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. Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

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.

Sometimes though, we fall into the trap of believing that a tool must be purchased from a specialty supplier to be legitimate or effective. This is not a put-down of specialty suppliers, but a reminder to all of us that some problems can be solved at the home and local level. Some of the most useful tools in the fibre arts are homemade, repurposed, or creatively adapted from everyday household items.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the DIY mindset and look at several examples from my world of spinning and knitting that demonstrate how resourcefulness and creativity can often be just as valuable as specialized equipment. 

Cultivating A DIY Mindset

Do It Yourself (DIY) is fundamentally about self-reliance. It refers to the practice of constructing, modifying, or repairing objects independently, without the assistance of professionals or experts. It’s the delightful independent spirit of “I’ll do it myself!”

People embrace DIY for many reasons. Some motivations are practical: reducing costs, making do with what is at hand, improving products, or creating customized solutions. Others are more personal and include the satisfaction of craftsmanship, a sense of empowerment, and the desire to create something unique.

For fibre artists, DIY often combines both practical and personal motivations. Homemade or repurposed tools can save money—especially when learning a new craft—but they also encourage experimentation, creativity, and problem-solving. 

Before we even had tools, we had our own bodies. We have found many ways to use various parts of our bodies to aid in textile production. Here are some examples of this: winding a skein using the length of our arm – hand to elbow and around again – as the niddy noddy; winding a centre-pull ball using our thumb as the core; winding a plying bracelet* for a two-strand preparation; having a friend or willing family member hold up their hands to support a skein of yarn being wound into a ball. 

DIY Tools for Spinners

Here are some examples of things that I have created or repurposed to make my spinning tasks easier. 

Fibre Preparation Tools

While I cannot champion DIY blending boards, hand carders, and even drum carders, as I have never made one myself, there are people who have successfully made their own pieces of equipment, so it’s worth looking up. My DIYs are mostly in the range of those “handy” tools that may not yet have a name or a substitute for the official piece of equipment. 

Cat & Dog Brushes

Easily obtained for a fraction of the cost of true flick and hand carders, pet grooming brushes work surprisingly well for flicking locks, opening fibre, and even doffing fibre from a drum carder.

Cork & Double-Pointed Needle (DPN)

A simple wine cork with a fine 000 DPN stabbed into it can become a specialized doffing tool for clearing fibre off blending boards and drum carders. Simply the best tool to help remove fibres from carding cloth. 

Homemade Dizzes

A diz is a small, slightly concave disc with one or more holes used to draw wool or other fibres off a comb, drum, or hand card. It helps pull out a continuous, smooth strand of fibre to create roving. Any concave item, like a circle of PVC pipe with small holes drilled into it, can serve. I’ve even used a large button for this task. 

Prepared Fibre Storage

Many things can serve as a fibre storage host. I have found that the best things to store my prepped fibre in are things that I can see through and things that can stack. While you can buy these kinds of things, you probably have things around the house.  You can repurpose the tins (with clear lids) that come with our favourite (and still affordable) frozen cakes. I’ve also been surprised at the quality of plastic used by some food operations for take-away foods. For their own reasons, the lids are clear or nearly clear plastic. The lids securely seal and allow you to see what is inside. 

Yarn Management Tools

The Ubiquitous Toilet Paper Roll

An empty toilet paper roll (TPR) can function as a simple nostepinne for winding centre-pull balls by hand. Once you’ve wound your singles yarn onto a TPR, you can make a centre-pull ball, or you can store the yarn and leave all options open. 

If you have a ball winder, place a TPR over the yarn holder, insert a small shim such as half of a wooden clothespin to make sure it is tight, and wind your singles onto the roll. Remove the roll. 

In both instances, whether you wound the singles by hand or via a ball winder, the top of the TPR provides a convenient place to record fibre information and spinning notes.

Niddy Noddy For Making Skeins

My favourite DIY tool will forever be the niddy noddy my children made for me from three cut pieces of hockey stick and duct tape. A truly Canadian item! Made with love and worked surprisingly well for many years. For the more adventurous, I have seen many DIY niddy noddys made from PVC pipe and fixtures, easily obtained at the local hardware store. 

Swifts For Holding Skeins

In the absence of a niddy noddy, I have wound my yarn around the back of chairs (or two chairs back-to-back to create tension) or have inverted the chair and used all four legs to get a larger skein. 

Spinning

Many Things Can Be A Distaff

A distaff doesn’t need to be purpose-built. A whisk, tree branch, dowel, knitting needle, or other long object can serve the same purpose. Additionally, any kind of loose thing around your wrist (bracelet, cuff, watchstrap) can also serve as a spot for holding fibre while spinning, especially spindle spinning. 

Household Items For Support Spindle Spinning

Large wooden spoons, small bowls, cups, jars, and other household items can provide excellent supports for spindle spinning. You just need to look at them in a different way. Turn the jar upside down, and you may find the perfect shallow bowl for spindle spinning. You can store your fibre in the jar and flip the jar for spindle spinning. The same thing applies to wooden spoons. I love using a spindle spoon when support spindle spinning. Large wooden spoons can be wonderfully repurposed for spindle spinning. 

A student gifted me with a pair of crystal salt cellars (who uses salt cellars these days?) to be used for support spindling. They are beautiful items, and to see them in use brings me great joy. Along those same lines are fancy China teacups with saucers that some of us have. The bottom of the cup and the dip in the saucer both serve well to support spindles. Another one in my collection is an egg cup (who uses egg cups these days?). The shape of it fits between my thighs, and the egg shape supports the spindle. 

Creative Spindle Storage

Plastic baskets, shoeboxes, cookie tins, decorative tubes that Scotch and other spirits come in, and other containers with firm sides make excellent spindle storage solutions. Bonus points if they can double as a lazy kate, allowing you to keep spindles under tension while winding off singles.

Lazy Kates

Baskets, shoeboxes, and other strong boxes that can have holes drilled or inserted in the side to hold spindles or wire for bobbins make terrific candidates as lazy kates**. My favourite one is a plastic basket that has ready-made holes along the walls. The top and bottom of most of my spindles sit in place, supported by the holes. This basket provides great storage and, when the spindle is held under tension, holds the spindle in place while I wind the yarn off it.

Some DIY tools for Knitters

Many Things Can Serve As Stitch Markers

Small rings, safety pins, paper clips, scraps of yarn, and countless other objects can serve as effective stitch markers.

A Contrasting Strand Of Yarn For Row Counting

A simple strand of brightly coloured yarn can help track rows and pattern repeats without the need for a specialized row counter. 

Everyday Bowl Elevated To Yarn Bowl 

While purpose-made yarn bowls are beautiful, almost any heavy and deep bowl can perform the same function by keeping your yarn contained and preventing it from rolling away. It’s the weight of the bowl that matters the most. If you want to guide the yarn, you can attach a binder clip to the edge and use the arms to guide the yarn. 

Any Bag Can Be A Project Bag

And that is the very danger of it. There is no bag safe from the potential of being “a project bag.” If the bag has inside pockets or a zippered or closing top, that moves it higher up the ladder of having desirable project bag features. 

Final Thoughts on DIY Tools

One of the joys of fibre arts is discovering creative solutions to everyday challenges. Developing a DIY mindset not only saves money but also encourages experimentation and ingenuity. Before purchasing a specialized tool, look around your home—you may already have exactly what you need. After all, we fibre artists have been adapting, repurposing, and inventing tools for centuries. Remember, some of the best solutions are often the simplest.

Find Diana’s articles here and her School of SweetGeorgia courses here!

The post Do-It-Yourself Tools for Hand Spinners & Knitters appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE POOL PARTY COLOUR STORY

When I first saw this colourway, I immediately thought about giant inflatable pool floaties. This colourway is all about the hot sun reflecting off a cool, sparkling pool, with an icy beverage… while surrounded by water toys. It’s bright, unabashedly vibrant, and just fun.

Even the streaky dye marks in this sock blank look like the shimmering ripples of a swimming pool. Maybe the purple helps you imagine a sunny day transitioning into dusk and evening. There are so many ways to look at and play with this spectrum of colours while you indulge in the simple joys of summer.

WORKING WITH A SOCK BLANK

Whenever we talk about single sock blanks, we suggest knitting or crocheting directly from the sock blank, unraveling it as you go. Knitting or crocheting directly from a sock blank is crinkly, but the crinkles block out perfectly for a smooth, beautiful finish.

You can also combine the sock blank with a second skein for a larger project. One sock blank alone is enough to knit into a scarf or shawl, just like the sample we made at the Studio, Soft Twilight. Read more about this sample shawl at the project page.

For this month, since it is the month we will be starting our “Summer Spectra Knit-Along” I’d also suggest maybe knitting this sock blank along with a second skein of SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock to make the Hebe Sunset Scarf design. Or if you weave, you might use the gradient sock blank as warp or weft in a project too. We can’t wait to see what you create from this!

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 Pool Party 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: Pool Party appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

AUGUST 2026 CLUB: POOL PARTY

This month’s Club colourway is bright, vibrant, and pure fun! Inspired by the hot sun reflecting off a cool, sparkling pool, the streaky dye marks in this sock blank look like the shimmering ripples of a summer swimming pool. Hand dyeing the Pool Party colours on a single sock blank allows the maker to enjoy the vibrant gradient of hues as it transitions from one to the next. Read more about our August Club at the colour reveal post.

WEARABLE COLOUR FOR ANY SEASON

This lacy triangular shawl showcases the full Pool Party gradient in all its glory. Flowing from sun-drenched yellow through shimmering aqua into the deep, moody violet, we’re in love with this month’s sample. The open stitch pattern of the Soft Twilight shawl catches the light like ripples on a pool’s surface, revealing every shift in colour across the fabric.

