Our Weave-Alongs  

Every November, we invite members of the SweetGeorgia + Co Community on a seven-week weaving journey. We all work on the same pattern or structure, sparking engaging conversations about how yarns behave, how colours interact, and how different looms affect our projects. 

We always choose patterns that suit many looms and skill levels, something with a gentle challenge that’s still friendly for beginners. And for those who need help pairing colours, we offer a variety of kits so everyone can find a palette that appeals to them.

And no make-along is complete without community! That’s why we host virtual meet-ups and have a dedicated Weaving channel for sharing pictures and conversations. These connections are always warm, supportive, and inspirational.

Winterful Weave-Along 2026: Waffle Weave

Earlier this year, Felicia Lo released the Weaving Waffle Weave course at the School of SweetGeorgia. Many members joined in to weave the Sunday Morning Waffle Weave Towels and the Baker Street Scarf, the two patterns included with the course. The towels, made on a 4-shaft loom with 8/2 cotton yarn, introduce us to waffle weave, which blends plain and twill theory to create a wonderfully squishy, textured fabric. In the course, Felicia also shows how to tweak the draft for any number of shafts, tailor the cell depth, adjust float lengths and use waffle weave as a block weave.  

Winterful Weave-Along 2026: Patterns

This brings us to the Baker Street Scarf, woven with 7 shafts and SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine. It’s one of those designs that had the whole SweetGeorgia Studio swooning! But not every weaver has an 8-shaft loom. So we teamed up with some of our favourite designers to create patterns for every weaver.  

Hedgerow Lane Scarf  

Our rigid heddle instructor, Amanda Wood, shares how to create waffle weave in her Weaving Lace on a Rigid Heddle Loom course. She designed this scarf for a rigid heddle loom, using three colours to enhance the illusion of deep waffle-weave cells, adding colour, contrast, and texture all in one design!  

• Woven on a rigid heddle loom with a minimum of 8″ / 20.3 cm of weaving width.
• 5 ½” / 14 cm wide and 68 ½” / 184.2 cm long, plus 2″ / 5 cm of fringe on each end.

Cobblestone Road Scarf  

Leslie Green weaves many of our samples, often suggesting new ways to use colour and treadling variations. When we asked her to design a 4-shaft waffle weave pattern, she created a pattern that blends Fibonacci sequences and autumn tones, crisp yet cozy. This pattern is easy to memorize and treadle, making it an easy pattern to weave! 

• Woven on a 4-shaft loom with a minimum of 12″ / 30.5 cm of weaving width.
• 8 ½” / 21.6 cm wide and 68″ / 172.7 cm long, plus 6″ / 15 cm of fringe on each end.

Baker Street Scarf  

Felicia designed the 7-shaft Baker Street pattern for the course. In the lessons, she shares samples of how she adjusted the draft to reduce floats while keeping the waffle weave beautifully deep, which demonstrates how small changes to our draft can create big changes in our cloth. The jewel tones add visual interest without taking attention away from the appeal of the thick, squishy, textured fabric.  

• Woven on a 8-shaft loom with a minimum of 12″ / 30 cm of weaving width.
• 7 ¼” / 18.4 cm wide and 64 ½” / 163.8 cm long, plus 3″ / 7.6 cm of fringe on each end.

Winterful Weave-Along 2026: Yarn  

We adore our Trifecta yarns (and fibres). The mix of BFL, Mohair, and Silk is perfect for socks, colourwork sweaters, and handwoven scarves. For waffle weave to shine, the fibre needs to shrink and cling to itself to create that signature collapsed texture, so superwash and easy-care yarns should be avoided. We also wanted a soft yarn with lustre that showed off colour beautifully! SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine was the perfect match!

We’ve put together six kits if you need a little help choosing colour combinations:

Join Us  

If all of this has caught your attention, come join our weave-along! Visit our Winterful Weave-Along page for dates and ways to connect with the community. Simply join the community, get the patterns, gather your materials and start weaving!

The post Welcome to the Winterful Weave-Along 2026: Waffle Weave! appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

EXPLORING WAFFLE WEAVE

As Felicia Lo shares in her Weaving Waffle Weave course:

Waffle weave is a structure that has this incredible ability to turn what seems to be a two-dimensional flat surface into a three-dimensional object with amazing depth. We’ll take flat, simple threads on the loom and, with a little bit of weaving knowledge and the magic of water, we’ll create a fabric that is deeply textured, cushy, and wonderfully tactile. It’s a structure that comes to life in your hands, and the process is incredibly rewarding.

After we explored waffle weave in the course with the Sunday Morning Waffle Towels and the beautiful Baker Street Scarf (woven on seven shafts), we couldn’t resist creating another scarf. This time, we wanted to bring the beautiful yarn and irresistible cosiness of this weave structure together in a 4-shaft loom pattern.

We were thrilled when Leslie Green, our wonderful sample weaver, agreed to sample and design the Cobblestone Road Scarf. The first step? Finding just the right fabric.

SAMPLING FOR THE RIGHT FABRIC

Leslie began by sampling three colours of SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine that were close in value: Tumbled Stone (dark, or D), Birch (medium, or M), and Natural (light, or L) at a sett of 16 ends per inch (EPI).

For the first sample, Leslie wove a large waffle weave with an eight-pick treadling sequence. After wet-finishing, the weave structure and yarn created a thick, warm fabric with lovely drape. The long floats were the main design feature, but they were too long to be practical for a scarf.

For the second sample, Leslie tried a small waffle weave with a six-pick treadling sequence. At 16 EPI and 15 picks per inch (PPI), the fabric was nearly balanced on the loom. After wet-finishing, it compressed to 19 EPI and 18 PPI, creating a soft, squishy cloth with beautiful drape.

The shorter warp floats let the colour patterning shine while keeping the float length suitable for a scarf. This sample really brought out the luxurious yarn’s soft, inviting feel.

Seeing and feeling the samples helped Leslie choose three colours with greater contrast between their light, medium, and dark values for the finished scarf. The warp uses all three colours, with the dark and medium shades taking centre stage. The scarf was woven mainly with the light colour in the weft, with stripes added throughout in the LMDDDM colour sequence for a little extra interest. Using the light colour for most of the weft also made good use of the yarn left after warping.

A COBBLESTONE-INSPIRED PATTERN

The scarf has a lovely balance of light and dark, with a lighter face and a darker back. On the face, the light weft colour highlights the warp’s LMDDDM value gradation, with dark inner cells outlined by light yarn. Weft bands in the same colour sequence add another layer of interest. The pattern reminded us of a cobblestone road, inspiring the name: Cobblestone Road Scarf.

On the back, the look is reversed: dark yarn surrounds the light cells, and dark- and medium-coloured stripes take the lead.

Together, the weave structure and yarn create a thick, warm fabric with beautiful drape and sumptuous feeling against the skin. It’s a lovely combination for a cosy scarf, finished with tidy twisted fringes.

EXPAND YOUR WEAVING SKILLS AT THE SCHOOL

Looking to expand your weaving skills and find inspiration for other projects? Visit the School of SweetGeorgia (SOS) to explore our growing library of weaving, knitting, crochet, spinning, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more about the fabulous texture of waffle weave in Felicia Lo’s online course, Weaving Waffle Weave!

The course guides you from the foundations of 4-shaft waffle weave to the more complex possibilities of weaving on eight or more shafts. Once you understand how the structure works, you can use that knowledge to design your own waffle weave creations.

Print

Cobblestone Road Scarf in SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine

The waffle weave structure, in combination with the yarn, results in a thick, warm fabric with a lovely drape that is soft and cozy against the skin.

Craft Weaving

Maker Leslie Green

Designer Leslie Green

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 4-shaft loom with a minimum of 12" / 30.5 cm of weaving width
• 1 8-dent reed or 12-dent reed 8-dent reed sleyed with two threads per dent, or 12-dent reed sleyed in a 1-1-2 sequence
• 3 stick shuttles or boat shuttles with bobbins

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Bright Penny
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Honey Gold
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Fresh Air *see notes below

Instructions

Setting Up & Sampling

• Download the pattern from the School of SweetGeorgia or the SweetGeorgia shop.
• Wind the warp following the Warp Colour Order table.
• Dress the loom following the threading draft, including the floating edges.
• Tie or lash on the warp ends, centre the warp for a weaving width of 10⅔" / 27 cm, and sley the reed as instructed in the pattern.
• Wind bobbins for the weft yarns.
• Weave a 6" / 15 cm sample, cut it from the loom, and wet-finish.

Weaving the Cobblestone Road Scarf

• Retie the warp and weave the scarf following the Weaving Draft & Weft Colour Order until it measures 78" / 198 cm.
• Finish weaving and cut the scarf from the loom. Repair any weaving errors.

Finishing the Scarf

• Twist the fringe.
• Soak the scarf for 15 minutes with wool soak, gently rinse, and squeeze out the excess water. For this scarf, the damp cloth was then thrown against the bathtub for approximately one minute.
• Allow the scarf to dry, then steam it, holding an iron about 2" / 5 cm above the cloth. Let the steam dry and enjoy your cozy new scarf!
  

Notes

*This pattern uses most of the Fresh Air (C3) skein. If you substitute a yarn with less yardage per skein, you’ll need two skeins of that colour.

This weaving draft is written for rising shed looms. Follow the pattern instructions for whether you have a sinking shed loom (like a counterbalance loom) or a countermarch loom.

As Leslie shares in the pattern description:

Waffle weave, known for its exceptional texture, warmth and squish, is taken to the next level when combined with the SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine, which adds sheen and complex colour to this stunning scarf design!

We Invite You to Connect with Us:

• Follow us at our SweetGeorgia YouTube channel and on Instagram for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more.
•  Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs; you never miss what’s going on!
• We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia + Co community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings. School of SweetGeorgia members have full access to the community and SOS courses at this fun fibre arts space.
• Visit the SweetGeorgia Ravelry group where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008.

The post Exploring Waffle Weave: Cobblestone Road Scarf appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Colour Draping

As a teenager, I spent a good amount of time obsessing over the colour palettes in my mom’s copy of Color Me Beautiful, a book about seasonal colour palettes, trying to figure out what colours I should wear to school. It didn’t make sense to me that the recommendation for everyone with black hair and dark brown eyes would automatically be slotted into the “Winter” season and though I tried, those clear icy winter colours always made me look tired or ill. I just didn’t believe that every Asian person with the same black hair and dark brown eyes would look good in the same colours. So by the end of high school, I pretty much opted to wear black all the time… this way I wouldn’t make any mistakes with my colour choices.

Fast forward to today, where I have long believed that Charlotte and I have totally different colouring, despite our black hair and dark brown eyes. So we did a comparative colour draping session with Rachael (brown hair, green eyes), Greta (dark brown hair, brown eyes), Charlotte (black hair, dark brown eyes), and me (black hair, dark brown eyes). I wanted to really see if there was a difference. 

Setting Up for the Experiment

Finding Colour Palettes

SweetGeorgia dyes over 100 colourways, ranging from a clear and vivid colour wheel, light and dark versions of each colour, and muted versions of each hue too. With all these colourways, we sorted all the swatches by hue family (blue, green, red, etc.), temperature (warm vs. cool), value (light vs. dark), and chroma (vivid and pure vs. dull or muted).

With over 100 colourways, it wouldn’t have been efficient to photograph each of us with each colourway, so we picked a selection of 24 swatches that would help us compare and contrast the colours to observe the differences. We were picking swatches that contrasted between cool colours vs. warm colours, saturated vs. muted, white vs. cream, light vs. dark, and so on. 

