen.
I hope you can find a new favorite in this list.