Knit from a single sock blank, the seamless colour transition does all the heavy lifting without multiple yarn ends to weave in along the way. Whatever you choose to create, even a simple stitch pattern yields show-stopping results.

JOIN THE CLUB

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

Print

Soft Twilight Shawl in SweetGeorgia Club “Pool Party”

Enjoy the beautiful texture and vibrant gradient in this asymmetrical shawl design by Corrina Ferguson.

Craft Knitting

Maker Deborah Dar Woon

Designer Corrina Ferguson

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size 5 US / 3.75 mm

Materials

• 1 blank SweetGeorgia Sock Yarn Blank in Pool Party

Instructions

• To knit the Soft Twilight shawl, download a copy of the pattern, available at the SweetGeorgia shop.
• Follow directions for the cast on and setup rows.
• Repeat rows 1-12 of the Body Pattern until your yarn is almost fully used up (see notes below), making sure to leave enough yarn for the bind off.
• Work the Picot Bind Off instructions.
• Weave in ends and wet block to open up the lace and bring out the picots along the endging. Let dry full and enjoy!
  

Notes

Notes from our sample knitter, Deborah: 

With very careful yarn monitoring, I was able to complete 18 pattern repeats plus 4 additional rows, then bind off. 

From the pattern design:

Delicate slipped stitches and beginner cables meander across the fabric of this asymmetrical shawl, creating a beautiful, airy effect. The subtle shift of colours captivates our attention, reminding us of the soft hues that dance the snow at twilight.

 

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 Secret Stash Club Knitting: Soft Twilight appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Charlotte Lee is a precision dyer, does quality control, designs, teaches, and hosts events for our SweetGeorgia community. And in her spare time, she kits, crochets, spins, weaves and, when the mood strikes, needle felts. She can also be found knitting many hats for charity. She is truly a multicraftual maker with a heart for community! 

Where to Find Charlotte Lee

• Charlotte’s ‘Milk Tea Cup’ Instagram
• Charlotte’s patterns at SweetGeorgia Yarns
• Explore Charlotte’s courses at the School of SweetGeorgia 
• Read about her charity knitting: Handmade with Love: The Impact of Charity Crafting
• See the SweetGeorgia Team Spotlight: Charlotte Lee post
• Join our Summer Spectra Knit-Along

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
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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.
• Not yet a member of the School? We invite you to come and see what it is all about! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!
• 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 E12: Charlotte Lee appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

At the same time, there are still new projects calling our name. A new weaving pattern catches your eye, a fibre blend begs to be spun, or a new course arrives in the School of SweetGeorgia, and you cannot wait to cast on. How do you keep all of those projects moving? How do you make room for new ideas while still finishing the projects that matter most?

We understand. Being a multicraftual maker is wonderfully inspiring, but it can also feel like you are being pulled in a dozen different directions. There are only so many hours in the day, and every new skill seems to open the door to three more projects you would love to try. That is exactly why a mid-year check-in can be so helpful.

Throughout the year, we have shared free downloadable PDFs designed to help you organize your creative life, whether that means tracking projects, recording handspun yarns, or managing your tools and time. This month, we are taking a step back to revisit the goals we set at the beginning of the year, celebrate the progress we have already made, and create a realistic plan for the months ahead. The goal is not to finish everything. The goal is to make space for the projects that bring you the most joy. And we hope our Mid-Year Check-In PDF at the end of the post can help you get either back on track or follow your new creative curiosities!

Revisit Your Beginning of the Year Goals

Start by pulling out the plans you made at the beginning of the year, or spend a few moments thinking about what you hoped to accomplish.

Have your goals changed?

If they have, that is completely normal. Perhaps you discovered the joys of spinning cotton and happily disappeared down that rabbit hole. Maybe a new tool, like an LK 150 knitting machine, has completely changed what you want to make.

Creative goals are allowed to evolve. Rather than feeling guilty about unfinished plans, give yourself permission to update them. Some projects may no longer feel exciting, while others have become much more important. Following your curiosity is part of being a creative maker.

What projects are still calling to you?

Some projects never quite leave your mind. Maybe it is the crochet blanket you have been dreaming about, a sweater knit from your own handspun yarn, or finally weaving from that handpainted warp.

If a project continues to stay with you, it is probably worth making room for it. When the next exciting pattern or shiny new fibre appears, remind yourself of the projects that truly matter to you this year.

What is holding you back?

Sometimes projects stall for a reason. Is there a tool you are missing, need to learn a new technique, or simply do not know what the next step should be?

Instead of thinking about the entire project, write down the obstacle. Then break it into small, manageable steps. Perhaps you need to wind a warp, make a gauge swatch, or spin one more bobbin. Each small task brings you closer to completing the larger project and gives you something achievable to cross off your list.

Take Inventory of Your Current Projects

Now it is time to see everything that is currently on your needles, loom, spinning wheel, or craft table. Making a complete list often feels surprisingly freeing. Instead of carrying every project around in your mind, you can see what is actually waiting for your attention.

What is ready to begin?

These are the projects that have already been planned. The yarn has been purchased, the calculations are finished, and everything is waiting for you to get started.

Ask yourself if each one still belongs on this year’s list. Some projects may still feel exciting. Others may be better saved for next year. Moving a project to a future list is not giving up. It is simply making room for the projects that matter most right now.

What unexpected projects appeared?

Creative curiosities have a way of showing up when we least expect them. Did you join a make-along, take a new course, or just fall in love with a fibre that you could not resist?

Take a moment to decide whether these newer projects deserve your immediate attention or whether they can happily wait until you have finished something already in progress. Prioritizing your projects is not about limiting your creativity. It is about creative focus.

Plan the Rest of the Year

Now that you know where you started and where you are today, it is time to look ahead.

Is there something that needs to be finished this year?

Some projects naturally rise to the top of the list. Perhaps you are making holiday gifts, making something for an event, or working toward a larger creative goal that depends on finishing this project first, like spinning yarn to weave a project.

Give those projects a realistic timeline and work backwards. Even setting aside one evening each week can move a project steadily toward completion.

What would make you feel accomplished?

Not every project needs to be large. Finishing a pair of socks, spinning a braid of fibre, or weaving a set of tea towels can provide the motivation you need to tackle something bigger. Choose a mix of projects that gives you both quick wins and longer-term goals.

Leave room for inspiration

A plan works best when it is flexible. You do not have to schedule every evening or account for every new idea. In fact, leaving a little creative space means you can still say yes to a spontaneous spin, a community make-along, or the next course that inspires you. Creativity thrives when there is room to explore.

Mid-Year Check-In Resources

Having the right resources can help you on this creative journey. Whether it’s planning goals, building skills, or troubleshooting issues, we are here to help!

School of SweetGeorgia 

At the School of SweetGeorgia, we offer over 100 courses in knitting, spinning, weaving, dyeing, crochet and more to get you going on your path. Receive help from instructors and fellow members from around the world. 

SweetGeorgia + Co 

Sometimes it is just about having a community around you to share your passions with, be inspired by and support one another. When we have a like-minded community, we feel more confident to explore our fibre arts ideas and grow our skills in ways we never could imagine! Join us at SweetGeorgia + Co.

Download the Mid-Year Check-In PDF

To help organize the second half of the year, we have gathered these questions into a free downloadable Mid-Year Check-In PDF. These worksheets can help you turn a long list of ideas into a plan that feels achievable. 

And remember, having plans isn’t set in stone. Take your time and enjoy the process. Being creative means exploring those what-if questions and following your imagination. And if that means not finishing a project, it isn’t a failure. It is proof of your creative explorations! 

We hope we have helped with your mid-year check-in, and we would love to hear your plans in the SweetGeorgia + Co craft channels!

The post Crafting with Intention: A Mid-Year Creative Check-In appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Yua Cowl

The Yua Cowl is the featured pattern in Linda Marveng’s Advanced Cables course. Linda’s design work is stunningly sleek, fashion-forward, and often highly textured with intricate cables. The Yua Cowl is an approachable introduction to her design aesthetic.

Staghorn cables are a perfect introduction to exploring the versatility of reversible cables. The repetitive pattern of the cables, worked in ribbing and garter stitch, allows the knitter to tackle the chart and knit with confidence. The result is a thoughtfully designed accessory. Working through the cowl, the basic structure of reversible cables becomes clear, making other advanced cables a natural next step in your learning.

SweetGeorgia Merino Worsted

Linda chose SweetGeorgia Merino Worsted yarn for her Yua Cowl design. The beautiful, soft hand of the easy-care yarn, combined with the vibrant colours, makes for an accessory you will enjoy knitting and even gifting. With over a hundred shades to choose from, you can find a classic colour, such as Brass, or a vibrant one, such as Huckleberry, to accentuate your go-to outfit while keeping you warm.

Once you have three skeins in your favourite colour, you will settle into a lovely rhythm as you knit and enjoy watching the cables emerge in the fabric as it grows on your lap.

Explore Colour and Knitting at the School

Looking to expand your knitting skills and find inspiration for a range of other projects? Visit the School of SweetGeorgia to explore our growing library of knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more about Knitting with Hand-Dyed Colour and Colour Play, both taught by Felicia Lo.

Discover the courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School. Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

We invite you to connect with us at the SweetGeorgia + Co, our vibrant community where instructors and fellow members are ready to answer questions and share guidance. Visit our SweetGeorgia Ravelry group, where we’ve been sharing yarn, fibre, patterns, and make-alongs since 2008. Follow us on Instagram and SweetGeorgia YouTube for inspiration, how-to videos, podcasts, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest pattern releases, colourway announcements, and make-alongs, so you never miss what’s going on

We’re happy to have you in the SweetGeorgia community. Happy knitting.