Variables to Also Consider

As well, we set up a spot by the window for natural daylight and came wearing little to no makeup. One of our team also helped by holding up a light/white reflector to bounce more light into the photo. Our background was a plain white wall and we took all the photos with Brigid’s trusty Canon R6 camera. Brigid shot all the photos and we tried to make observations throughout. Which colours made the person look lighter, brighter, and more healthy or more energetic? We also played with a few additional swatches of each person’s favourite colour (e.g. Greta likes the Papaya colourway and Charlotte likes Mermaid and Magician). 

After importing all the photos, I corrected the white balance to match the photos with a ColorChecker and removed the yellow colour cast. This way, we could get the correct white balance in all of the photos to make the comparisons more accurate. 

Note that everyone came in wearing a different coloured top, which might have affected the judgement of the colour swatches. If we did this experiment again, we would have everyone wear the same black cape underneath the swatches. 

And finally… smiling makes a difference! When you smile in a photo, it makes you light up, no matter what the colour is! We had to try to discount the effect of the smiles when we were making our observations. 

Colour Draping Observations

Honestly, this was not as easy as we thought. Laying swatch after swatch, it was challenging to always be observing changes to the subject’s skin tone. Often we would be smitten with the colour of the swatch, making it difficult to offer objective feedback. Sometimes we swung between “all the colours look good on you” and “none of these colours look good on you”. 

We were comparing white vs. cream. Campfire (burnt orange, warm red) vs. Dragon Fruit (magenta, cool red) vs. Cherry (true red). Atlantis (dark clear, deep blue) vs. Hydrangea (pale, clear, icy blue). Brass (deep muted gold) vs. Honey Gold (pale muted gold). With just a handful of swatches, I began to notice where white looked better on Charlotte, but cream looked better on Rachael, Greta, and myself.

After a long look, I landed on these results:

Rachael Lee

This one was super tricky… I flip-flopped between warm and cool, Autumn and Summer, because I think Rachael looked pretty great in all of the colours! So, by process of elimination, I saw that the really vibrant and saturated colours like Dragon Fruit, Huckleberry, and Papaya overwhelmed her skin tone, so that hinted that she would look better in softer, more muted hues.

Very clear and light colours like Peony, Rose Gold, and Hydrangea also washed her out, while the dark colours like Atlantis were too heavy. So, looking at those mid-tone, muted and warm colours seemed to fit best — colours like Campfire, Brass, Blue Canoe, and Equinox work well.

Overall, I think Rachael is most likely a Soft Autumn or possibly a True Autumn. She would look great in colours like rust, terracotta, camel, honey gold, olive, sage, soft teal, dusty blue, mauve, rose-brown, warm taupe, and cream. 

Greta Cornejo

She looks great in gold! And with Greta’s dark hair and eyes, she hovers between True Autumn and Dark Autumn. While Greta can wear the darker colours well, her skin seems to glow when paired with the rich and vibrant burnt orange of Campfire, the deep gold of Brass, and the warm colours of Honey Gold and Rustic.

The Cherry red is also good on Greta, but the deep dark blue of Atlantis doesn’t lift her skin tone in the same way. The muted colours of Blue Canoe, Old Letters, Portobello, and Tumbled Stone seem to just blend in rather than lighting her up. Interestingly, the really cool and vibrant colours like Fizzy Water and Dragon Fruit seem to make her skin look a bit more ruddy and red.

Light colours, whether cool like Peony or warm like Grapefruit, will tend to wash her out. So the depth of colour matters more than the temperature of the colour here. Finally, the cream is nicer than the white on Greta. Overall, Greta looks best in warm, rich colours and can carry some depth. Think rust, copper, brass, honey gold, olive, chocolate, and cream.

Charlotte Lee

I thought Charlotte looked fabulous in the clear, cool, and vibrant colours of Dragon Fruit, Cherry red, Fizzy Water, as well as the darker colours of Luna and Atlantis.

She definitely is able to carry the cool, crisp colours, including pure white and Huckleberry purple. This is obvious when you see Charlotte in the warm colours like Brass and Campfire — her skin starts to look a bit yellow and not as bright.

The muted colours like Portobello and Blue Canoe were more flat and didn’t do much to light up her face. But I think Charlotte is a True Winter or Bright Winter because pretty much every warm or muted colour takes second place to the cool, vibrant, and bold colours.

Felicia Lo

Personally, I think and have always thought that I’m the hardest to decipher. All I can tell is that my skin tone can carry depth and vibrant colours, and when the deep cool and the deep warm colours went head to head, the cool colours looked better. I think I’d be considered a Dark Winter leaning towards Dark Autumn, meaning I can wear dark, saturated, and cool colours (like Atlantis and Luna) but also borrow some dark warm colours (like Rustic or Arbutus).

The muted colours like London Fog and Magician really look flat on me and make me look tired and almost grey. While I can wear the deep, dark, warm colours, it’s harder for me to wear the mid-tone and lighter warm colours like Brass and Honey Gold — they make my skin tone look yellow.

And all the lighter colours, whether they are warm like Creamsicle or Grapefruit or cool like Hydrangea, all make my skin look quite washed out. I’ve always loved the autumn and deep autumn colour palette and wished I could wear them all, but this swatch and draping experiment sort of showed me how those mid-tone warm colours just don’t suit me. 

Colour Draping Conclusions 

Out of these observations, you might notice that, yes, Charlotte and I both have black hair and dark brown eyes and both ended up as “Winters” but the difference is the type of Winter. For me, being a Dark Winter, the depth of colour matters most and I would thrive in deeper, darker colours, whether they were cool (better) or warm (not bad). For Charlotte, being a True or Bright Winter, the clarity and saturation of the colour matters most and she thrives in a cool, vibrant hue. We might both be Winters but we are not the same. This is the reason the icy cool blue works for Charlotte but doesn’t work for me. 

Choosing Colour Over Drape

I know that some of Charlotte’s favourite colours are Mermaid, Magician, and London Fog. One of Greta’s favourite colours is Papaya. Rachael came into our session wearing a gorgeous hand-knit sweater she made in Cherry. And my favourite colour (right now) is our dark mossy green Lichen colour. Do these colour findings mean that we can’t wear or enjoy these colours anymore? Not at all! There are plenty of ways to enjoy favourite colours — whether that is knitting them into accessories, socks, or garments. 

Of course, we can argue that we should all just wear whatever colours we like! I will always champion indulging in and enjoying whatever colour you like! Ultimately, the idea is to wear colours that make you feel good. Wear colours that make you happy! For me personally, I know that yarn supplies and the time and effort spent making something are so precious; it’s worth it to me to invest in colours that will lift me up, give me a boost of energy, and make me look and feel healthier. This is the power of colour to literally change how you see yourself. 

The post Do-It-Yourself (or with Friends) Colour Analysis Draping appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Why Create a Sock Blend?

On the market today are many different spinning blends that are advertised as ‘ideal sock blends’, and mostly, they are accurate. The question becomes: ‘ideal’ for what kind of socks? Heavy-duty socks for boots, house socks requiring light wear or something in between? Blends can service a whole host of needs, from experimentation to tried-and-true combinations that work every time. Creating sock blends allows us to find that combination of fibres that meets our needs, from durability to beauty to softness. 

In my experience, socks do not last forever, and I gave up that notion. Socks can, however, last a long time and provide much wear. There are a few things that I have found, over time, work really well to create good, high-wear socks. 

The Woolliest of Wools

There are so many classifications of wool available to hand spinners today. Which are best for socks? There are a couple of classes in particular that seem to lend themselves to creating great socks. 

Down & Down-Like Wools

First, the Down and Down-like breeds. Included in this class of wool are Cheviot, Suffolk, Texel, Oxford and many more. These wools are known for their 3-dimensional crimp that provides both elasticity and strength. The Downs have built a reputation for themselves over the past number of years for their ability to resist felting, albeit unreliably. While these wools can often be treated with less care, they do have the ability to felt and must be treated with some caution. However, this has become a wonderful aspect of using the Downs in sock blends. They are easy to card, have good body and hand, are slightly coarse although not unpleasant, display good durability and resist felting. 

Longwools

Second, longwools are often overlooked for socks. While Merino might be next-to-the-skin soft, it tends to break down with prolonged wear. Longwools, such as BFL and Wensleydale, are smooth, strong wools that display lovely sheen and lustre. They are warm, while providing the strength needed to withstand heavy wear and tear. When blending, complete control of the blend means that a little bit of cashmere or yak can be added for softness because the longwool is doing the heavy lifting in providing durability. 

This is not to say that amazing results have not been achieved with other classes of wools. The fine wools, like Merino and Polwarth, are often blended with nylon (more on this in a moment) to create stronger blends to assist in durability. If softness is of utmost importance, the fine wools would be something to explore further and determine what add-ins help with durability. 

To Nylon or Not to Nylon

Nylon was invented by DuPont in 1938, which was met with great excitement (Wolfe, 2026). Nylon continued to dominate through WWII and into the 1950s and 1960s. It began falling from favour in the 1960s as it made it into the mainstream market and increasingly became seen as “out of date” and “tacky” (Wolfe). Today, nylon continues to account for about 12% of all synthetics manufactured. Littlefield (2026) points out in her writing that part of the infatuation with synthetics in the mid-twentieth century was a lack of history. These products did not have the history that cotton and wool had, and they were seen as inherently better. There was a ‘magic’ associated with synthetics because they were invented by science and chemistry that were not associated with cotton and wool at the time (Littlefield). 

Increasingly, nylon has been maligned in the fibre arts world, which is interesting since we continue to see it in many of the yarns and fibres we regularly purchase. The reason it continues to be used has to do with its tensile strength. The tensile strength of nylon is high, along with fibres like silk. Have you ever wondered why they are nearly impossible to pull apart by hand but instead need scissors? The answer is tensile strength! In socks, this is a wonderful attribute to enhance wearability and durability.

A wonderful alternative to nylon in sock blends is silk, which also increases sheen, takes dye beautifully and adds warmth. It is possible to purchase small packets of nylon fibre to blend. Starting with a sample and comparing it side-by-side with silk and other add-ins might be a good place to start to decide whether to include it or leave it out.

Additional Fibres: Durability & Warmth

Nylon and silk are not the only fibres one can think about adding to a sock blend for good durability. Alongside these fibres, mohair is an excellent fibre to enhance durability. Once again, tensile strength is high in mohair, making it one of the strongest fibres available to us. Mohair is easy to prepare and increasingly easy to find for hand spinners. A protein fibre, like silk, mohair takes the dye very well and, due to its long fibres, adds lustre and sheen. While mohair can appear slightly haloed, similar to the longwools, it sometimes requires a sweater shaver to clean up the high-wear surface areas that may pill. There are different qualities of mohair on the market, so it is important to check with the seller whether it is adult or kid mohair. Kid mohair is incredibly fine and soft, while adult mohair is coarser but more robust. 

Another possibility that many are just starting to explore includes the bast fibres. Nettles in particular are becoming more easily available and offer strength. The nettles, such as Himalayan Stinging Nettle, often offer even more tensile strength than flax. They are hard-wearing and durable, softening with use, which increases comfort without lost strength. They take cellulose and natural dyes very well, with lustre, and leave fibres heathered when dyeing with acid dyes since they are not protein-based. This adds dimension in the finished yarn. These fibres resist rotting and breakdown, which traditionally made them incredible choices for certain uses (think a ship’s sails) but for the modern hand spinner offer great long-time wear. 

