From Spark to Skein: Exploring Kim McKenna’s Handspun Blends

Sometimes inspiration strikes from a photograph, a memory, or a feeling. Maybe it comes from reading a book, scrolling through Instagram, or simply walking through your local yarn shop. Something catches our eye; an idea sparks.

As that spark takes shape, we start to ask, What if? What if I chose these colours instead? What if I added this texture or tried a different construction? So you try it. You love it. And you keep asking, what if? That spirit of curiosity is at the heart of what inspires us. It keeps our minds alive, asking why, why not, what if, and inviting us to keep exploring. Kim McKenna never stops asking these questions.

SweetGeorgia fibre
Filled with inspiration, Kim dives into SweetGeorgia fibre to explore handspun colour possibilities!

Kim’s Curiosity

Kim McKenna is an instructor at the School of SweetGeorgia and taught a course earlier this year, Spinning Bast Fibres: Tow Tops & Bast Blends. And blends she did. Kim not only teaches how to spin tow-combed top in flax (linen), ramie, hemp, and Himalayan nettle, but also how to create beautiful blends with Merino, Corriedale, and our BFL+Silk blend. For those who are not members of the School, we shared that BFL+Silk and flax blend handspun yarn here on the SweetGeorgia site, Tanzanite Flax Brunch.

Kim McKenna's handspun yarns
After Kim spun the Tanzanite Flax Brunch, we couldn’t help but try to pair it with some of our yarns.

Making Blends

In that blend, she carefully removes certain colours from the SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk Tanzanite colourway and spins them into one ply. She then takes the SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk in the Beachside Brunch colourway and spins it end-to-end for the second ply.

For the third ply, she returns to the Tanzanite colourway but blends it with bleach tow flax to soften the tone. The result is stunning. With three plies, there are even more ways to explore colour. The flax shifts the colour just slightly and adds a subtle texture that, being in only one ply, does not overpower the overall look and feel.

What If?

Kim’s exploration of colour and texture did not stop with that single skein. She kept asking even more questions. What if I used silk instead of flax? Angelina? What if I tried different colourways? Adjusted the values? What does this new fibre bring? Will it add strength? Shine? Sparkle? Will it reduce lustre? Create a halo? Add texture? Make nubs, slubs, or a tweed effect?

Spinning Mix ins
A sample of the different mix-ins that Kim used in her “what-if” explorations.

Kim’s Handspun Blends

By giving herself space to explore, experiment, and follow her curiosity, she brought these what-if possibilities to life. The Tanzanite Flax Brunch skein inspired five more skeins, and we are thrilled to share them with you here.

Kim McKenna's handspun yarns 1
Kim spun two plies with SweetGeorgia Corriedale in the Grouse colourway, and used the Tea Leaves colourway, also in Corriedale fibre, for the third ply, which was also blended with blue silk.
Kim McKenna's handspun yarns
All three plies are the same colourway, SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk in Salted Caramel. Two plies were spun end-to-end, while the third was offset slightly to create gentle marling.
Kim McKenna's handspun yarns
Two plies feature the SweetGeorgia Corriedale in the Tanzanite colourway, with one of those plies blended with Angelina. The third ply used the Shadows on Snow colourway, also with the Corriedale fibre.
Kim McKenna's handspun yarns
For this skein, Kim started to mix wool fibres as well. SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk in the Tanzanite colourway was used for two of the plies. One of those plies was blended with sparkling white, icicle dyed-green. The third ply was SweetGeorgia Corriedale in the Grouse colourway.
Kim McKenna's handspun yarns
And for the final yarn, Kim spun two plies of the SweetGeorgia Corriedale in the Trail Runner colourway. Silk was added to the second ply; wisps of dyed silk were added using the Raindrop Yarn technique, taught in her Spin a Hand-Dyed Braid Five Ways course. The third ply combines the SweetGeorgia BFL+Silk in the River Walk colourway with Angelina added.

The Tanzanite Flax Brunch handspun skein instructions are exclusive to the Spinning Bast Fibres: Tow Tops & Bast Blends course, and these skeins follow a similar recipe. Join the School of SweetGeorgia to get step-by-step instructions on how to make the Tanzanite Flax Brunch handspun skein and open the possibilities to create similar yarns in this post.

We hope Kim’s handspun yarns inspire you to ask yourself, What if I remove one of the colours in this braid? What if I spin it with another colourway? Can I add something to just one ply to create interest or texture? What if…? Happy spinning!

Kim’s Courses at the School of SweetGeorgia 

If you are not yet a member of the School of SweetGeorgia, there has never been a better time to join. Kim McKenna teaches numerous courses on blending colours, fibre prep, working from raw fleece, and spinning tips for better results and a more enjoyable spinning experience. Her courses include:

We also offer many other courses with expert instructors, covering spindle spinning, e-Spinners, how to control our spinning, colour mixing, spin to knit, sheep breeds, luxury fibres, and more. With over 25 spinning courses and more than 120 courses across fibre arts like knitting, weaving, crochet, dyeing, punch needle, felting, machine knitting, circular sock machines, and more, there is always something new to discover. Please visit our roadmap to see what is coming next.

Kim McKenna's handspun yarns
Kim McKenna’s stunning handspun yarns.

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 in our SweetGeorgia Community. 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 From Spark to Skein: Exploring Kim McKenna’s Handspun Blends appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.



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