Print

Yua Cowl

Yua, which is Japanese for “bound by love and affection”, is a reversible cowl with staghorn cables worked in ribbing with garter stitch for contrast and a double-knit band for a neat edge. Wear this cowl once around your neck as a knitted statement or twice for warmth.

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles Size US 7 / 4.5 mm, 24 in / 60 cm long

Materials

• 3 skeins SweetGeorgia Merino Worsted in Huckleberry or Brass.

Instructions

• Download the pattern for the Yua Cowl from School of SweetGeorgia or buy it on the SweetGeorgia shop.
• Determine your gauge.
• Using US 7 / 4.5 needle and yarn (or waste yarn and a provisional cast-on method if you prefer to graft), CO.
• Establish the pattern, working from the chart or written instructions.
• Work for the desired length.
• Leave stitches on your needle or BO.
• If you used a provisional cast-on, graft beginning and end together.
• Weave in ends.
• Wet block the cowl to the finished measurements.
  

Notes

Craft: Knitting

Maker: Greta Cornejo, Linda Marveng

Designer: Linda Marveng

Skill level: Intermediate

The post Advance Your Cable Skills with the New SOS Course & Yua Cowl appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

This year, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of making a garment, we’re celebrating accessories! Scarves are the perfect opportunity to play with colour, use treasured scraps, or enjoy a beautifully curated palette with one of our kits.

The Hebe Sunset Scarf

Our knit-along features the Hebe Sunset Scarf, designed by Charlotte Lee, inspired by her recent travels through New Zealand. Gentle ocean ripples, colourful native flora, and glowing sunset skies all come together in this beautiful design. As you knit, each section captures the feeling of standing quietly in the countryside, watching the landscape shift as the colours change across the horizon.

The Hebe Sunset Scarf is designed using one full skein of fingering-weight yarn along with five mini skeins, like in our Party of Five kits. Each colour block introduces a new colour and stitch pattern that change throughout the scarf, keeping every section engaging. Before long, you’ll be looking forward to the next colour and texture. It’s no surprise that many of our test knitters are already planning a second version!

Getting Started

The first step is to pick up your copy of the pattern. You can purchase it through our shop or on Ravelry. You can purchase the pattern on its own or pair it with one of our beautiful SweetGeorgia yarn kits. Your pattern also includes access to SweetGeorgia + Co, our online community where we’ll be hosting the knit-along.

Inside the community, you can share your progress, ask questions, post photos, and connect with knitters from around the world. You’ll also be invited to our monthly Multicraftual meetup, giving you two community gatherings during the knit-along.

If you’d like even more community extras, consider becoming a Maker Member at SweetGeorgia + Co. Maker members receive access to additional discussion spaces and a new free pattern every month. You’ll still need to purchase the Hebe Sunset Scarf pattern, but you’ll receive it at a reduced price.

For the ultimate SweetGeorgia experience, join the School of SweetGeorgia. Since everything lives on the same platform, you’ll enjoy full access to the community along with our extensive library of online courses. Choose a Knitting & Crochet membership for access to more than 20 knitting and crochet courses, or become an All-Access member and explore over 100 courses covering spinning, weaving, dyeing, machine knitting, knitting, crochet, and more. As a School member, you’ll receive the Hebe Sunset Scarf pattern at no additional cost.

Choosing Your Yarn

If you’ve picked up one of our kits, you’re ready to cast on!

If you’re choosing your own yarn, check the pattern for the required yardage. You can recreate the look with one of our Party of Five kits, or dive into your stash and gather your favourite fingering-weight yarn scraps. That’s one of the joys of this project. Every scarf can be unique, and every colour combination tells its own story.

Join the Summer Spectra Knit-Along 2026

Our official cast-on is August 1, but don’t worry if you join us later. This knit-along runs for nearly two months, so there’s plenty of time to jump in. This isn’t a race. It’s about enjoying the process, playing with colour, cheering each other on, and sharing the joy of making together. We can’t wait to see everyone’s creative colour choices, clever stash combinations, and maybe even a few scarves made with handspun yarn fresh from Tour de Fleece!

Share Your Finished Project

At the end of the knit-along, we’d love to celebrate everything you’ve created. Even if your scarf isn’t quite finished, you can still enter to win a SweetGeorgia gift card!

Simply scroll to the bottom of the Summer Spectra Knit-Along page and upload a photo of your project. We’ll feature community projects in our wrap-up post at the end of September, and we truly cannot wait to see every unique Hebe Sunset Scarf that comes off your needles!

The post SweetGeorgia Summer Spectra Knit-Along 2026! appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

FROM NEW ZEALAND TO YOUR NEEDLES

Named for hebe, a beloved flowering evergreen native to New Zealand, Charlotte Lee’s Hebe Sunset Scarf captures a sense of light and movement. Inspired by her recent trip to New Zealand, the design reflects the shifting colours of the landscape and the delicate shapes of local flora.

The Hebe Sunset Scarf features diagonal bands of delicate leaf lace and garter stitch stripes, with each section catching the light like colours shifting across an evening sky. The pattern uses one SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine skein paired with a Party of Five Trifecta Fine mini-skein set created specially for this design. In the main version, the Black Raspberry main colourway weaves between panels of soft periwinkle, sage green, and teal, with the warm mauve edges framing each transition.

Three Colours, Three Moods

By simply switching the main colour, each scarf takes on its own distinct mood: one is bold and jewel-toned, with deep magenta anchoring vivid turquoise and blue; one is soft and romantic, peachy coral drifting between blush and mint; and one is cool and dreamy, lavender guiding the eye through muted sage and periwinkle. Same mini-skein set, three completely different personalities.

SUMMER SPECTRA KNIT-ALONG

The Hebe Sunset Scarf pattern is the feature project for our new Summer Spectra Knit-Along. Last year, we explored colourwork sweater knitting during our summer knit-along, but this year, we’re focusing on something lighter. An engaging project to enjoy during the final days of summer.

Join in the knit-along chat by sharing your colour choices and knitting progress in the SweetGeorgia + Co community. Access to the community (available during the KAL dates) is included with your purchase of the pattern. Further information can be found at the Summer Spectra Knit-Along page.

EXPLORE KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

Looking to expand your current knitting skills and find inspiration for new project ideas? Visit the School of SweetGeorgia to explore our growing library of knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more about Knitting with Hand-Dyed Colour with Felicia Lo, Fundamentals to Finishing Knits with Holli Yeoh, and more.

Discover the courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School. Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

Print

Hebe Sunset Scarf in SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine

A beautiful bias-knit scarf with flowing lace sections and garter ridges knit in SweetGeorgia's Trifecta Fine blend yarn.

Craft Knitting

Maker Charlotte Lee

Designer Charlotte Lee

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size US 4 / 3.5 mm, 32" / 80 cm long
• 1 Double Pointed Needles in size 6 US / 4mm, for i-cord edge

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Black Raspberry
• 1 set SweetGeorgia Party of Five Trifecta Fine Mini-Skein Set in Wild Thistle

Instructions

• To knit the Hebe Sunset Scarf, download a copy of the pattern from the SweetGeorgia Shop.
• Once your gauge is determined, cast on the required number of stitches as in the pattern. Follow directions to knit the garter ridge rows.
• Continue knitting as instructed, switching colourways and pattern directions for each section of the pattern, including: Garter Ridge Rows, Water & Twig Lace Rows, etc.
• Bind off with any method of your choice. Keep one stitch on your needles as the end if you would like to knit the optional i-cord edging. When all four sides are worked, sew the beginning and end of the i-cord together. Bind off.
• Weave in all ends and hand wash scarf in room temperature water and gentle soap. Rinse by swishing gently in clean water, then squeeze out excess moisture in a towel.
• Block stretching the lace to measurements. Once dry, trim ends and enjoy!
  

Notes

Pattern information from the design:

This bias-knit scarf is inspired by New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes and sunsets. Flowing lace evokes leaves and flowers, while garter ridges represent the Tasman Sea. This scarf features colour and lace patterning that changes throughout, making each section new, exciting and hard to put down.

 

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 One Pattern, Three Sunsets: Meet the Hebe Sunset Scarf appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

This post is just a small snapshot of the incredible yarns spun by our community this year. We hope it inspires you as it does us.

For the Love of Spinning

If you have never spun with SweetGeorgia during Tour de Fleece before, we should explain that we have no teams. There are no leaderboards to climb, no spinning quotas to meet, and no pressure to produce a certain amount of yardage. Instead, we come together to encourage one another, celebrate every spindle and bobbin, and simply enjoy the process of making yarn.

Fantastic Fibre-Prep

Tour de Fleece Spin-Along

Spin-alongs like Tour de Fleece are wonderful opportunities to build new skills, experiment with different techniques, find better ways to manage projects, time, or focus, and connect with people who love fibre just as much as you do. Whether you spin every day or simply find a few quiet moments throughout the event, every project and every member adds something special to the experience.

Stunning Spindle-Spinning

Inspired by Our Community

Our Spinning and Tour de Fleece 2026 feeds in the SweetGeorgia + Co Community were filled with stunning hand-dyed braids and beautifully prepared farm-fresh locks. We saw thoughtful fibre blends, creative spinning techniques, and inspiring colour combinations. We watched fibres transform into beautiful yarns in every weight imaginable, from delicate lace to chunky yarns. And final yarns were anything from classic 2-ply to textured coil-spun yarns. Every project tells a story, and seeing each one come to life is always a highlight of the tour.