Blending through Carding

Blending fibres generally means carding, either on a drum carder, hand cards or a blending board. These tools lend themselves really well to being able to combine different ratios of fibres together with good results. Assuming, for our purposes, that we are going to be blending on a drum carder, everything applies equally to hand cards and blending boards, and the preparation will be a woollen-style preparation that creates a lighter, airy yarn. 

Some prefer a combed preparation for sock spinning to create smoother, slightly denser yarns. There are a few things that can be done on a drum carder to ease the blend towards slightly smoother spinning (discussed below). If combing is the preference, it is highly recommended to check out Kim McKenna’s course, Working from Fleece, and explore in particular lesson 1.2 Combed Fibre. The discussion around planking the fibres prior to the final dizzying off is particularly important for blends since the fibres combined will be of different staple lengths. This does not mean combing isn’t possible; it just means extra care and attention is needed to ensure the shorter fibres aren’t left behind on the comb or hackle!

Weighing, Measuring & Sampling

Assemble the wool and add-ins that will be included in this particular project. A jewelry scale helps as you begin preparing the fibres for carding. Using a small bowl or sieve can act as a receptacle for the fibres as you weigh, adding and removing fibres to obtain the correct weights. Working in 100-gram increments, I tend to start with at least 60 – 70% wool. As more non-wool fibres are added, the yarn will feel and act less and less like wool.

From there, the percentages of add-ins depend on personal preference. For strength, mohair or silk could be added. If we were to add both, we might do 70% wool (BFL or Cheviot), 15% each silk and mohair. Maybe a plant fibre like nettle is to be added, so instead, I might choose to do 70% wool with 15% each silk and nettle. There are infinite combinations, and your imagination is the limit!

Keep notes as samples add up. Sometimes a blend that is created might not be great for socks but would make a great sweater. Label the sample skeins before you forget the percentages and fibres included – we all hope to remember, but after a few samples, it is really hard to keep track. 

How Many Passes on the Drum Carder?

The first pass through the drum carder should be the woolly base – whatever wool or wools, if multiple were chosen, were chosen for the sock blend. From there, add the fibres that will assist with strength and durability, whether that’s nylon, mohair and/or silk. Keep these fibres sandwiched between the wool as it is fed on the tray to the licker-in and onto the swift (large drum). This prevents too many of the add-in fibres from being caught on the licker-in and staying there, resulting in being lost from the blend. 

The first batt that is pulled off is just the first pass. Each subsequent pass will result in a more cohesive blend, until the benefits of continuing to card are outweighed by the work needed to continue carding (usually 3-5 passes, depending on the carder). Break the batts down each time into strips to feed to the carder to ensure continued blending. 

Tips & Tricks for Sock Blends

There are a few pointers that are incredibly helpful for blending fibres with the intention of spinning and knitting socks. First, when removing the final batt from the carder, gently draft the fibres of the batt to smooth them slightly. This slightly aligns the fibres parallel to one another and creates what is referred to as a ‘smooth batt’. This lends itself, once stripped down, to smoother spinning. While still creating semi-worsted yarn, the draft can be worsted in nature, disallowing twist in the drafting triangle and keeping it forward of the front hand. 

Second, the texture of add-ins can sometimes take an extra pass to create a cohesive batt. Be sure to strip the batts down after each pass and continue carding until the batt appears well-blended post-carding. Socks need smooth, strong yarns to wear well, and multiple passes on the drum carder are always needed. 

Lastly, be sure to sample the blend before committing to an entire sock spin if this is the first time trying these particular fibres together. Sampling 10-15 grams takes no time at all to prep, card and spin, but 100 – 150 grams take much more time. Knowing the ratios are correct, that the weights of each fibre will work together nicely, and that there’s enough wool to keep things cohesive and woolly will pay off when the actual spinning starts. The blend will be exactly what you were hoping for when you started the project!

Spinning, Plying & Knitting Sock Blends

Blended fibres sometimes have different staple lengths in them from the various fibres added to the blend itself. Some initial sampling will let us know if this is the case or not. Keep the grip on the fibres light while spinning and allow the fibres to draft through, leaving none behind. A slightly more woollen draft can assist with this as well, and spinning over the fold can help to prevent shorter fibres from being left as well. 

Sock yarns that are slightly higher twist in the singles and ply seem to withstand slightly more wear-and-tear compared to lower twist yarns. A semi-worsted or worsted draft lends itself to smooth sock yarn, which seems to be reported to be more comfortable for wear. Again, prepare enough fibre to be able to sample and knit some test swatches. Rough up the fabric swatches a bit to assess for wear. 

A dear friend, Glenda Sedgwick, who is a prolific sock spinner and knitter, has often said that she attributes her success with socks to how tightly she knits the fabric. While her sock yarns are usually higher twist, they are then knit into tighter-than-usual fabric. While the fabric may feel slightly stiff upon first feel, it wears incredibly well. Think about downsizing one needle size next time you spin and knit for socks to see what the results are and whether this small change helps with durability. Based on experience, this might be the change that helps with increased durability of handspun, hand-knit socks!

Reflections & Conclusions

I remember a dear friend, Diana Twiss, saying to me years ago that socks and mitts make great samples. She was absolutely correct! Two socks do not have to be equal. Play with colour in one and change the approach in the other. Try a blend and knit a sock, then change something and spin and knit the other. Which one wears well? How do they compare with continued wear? Striping different blends up the length of the sock can create two equal socks with different yarns. (*Two rows of Yarn A, two rows of Yarn B, repeat from * throughout the sock). How do they knit? Are they quite different? Does one area of the sock wear better than another? 

Approaching socks in the spirit of experimentation and wondering about what might create the ideal sock. Trying those ideas and experimenting with various fibres really is limitless. Rather than focusing on the immediate sock needing to be perfect, experimenting might be a great place to start. If a pair of socks is seen as a stepping stone to another great pair, and another, and another, the pressure for this pair to be perfect—and to last forever—is released.

Places to Find Rachel Smith

• Find more of Rachel’s articles here.
• Explore her School of SweetGeorgia courses here.
• Join her Wool ‘n Spinning Patreon Community here.

References

• Littlefield, M. M. (2026). Reinventing Wool: How a Natural Fiber Survived the Synthetic Revolution. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Wolfe, A. J. (2026). Nylon: A Revolution in Textiles. Science History Institute. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/nylon-a-revolution-in-textiles/

The post Blending Fibres for an Ideal Handspun Sock Yarn appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

TESTING OUT A NEW COLOURWAY COMBO

The Petal Socks pattern has a vintage look, with chevron stitch stripes that offer an excellent opportunity to showcase high-contrast variegated skeins. When we were looking for a new studio sample to knit for Socktober, we wanted a fresh combination to highlight one of our favourite colourways, Strawberry Tea. We chose SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock yarn and paired Strawberry Tea with Gather, a rich and vibrant plum colourway with subtle berry undertones.

This sock pattern is worked from the cuff down and features a Dutch heel and wedge toe. To account for the chevron stitch pattern’s reduced elasticity, larger needles are used for the leg section. While the pattern shows two colour combinations (including the original Birch and Petal colourways), we can think of at least a dozen combos that would be fun to try together!

EXPLORE SOCK KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

If you’re interested in learning more about how to knit socks, we have online courses at the School of SweetGeorgia to help you along the way. Courses include how to make custom socks top-down, toe-up, or two-at-a-time, or even spinning your own yarn for socks. You can also learn about sock knitting on a circular sock machine or on a flatbed knitting machine. Join in the sock knitting fun!

Print

Petal Socks in SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock

Cast on this vintage-inspired design and have fun playing with colour combinations.

Craft Knitting

Maker Charlotte Lee

Designer SweetGeorgia Design Team

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size US 1 / 2.25 mm for magic loop, 32" / 80 cm circular; for two needles, (2) 24" /60 cm circulars; or a set of (4) double-pointed needles (dpns)
• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size US 3 / 3.25 mm for magic loop, 32" / 80 cm circular; for two needles, (2) 24" /60 cm circulars; or a set of (4) double-pointed needles (dpns)
• (2) Stitch markers, (1) BOR stitch marker, tapestry needle optional, as needed

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Gather (MC)
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Strawberry Tea (CC)

Instructions

• To knit the Petal Socks, download the pattern from the SweetGeorgia shop.
• Once your gauge is determined, cast on the required number of stitches.
• With Main Colour, cast on for your chosen size. Work rib.
• Switch needles and knit the chevron pattern, switching colours as instructed in the pattern. Cut Complementary Colour and continue only in Main Colour.
• Work the heel flap and heel turn.
• Work the gusset, foot and toe.
• Weave in the ends. Wet block the socks to the finished measurements. Let dry fully and enjoy!
  

Notes

Further details from the pattern:

With a romantic vintage look, these socks are easy to make as they are to wear. The chevron motifs create interest while breaking up the high-contrast variegation, which makes this the perfect pattern to those extra-special variegated skeins we all have.

 

We Invite You to Connect with Us:

• Follow us at our SweetGeorgia YouTube channel and on Instagram for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more.
•  Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs; you never miss what’s going on!
• We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia + Co community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings. School of SweetGeorgia members have full access to the community and SOS courses at this fun fibre arts space.
• Visit the SweetGeorgia Ravelry group where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008.

The post Petal Socks: A Playful Twist on Stripes appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Steve Ashton discovered circular sock machine knitting through his now-retired company, Freedom Kilts, in Victoria, BC. Because clients required knitted kilt hosiery, he acquired a CSM. Driven by curiosity and a lack of market guidance on operating antique machines, his interest grew into a passion. He now travels around the world, sharing his knowledge in the hope that others might also find a love for CSM knitting.

Where to Find Steve Ashton

• CSM 911 Facebook Group
• The Wizard of BC on Ravelry
• For help or a copy of his book, email him at CSM911@telus.net

Thank You for Listening

Thank you for spending time with us in this episode! If you enjoyed it, we’d love for you to share it with your fellow fibre-loving friends. And if you’re enjoying the show, please consider leaving a rating and review on iTunes; it helps us reach more makers like you.

If you’d like to hear more, you can subscribe to our podcast and never miss an episode!

• Subscribe on iTunes
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube

We read every message, whether it’s on our Instagram, YouTube, or SweetGeorgia + Co.

Join Our Community!

• At the School of SweetGeorgia, we’ve built a vibrant and welcoming community of fibre-loving makers, passionate instructors, and dedicated staff. Whether you’re looking for guidance on a new technique or just need a little creative encouragement, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
• We welcome you to join us at SweetGeorgia + Co. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings! We discuss all things knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, machine knitting, and more! 
• Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to our newsletter! It’s a simple way to stay updated on what’s new at SweetGeorgia and the School of SweetGeorgia, catch up on the latest articles, watch new SweetGeorgia YouTube videos, and be a part of our community without any pressure to post. We value your presence, no matter how you choose to connect with us!

The post The SweetGeorgia Show // S6 E14: Steve Ashton appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Making projects that use up yarn scraps makes thrifty, purpose-driven crafters like us especially happy, as we put every yard of beautiful yarn from that lovely skein we got as the perfect souvenir on a day trip (even if the day trip was to our local yarn shop). For Anita, using up scraps became an exploration of tones, shades, and colour and a fun crafting journey.

Anita’s Scrappy Socks

If you have access to leftover sock yarn scraps in your stash, you may find the collection of socks below an inspiring way to use them up and enjoy colour.

