New knitting

It is all well and good to know how to spin and to be able to spin beautiful yarn… But what happens when you are just drowning in handspun yarn? What if you have made so much handspun yarn and you don’t even know what to do with it? What do we do with all that yarn? I’ve been spinning since 2006 and over the years have literally created a mountain of handspun yarn in my home. So in today’s video, I’ll show you many of the projects that I’ve made with my handspun. I use my handspun yarn in knitting, weaving, and now also machine knitting projects. Why it’s important to use your handspun yarn The goal of using handspun yarn in a project is to get information out of that yarn — what does it feel like as knitted fabric? or woven fabric? If it feels stiff or rough, maybe I need to lighten up on my drafting technique. Or if it feels too fuzzy or soft, maybe I need to spin with a tighter twist. I need to feel the finished fabric and use that sensation to go back and inform how I will s...

I’ve been hoping to use my LK150 flatbed knitting machine more as I dream about knitting up more and more of my handspun yarn stash. The LK150 is a flat bed knitting machine that is the perfect size for working with hand knitting yarn — everything from sport weight, DK weight, or worsted weight, that is the perfect sweet spot for this particular knitting machine. I’ve been knitting some of my handspun into the WPI (wraps per inch) Hat designed by Rachel Smith . I’m using the original pattern and kind of converting it into machine knitting instructions. The first thing that you need to start with is your wraps per inch measurement! Then using my wraps per inch measurement for my handspun yarn, I check the chart for what size knitting needles to use and what category my yarn is (sport, dk, worsted, etc) and then knit a swatch on the knitting machine with settings that are suitable for the size of my handspun yarn. Handspun yarn used in WPI hat In this case, I’m using two skeins of ...

At some point in most every spinner’s journey, their thoughts turn to fibre processing and fibre play… making rolags, combing a glitzy blended top, dizzing roving, carding batts, etc. Investing in your first blending tools can be a dizzying decision. Knowing your spinning preferences and purposes, and logistics such as your budget and space constraints can help steer you toward acquiring the tools best suited for your current needs. While most of us think of the drum carder as the holy grail of blending tools, it’s an expensive investment and not necessarily the item you’ll need early in your processing path. It’s possible that other blending tools might be even better suited to your spinning purposes. Better still, acquiring your tools with intention can help you become a far more effective spinner. Before diving head first into expensive fibre-prep gear, consider something less costly, such as hand cards. Shown: three different preparations, all prepared on hand cards, ready for ...

Sometimes, we build up goals and long-term objectives in our minds or even on paper, but we fail to review and reconsider the items on these lists as the years go by. For me, attaining an official “master spinner” status was one such intention, and one I’d put off. I told myself this was because of my indecision over which program to attempt—the  Handweavers Guild of America’s (HGA)  Certificate of Excellence  (COE) in Handspinning or the  Olds College Master Spinner Program . I recently spent hours comparing both programs and my reasons for wanting to commit to one, only to realize just how much I’ve changed—and, dare I say, accomplished—in the past number of years. To my surprise, I discovered my goals had changed, too. Do you know the difference between a puni and a rolag? You’ll learn all about blending with hand cards, and so much more, through your master spinner coursework or your own in-depth studies. What Changed? I fully support such continuing and/o...

We’re now in the final week of Fibre Prep February . It has been amazing to see all the beautiful fibre prep shared in the SweetGeorgia Discord , the School of SweetGeorgia Community Forums , and on social media with the hashtag #fibreprepfebruary! The creativity and enthusiasm are truly inspiring. Now, we’re excited to share some of our rolags with you while we explore colour and texture in fibre! And we’d love to see what you’re making! At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a Google Form where you can submit your Fibre Prep February pictures. Share what you made, what fibres and colours you used, if you added any mix-ins, and what inspired you. We’ll be featuring some of your creations in our Fibre Prep February Wrap Up post. Professional Development Day (at a Fibre Studio!) At the start of the month, Greta, our educational coordinator for the School of SweetGeorgia, led the entire SweetGeorgia team on a professional development day. She filled the day with lots of tips and tric...