Beautiful Bobbin-Shots

Join Our Make-Alongs

We spin for Tour de Fleece every year, and we would love for you to join us in 2027. But the fun does not stop at Tour de Fleece. Next week, we begin our Summer Spectra Knit-Along, followed by Socktober in October. We also have our Winterful Weave-Along in November, and we kick off each year with Fibre Prep February.

If you enjoy making alongside a welcoming, multicraftual community that celebrates creativity, curiosity, and learning together, please join us at SweetGeorgia + Co. 

Handsome Handspun Hanks

The post Tour de Fleece 2026: Handspun Projects That Inspire!  appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

KNITTING THE RANUNCULUS SWEATER SAMPLE

At the studio, we were looking for a classic sweater, and the very popular Ranunculus pullover by Midori Hirose was an easy choice. We chose SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK to explore how it behaved in a more open fabric. And in Birch, one of our most popular neutral shades, it’s endlessly wearable and pairs beautifully with any outfit.

Knitting the sweater was a relatively fast pursuit for Anita, and as soon as the sample arrived in the studio, many of us swooned over it. We took turns trying it on and many of us immediately started planning our own versions. Knit to a gauge of 16 st and 22 rows in 4″/10 cm, there is a lightness in the fabric that makes the sweater incredibly comfortable and exactly the layer we intended it to be.

SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK is such a versatile yarn—soft, shiny, with a beautiful drape. Its woolliness keeps the wearer warm while the more open fabric makes this sweater ideal for air-conditioned spaces too. We can imagine a whole rainbow of sweaters in this yarn. As much as we love the Birch version, one knit in an Enigma collection colour would be fitting for any cloudy day.

EXPLORE COLOUR & KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

Looking to expand your current knitting skills plus find inspiration for a range of other project ideas? Visit the School of SweetGeorgia (SOS) to explore our growing library of knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more about Knitting with Hand-Dyed Colour with Felicia Lo, Fundamentals to Finishing Knits with Holli Yeoh, and more.

Discover the courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School. Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

Print

Ranunculus Sweater in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK

There's something irresistible about a neutral knit that goes with everything. We cast on the beloved Ranunculus pullover in our Trifecta DK and discovered a sweater we never want to take off.

Craft Knitting

Maker Anita Lee

Designer Midori Hirose

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles Size US 9 / 5.5 mm, 16 in / 40 cm long
• 1 Circular Knitting Needles Size US 10 / 6.0 mm, 24 in / 60 cm long
• 1 Double-Pointed Needles (DPN) set Size US 10 / 6.0 mm for sleeves

Materials

• 4 skeins SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK in Birch

Instructions

• Download a copy of the Ranunculus pattern from Midori Hirose on Ravelry.
• 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. Knit increases rounds.
• Knit lace yoke and increases rounds.
  
• Divide the body and sleeves. Knit stockinette stitch for the body for desired length. Work body hem on smaller needed and bind off in your preferred stretchy bind off.
• Work sleeves to desired length with decreases as described in the pattern.
• Weave in ends and wet block sweater to finished measurements. Let dry fully and enjoy!
  

Notes

Regarding the yardage listed for this project, Anita followed the size 3 directions. 

Pattern information from the designer Midori Hirose:

“Ranunculus is a top-down round yoke pullover with lace and textured stitches. I have designed yoke pattern to look like wearing layers of necklace. I have knitted short rows between neckribbing and yoke pattern not only on back bit also on front, so that neckline has a bit boat neck shape and yoke pattern has necklace look. The round yoke has ample depth and finished pullover has cropped length so that you can lay it over dresses or high-waisted skirts and pants. If crops aren’t your style, please adjust body to your favorite length.”

 

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 Endlessly Wearable: The Ranunculus Pullover in Trifecta DK appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Building Kits & Smiles

Rachael is always quick to smile and has the best laugh. She’s also a prolific hand-spinner and knitter. We love seeing her projects. She often borrows from the Vancouver Public Library’s excellent collection of knitting books to find lovely projects that showcase her handspun yarn. 

A Quick Q&A with Rachael

What’s your role at SweetGeorgia?

• Kits Producer and Studio Assistant.

What fibre arts did you enjoy before joining us?

• I knit and crocheted before joining SweetGeorgia.

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

• I feel incredibly blessed to have learned wheel spinning here at the studio, and I’ve started dabbling a little in weaving.

What other hobbies do you enjoy?

• I love reading; most of my non-crafting free time is spent with a book. I also love hiking and yoga.

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

• I’d recommend a niddy noddy to everyone who works with yarn, even if you don’t spin, because it’s so helpful for re-skeining yarn.

Which is your favourite fibre or yarn?

• I prefer either SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk or Polwarth+Silk fibre, and I always find myself drawn to SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock yarn, because the colours are so vibrant.

Fun fact:

• I recently bought a portable CD player, and it’s quickly become one of my favourite things.

Places to Find Rachael Lee

• Find her in our SweetGeorgia shop!

Thank you, Rachael, for always sharing your projects with us, making gorgeous kits so we can all enjoy colour, helping with so many studio tasks, and bringing the best energy every time we see you.

The post SweetGeorgia Team Spotlight: Rachael Lee appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Yes, many of us start by picking up a stunning braid of hand-dyed fibre and begin spinning. But how do we record the yardage when we are done? Why did one of the yarns pill while the other was perfect? If we don’t record our results, how do we know what changed? By recording our handspun, we will know exactly what we did before, during and after spinning.

Every month this year, we have been posting a free PDF to help everyone be more organized in their crafts, from time management to project documentation to even ways to be more efficient with travel plans. A few months ago, our post, Swap Loose Notes for Organized Records with Our Fibre Prep PDF, covered the important role fibre preparation plays in our final yarns. This month, we thought we could take it a step further with a Handspun Records PDF for our final handspun yarn statistics, including both a full sheet for detailed spinning documentation and small tags we can attach to our yarn for quick reference.

Before the Spin

There will be a bit of overlap here from the fibre prep post. We understand not everyone is interested in fibre preparation, but even just breaking the braid down by hand is worth mentioning in our spinning notes.

Fibre Type, Dyer & Place Purchased

It is always helpful to write down the type of fibre and where we got it, even if it is undyed. Everyone sources their fibre from different suppliers, and an undyed Cormo from one shop can be different from another. If it was hand-dyed, consider writing out the colourway name and dye lot, if available. Lastly, make a note of where it was purchased; whether it was a shop, or maybe it was at a fibre festival.

Fibre Prep Quick Notes

Whether we are doing a big spin project or a one-off snack spin, make a quick note about what we did. Was it carded prep, striped down for a 1:4:12 fractal, or spun end to end with no prep at all? It can even be a note that points us to more detailed fibre prep notes, like “Falling Leaves Colourwork Yoke Project.”

Spinning Equipment

Some people have a few wheels/spindles/e-Spinners and find each one is better suited for certain styles of yarn. You can write down the whorl size and type of spinning wheel, the speed setting on an e-Spinner, or the spindle style being used. 

Extras

It is always nice to jot down any extra ideas, like the date started or the intended purpose. Whatever feels important to note before the spin. 

During the Spin

When we begin spinning, there are a few things we can do to keep ourselves on track with our spinning goals.

Big Spin Checks

If it is a larger project, it is a good idea to spin a small sample (maybe 5 g or so) to ply and wet finish so we know exactly how the yarn will turn out. We don’t want to get through a pound of fibre only to realize it won’t work for our project.

Whether it is a large amount of yardage or fibre, it is worth stopping to take an arm’s length off and attach it to a card. It is common, once we get comfortable with our yarn, for it to become thinner or thicker, so stopping to reference this card can really help. Here we can check the wraps per inch and have a real sample to refer to throughout the spin.

Small Spin Checks

When spinning a single braid of fibre, we may not want to spin off singles onto a card. It will only take a gram (or less) of fibre, but if it is just a fun snack spin with no project in mind, why take the time? We understand. But it is still worth stopping and doing a quick plyback check to see what the wraps per inch is throughout the spin. We offer a free Wraps Per Inch download, and all we have to do is line up our singles and measure them against the lines.

After the Spin

Now that the spinning is done, or the sample is spun, we can record a few things to help with future project planning. If it is a sample, this is where we can make adjustments if there is a specific grist in mind. If there is no project planned, this can help decide how best to use it.

Wet Finishing

How we finish our yarns can have a big effect on the final result. That is why it is important to take these measurements after it is wet finished. It is also good to note how it was washed. Different methods can affect the outcome. Was it hot water or cool? Any agitation? Was it snapped or thwacked? Did the yarn bleed when washed? Also, some people like to record before and after washing, noting any changes in feel and look. 

Wraps Per Inch

Wraps per inch (abbreviated as WPI) measures the thickness of the yarn. Don’t get discouraged if it measures 20 wraps per inch and the internet says that is fingering-weight, when it looks like lace-weight. Everyone wraps a bit differently and uses slightly different tension. If pairing this yarn with another yarn, just compare their wraps per inch directly.

Yardage

It is always exciting to find out exactly how much yardage we have spun. After years of spinning, it may begin to feel easy to estimate yardage, but nothing quite matches knowing the exact number.

Weight

It may feel obvious to start with a 100 g braid that we will finish with a 100 g skein, but that is not always the case. Maybe the fibre had a bit of lanolin that washed out, or lost a few grams during prep, or while winding off the bobbin. Whatever the reason, it is common to lose a small amount. 

Yards Per Pound

By taking the yardage, dividing it by the weight, and multiplying by 454, we can calculate yards per pound. This tells us how dense our yarn is. Worsted yarns are more tightly packed, while woollen yarns are loftier with more air.

Measuring Twist

We see this done in a few ways: bumps per inch, twists per inch, and angle of twist. They all do the same thing, just slightly different ways; they all measure the twist in our yarn. Whichever method is chosen, consistency is key in how we record it.