Squircle Socks

For the Squircle Socks, Anita used leftovers from the SweetGeorgia Hexa Hue Eclipse set for the contrast colours, and SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in the Snowfall colourway as the main unifying colour. When trying the socks on for the photos, we loved the fit of this pair and the potential for all the gradient and rainbow scraps waiting to be used from our stash.

Back to Basics Socks

For the Back to Basics Socks, Anita knit and experimented with a top-down peasant heel sock. This pair was planned as summer shortie socks. She worked the cuff for 8 rows and changed stripes every 2 rows or until the leftover yarn ran out.

Then Anita decided to experiment with the same pattern but switched to the short-row heel with 3-row stripes. We love to compare how the stripe width changes the look of the socks.

Simple Socks

For these socks, Anita didn’t use a pattern. When you knit socks as much as she does, you start to create your own “go-to” pattern. Here, she used scraps from a swap. This is not only a great way to explore colour, but also a way to try yarn brands in small “sample sizes”. But keeping in fashion, she used the same colour for the cuff, heels, and toes to bring the entire look together and make these socks look intentional!

Piecework Socks

For the Piecework Socks, Anita chose to knit them as shorties. This pattern is great for all those little bits of scraps. Many on the team have been awed by this pair of socks, and after trying them on, they’re on our list to knit.

How to Turn Your Scraps into Planned Success

You may be asking yourself: How do I get all my scraps of yarn organized to make my very own scrappy socks? What if I like “sort of matchy” socks?

Organize Your Scraps

First, start collecting all your scraps! At the studio, we like to collect all the yarn scraps and put them in a bag for later use. To keep the yarn scraps organized, we store them as yarn butterflies.

Anita likes to prep yarn butterflies so they stay tidy for a very long time, even if they are tousled and tumbled (purple yarn). Rachael likes to make centre-pull yarn butterflies, though they usually withstand less tumbling (pink yarn).

Choose a Pattern & Unifying Colour

Choose the sock pattern you would like to knit. Basic patterns can be spruced up by choosing the same colour for the ribbing, heels, and/or toes. This helps to unify the look of both socks, even if you decide to use up the yarn scraps randomly. We find 1-2 oz / 30-60 g of the unifying colour is sufficient. This is an excellent opportunity to use up the yarn leftovers in our stash too! Or if you are committed to just using your scraps, choose the heavier yarn butterflies for these parts of the pattern.

Choosing Scraps

Once you have a good amount of scraps, you can just get started. As we tend to like nearly symmetrical socks, we like to use a scale, find similar-looking scraps, and separate them into two containers by weight (which will help determine yardage). Depending on the size of socks you are knitting, we’ve found that for a medium women’s size, short socks take about 2 oz / 60 g, and long socks take about 2.5 oz / 75 g. But the great thing about using scraps is that if you need more yarn for your socks, you can add more from your scraps stash!

Choosing a Stripe Sequence

Decide on the stripe sequence you want to follow. If your yarn scraps tend to be on the short side, 1-2 row stripes tend to be more flexible for using them up, but if you have longer yarn scraps, you may be able to pull off the look of wider stripes without running short on colour. And if your socks have a pattern such as the Piecework socks, embrace the change of colour as the scraps are used up. Learn how to weave in ends as you knit, as this will save time when knitting scrappy socks.

Next Steps

What’s next: do you still have plenty of scraps to play with and want to explore more top-down socks? You can try swapping heels and toes. Watch the Heel & Toe Variations for Top-Down Socks course to learn more! You may want to explore all the fun sock constructions available in different patterns; this is an excellent way to try new socks from your pattern books and library. Or maybe it’s time to try knitting scrappy mittens?

We hope you enjoy making fun, colourful accessories from your sock yarn scraps. Please join us in the SweetGeorgia + Co Community and share your knitting projects with us. We love to cheer on and be inspired by the talented crafters in our space.

The post Using Colour to Make Scrappy Socks Look Intentionally Planned!  appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE COLOURWAY STORY

With this colourway, one of the big ideas we wanted to talk more about is the idea of chromatic neutrals. Those are neutrals with colour! Think of colours that are hard to describe, like our Mink colourway — is it purple, is it brown, is it grey? There’s a lot of chatter about the “beige-ification” of everything in our lives — from interior design to fashion to… yes, our crafts too.

Here, I’d like to propose the idea that colour can still be neutral. It can live in your world and become a glorious hue for the background of your life. Think sepia or the warm glow of sunset. Colours make life feel lively! They don’t have to always be vibrant jewel tones. Colour can be neutral AND life-giving all at the same time. And this Hot Cocoa is the perfect example — mid-tone, gentle brown, with flecks of rose and chocolate. It’s absolutely delicious.

PROJECT IDEAS

With a yarn base that is blended from easy-care merino, mohair, silk, and nylon, the easy answer is to make socks with this yarn. However, one of the most beautiful things about this yarn base is how smooth and elegant the surface of this yarn is. Held double, this yarn makes a beautiful heavy DK or worsted weight equivalent. This is perfect for knitting into a project like a cabled hat.

For this month’s sample project, we chose the gorgeous hat pattern, A Twisted Affair, designed by Joji Locatelli. The sample was knit by a member of our local knitting community, Irene, with yarn held double. If you’ve never tried your hand at knitting cables, we have a few courses on the School of SweetGeorgia including a new one by Linda Marveng called Advanced Cables.

JOIN THE CLUB

One of the fundamental beliefs we have at SweetGeorgia is that the colours we surround ourselves with can transform our experience of life. Whether you knit, crochet, weave, or something else, join us at our SweetGeorgia + Co community. We’d love to hear your thoughts on our Hot Cocoa colourway and see what you make with it.

Thank you for following along with us for our colourful Secret Stash Club adventure. We’ll see you next month!

The post Secret Stash Club Reveal: Hot Cocoa appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE HOT COCOA CLUB COLOURWAY

The inspiration behind creating this month’s yarn was that we wanted to talk more about the idea of chromatic neutrals. Those are neutrals with colour! Hot Cocoa is the perfect example of this idea that colour can still be neutral — mid-tone, gentle brown, with flecks of rose and chocolate. It’s absolutely delicious. You can read more about the colourway story at the Club reveal post.

Dyed on our SweetGeorgia Mohair Silk Sock yarn, this base is blended from easy-care merino, mohair, silk, and nylon. It’s a fabulous yarn for making socks make socks, however, one of the most beautiful things about this yarn is how smooth and elegant the surface of this yarn is. Held double, this yarn makes a beautiful heavy DK or worsted weight equivalent. This is perfect for knitting into a project like a cabled hat.

CABLES, COLOUR, AND COZY DAYS

We chose the “A Twisted Affair” hat design by Joji Locatelli, knit by a member of our local knitting community, Irene. The deep ribbed brim has wonderful stretch, and you can wear this hat either folded for a snug, classic beanie or leave it down for a relaxed, slouchy fit.

Held double, the hand-dyed yarn’s subtle shifts in colour give every cable depth and dimension. It’s a project you’ll want to cast on the moment the weather turns and reach for all season long. If you’ve never tried your hand at knitting cables, we have online courses at the School of SweetGeorgia to help. Visit the Cables 101 course taught by Tabetha Hedrick and Advanced Cables taught by Linda Marveng.

JOIN THE CLUB

Explore a new colourway and the creative possibilities it inspires each month with our Secret Stash Club yarn parcels! We love telling stories through our colours and sharing how we see the world, and we hope you’ll join us there. We look forward to sharing more project inspiration next month!

Print

A Twisted Affair Hat + Hot Cocoa Club Yarn

A popular free pattern by Joji Locatelli, this cozy cabled hat design is the perfect pairing for October's Hot Cocoa Club colourway.

Craft Knitting

Maker Irene Martin

Designer Joji Locatelli

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size US 6 / 4.00 mm

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Mohair Silk Sock in Hot Cocoa *held double

Instructions

• To knit the Barley Sock hat, download a copy of the free pattern from Joji Locatelli.
• Once your gauge is determined, cast on the required number of stitches for your desired size. Follow the directions for working the brim of the hat, then follow knitting the length of the hat.
• Work the crown decreases. Break yarn and draw yarn through remaining stitches.
• Weave in ends and wet block the hat to finished measurements. Enjoy!
  

Notes

Pattern information from Joji Locatelli:

Sometimes things get twisted… you do your best and hope for the right outcome and it still wraps around itself and makes a tangle…

I am pretty sure you can apply this truth to something today. Whatever that is, I hope this free hat pattern can help you unwind and get through your life’s twists.

 

The post Secret Stash Club Knitting: A Twisted Affair appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

CUSTOM-FIT SOCKS ON A FLATBED MACHINE

We’re delighted to welcome another course from instructor Barb Barone to the School of SweetGeorgia: Machine Knitting: Socks. Making socks on a knitting machine is simple; it just takes a different way of looking at it. And once we get going, there is no end to the alterations we can make, including a slip-stitch heel, stripes, ribbing, colourwork, and more.

In this new online course, we swatch, measure for a custom fit, and machine-knit the included MK Basics Socks pattern from cuff to toe, with a heel flap and gusset. From scrapping off stitches and creating short rows for toe shaping to seaming on and off the machine and flawless finishing tips, this course guides you each step of the way.

Designed for intermediate machine knitters, Barb guides you step by step, so you’ll finish with a machine-knit pair of socks. If you’re new to machine knitting, we recommend starting with Barb’s Machine Knitting: Basics course first.

CREATING THE MK BASICS SOCKS SAMPLE

These socks are knit from the cuff down, starting with an e-wrap cast on, then working a heel flap and an automatic wrap method for the short rows of both the heel turn and toe shaping.

For the sample socks, Barb chose SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Snowfall as C2, and SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock Mini-Skeins in Dark Orchid (C1), Lavender (C3), and Summer Sky (C4). While one skein of Tough Love Sock is generally enough to make one pair of socks, the colour changes in the sample help you recognize the different sections of the sock while making your first pair. Once you’re more confident with the pattern, you may choose to ignore the colour changes and make a single-colour version.

JOIN THE SCHOOL

Discover the courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School of SweetGeorgia! Explore our growing library of machine knitting, knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more from Barb Barone at the SOS course: Machine Knitting: Basics, Machine Knitting: Lace, and more.

Print

MK Basics Socks on the Silver Reed LK 150

Expand your machine knitting skills with Barb Barone's MK Basics Socks pattern and online course!

Craft Machine Knitting

Maker Barb Barone

Designer Barb Barone

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Silver Reed LK 150 Knitting Machine
• Additional tools: 2 x 12" / 30 cm ravel cords (or DMC cotton), 2 x Size 0 US / 2.0 mm circular knitting needles; 24" / 60 cm long, smooth ravel cord (or 75-100 bobby pins for markers)

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Snowfall (C2)
• 1 mini-skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Dark Orchid (C1)
• 1 mini-skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Lavender (C3)
• 1 mini-skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Summer Sky (C4)

Instructions

• Download the MK Basic Socks pattern from the School of SweetGeorgia or the online shop.
• Set up the LK 150 according to the instructions in the pattern. Make a gauge swatch to choose the right machine settings and sock size.
• Cast on following the pattern instructions.
• Knit the leg and ankle, swapping colours as instructed.
  
• Scrap off stitches and knit the heel flap.
• Knit the heel turn and gusset wings.
• Knit the gusset shaping, moving weights as needed.
• Use the recipe instructions for the toe shaping and instep.
• Finish your sock and repeat for the second sock. Wet block, let dry fully, and enjoy!
  