Elasticity

Stretch the yarn over a ruler and measure how much it extends past the 10-inch marker. If it grows by one inch, some consider that 10 percent elasticity. The amount of tension and slack will affect results, and similar to checking our WPI, our measurements can differ from person to person. As long as we are consistent in how we measure this for ourselves, we will have a useful comparison over time.

Extras

We can include anything that feels useful for future reference. It is also helpful to note intended use if it is not already planned, such as “spun for hat or scarf, next to skin” or “best for durability and drape, like a table runner.”

Support & Resources

Having the right support helps when deciding if a yarn suits a project or how to adjust our spinning in the future.

School of SweetGeorgia

With over 20 spinning courses, ranging from fibre types and spin control to fibre prep and tools, there is something for everyone at the School of SweetGeorgia. Many of our courses dive deeper into each topic discussed in this post, allowing for more specific documentation in our projects.

SweetGeorgia + Co

Having a community to connect with is always helpful. Whether we are looking for answers or simply sharing a finished spin, support and encouragement can make a difference in our spinning journey. We hope you will join us at SweetGeorgia + Co.

Final Thoughts

Not everyone measures all of this. Choose what feels meaningful to you. You may find that yardage, weight, and WPI are enough, and maybe down the road, you add more. The goal is simply to offer guidance on what you might consider when recording your handspun yarn. This way, you can recreate yarns you love or adjust future results. Do what feels right for you. There is no single correct approach, only what works for you. Also, don’t forget to visit older project notes; you may see how your spinning changes over time! 

Free Handspun Records PDF Download

Below is a free Handspun Records PDF for you to download. One page is a full sheet for detailed notes, and the other includes mini tags to attach to your handspun yarn. You can use shorthand notes that reference your full sheet, or include as much information as you need on the tags. You may even choose to attach them to the fibre prep notes we shared a few months ago. We hope you find it helpful!

The post Recording Your Handspun Projects Shouldn’t Put You in a Twist appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE JULY CLUB COLOUR STORY

During the “lock down era”, my husband and his old high school friends individually invested in some virtual reality headsets so they could play ping pong with each other, remotely, trying to maintain friendships in interesting times. It was such a bizarre, science fiction way of trying to connect and stay in touch with others.

I played with the VR headset a bit as well and it gave me a completely different experience. I used the headset to take a virtual walking tour of the highest peaks in Switzerland, mimicking the walk from hut to hut, occasionally peering to one side to see down the mountain to look at the view. What a weird simulation of the world. Never did I imagine that I would visit these places “in the real” (aka in real life or “IRL”), but this July I’ll be in Switzerland to experience real vistas in real daylight, with real grass and rocks underfoot. I wonder how it will compare with my virtual fantasy of a Swiss hike?

This “Swiss Wish” colourway is what I imagine fresh alpine air, crisp lakes, and a cool breeze to be like in the summer. A pale, wispy veil of blue and green hues. This is how I translated my virtual reality into colour.

PROJECT IDEAS

Swiss Wish is hand-dyed on a special SweetGeorgia Merino Silk Light yarn base. It’s a gloriously glossy, lofty, and light fingering-weight yarn featuring the warm tones of tussah silk. Tussah silk is naturally a bit honey-gold in colour and blended together with a beautifully soft merino wool, this creates a yarn that takes dye well and transforms every hue into a warmer version.

This yarn feels so soft and amazing next to skin, it just yearns to be made into something like a scarf, shawl, or neckerchief—some small luxury that you could wear comfortably with an easy elegance. This month, we knit it into a simple, textured scarf—the Ginger Rib Scarf (a free download for SweetGeorgia + Co members)—and focused on trying to get a planned pooling effect with this colourway. Read more about the scarf at the project post »

My other big idea for this colourway would be weaving it “faux-Ikat” style. See our website for more details on how to use a handpainted colourway like this.

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 Swiss Wish 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: Swiss Wish appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE SWISS WISH CLUB COLOURWAY

Our July 2026 Secret Stash Club colourway “Swiss Wish” is dedicated to the idea of making fantasy into reality. From the space between a pixelated mountain view and the promise of actual alpine air on skin. It’s a colour that carries the feeling of anticipation, of wishes on the verge of coming true.

Inspired by a virtual walking tour of the highest peaks in Switzerland, this month’s colourway is what Felicia imagines fresh alpine air, crisp lakes, and a cool breeze to be like in the summer. A pale, wispy veil of blue and green hues. Read more about the yarn at the colourway reveal post.

A COOL BREEZE YOU CAN WEAR

This month’s Club yarn is beautifully soft and calls to be made into something worn next to skin. Hand-dyed on a special SweetGeorgia Merino Silk Light base, this yarn is gloriously glossy, lofty, and light, featuring the warm tones of tussah silk.

We wanted an easy one-skein project with comfortable elegance and a chance to play with planned pooling. We chose Felicia’s Ginger Rib Scarf pattern (a free download for SweetGeorgia + Co members!), which features an easy rib variation. The result is a simple, textured scarf with a beautiful drape and a lovely movement of colour all along the way.

JOIN THE CLUB

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

Print

Ginger Rib Scarf in Secret Stash Club Yarn

Showcasing an easy rib variation, this simple scarf pattern is perfect for hand-dyed single skeins of yarn.

Craft Knitting

Maker Denise Parks

Designer Felicia Lo

Skill Level Beginner

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size US 4 / 3.5 mm

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Merino Silk Light in Swiss Wish

Instructions

• Download the Ginger Rib pattern from the SweetGeorgia shop.
• Cast on using the Club colourway. To aim for a planned pooling effect, sample knitter Denise cast on 26 stitches.
• Follow the scarf instructions knitting until your desired length, or leaving just enough yarn remaining for the bind off. Bind off all stitches as directed.
• Weave in ends and hand wash in cool water with a gentle wool wash. Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture, then lay flat to dry. Once dry, enjoy!

Notes

Pattern information from designer Felicia Lo:

An easy rib variation makes a lush and lofty scarf in beautiful merino and silk. Knit up quick on larger needles, this makes for a very simple one-skein gift.

The post Secret Stash Club Knitting: Ginger Rib appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Kim Werker is a publisher and CEO with over twenty years of experience in the crafts. She has written or co-authored seven books, edited many others, and previously founded an online crochet magazine. She also served as editor of Interweave Crochet and has taught and spoken at conferences across North America. In 2020, she co-founded Nine Ten Publications, which she now runs from her home in Vancouver, BC. 

Where to Find Nine Ten Publications

• Nine Ten Publications
• Nine Ten Publications Instagram
• Nine Ten Publications YouTube
• Nine Ten Publications Kickstarter

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.

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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.
• Not yet a member of the School? We invite you to come and see what it is all about! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!
• 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 E11: Nine Ten Publications appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

TL;DR: You can knit cables with any yarn, but some yarns will show off the cables more. In general, smooth yarns with three or more plies will show the cables better. Solid colours will also show knitted cables more clearly than variegated yarns. When knitting cables, stitches stretch and twist, so a yarn with a high percentage of wool, with its resilience and elasticity, makes for a better cable-knitting yarn. As a textile with knitted cables uses up more yarn compared to plain knitting, it is important to consider garment construction when making a large or heavy garment. Also, when knitting cables, using a needle one or two sizes smaller than what you would use for stockinette will help the cables pop out more on the fabric surface.

Start by Choosing

Choose a Smooth Yarn

Cables create a prominent pattern on the surface of your knitting. A smooth yarn will showcase the cables in their full glory. It’s also easier to see the cables and read your knitting with a smooth yarn.

Choose a Yarn Weight You Love to Work With

While you can certainly knit cables with any weight of yarn, starting with a weight you like to work with will make your cable-knitting experience more enjoyable — especially if you haven’t knitted cables in a while or if it’s your first time.

Choose Wool, If Possible

Whether you are trying your first cable-knitting project or not, knitting with a yarn with at least 50% wool will make your experience very enjoyable. The resilience and natural crimp of wool help the yarn bounce back after manipulating the stitches to make cables. Wool’s elasticity makes knitting cables a wonderful experience, easier on the knitter’s hands. I personally find that when knitting non-wool yarns, I need to take breaks more often.

While you can certainly use a non-wool yarn to knit cables, such as SweetGeorgia Flaxen Silk Fine, the process may be a bit slower, and the cables won’t pop as much as they would in a wool-rich yarn. There is no knitting police out there, and if you are planning a summer shirt with cables, just take the time to swatch. We find that our wool-free yarns knit lace and stockinette stitch patterns beautifully. 

More is Better

The More Plies in the Yarn, the More the Cables Will Pop

Of course, there is variability between yarns, but in general, the more plies added to a yarn, the rounder it will be, and the better it will show the cables. So if you are considering two equivalent yarns — one 2-ply and the other 3-ply — the 2-ply will be flatter. Then again, you may like the flatter cables for your project, so it’s always a good idea to make a small swatch to check which fabric you like best for your intended project.

The More Solid the Colour, the More the Cable Pattern Will Show

When knitting cables, they show more clearly with a solid or lightly variegated colour. Sometimes, we want a more subtle effect of the cables, and as knitters choosing the yarn for a project, we have that choice to make. In general, lighter and medium value colours will also show the cables better, as well as being easier to read your knitting while knitting the cables, compared to darker shades.

While most of the time we follow this rule when choosing colours for cable patterns, sometimes you want to change things up for a different effect. We did that with Sanderstead, a wonderful cable hat and cowl set. This pattern uses a fuzzy and a smooth yarn combined to create a marling effect, pairing two colours similar in value with luscious cables.