Notes

Pattern information from Barb Barone:

These basic socks are designed to be machine knit flat with fingering-weight sock yarn on the Silver Reed LK 150 knitting machine. Once you see how simple it is to knit socks on your flatbed knitting machine, you will be making a pair for everyone you know!

 

We Invite You to Connect with Us:

• Follow us at our SweetGeorgia YouTube channel and on Instagram for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more.
•  Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs; you never miss what’s going on!
• We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia + Co community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings. School of SweetGeorgia members have full access to the community and SOS courses at this fun fibre arts space.
• Visit the SweetGeorgia Ravelry group where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008.

The post From Cuff to Toe: Learn to Machine Knit Socks at the School appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Handmade Socks

There is something special about handmade socks. They are practical, beautiful, and endlessly creative. Hand-knit socks can be simple and timeless, full of stripes, lace, cables, colourwork, or a combination of techniques. They make thoughtful gifts, treasured keepsakes, and are worn as everyday favourites. Every pair tells its own story, and we think they are worth celebrating for an entire month.

Throughout October, we will share a new pattern and revisit community favourites, explore colourful sock yarns, blog posts and podcast episodes, and School of SweetGeorgia courses. Whether you make one pair or fill an entire drawer, we hope you will join us for a month of creativity, learning, and community.

Patterns To Cast On

We are delighted to introduce a brand-new CSM sock pattern for Socktober 2026: Classic Cabin Socks. The pattern will be available free to School of SweetGeorgia members or for purchase in the SweetGeorgia Shop.

Classic Cabin Socks: a New CSM Pattern

Knit from the cuff down with a hung hem, these socks are worked in two colours, with a contrasting stripe at the hem in a third colour for a touch of old-fashioned charm, giving them a warm, practical and timeless look. You’ll reach for these socks all winter long.

More SweetGeorgia Sock Patterns to Explore

We also want to celebrate some of the sock patterns we’re seeing pop up year after year throughout the SweetGeorgia community. These patterns continue to inspire beautiful handmade socks and creative colour combinations.

• Ahead Socks Pattern
• Tellico Ripples Socks Pattern
• Rushing Tide Socks Pattern
• Kelias Socks Pattern
• EVO Socks Pattern (Free Pattern!)

Colours & Materials That Inspire

Choosing the yarn is half the fun. Will you knit a classic solid or variegated yarn? Add contrasting colours for the heels and toes? Will you play with stripes using mini skeins? There are endless ways to make each pair uniquely your own.

We offer many sock yarns in a wide range of colourways, along with new Sock kits!

Our Sock Yarns

• SweetGeorgia Sock Kits
• SweetGeorgia Party of Five Sets
• SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock
• SweetGeorgia Mohair Silk Sock
• SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine
• SweetGeorgia Sock Yarn Blanks

Stories From Our Blog & Podcast

Socktober is about more than finishing a pair of socks. It is about learning, experimenting, sharing ideas, and celebrating the creativity of makers everywhere.

This month, we are excited to share a new article from Rachel Smith and an upcoming podcast interview with Steve Ashton. Here are a few of our favourite blog posts and podcast episodes from the archives, filled with tips, inspiration, and stories from the sock-making community.

Podcast Episodes to Listen to

• The SweetGeorgia Show // S1 E2: Kate Atherley
• The SweetGeorgia Show // S5 E7: Celeste Angello
• The SweetGeorgia Show // S5 E16: Grayson Erlbacher
• The SweetGeorgia Show // S6 E14: Steve Ashton (available October 14, 2026)

Knitting Blog Posts to Read

• Our First Knit Sock Stories
• 5 Reasons You Should Knit Socks
• The Big Decision: Top-Down vs. Toe-Up Socks
• Crank Fully Hemmed Socks on Your Circular Sock Machine (CSM)
• Choosing the Best Heel and Toe Constructions for Your Socks
• Using Colour to Make Scrappy Socks Look Intentionally Planned! (available October 12, 2026)

Spinning Blog Posts to Read

• Knitting CSM Socks with Handspun
• Start Spinning Sock Yarn: Twist, Ply & Structure
• Summer of Socks: Selecting an Ideal Sock Fibre
• Blending Fibres for an Ideal Handspun Sock Yarn (available October 19, 2026)

Learn Something New

Whether you are casting on your very first sock or your hundredth, there is always something new to discover. Our School of SweetGeorgia sock courses are designed to help you start sock knitting from scratch, master new techniques, and find the construction methods that work best for you.

New: Machine Knitting Socks course with Barb Barone

Who doesn’t love socks made from stunning hand-dyed yarn? Making socks on a knitting machine is simple; it just takes a different way of looking at it. And once we get going, there is no end to the alterations we can make, including a slip-stitch heel, stripes, ribbing, colourwork, and more. This is just the start!

In this course, we swatch, measure for a custom fit, and machine-knit the included MK Basics Socks pattern from cuff to toe, with a heel flap and gusset.

Throughout this course, we explore measuring our feet for a perfect fit, how to scrap off stitches, seaming on and off the machine, creating short rows for toe shaping and multiple ways to finish our socks for flawless results.

Featured Sock Courses

• Custom Toe-Up Socks with Tabetha Hedrick
• Custom Top-Down Socks with Tabetha Hedrick
• Two-at-a-Time Top-Down Socks with Tabetha Hedrick
• Heel & Toe Variations for Top-Down Socks with Tabetha Hedrick
• Machine Knitting: Socks with Barb Barone (available October 8, 2026)
• Circular Sock Machine: Foundations with Felicia Lo

Looking to explore something beyond sock construction? You can also learn to dye your own self-striping yarn in Dyeing Complex Colour, spin custom sock yarn in Spin to Knit Socks, or photograph your finished projects beautifully in Yarnography before sharing them with the community.

Join The Celebration with Us

One of the best parts of Socktober is sharing your hand-knit socks. Every pair of socks is different, reflecting the maker behind them through colour, technique, and personal style. Whether you knit, crochet, weave, sew, machine knit, or crank your socks on a CSM, we would love to see what you are making.

Share your projects in the SweetGeorgia + Co Community. Cheer one another on, ask questions, celebrate finished objects, and maybe even inspire someone’s next cast on.

However you choose to take part, we hope Socktober 2026 is filled with colourful yarn, satisfying stitches, new skills, and the joy of making socks.

The post Socktober 2026: Why We Love It & How to Join Us! appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

CRANKING THE CLASSIC CABIN SOCKS

With the skills you learned in the Circular Sock Knitting: Foundations course, you may be ready to crank your next favourite pair. The Classic Cabin Socks were inspired by the coziness of a rustic cabin on a cold day, with warm socks on your feet. They bring back that slow weekend feeling of relaxing, warm and snug, at home.

These socks are knit from the cuff down and start with a hung hem. Both the heel and toe use the “No Wrap Heel” method. The heel is worked deep, and the toe is worked over half of the needles.

For the sample socks, Felicia chose our soft and strong SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock yarn. She used Silver as the Main Colour (MC) and Birch as Complementary Colour 1 (CC1), then added a fun stripe of Cassis as Complementary Colour 2 (CC2). You only need a small amount of CC2, so you can pick your favourite contrasting shade in a SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock Micro-Skein.

We named this combo Winter Porch because it reminded us of a sunny winter day spent cozied up in your woolens on the porch. We also put together a few other combos that shine with this pattern. Blue Canoe (MC), Birch (CC1), and Mandarin (CC2) take us to a cool Campfire Morning, and Garden Gate stays close to home with Sage (MC), Snowfall (CC1), and Chili Pepper (CC2).

Learn the Foundations of CSM Sock Knitting

At the School of SweetGeorgia, Felicia Lo guides you through the essentials of using your CSM at her Circular Sock Machine: Foundations online course. If you are new to working with a circular sock machine, the online video lessons and workbook help you to understand the anatomy of your machine. Walking you through everything from setup to creating cast-on bonnets and heel snakes, Felicia also shares her best tips to develop your CSM knitting confidence.

Print

CSM Classic Cabin Socks

Warm, practical, and timeless, you'll reach for these cozy, cabin socks all winter long.

Craft Circular Sock Machine (CSM)

Maker Felicia Lo

Designer Felicia Lo

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Sock Machine
• Additional tools: Heel forks, stem weights, pick tool, cast-on bonnet, buckle, darning needle, waste yarn, ravel cord
• Optional: Slotted yarn carrier — adjust cylinder size if necessary to obtain your ideal gauge

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Silver
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Birch
• 1 micro-skein SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock Micro-Skein in Cassis

Instructions

• Download the pattern/recipe from either the School of SweetGeorgia course or the online SweetGeorgia shop.
• Cast on with a Cast-On Bonnet and the cylinder size you have. Don't forget to add weights.
• Follow the instructions to hang the hem and swap colours between CC1 and CC2.
  
• Swap to MC, and crank the leg to the desired length. Ensure that you move the weights as needed while knitting the sock
• Use the recipe instructions to make a short row, deep heel, moving unwanted needles out of the way and changing to CC1 as instructed.
• Change to MC yarn. Crank the foot to the desired length, changing yarn to CC1
• Follow the short row toe instructions, then remove the sock and graft the toe.
• Repeat for the second sock. Wet block the socks, let dry fully, and enjoy!
  

Notes

Pattern information from Felicia Lo:

Knit from the cuff down with a neat hung hem, these socks are worked in two main colours with a cheerful contrasting stripe near the hem for a touch of old-fashioned charm. Warm, practical, and timeless, they’re the socks you’ll reach for all winter long.

 

See the video:

We Invite You to Connect with Us:

• Follow us at our SweetGeorgia YouTube channel and on Instagram for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more.
•  Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs; you never miss what’s going on!
• We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia + Co community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings. School of SweetGeorgia members have full access to the community and SOS courses at this fun fibre arts space.
• Visit the SweetGeorgia Ravelry group where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008.

The post Crank Up the Coziness with the Classic Cabin Socks appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

As we look forward to savouring every stitch and making new memories with a special skein—patterns that require a bit more attention while knitting—let us enjoy every yard, knowing a stunning accessory awaits as our reward.

So we wonder: what can we knit with this very special skein of yarn? Ksenia’s book, One Skein Knitting, provides us with a wonderful collection of projects designed precisely for special skeins of yarn.

What You Will Find Inside

Yarn & Colour Inspiration

The Table of Contents shows the projects by yarn weight, everything from lace weight to Aran. This makes the book very easy to browse if you have a specific skein of yarn you want to knit with. Abbreviations are at the end of the book, keeping the charts and written instructions tidy.

Ksenia also includes a Yarn Pairings classification for each project. This simple system lets you see at a glance which types of colourways work best with each pattern, from solid to tonal, lightly to highly variegated, and self-striping yarns.

Each accessory in the book draws inspiration from the plant world and features lovely texture; you’ll find Japanese lace, cables, Estonian braids, and nupps. Ksenia chose an absolutely lovely palette in bright and light oranges, pinks, greens, and whites.

The Patterns

The projects are suitable for adventurous beginners to intermediate knitters. Ksenia includes notes in patterns with suggestions on how to widen or lengthen the project if you have more yardage available and want to use up your whole skein. All patterns come with charts and written instructions.

The book includes eighteen patterns in total with five shawls, four cowls, two socks, two mittens, two scarves, a hat, a headband, and a mini scarf. The collection of patterns feels cohesive and attractive. While I found several personal favourites in this book, Charlotte from our SweetGeorgia team had a completely different set of projects that attracted her, and Anita was, of course, attracted to the beautiful lace socks.

A Sneak Peek at The Projects

So, without further ado, let me show you some of my favourite projects from the book and why!

Verba Cowl

We want to start with the absolutely beautiful Verba Cowl. We were happy at SweetGeorgia to offer yarn support with our beloved yarn base, SweetGeorgia Flaxen Silk Fine.

What I like about this pattern: I love this base for knitting summer garments, but I was not expecting the gorgeous stitch definition that shows up in the cables. I also love that the project starts with just a few stitches, so you can start “swatching” within the project itself. I really like doing this. I get used to the chart, then take time to wet-block when my project is 4″ / 10 cm long, still on the needles. If I need to switch needles and start over, it’s simple, and if I get lucky and get gauge on the first go, I can keep going!

What yarn would I use: of course, I would use SweetGeorgia Flaxen Silk Fine, or if wanting a warmer cowl, I might substitute SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine.

Artemisia Headband

What I like about this pattern: it is the sister project to the Artemisia Scarf. I really like seeing how a similar pattern looks both lovely and different in two different yarn weights. Headbands are also a lovely and useful accessory to brighten many grey days.

What yarn would I use: SweetGeorgia Merino DK or SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK. While both are a good substitution for the suggested yarn, SweetGeorgia Merino DK would be easy to care for, even if it got entangled in the laundry by mistake. I also love all the yarns from the Trifecta base; I do happen to have less than half a skein of leftovers that I could use up in this lovely accessory.

Astilbe Mini Scarf

What I like about this pattern: lately, I have been noticing knitted mini scarves showing up everywhere on my Instagram feed. I am embracing this accessory as a great way to enjoy colour, and the Astilbe Mini Scarf has many elements I like, from an easy-to-memorize repeating pattern to a built-in i-cord edging, a design element I really enjoy in accessories.

What yarn would I use: to get something truly luxurious, I’d use SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine held double for a cloud-like accessory. I would also try swatching the same yarn on smaller needles, as a light, skinny mini scarf sounds just about right.

Vitis Mittens

What I like about this pattern: cables—beautiful cables—and a ribbed palm sound like the perfect combination for a set of fingerless mittens, very useful on my daily walks on rainy, not-too-cold winter days.

What yarn would I use: SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock has a whole rainbow of colours to choose from; then again, I would be tempted to use one of my precious skeins from the SweetGeorgia Secret Stash club.

Myrica Hat

What I like about this pattern: two things I really love: cables and a fold-over ribbed hat. I am also a great fan of worsted-weight hats. The cabled hat’s stretchiness helps it fit both my younger kid’s head and mine, making it a versatile accessory to grab on the way out the door.

What yarn would I use: SweetGeorgia Merino Worsted is a lovely option with just the right shade to coordinate with that jacket you reach for every cold day.

School of SweetGeorgia

Most of the patterns in this beautiful book are geared towards adventurous beginners and intermediate knitters. If you want to brush up on and improve your knitting skills while enjoying the company of multicraftual makers, join us at SweetGeorgia + Co to keep learning!

Giveaway

Ksenia has kindly sent us a copy of her beautiful book to give away to our followers. To enter the giveaway*, visit Ksenia’s website, Life is Cozy, look at the patterns, and post a comment on the SweetGeorgia + Co Giveaway post with your favourite pattern from the One Skein Knitting book and the SweetGeorgia yarn and colourway you would use. We will use a random number generator and send One Skein Knitting plus one skein of SweetGeorgia yarn to the lucky winner.

*Giveaway opens Sept 28, 2026 and closes October 11, 2026.
Must be a member of SweetGeorgia + Co to enter.

The post Book Review: One Skein Knitting by Ksenia Naidyon appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

I’ve been curious about electric yarn winders for a while now because they are so efficient! And I’ve been using the Caydo M1 Pro for every ball of yarn in the past year or so … now, Caydo sent me their new A1 Pro Max and I got a chance to try it out with over 20+ balls of yarn. I tested it with different fibre weights and large yardage to see if it actually holds up or if it’s different from the M1 Pro.

If you’re prepping warps for a weaving project or trying to wrangle a spinning stash that’s gotten out of hand, a good winder makes a real difference. I compare a few yarn types to show how the motor handles the load, and I’ll share whether I think it’s worth the upgrade or not.

Get the NEW Caydo A1 Pro Max Electric Yarn Winder: https://sweetgeorgiayarns.com/caydoA1promax

Get the Caydo M1 Pro Electric Yarn Winder:
https://sweetgeorgiayarns.com/caydoM1pro

The post Testing the new Caydo A1 Pro Max Electric Yarn Winder appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Patty Lyons is a beloved knitting teacher and designer. She is the author of Knitting Bag of Tricks and its companion workbook, and she writes in-depth and insightful posts for Modern Knitting. She also has a brand new book, Knitting ER: A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Your Knits Before and After Bind-Off, publishing in October 2026.

Where to Find Patty Lyons

• Patty Lyons Website
• Patty’s Ravelry Patterns
• Preorder her new book (and receive the bonus extras)
• Listen to Patty’s 2017 SweetGeorgia Show podcast here

Thank You for Listening

Thank you for spending time with us in this episode! If you enjoyed it, we’d love for you to share it with your fellow fibre-loving friends. And if you’re enjoying the show, please consider leaving a rating and review on iTunes; it helps us reach more makers like you.

If you’d like to hear more, you can subscribe to our podcast and never miss an episode!

• Subscribe on iTunes
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube

We read every message, whether it’s on our Instagram, YouTube, or SweetGeorgia + Co.

Join Our Community!

• At the School of SweetGeorgia, we’ve built a vibrant and welcoming community of fibre-loving makers, passionate instructors, and dedicated staff. Whether you’re looking for guidance on a new technique or just need a little creative encouragement, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
• We welcome you to join us at SweetGeorgia + Co. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings! We discuss all things knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, machine knitting, and more! 
• Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to our newsletter! It’s a simple way to stay updated on what’s new at SweetGeorgia and the School of SweetGeorgia, catch up on the latest articles, watch new SweetGeorgia YouTube videos, and be a part of our community without any pressure to post. We value your presence, no matter how you choose to connect with us!

The post The SweetGeorgia Show // S6 E13: Patty Lyons appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Multicraftual Maker Always Trying New Things!

Kove has worked with several Vancouver-based creative, cultural and educational non-profits. Before SweetGeorgia, they co-founded Bảo Vệ Collective, a group that empowered youth to help Vietnamese-Canadians navigate language barriers during the COVID-19 lockdowns. All the screen time dedicated to that project led Kove to pick up a tactile hobby – knitting!

A Quick Q&A with Kove

What’s your role at SweetGeorgia?

• I’m the video editor for the School of SweetGeorgia. I used to be on our production team, twisting and packaging Party of Fives. I dyed yarn for a few years after that. 

What fibre arts did you enjoy before joining us?

• Sewing, upcycling and alterations, mainly with used clothing and fabric. During the lockdowns, I fell into the Harry Styles x J.W. Anderson cardigan rabbit hole. The obsession took hold once I realized that swatches could become wearable. Of course, once you’re comfortable with knitting or crocheting, I feel like it’s inevitable that you try your hand at the other, and so it goes! 

Which fibre arts do you do now that you are here?

• SweetGeorgia gave me the opportunity to try natural dyeing, wheel and spindle spinning, and I’ve passed the shuttle back and forth on a rigid heddle and inkle loom, haha! What stuck was knit/crochet and needle felting, but I want a table loom for future projects. I’m also working on my mending and sashiko skills. 

What other hobbies do you enjoy?

• Capturing moments from my walks, travels or just around the house in various forms (photos/video/illustration/writing). Watching old movies. Creating playlists that tickle my brain. Reading. This summer I’ve been playing with paint and pencils again, and I’m itching to get back on a kayak!

Are there any tools, equipment, or accessories you’d recommend?

• I love anything that keeps us moving, so if it’s accessible to you, I’d recommend a walking pad or rebounder to use between rows or even as you knit or crochet. Many can be found on the used market. The metal, ergonomic KnitPro Nova Cubics help me (a tight knitter) loosen up and knit faster. 

Which is your favourite fibre or yarn?

• Our silk yarns were some of the most inspiring to me as a dyer. SweetGeorgia Mohair Silk Sock has a wonderful squishy-softness and soaks up the dye without losing brightness or variation.  

Fun fact:

• When I feel overwhelmed or tired, I do variations of Wim Hof breathing (sometimes on an acupressure mat). 

Places to Find Kove Thai

• Behind the lens of many of our School of SweetGeorgia videos!

Thank you, Kove. We are thankful for your great eye for beauty, filming, photographing and editing the videos for the school. We love being surrounded by your positive energy and for being so authentic always.

The post SweetGeorgia Team Spotlight: Kove Thai appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE COLOURWAY STORY

Imagine it’s September and we just aren’t ready to let go of summertime fun. So I’m thinking of dragon fruit and gelato, sunshine and banana leaves. Where does your imagination go when you think of making summer last a little bit longer?

For the Yarn Club, you might notice that the yarn is more flecked and not completely dyed through. This is simply because bamboo is a cellulose/plant fibre that does not absorb the dyes that we use for wool. So the colourway produces an interesting effect with the haze of bamboo fibre. This hazy effect can also be seen in the Fibre Club braids.

PROJECT IDEAS

For the Yarn

With a bamboo-based sock yarn, I decided to crank some socks, obviously. The sharp, contrasting colours in the handpainted skein produce a fun, organic stripe throughout the sock.

You can use this fingering-weight yarn for all kinds of projects including crochet or weaving. This blend would also make a lovely lightweight scarf. As with any handpainted yarn, we suggest alternating ends or holding multiple strands together if you want to mitigate pooling. Or go for the full planned pooling effect, if you want big patches of strong colour.

For the Fibre

Earlier this year, in the School of SweetGeorgia, we experimented with blending bast fibres like linen and hemp with wool as well as cellulose fibres like cotton with wool. In this month’s fibre, we’ve done the blending for you!

Handspun yarn from this fibre blend will look a bit hazy because of the undyed bamboo fibre. This handpainted fibre offers many opportunities for colour management in spinning — whether you want to chain-ply or barber pole, combo-spin or combo-ply, spin singles or spin 4-ply for socks. There is an option for every spinner.

If you need some guidance, we have a complete catalog of spinning courses at the School, taught by an experienced and engaged team of spinning instructors.

JOIN THE CLUB CONVERSATION

One of the fundamental beliefs we have at SweetGeorgia is that the colours we surround ourselves with can transform our experience of life. Whether you knit, crochet, weave, or something else, join us at our SweetGeorgia + Co community. We’d love to hear your thoughts on our Bird of Paradise colourway and see what you make with it.

Thank you for following along with us for our colourful Secret Stash Club adventure. We’ll see you next month!

The post Secret Stash Club Reveal: Bird of Paradise appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE BIRD OF PARADISE COLOURWAY

Our September 2026 Secret Stash Club colourway, Bird of Paradise, is our wish for summer to last just a little bit longer. Vivid magenta, deep amethyst, and warm golden peach twist together with flashes of rich teal and soft green, capturing the striking beauty of its namesake bloom. It’s a colourway that refuses to be quiet, perfect for projects that deserve a little drama and a lot of joy. Read more at the colour reveal post »

CRANKING THIS MONTH’S SAMPLE

With the bold colour repeats of the Bird of Paradise Club colourway, knitting socks on the circular sock machine felt like the perfect match. There’s something magical about watching the stripes unfold while hand-cranking each round on the CSM.