Yarn Vs. Yarn

Superwash Vs. Non-Superwash, Both Work

Wool is made of keratin, a protein fibre. Wool fibres have tiny scales on their surface. When these scales go through sudden changes of temperature in a humid environment, with agitation, they felt. You may have seen this in action when throwing in a washer a wool item by mistake.

Some wools felt more easily than others, and some resist felting. Superwash or Easy-care yarns have had a chemical treatment to either remove or coat the surface scales of wool. This treatment affects some of the wool characteristics besides felting. In general, superwash yarns will dye in more vibrant colours. 

When knitting with non-superwash yarns, the tiny scales stick together, making the stitches more cohesive. Once you wash your garment, the textile blooms into a beautiful fabric. The tiny scales also produce a warmer garment. Cables knit with wool yarns, such as SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK, produce accessories and sweaters with wonderful body. 

Superwash yarns have a smoother, sleek surface, and are lovely to work with, too. I find them my yarn of choice when knitting gifts and accessories, as not everyone knows how to wash wool garments, and easy-care yarns will survive an accidental trip through the washer and dryer without felting. Compared to a similar non-treated yarn, even when knit at a similar gauge, the fabric will be drapier.

When choosing gauge for a larger, heavier garment with cables, I prefer to knit superwash yarns at a slightly tighter gauge compared to a non-treated wool yarn, to account for the loss of scales that helped to keep the structure of the fabric. So whether you like to knit with non-superwash or superwash yarns, you can use either for knitting cables for beautiful results. 

Worsted-Spun Vs. Woollen-Spun, Both Work

You may be wondering which works better: worsted-spun or woollen-spun yarns? If you want to learn more about their differences, check out Worsted vs. Woollen Spun Yarns: The Yarn-Making Process. Not only will the visual effect be different in a woollen-spun vs. a worsted-spun yarn, but the drape and warmth of the fabric will differ, too. At this time, all the yarn bases that SweetGeorgia Yarns offers are worsted-spun.

One thing to consider when planning a large garment full of cables is choosing a garment construction that will help maintain the structure of your fabric. As convenient as top-down, seamless garments are to knit, seams provide structure to a sweater to keep it looking its best for many years. You may also opt for a woollen-spun yarn if planning a large garment without seams, as this type of yarn tends to be lighter for the same thickness.

If in Doubt, Swatch

It is always worth your time to make a swatch of your intended yarn and pattern. If you already have that sweater or blanket yarn quantity in your stash, set aside time for swatching before you commit tens or hundreds of hours to a knitting project. Doing so will help your final knit accessory or garment to look and feel as you envisioned.

If you are considering knitting your next large cabled project with a particular yarn, and swatching for the sake of swatching is not your jam, consider knitting an accessory to check how the cables look in the yarn you are planning to use, and whether you would like that drape and coziness in a larger project.

Please share with us your wins or challenges matching yarns and your next cable knitting project. We would love to see what you are knitting next in the SweetGeorgia + Co Community! 

The post Make Your Cables Stand Out with the Right Yarn appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

Supporting Communities, Online and In-Person

Greta volunteers with her local Richmond Weavers and Spinners Guild, organizing local spinning and weaving workshops. She frequently writes for the SweetGeorgia blog and other publications, like PLY Magazine and Spin Off Magazine.

She started cross stitching in high school and knitting in 2009. Always curious to learn more, she learned to spin in 2013 and to weave in 2020. She loves making samples and things for her favourite people.

A Quick Q&A with Greta

What’s your role at SweetGeorgia?

• Education Program Coordinator, I am also in charge of pattern development and layout.

What fibre arts did you enjoy before joining us?

• Cross stitch, knitting, spinning and felting.

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

• The above, and crochet, fibre prep, weaving, and a tiny bit of machine knitting.

What other hobbies do you enjoy?

• I love to exercise, go on walks, make bread, and read technical and historical fiction.

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

• A good spinning wheel, if you like to do fibre prep, a set of hand carders, a blending board, or Lock Pop!

Which is your favourite fibre or yarn?

• I am a big fan of SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk, Polwarth+Silk, and CVM wool.

Fun fact:

• A cup of Ethiopian coffee with some crafting in my hands in the early morning is one of my favourite moments of the weekend.

Places to Find Greta Cornejo:

• Greta’s Ravelry
• Greta’s Instagram
• Greta’s SweetGeorgia articles

Thank you, Greta, for being part of the SweetGeorgia team. We appreciate all the hard work you do to connect this community and build inspiration through patterns and learning!

The post SweetGeorgia Team Spotlight: Greta Cornejo appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

We’ve been loving our new yarn, SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK, and wanted to showcase how the subtle colour variegation of the hand-dyed shades bring nuance and contrast to the knitted fabric. The soft hand of the yarn, and the lovely shine of the Bluefaced Leicester wool, mohair, and silk glow, making this project a pleasure to knit.

We chose three shades with value contrast between them: Coastline, Lupine and Amber Ale. This allows the mosaic pattern to be seen clearly while knitting. We also love the colour changes, which let us enjoy how one colour plays against the other two individually on the same canvas.

Andrea Mowry is widely known for creating highly accessible, wearable, and texturally rich knitting patterns, and The Shift cowl is a perfect example of her design aesthetic.

EXPLORE COLOUR & KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

Looking to expand your current knitting skills plus find inspiration for a range of other project ideas? Visit the School of SweetGeorgia (SOS) to explore our growing library of knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and dyeing courses. There you can learn more about Knitting with Hand-Dyed Colour with Felicia Lo, Fundamentals to Finishing Knits with Holli Yeoh, and more.

Discover the courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School. Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

Print

The Shift Cowl in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK

Craft Knitting

Maker Anita Lee

Designer Andrea Mowry

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size US 5 / 3.75 mm, 24” / 60 cm long 
• Notions: scissors, tapestry needle, row counter (recommended)

Materials

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

Instructions

• To knit The Shift cowl, download a copy of the pattern from Andrea Mowry at Ravelry.
• Determine your gauge worked over stockinette stitch unblocked, so you can unravel it and use it in your project once you have achieved gauge.
• Using colour A, cast on. Follow the pattern directions, changing colours as instructed. Bind off as instructed.
• Wet block the cowl to finished measurements. Seam together following Andrea’s tutorial, and enjoy!

Notes

Pattern information from Andrew Mowry:

This cowl is the perfect all-the-time accessory! And the answer for all of those knitters out there who love to knit shawls, but have a hard time styling them. A fun and engaging knit with shifting colors, that looks like an asymmetrical triangle shawl, and it only takes a fiddle-free second to throw it on as the finish to every outfit!

 

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 Mosaic Magic: Knitting The Shift Cowl in SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

If you like using larger amounts of yarn for bigger projects, whether knitting, weaving, or crocheting, spinning a larger amount of fibre requires a few different strategies than working with a single braid.

Planning Stage

Create a wish list. If you use a bullet journal or a spinning notebook, start a wish list of big spins you would love to tackle one day. For each idea, note what you will make once it’s spun (knit, crochet, weave), the amount of yarn (or range of yarn) you will need to produce, and any specifications: 2-ply yarn or singles; worsted or woollen spun; approximate yarn weight or wraps per inch; yarn colour. If you have more than one idea, keeping them in the same place is a great way to revisit your wish list when you are ready for your next big spin.

Choose Your Next Big Spin

On a new page, write the details again and expand as much as you can on the kind of yarn you would like to spin. Consider choosing a yarn weight similar to what you have been spinning most often, your signature yarn.

Sample Time

• Whether you are fibre prepping from clean wool or using braids from your stash, take the time to make a sample. You will need about 10 to 20 g (0.35 to 0.7 oz) of ready-to-spin fibre.
• If I am going to blend fibres for my project, I will use my hand cards, blending board, or mini combs to prepare the fibres and add any mix-ins. If I plan to use rolags, I will prepare my fibre as rolags.
• If your goal is to create a yarn similar to a commercial yarn from your stash, attach a sample of your target yarn to a card and separate the plies so you can more clearly see the thickness of the singles you need to spin.
• For short samples, if you are still deciding what yarn you want to spin, I use controlled plyback. Tie knots at the end and keep a card with the spinning details for each sample. Wet-finish the samples and choose your favourite.
• Once you have your favourite plyback sample, make a larger sample using 10 to 15 g (0.35 to 0.53 oz) of fibre. Divide it into as many bundles as you will have plies in your planned yarn.
• I separate the fibre, spin the first fibre bundle as singles onto a bobbin, add a length of commercial yarn (I use 8/2 weaving cotton yarn), and repeat. I like to spin all the singles onto one bobbin, then rewind them onto secondary bobbins before plying through the rings. I use this set-up for my samples as well, because it’s how I always spin my yarns.
• Spin your sample the way you plan to spin your yarn. If you usually spin half the fibre onto one bobbin, half onto a second bobbin, and then ply straight from the bobbins, do that.
• Remember to create a control card with singles taken from the bobbin, a plyback sample, and details of how you spun and plied the yarn.
• Wet-finish your handspun yarn and hang it to dry. Once dry, weigh it, measure the yards (or metres), and check the wraps per inch.

Calculate Yards Per Pound (YPP)

Even though you can calculate this from a very small sample, I have found that a larger sample (as above) tends to be more accurate for large projects because it lets me settle into my spinning. See Debbie Held’s The Dish on Grist: Yards Per Pound in Handspinning article for more details.

Swatch with Your Handspun

While you may want to do this step once you have the full 900 g (31.75 oz) spun and finished, if you want to knit or crochet a sweater with your handspun, now is the best time to swatch.