For this month’s sample, Felicia followed the same construction as her CSM Starter Socks pattern, which is included with her online course Circular Sock Knitting: Foundations, at the School of SweetGeorgia. Through the video lessons, she walks you through everything from setup and tools to creating cast-on bonnets and heel snakes, so whether you’re new to CSM knitting or looking to refine your technique, it’s a great place to start. Learn more about the course here »

JOIN THE CLUB

We look forward to sharing more project inspiration with colourways we’ve concocted as part of our Secret Stash Club. We love telling stories through our colours and sharing how we see the world, and we hope you’ll join us there!

Print

CSM Starter Socks in the Bird of Paradise Club Colourway

Crank your own colourful and fun socks with this easy circular sock machine pattern that is customizable to any size.

Craft Circular Sock Machine (CSM)

Maker Felicia Lo

Designer Felicia Lo

Skill Level Beginner

Equipment

• 1 Circular Sock Machine

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Big Bamboo Sock in Bird of Paradise

Instructions

• Download the pattern/recipe from either the School of SweetGeorgia course or the online SweetGeorgia shop.
• Cast on with a Cast-On Bonnet and the cylinder size you have. Don't forget to add weights.
• Follow the instructions to hang the hem.
• Crank the leg to the desired length. Ensure that you move the weights as needed while knitting the sock.
• Use the recipe instructions to make a short row heel, moving unwanted needles out of the way.
• Crank the foot to the desired length.
• Follow the short row toe instructions, then remove the sock and graft the toe.
• Wet block the socks, let dry fully, and enjoy!

The post Secret Stash Club Knitting: CSM Starter Socks appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Before You Apply

When applying to be a test knitter, there are a few things to consider before signing up. Let’s go through the process. 

What is the Duration of the Test Knit? 

If the design is for a sweater, could you knit it by the date they need it done? How long did it take you to knit your last sweater? Depending on the project, it could take you weeks or even months to knit. Agreeing to knit this design could mean that you will have to set aside all other multicraftual making to give this project all of your crafting time, and then some. 

Would you be able to complete the process around your work, family, and other obligations, or would you be stretching yourself too thin? If you have a very busy life, you could wait until this pattern is published and make it on your own time. However, if you have the time and can meet the deadline, then it would be a good time to sign up. 

My Personal Experience 

I was a test knitter for a shawl and was given about five weeks to receive yarn and knit the shawl. I found it was more than enough time for me. A few years later, I was interested in another test knit, but I knew I would not be able to complete it, as I had too many other commitments, so I passed. 

I know the time needed for a three-skein shawl or sweater, but I could be given a year to knit socks and never finish them. So, based on previous projects, I determine whether the time period is enough for me to complete the project before I commit. 

Do You Have the Materials or Skills Needed?

If the pattern uses worsted-weight yarn and has an intricate cable design, would you have everything you need to begin right away? Do you have a cable needle, or do you know how to do it without one? Do you have the yarn needed in your stash? Some designers partner with yarn companies to use their yarn and may provide yarn support for the pattern testing at a discounted rate (or sometimes free). If you need to order yarn, you need to factor in shipping time, which could add pressure on the time you have to knit. If you already have yarn in your stash, you may be happy to use what you have.

What if the project is for a sock with an afterthought heel, or another technique you have never done before? You’ll need to communicate that to the designer. Can you learn it during the process? Maybe. Or possibly the designer is curious to see how knitters with no experience with the technique understand how to make the project using their instructions. Be open with the designer and let them know any concerns you have.

My Personal Experience

I find it easiest to participate if I already have all or most of the yarn in my stash. I try to find a main colour, then I can buy any additional colours if needed. Searching through my stash is the easiest way to allow me to sign up and cast on. 

Can You Communicate with the Designer on Their Chosen Platform?

If the designer wants to host the test knit on a space such as Discord, are you comfortable communicating there? As you go through the process, you will need to contact the designer if something doesn’t make sense or if you find an error in the pattern. You need to be able to clearly tell the designer what the issue is, so they can make changes on their end.

My Personal Experience

I find the method of communication key in being able to alert to problems. I find a Google Doc the easiest, as edits can be made in real time, but I’m also a gal who likes a good old email, so either works for me. 

How Are You Compensated for Your Time?

Then we come to a rather tricky area: compensation for the test knit. This can vary widely. Many designers will offer the complete, edited pattern after it is published, while some offer additional free patterns as compensation for the time put in. Another perk may be receiving yarn support in the form of a partial or a full discount. It really ranges from designer to designer. 

My Personal Experience

This is easy for me, because I would be purchasing the pattern regardless. With me (likely) having the yarn already in my stash, I am happy to use what I have for something I want to wear. Plus, as an added motivation, I must finish the project by the deadline, which, for my multicraftual self, helps me to the finish line.

What is Expected After the Knit?

So what are the expectations for after the project has been finished? Are you expected to post on social media or on spaces like Ravelry to show what size you made and the yarns you used in your process? Do you need to show the item on your body to show the ease you gave your garment? 

An important part of any test for a designer is getting the pattern displayed in various yarns, on a variety of bodies, and in the full range of sizes the pattern is offered in. Test knitters who use social media, Ravelry, or other platforms to share what they have made can help designers promote their pattern. A designer may ask in their application form if you use social media, and they may use that to choose their test knitter participants. 

My Personal Experience

While I’m not active on social media anymore, I do use Ravelry. I am happy to post there, choosing not to show my face, in case the image is used in other spaces for promotion. Personal choice, but that’s just me. I write as many notes as I can to help fellow knitters decide if the pattern and size are right for them.

Ok, Go! Be a Test Knitter!

If you have read all of the above and have the time, the skills, and the yarn (in stash or willing to purchase), then sign up for the test knit. I quite enjoy them. The community of testers can be a nice group to work with; learning and seeing how patterns change as others knit them is fascinating. Helping a designer bring their idea from their hands into the wider knitting world gives a sense of pride in being a part of the process. 

The post Want to Be a Test Knitter? Here are a Few Things to Consider appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

FROM TOUGH LOVE SOCK TO TRIFECTA DK

The original cowl was crocheted using fingering-weight yarn: 1 SweetGeorgia Party of Five Tough Love Sock mini-skein set plus 1 SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock skein. This combination allowed us to enjoy the rhythmic pattern in 6 shades for a fun, colourful accessory.

When it was time to make a new sample for Charlotte’s beloved Yona Cowl, we wanted to explore a version in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK. This yarn base has become a favourite our team, featuring a soft hand and lovely shine with a blend of Bluefaced Leicester wool, mohair, and silk. We also love how different a colourway looks in this yarn compared to our easy-care lines such as SweetGeorgia Merino DK. We chose a rich, stunning shade from our Eclipse Collection: Gemini.

Crocheted in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK, our new sample lets this yarn’s signature stitch definition shine. Worked flat as a long rectangle, from side to side, the two short ends are then seamed together to form a loop. The intricate wave stitch pattern opens up beautifully, allowing the tonal depth of Gemini to shift between deep plum and wine-dark tones across every repeat.

EXPLORE CROCHET AT THE SCHOOL

If you want to crochet this cowl but feel intimidated, Charlotte walks you through a swatch of it in her Crochet Increases & Decreases course. We also have online courses in the School that take you from the basics through to textures, amigurumi, and more. Visit the School of SweetGeorgia to explore our growing library.

Print

Crochet Yona Cowl in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK

Squishy soft lace in a beautiful wave stitch pattern, this beautiful cowl works great for a variety of outfit options.

Craft Crochet

Maker Charlotte Lee

Designer Charlotte Lee

Skill Level Beginner

Equipment

• 1 Crochet Hook in size H-8 US / 5 mm

Materials

• 2 skeins SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Gemini

Instructions

• To crochet the Yona cowl, download a copy of the pattern from the SweetGeorgia shop or free from the SOS Pattern Library.
• Determine your gauge worked over Wave st pattern, after blocking.
• Crochet a chain and follow the pattern as instructed crocheting the Wave Stitch design. Use the full skein of DK-weight yarn for all instructions, ignoring any colour change instructions.
• Cut yarn, leaving a 4" / 10 cm tail for seaming.
• Wet block the cowl, let dry fully, and enjoy!
  

Notes

Pattern information from Charlotte Lee:

Squishy and lacy, with a super simple construction, this cowl has just enough warmth and elegance for sunny days or cool evenings.

 

The post One Pattern, Two Yarns: The Yona Cowl Gets a DK Makeover appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

A Busy Crafter

Robyn is also a prolific and very organized maker. As a busy mom with a full-time job and a half-time job at SweetGeorgia, she uses her organizing skills to make time in her busy schedule to keep learning.

A Quick Q&A with Robyn

What’s your role at SweetGeorgia?

• School Moderator

What fibre arts did you enjoy before joining us?

• Knitting and weaving

Which fibre arts do you do now that you are here?

• Knit, crochet, spin, weave, needle and wet felting, sew, tapestry weave, embroider, and dyeing.

What other hobbies do you enjoy?

• Weight lifting, walking my dog, reading, and spending time with my husband and two preteen babies.

Are there any tools, equipment, or accessories you’d recommend?

• For knitting, it would be a gauge ruler – the only way to see what you’ll end up with when you are done.
• For weaving, a tool kit/holder – my daughter made two pieces in her woods class, and having all of the weaving tools at my reach makes it so much easier.

Which is your favourite fibre or yarn?

• Anything SweetGeorgia Trifecta (fibre or yarn)

Fun fact:

• I’m a big believer of Astrology – as my family is living proof that you are your sign *sigh*

Places to Find Robyn Gibbons:

• SweetGeorgia + Co
• Robyn’s SweetGeorgia Articles

Thank you, Robyn, for always supporting our community, for sharing your projects, and for hosting make-alongs and learning with the School members throughout the year.

The post SweetGeorgia Team Spotlight: Robyn Gibbons appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

You can find the original Pirate’s Cove pattern (for hand knitting) by Hilary Latimer on Ravelry. Hilary graciously gave permission to Christine Welsh to post a machine-knit version of the shawl in the Pirate’s Cove for LK150.

PUTTING LEFTOVER YARNS TO WORK

Anita prepped the SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK leftovers as center-pull balls from the Shift Cowl in Amber Ale, Coastline, and Lupine, plus Birch from the Ranunculus Pullover.

The SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK worked really well on the LK 150. The woolly nature of the yarn allows the stitches to stay on the needles, and the subtle colour variegation of the hand-dyed yarns is showcased in the knitted fabric. The final textile at a gauge of 18 sts and 26 rows has a soft and fluid hand, perfect for a drapey accessory. And the lovely shine of the Bluefaced Leicester wool, mohair, and silk glows in the finished shawl.

The four shades, Coastline, Lupine, Amber Ale, and Birch, offer good value contrast between them. Using up leftovers allows the different shawl sections to shine while making a fun accessory that will coordinate with your original knits.

EXPLORE MACHINE KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

Looking to expand your machine knitting skills plus find inspiration for a range of other projects? Visit the School of SweetGeorgia (SOS) to explore our growing library of machine knitting, hand knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more about machine knitting basics and more taught by Barb Barone.

Print

Machine Knit Pirate’s Cove in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK

A fabulous woolly yarn with subtle hand-dyed colour variegation is showcased in the knitted fabric of this lovely triangular shawl design.

Craft Machine Knitting

Maker Anita Lee

Designer Christina Welsh, Hilary Latimer

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Silver Reed LK 150 Knitting Machine

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Birch
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Lupine
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Coastline
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Amber Ale

Instructions

• Download the Pirate's Cove pattern from Ravelry.
• Set up the LK 150 according to the instructions in the pattern. Determine your gauge on a small swatch. Anita used a tension dial at 5 on the LK 150 for a gauge of 18 stitches and 26 rows.
  