I have gone ahead and prepped, handspun, finished, and knit a full sweater without careful swatching. I ended up with one sweater that fits, and another sweater that sheds fibres and is used for sleeping because it has not stood up to wear. Rachel Smith’s Knit a Wrist Distaff to Test Your Handspun Yarn’s Durability article is a great little pattern for this kind of swatching and to learn if your handspun yarn will withstand wear and tear.

Calculating & Sourcing the Fibre You Need

For any large project you want to spin, determine how much commercial yarn you would need. Then, use your yards per pound to calculate how many pounds of fibre you will need to source or set aside from your stash. If possible, I like to add 30 to 35% extra fibre to account for changes in my spinning.

Say you want to spin for a sport-DK weight sweater, and you usually use about 914.4 m (1000 yds) in 400 g (14.11 oz) for a commercial sweater. I would source 520 g (18.34 oz) of fibre to be safe. Read Felicia Lo’s Calculating Fibre Quantities for Spinning article for more information.

Fibre Prep Time

Your fibre prep may be as simple as spinning straight from the end of a hand-dyed braid. Or you may start with raw wool and scour it yourself. Even if you are starting from clean fibre, there will be waste in the process of preparing it. I like to start with twice as much clean fibre as I think I will need.

When dealing with a large amount of fibre I like to do the steps one at a time:

Step 1: Tease or Lock Pop the fibre so it’s all ready for the carding tools once I am done. I keep the fibre in plastic bins in between every step of the process.

Step 2: Comb or card my fibre or fibre blend. Again, I keep my fibre clean and undisturbed by kids, pets or critters in plastic bins in between fibre prep sessions.

Sometimes I will break my fibre prep time and start spinning my project. I keep resealable bags with the fibre to be blended, together with the sample yarn and any control cards, in the plastic bins, so I can remember my process next time I set time for fibre prep.

Once you have all your fibre, prepare it the same way you prepared the fibre for your sample. I like to use plastic bins, buckets, and resealable bags for this step. Getting your fibre ready for spinning is a fantastic way to set yourself up for success.

Big Spin Time

You are all ready to start. Congratulations on preparing for your big spin.

• I keep my control card close to my spinning tool and check that I can spin singles similar to my card at the beginning of each session.
• Once I settle in, I like to put on a podcast or audiobook in the background, with my bin of prepped fibre open and ready to go.
• So, as Dory would say in Finding Nemo: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”
• A big spin takes stamina, and you may get bored doing the same spin over and over with no changes. That may be one reason to have more than one spinning tool. If you are working through a big spin, it can be nice to have a designated tool for the whole project.
• If you need a break from the big spin and want a short, exciting spin to cleanse your palate, remember to keep all your bobbins of singles, prepped fibre, and control cards together so you can return to them when you are ready.
• Another strategy is to set a weekly fibre quota. Whether it is a set amount of rolag or roving, this keeps your big spin moving forward while still leaving time for other interests.
• Using a spin-along event, such as Spinning Guild meetings, Fibre Prep Month, or Tour de Fleece, can help you make visible progress as you turn all that fibre into full bobbins.

Big Plying Time

Once all the singles bobbins are full, it’s time to ply. Some spinners like to ply as soon as they have enough singles for a finished skein, sometimes because they do not have many bobbins. I like rewinding my singles onto storage bobbins because plying is a pleasure when the singles have been evenly distributed. This also allows me to mix bobbins so the final yarn is more even. Even though I check my singles often with my control card, I have still ended up with bobbins that are a bit thinner, so I like to mix them as much as possible.

Sometimes we think plying will take no time. I like to think it will take what it takes, and to enjoy the time I spend spinning and plying.

Celebrating, Finishing & Measuring

If you have all your yarn spun and plied, take a moment to celebrate. That is a huge accomplishment, and it feels amazing to build new skills and strategies in a craft we love.

Finish your handspun the same way you finished your sample, and enjoy seeing all those skeins drying. I love taking a photo of my yarn before finishing and another afterwards, because the transformation can be so dramatic.

Once your beautiful skeins are dry, take the time to weigh them, measure yardage or meterage, and check WPI in at least 3 to 4 places per skein. I calculate the average YPP across all my skeins, then choose the skein closest to that average to swatch for my planned project.

While the spin is still fresh in your memory, document the process. Make notes about what you would change next time. This information can be very useful when you are planning your next big spin or working with the same fibre again.

Use Your Handspun

You have just finished the first part of an epic project. Now, try to use your handspun sooner rather than later. We cannot wait for you to share what big spin you are planning next, or how you are using your big-spin handspun in SweetGeorgia + Co. Happy spinning!

The post Managing Big Spins appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

We have been deep in the studio working with SweetGeorgia Trifecta yarns and fibres, stunning hand-dyed skeins in a rainbow of colours surrounding us as we work. Looking at the beautiful sample skeins in all those gorgeous colours made Greta crave a whole sweater in one of her favourite shades: Basil. The subtle variegation, the gorgeous shine of the three fibres, the soft yet strong yarn, perfect for a sweater to wear through the seasons.

WHEN A TEST KNIT CALLS YOUR NAME

When Greta saw Samantha Guerin’s call for test knitting the Early Light pullover, she couldn’t get it out of her mind. It jumped ahead of all the other projects in the queue so she could offer to test the pattern. She already knew her next project was going to be in the Basil colourway, and SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine seemed like the perfect choice of yarn.

The knitting of the sweater couldn’t have been better, as Greta was travelling with family, with long stretches of waiting time in airports and cars. After the top of the sweater with the lace was done, the stockinette body filled hours with quiet enjoyment as she rested after busy days.

Samantha’s pattern was easy to follow and the lace was absolutely a joy to knit. After finishing the body and working the neck ribbing, the fit was just right. The pattern has options for short sleeves and ¾ sleeves, but Greta decided to use up all of her yarn to extend to full-length sleeves. In the end, some SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine from an earlier Secret Stash Club was used for the sleeve ribbing. 

EXPLORE SWEATER KNITTING AT THE SCHOOL

If you’re looking to expand your current skills and explore the world of sweater knitting, visit the School of SweetGeorgia! We have a number of online videos 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.

Explore our online courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School of SweetGeorgia. Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

Print

Early Light Pullover in SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine

A perfect sweater choice for wearing throughout the seasons.

Craft Knitting

Maker Greta Cornejo

Designer Samantha Guerin

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles size US 3 / 3.25 mm, 16 in / 40 cm long
• 1 Circular Knitting Needles size US 3 / 3.25 mm, 24 in / 60 cm long
• 1 Double Pointed Needle (DPN) Set size US 3 / 3.25 mm for sleeves
• 1 Circular Knitting Needles size US 2 / 2.75 mm, 24 in / 60 cm long for ribbing
• Various notions: removable stitch markers, one unique BOR marker, waste yarn or spare needles, cable needle (optional), tapestry needle

Materials

• 3 skeins SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Basil
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Haystacks*

Instructions

• Download a copy of the Early Light pattern from Samantha Guerin on Ravelry.
• Knit a gauge swatch in the round with the suggested needle size. Adjust if necessary. With larger needle and the long-tail method, cast on for your size. Place a BOR marker and join in the round.
• Knit increase rows then neckline short rows, then follow directions for knitting the lace yoke and further increase rounds.
• Divide the stitches into sleeves and body.
• Knit the body in stockinette stitch until the sweater reaches your desired length. Knit body hem using the smaller needles and bind off in your preferred stretchy bind off.
• Knit sleeves to desired length with decreases as described in the pattern, binding off after the hems in your preferred stretchy bind off.
• Follow instructions to pick up and knit stitches for neck collar and bind off in your preferred stretchy bind off.
• Weave in ends and wet block sweater to finished measurements. Enjoy!
  

Notes

*Haystacks was the July 2024 Secret Stash Club yarn colourway, now discontinued.

Pattern information from the designer Samantha Guerin:

Early Light is knit seamlessly from the top down. The neckline is cast on and short rows are worked to raise the back of the neck for a comfortable fit. The lace yoke is knit, raglan shaping rounds are worked, then the body and sleeves are separated and worked from the top down. The sleeves can be knit short for a tee or to a three-quarter length. The hem, collar and sleeve cuffs are all worked in 1×1 rib.

 

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 Test Knit Love: The Early Light Pullover in SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

I’m happy to report back: converting between metric and imperial was far less daunting than I’d feared. If you find yourself in the same spot, you can do this too. The questions I had at the start were simple ones. Does the unit system actually matter? Will my fabric come out differently if I measure some things in centimetres and others in inches? Can I still think in ends per inch while measuring in metric — or the other way around?

If you’re someone who uses imperial measurements but finds yourself working with a loom manufactured in Europe (like a Glimåkra or Louët), where everything is metric, I hope this helps.

Why We Have Two Systems in Canada

North American Influence

Living in Canada, I learned to weave from North American references and instructors, so the standard I absorbed was ends per inch (EPI). Ends per inch describes how many individual warp ends fit into one inch of woven cloth, and it drives nearly every decision you make: which reed you choose, how wide you wind your warp, and how many ends you beam.

This measurement is deeply embedded in North American weaving tradition. You’ll find it in everything from Schacht manuals to Handwoven magazine, the books of Madelyn van der Hoogt to Deborah Chandler’s Learning to Weave — one of the books I learned from, where everything is measured in EPI. It simply became second nature. I feel like I inherently understand what 10 EPI in plain weave and 12 EPI in twill look and feel like.

European Influence

But living in Canada has always brought a little friction here, because we measure everything else in metric — as do most European countries. There, the equivalent measurement is ends per centimetre (EPCM). The logic is identical — warp ends per unit of measurement — but the unit is a centimetre rather than an inch.

At the School of SweetGeorgia, we’ve always offered our weaving patterns in both systems, EPI and EPCM. For a long time, one of our weaving tech editors, Amanda Buckley — an Australian then living in Sweden — worked hard with us to make sure both sets of measurements were listed clearly and accurately in every pattern. We created a standard where we noted how measurements were taken and in which unit system, so that we could accurately convert between the two and offer precise and correct information through the pattern instructions.

Sett Isn’t The Only Thing That Differs Between The Two Systems

Reed sizes, warp length, and yarn grist (the relationship between a yarn’s weight and its yardage) all follow either imperial or metric conventions, depending on where they’re written. For example, at SweetGeorgia Yarns, we list all of our yarn details in both “yards per pound” as well as “metres per gram”.

Reeds are another good example. In North America, a 10-dent reed has 10 dents per inch. In Europe, a reed is labelled something like 40/10 — 40 dents per 10 centimetres. These work out to almost the same thing, but not quite. Ten centimetres doesn’t convert to four inches; 10 cm = 3.937 inches. Divide 40 dents by 3.937 inches, and you get 10.16 dents per inch. Close, but not exact.

Does the Unit System Actually Matter?

In short: no. Your handwoven cloth doesn’t know whether you ran your calculations in centimetres, millimetres, or inches. What does matter is staying consistent — mostly for your own record-keeping.

Those tiny differences might not seem like they matter, but they do add up. The gap between 10 EPI and 10.16 EPI is unlikely to show. But with a very fine yarn at 60 EPI, the same conversion gives you 60.96 EPI on a metric reed — a difference of nearly a whole thread. It may feel insignificant in the cloth but the measurement still isn’t quite the same.

Converting between EPI and EPCM rarely produces clean whole numbers, so some rounding is unavoidable. Generally, rounding up or down won’t make a dramatic difference — I round up for sett when I want a slightly looser fabric, and down when I want something firmer. When I weave with fingering-weight knitting yarn, 10 often feels too loose and 12 too tight; 11 would be perfect. But good luck finding an 11-dent reed, so some fudging and compromise come with the territory.

My Best Practices

A few years ago, when I built my digital record-keeping system for weaving projects (in ClickUp!), I had to settle on a consistent way to track measurements and calculations. It’s genuinely a bit of a struggle, because I want to think in inches but measure in centimetres. Here are the guidelines I landed on:

Reeds

The reeds I own from Canada and the US are listed in dents per inch, and reeds from Europe are listed in dents per 10 cm. In my records, I always try to make a note of which reed I’m using. To convert a metric reed to imperial, divide the metric number by 3.937 — so a 30/10 metric reed equals 7.6 dents per inch. Close to 8, but not exactly.

Measurements

I do all my cloth measurements in centimetres, which makes the rest of my calculations easier — it’s much simpler to work with 2.85 cm in calculations than its equivalent, 1 5/16″. Then, once the math is done, I convert back to inches, because my brain reads inches more intuitively. I have a gut sense for how big 8 1/2″ is, since I handle letter-size paper all the time. Ask me to picture 21.59 cm, and I’m stumped — even though it’s the exact same size.

So What Did I Do With My Metric Sectional Warp Beam?

Earlier this year, I made a YouTube video where I showed how I built the sectional warp beam and fitted it to the back of my Louët Spring loom. I installed the rakes into the sectional beam to create 4-cm-wide sections — roughly 1.5748 inches each. For my twill kitchen towel project, I wanted to sett my 8/2 cotton at about 20 EPI, so I had to scale that up from a 1-inch section to a 1.5748-inch section, which gave me about 31.496 warp ends per section. I rounded to an even number and wound 32 ends per 4-cm section. This project was the basis of my research for an upcoming article in WEFT magazine, coming out this fall.

After threading the heddles, I sleyed a standard imperial 10-dent reed at 2 ends per dent, producing a clean 20 EPI warp. Had I used a 40/10 reed instead, I’d have ended up at 20.32 EPI.

Again, these differences are minute. But it’s good practice to record exactly what happened at your loom, as precisely as you can, right from the start. Those records serve as your reference for future projects, so you want to make sure you’re measuring and keeping track of the right numbers!

The post Metric or Imperial? A Weaver’s Guide to Converting EPI & EPCM appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

COLOUR INSPIRATION: SIMPLE SUMMER PLEASURES

Every year on Canada Day (July 1) we ride our bikes down to Steveston Village for the annual Canada Day parade and “Salmon Festival”. It’s usually a hot, sunny day and the 10-minute ride is not long or particularly difficult, but it’s always improved when we stop at the little kid-run lemonade stands along the way. Ruddy cheeks and grass-stained shorts, little entrepreneurs selling mom-made lemonade and freezies outside on their front lawns is one of the sweetest moments of the day.

Maybe I’m nostalgic for when my kids were younger or maybe I’m preemptively sad because we will be on the road and missing this year’s Canada Day celebrations, but please indulge me while I take a moment to enjoy the simple summer pleasure of a lemonade stand. Our “Lemonade Stand” colourway is light and sweet tints of sunshine yellow, with hints of lime green and grapefruit notes.

PROJECT IDEAS: OUR BELOVED BFL

For the Yarn

Bluefaced Leicester wool is one of my absolute favourites to spin and knit with. In this case, we are enjoying it this month as an untreated (non-superwash) wool that has been spun into a lofty and bouncy 2-ply fingering weight yarn. Untreated wool can bloom and felt if you wash it with hot water and soap, so consider what you might want to do with the finished project.

We knit this month’s yarn into the Spring Winds shawl pattern by Claire Walls. Paired with one skein of SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Sea Glass, the textured details stand out beautifully in the exclusive BFL Fine base part of our June Club. It’s like adding a burst of tropical sun to any outfit.

Two-ply yarns lend themselves beautifully to lace projects since they will often show off the lace designs more clearly. Weaving with this yarn will also be wonderful. A wool that blooms and fulls in a project is always great to work with, and this fingering weight yarn will be easy to handle.

For the Fibre

SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk is a gorgeous, soft, and delicious fibre blend to spin with. Bluefaced Leicester is one of the softest, glossiest medium-long wools (longer fibre staple length), and is naturally more durable, making it a favourite spinning fibre for many. The glittery tussah silk in this blend adds to the softness and shine, making this an indulgence to spin.

The delicate pops of colour will smooth out and blend in as you spin and ply this colourway. If you want it even lighter, maybe blend it with some undyed fibre. Or if you want to make it more colourful, blend or ply in bits of stronger hues.

We use BFL+Silk for everything including sweaters, shawls, hats and more. This fibre works up beautifully in knitting, crochet, and weaving projects. It’s versatile because of its combination of strength, softness, and shine.

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 Lemonade Stand 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: Lemonade Stand appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.

THE CLUB COLOURWAY: LEMONADE STAND

Inspired by summer bike rides and sunshine-filled days, our June 2026 Secret Stash Club yarn captures the simple summer pleasure of a neighbourhood lemonade stand. Every year on Canada Day (July 1), Felicia’s family rides their bikes down to Steveston Village for the annual Canada Day parade and “Salmon Festival”. It’s usually a hot, sunny day and the 10-minute ride is always improved when they stop at the little kid-run lemonade stands along the way.

Featuring a light palette of sunshine yellow with hints of lime green and grapefruit, this Club colourway is available on both yarn and fibre where Bluefaced Leicester is the star. Read more about the colourway story at the June colourway reveal post »

KNITTING THE SPRING WINDS SAMPLE

The Spring Winds design by Claire Walls was originally launched as part of our Spring with SweetGeorgia, Vol 3 pattern collection. The pieces in this collection capture the very essence of play, weaving vibrant, candy-like colours and delicate, muted hues into a gorgeous harmony.

With a beautiful texture and a simple, melodic stitch pattern, the Spring Winds triangular shawl is a dreamy spring and summer accessory. For this version, sample knitter Deborah Dar Woon adjusted the project slightly due to the difference in yardage. The original pattern uses SweetGeorgia Mohair Silk Sock, which has more yardage than the SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine yarn used in the sample. See the notes listed in the project recipe below.

JOIN THE CLUB

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

Print

Spring Winds Shawl featuring the “Lemonade Stand” Club Yarn

Gorgeous texture and a simple, melodic stitch pattern make this triangular shawl a dreamy spring and summer accessory.

Craft Knitting

Maker Deborah Dar Woon

Designer Claire Walls

Skill Level Intermediate

Equipment

• 1 Circular Knitting Needles in size 2.5 US / 3 mm, 40” / 100 cm long

Materials

• 1 skein SweetGeorgia BFL Fine in Lemonade Stand
• 1 skein SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine in Sea Glass *see notes about yardage

Instructions

• To knit the Spring Winds shawl, download a copy of the pattern — available at the SweetGeorgia shop.
• Follow directions for the garter tab cast-on using the MC, then follow the required number of repeats for the setup and stockinette rows of the pattern.
• Continue following the knitting pattern's slip stitch brick instructions and stockinette section instructions. See the notes below for the adjustments made due to the yardage difference from the original pattern.
• Weave in ends and wet block. This will help to open up the pattern design and create a nice drape in the fabric. Enjoy!
  

Notes

Notes from our lovely sample knitter, Deborah: Since the SweetGeorgia Trifecta Fine skein has less yardage than Mohair Silk Sock (used in the original pattern design), the Sea Glass skein ran out toward the end. Deb instead only knit the garter repeat two times in total before binding off with the Lemonade Stand Club yarn.

From the pattern design:

A gorgeous texture and a simple, melodic stitch pattern makes this triangular shawl a dreamy spring accessory. From drape to size and unlimited colour options, its a gorgeous project that every knitter will love.

 

The post Secret Stash Club Knitting: The Spring Winds Shawl appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.