• Using Colour C1 and following the pattern, cast on. Knit Section One–Solid.
• Add C2 and, alternating between C1 and C2, machine knit Section Two–Stripes.
• Machine knit Section Three–Lace Section, adding C3 as instructed in the pattern.
• Follow with Section Four–Stripes and Section Five–Solid. Continue with C1* when no more leftovers are available from C1.
• Bind off loosely. Weave in ends and block lightly. Let dry fully and enjoy!
  

Notes

Yardage amounts used:

• C1: 164 yds / 168 m Birch
• C2: 98 yd / 90 m Amber Ale 
• C3: 147 yd / 135 m Coastline
• C1*: 61 yd / 56 m  Lupine

 

As Christine shares in the pattern info:

“This is a version of the handknitting pattern “Pirate’s Cove” by Hilary Designs, adapted specifically for the LK150 home knitting machine. This asymmetrical shawl starts at the small point with increases every other row, until the whole bed is filled (150 stitches). It may be knit on other knitting machines, however, adjustments would need to be made in gauge, increases and number of rows. 

This pattern is especially suitable for beginning machine knitters. The hand manipulating, especially in the eyelet section, will give the beginner lots of practice in transferring stitches. Changing colors and carrying yarn are additional skills for the beginner to learn. Any knitter can enjoy this pattern as a great stash buster, with endless possibilities for color combinations.

 

We Invite You to Connect with Us:

• Follow us at our SweetGeorgia YouTube channel and on Instagram for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more.
•  Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs; you never miss what’s going on!
• We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia + Co community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings. School of SweetGeorgia members have full access to the community and SOS courses at this fun fibre arts space.
• Visit the SweetGeorgia Ravelry group where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008.

The post Stash-Busting on the LK 150: Pirate’s Cove Shawl in Trifecta DK appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

TL;DR: In a gradient yarn, there is a gradual shift between different colours. In this article, I explain the process to prepare the fibre from a hand-dyed braid with distinct colours. After you separate and rearrange the colours of fibre, you can use a fibre prep tool such as hand carders, blending board, or drum carder. I showcase using a drum carder for a very straightforward 2-ply gradient yarn.

To learn to prepare your fibre, you need a hand-dyed braid, your hands, and a scale. To prepare a cohesive and easy-to-spin preparation, your favourite carding tool and a diz are useful.

Choose a Hand-Dyed Braid with at Least Three Colours

Choose a hand-dyed braid with three or more colours. I chose a SweetGeorgia braid with shades of magenta, blue, and green.

Separate the Fibre into the Different Colours

Find a room with good lighting. To get started, unbraid and open up the braid of hand-dyed fibre. Find a place on the braid with one of the colour shifts, loosen the fibre, as it may be a tad compacted from dyeing. With your hands holding the length of fibre separated about 10–12″ / 25–30 cm, start separating the fibre.

Rearrange the Colours

Think about the final yarn construction. You may need a scale in some cases.

• If you plan for the final yarn to stay as singles, arrange the colours from one colour to the next in a row in the order you plan to spin them.
• If you plan on spinning a traditional 2-ply yarn, you will need two bundles of gradient fibre that you will spin on different bobbins to 2-ply. Divide the colours into two bundles with about the same weight, so if you are spinning 4 oz / 115 g total, each bundle will be about half that. To be quite precise, I use a basket where I add all the fibre in one colour and weigh it. Then I separate half of it by weight into one bundle and keep the other half in another bundle. Then I repeat this process with each of the colours.
• If spinning a traditional yarn with 3 or more plies, you would divide the total fibre into as many bundles as there are plies, with each of the bundles with all the colours of the gradient organized in the same order.
• If planning to chain-ply your singles for a 3-ply yarn, arrange the colours from one colour to the next in a row in the order you plan to spin them.

Using a Drum Carder to Blend the Colour Bundles

If you don’t have any fibre prep tools yet, you can certainly spin from the fibre as it is at this stage. If spinning two or more singles, you can keep the fibre bundles in separate containers in the order you plan to spin them. Remember to pay attention so you keep the colours in order.

Using a carding tool, we can produce a smoother transition between colours on the gradient. We can also choose our favourite spinning format: dizzed roving, batts, batting, rolags, or more, depending on the kind of yarn we want. Each of these formats has a different alignment and airiness of the fibre preparation across the whole spectrum from woollen to worsted.

With fibres such as SweetGeorgia Polwarth+Silk that tend to puff out after working with them, I find I can fit comfortably 2 oz / 60 g of fibre with minimal fibres accumulating on the small drum. As I was blending hand-dyed commercial top, I adjusted the drum carder’s drive band to the smaller whorl for a 4:1 ratio. This is recommended by Ashford to blend sliver and colours into an open and airy batt.

I took half of my total fibre, already divided as a gradient, and started adding it to the tray, colour by colour in a localized way. I started with all the pink fibre and placed it piece by piece where I could see through the attenuated fibre in the third of the tray farthest away from my body. I rotated slowly and added more fibre to the same area, adding a bit less in what would become the transition zone to the next colour in the middle third of the tray. Then I continued with this process, adding fibre to the middle of the tray with the blue fibre. Once finished, I did the same with the green fibre. I was quite pleased with the way the fibre gradient looked on the large drum.

Removing the Fibre from the Drum

I then used a diz to remove the fibre from the drum carder as roving. To do this, I stopped rotating the handle when the doffer strip (the metal section that crosses through the large drum to aid in the removal of batts with a doffer) was on top of the drum. I loosened the knobs to move the packer brush so it wouldn’t touch the large drum and placed a concave diz just after the doffer strip.

After getting a bit of fibre through the diz, I started removing the fibre as a gradient roving from the large drum. I added a slight twist to the right at the beginning of the doffed roving, and I started rolling it as a ball to keep it organized and out of the way of the drums’ teeth. I kept moving the diz clockwise on the large drum, ensuring that all the fibres under it were caught and went through the diz. After I came back to the doffer strip, I moved the diz a bit farther from my body so it would catch the fibres still on the large drum. I kept doing this until I removed all the fibres from the large drum. Halfway through this process, the ball of roving felt very awkward in my hands while handling the diz, so I decided to separate the fibre and start another roving.

The process of removing roving from a drum carder requires skill, so I decided to go slow and be gentle with myself, as it was definitely not smooth the first few times I did it. Then I repeated this entire process with the other 2 oz / 60 g of gradient fibres.

Spinning Your Gradient Preparation

You may choose your spinning approach as you wish. If I am spinning 4 oz / 115 g of fibre or less, I really like to use one bobbin to spin it all. I add 8/2 cotton as a marker spun in between each section of singles. Then I transfer each singles section to a secondary bobbin to ply them through the rings.

I hope this article has inspired you to find a beautiful braid from your stash and prepare the fibre as a gradient. If you would like to learn more, we have wonderful courses in the School of SweetGeorgia for you: A fibre prep tool, such as carding cloth and a diz, can give you the pleasure of spinning beautiful roving. Kim McKenna explored and demonstrated this technique in Spin a Hand-Dyed Braid Five Ways, both with hand carders and a blending board. Diana Twiss, in her Colour and Fibre Play course, shows how to prepare fibre with rainbow gradients with either a blending board or a drum carder. Both courses are inspiring, and I encourage you to watch them and get inspired.

If In Doubt, Swatch

Oh, I am half kidding, as I do love to “sample and swatch,” but once you have your beautiful gradient yarn, I do encourage you to choose a project to showcase it as soon as possible. As much as a handspun gradient skein is a thing of magic, seeing it on a finished accessory or garment is the bee’s knees.

Please share with us your wins or challenges in preparing a gradient yarn and your multicraftual project. We would love to see what you are making next in the SweetGeorgia + Co community!

The post Creating a Gradient on the Drum Carder For Hand Spinning appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

We are big fans of Tin Can Knits, a Canadian design team that focuses on designing modern, clean, and approachable patterns. For many knitters, the Flax pullover has been their first sweater pattern, and for many others, it’s the one they reach for over and over. The extensive size range offered in Tin Can Knits patterns is the perfect excuse to make a matching wardrobe for your kid, partner, or whole family.

SHOWCASING SPECIAL HAND-DYED HUES

In our quest to showcase gorgeous colour in our beloved SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK yarn, the Flax DK sweater was a no-brainer. With so many stunning shades to choose from, we wanted to highlight one of our signature colourways: Magician. A semi-solid array of muted purples and blues, this colourway evokes an ocean of tranquillity in the Flax pullover canvas.

While this pattern is approachable to adventurous beginner knitters, we find the blend of Bluefaced Leicester, mohair, and silk showcases colour and gives the finished garment a polished look, ready to shine in your next outing.

Knit to a gauge of 22 stitches and 31 rows over 4 in / 10 cm, the fabric provides warmth while the sweater design makes for an upscale but utilitarian layer. It’s a cozy sweater that looks great on everyone. The DK-weight yarn makes knitting this sweater a relatively fast pursuit, so your next favourite layer will soon be joining you on your next hike, under a jacket, or at your favourite coffee shop.

EXPLORE SWEATER KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

If you’re looking to expand your knitting skills and explore the world of sweater knitting, visit the School of SweetGeorgia. We have a number of online courses to help you along the way. From Mastering Gauge and Knit Your First Sweater taught by Tabetha Hedrick to Fundamentals to Finishing Knits with Holli Yeoh and Knitting with Hand-Dyed Colour with Felicia Lo.

Print

Flax DK in Magician: Your New Everyday Layer

From trailhead to coffee shop, cast on Tin Can Knits' Flax DK pullover in our cozy SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK yarn.

Craft Knitting

Maker Alison Lee

Designer Tin Can Knits

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles size US 4 / 3.5 mm, 16 in / 40 cm and 32” /80 cm long
• 1 Circular Knitting Needles size US 6 / 4.0 mm, 24 in / 60 cm and 32” /80 cm long
• 1 Double-Pointed Needles (DPN) set size US 4 / 3.5 mm for sleeves
• 1 Double-Pointed Needles (DPN) set size US 6 / 4.0 mm for sleeves

Materials

• 6 skeins SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Magician

Instructions

• Download a copy of the Flax DK pattern from Tin Can Knits.
• Knit a gauge swatch in the round with the suggested needles. Adjust needles if necessary until you get gauge.
• With larger needle and the long-tail method, cast on for your size. Place a BOR marker and join in the round.
• Work increase rounds.
• Divide body and sleeves.
• Continue in stockinette stitch for the body to desired length.
• Work body hem on smaller needle and bind off using your preferred stretchy bind off.
• Work sleeves, maintaining the ridge panel on the sides, to desired length following decreases as described in the pattern.
• Weave in ends and wet block sweater to finished measurements. Let dry fully and enjoy!

Notes

Pattern information from Tin Can Knits:

This sweater is worked seamlessly in the round from the top down. You cast on at the neckline and the yoke is shaped by raglan increases to the underarm. Sleeve sts are placed on hold on waste yarn, the body is completed, then sleeves are worked last.

We Invite You to Connect with Us:

• Follow us at our SweetGeorgia YouTube channel and on Instagram for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more!
•  Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs; you never miss what’s going on!
• We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia + Co community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings.
• Visit the SweetGeorgia Ravelry group where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008.

The post Your First Sweater (or Your Fifteenth): Why We Love Flax DK appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.