Yarn Test Kitchen – April 2025, Spindelwicks.
Keeley Richardson
Founder and Chief Fiber Officer
Welcome to our April Woolpack Yarn Test Kitchen!
When I met with Lloyd from Spindelwicks, a few weeks ago at his local yarn store in University Place, he invited me to pick four colors from his gorgeous BFL DK range for the Yarn Test Kitchen. It was a gray overcast Friday, but you can see from the photo below that I obviously had spring on my mind. How perfect are these colors for our April YTK? Yes, it finally feels like spring has made an appearance and it’s the best time to have some fun with this delightful palette. We certainly did in this month’s Woolpack Yarn Test Kitchen, and we are delighted to share our April one skein wonders with you.
Our April Yarn: Spindelwicks 100% Blue Faced Leicester DK Superwash, 4ply, 246yds,100g
Lloyd Dual is the yarn dyeing genius behind the Spindelwick’s brand. A knitter for twenty years, he began dyeing yarn in July 2023, initially selling at local markets in the Tacoma area. Lloyd takes his inspiration from the colors of the Pacific Northwest and enjoys natural bases. He opened the doors to the Spindelwick’s Yarn Store in 2024 and a visit to check out the full range of his hand dyes is highly recommended.
This month three friends and I had the pleasure of sampling his BFL DK base for the Yarn Test Kitchen.
Our April Baked Treats : Macarons, Cream Puffs and Scones, Yum!
I took a break from baking this month due to a small remodel that made our home a rather noisy and dusty place to be. It was time to take the Yarn Test Kitchen on tour!
My wonderful yarn testers joined me for a trip into the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle where we found a warm welcome and some rather delicious treats at Sarah Chae’s Stitch Cafe. It’s a great place for fiber enthusiasts to gather – a selection of yarns that is growing all the time, plus delicious tea, coffee and pastries from Fogrose Bakery in Kirkland. As you can see from the photos, the baked goods are beautifully presented and they are all as delicious as they look. The Stitch cafe was a calm and relaxing environment, the perfect place to show and share this month’s makes.
Tester: Keeley – Color Way : Evergreen – Pattern: DK Ribbed Socks by Summer Lee
Blue Faced Leicester Yarn is know for it’s robust properties. The relatively long staple length of the fleece results in a yarn that is durable and dense, so when I looked at my skein, socks came to mind. One of my new year intentions was to knit projects from my ever expanding pattern book collection. This sock pattern is from Summer Lee’s Sock Project Book and I am delighted to have placed a tick next to one of the items on my list.
I have been promising my husband a new pair of socks for some time and I am so pleased that I chose this project – the yarn results in a wonderful thick fabric that has plenty of stretch but springs back in to shape to hug his feet keeping them cozy. He is delighted! Can we take a moment to appreciate the color? This is a truly beautiful green that almost glows, I am in completely in love with the depth of color that Lloyd has achieved. You can easily make a pair of adult socks from a single skein, but I wanted to add a little bit of personality to mine, and Caitlyn was kind enough to share the leftover yarn from her project. The yellow toe makes these socks bright and cheery – perfect for this time of year.
Yarn Tester: Caitlyn – Color Way: Rubber Ducky – Pattern: Dachshund Knitted Jacket
Caitlyn in her own words: “I love kitting quick projects. It’s satisfying to see a finished object so quickly!”
OK, it’s time for Stanley, one of The Woolpack pups, to take a bow. Doesn’t he look fabulous in this wonderful knit from Caitlyn? This is definitely his color, Caitlyn knew it the minute she saw this happiest shade of yellow yarn. Peter, the Dalmatian plushy did a great job of modeling the sweater at our meet up, and we all collectively swooned when we saw this wonderful doggy jumper. This is a great yarn for a pet sweater – robust BFL that is also a superwash; especially ideal for lowriders!
Caitlyn embellished the back of the sweater with a wavy edging to complete the sunshine vibe, and the ribbed collar and arms look adorable on this smart little dog about town. The mornings are still on the chilly side as we sidle in to spring, so this is just a perfect knit. Huge thanks to Caitlyn for this very generous gift!
Yarn Tester: Stephanie – Color Way: Lila Rose – Pattern: Riptide 135 by Jennifer Shields Tolland
Stephanie in her own words: “Knitting and fiber arts are my happy place. I love the sense of accomplishment of learning new techniques.”
This is a great springtime accessory. The Riptide 135 can be draped elegantly to add interest to an outfit, or it can be wrapped around the neck when you need a cozy moment or two. As well as being a sturdy, reliable yarn, BFL is also a soft one, and Stephanie loved the way it bloomed when blocked. The dye in this skein was stunning – light blue and lilac speckles shine through evenly to add interest reminding us all of springtime blossom.
Jennifer Shiels Tolland’s pattern is a generous one. It’s a three in one pattern – three different treatments of the same design. The 135 refers to scarves and shawls made with one, three or five skeins of yarn. Stephanie found that she had enough yarn to make her scarf longer than the pattern giving her plenty of options on how to style it.
“Of course, pink is my favorite color so this was a joyful knit.” – Stephanie.
Yarn Tester: Alyssa – Color Way: Slate – Pattern: April Hat by Courtney Kelly.
Alyssa in her own words: “I’m a multi-disciplinary artist who has lived and grown in the PNW, New York City and Los Angeles. My latest obsession is all things spinning yarn. I have Siberian husky named Wolfgang who is, at best, quite ambivalent about my existence, but I still kiss him one hundred times a day.”
We all agreed that blue is a great color if you have brown hair and Alyssa wears this hat beautifully! This warm shade of blue/gray is a wonderful neutral that is perfect for showcasing the lovely stitches in the pattern Alyssa chose. Courtney Kelly’s April Hat is worked from the bottom up. The brim has a faux cable that is created using twisted stitches, so no need for a cable needle. The beautiful floral design on the body of the hat is made with puff stitches with the help of a crochet hook. This would be a great project for an advanced beginner looking to add new skills to their knitting repertoire.
Alyssa loved the way the yarn blocked out to make the design pop. If this fabulous hat has inspired you, you will be happy to hear that the pattern is part of a year of hats series that is free on Ravelry – happy knitting!
As always, if we have inspired you to knit/crochet any of the featured patterns, simply click on the pattern name to head to Ravelry.com. You can also find all of the Yarn Test Kitchen featured patterns on our Ravelry Projects Page – PSWoolpack.
Huge thanks to Lloyd for providing us with such beautiful skeins – they were a delight! Be sure to check out the complete Spindelwick’s range online or head to the delightful Spindelwick’s store in University Place near Tacoma.
Coming next month in the Yarn Test Kitchen: Twisted Caster.
Yarn Test Kitchen
Your Monthly Yarn Review
One of my all time favorite knitting activities is a “show and share”, with friends – it’s a perfect way to seek ideas, gain inspiration and get helpful advice. This is the idea behind the yarn test kitchen – I hope our projects will have you reaching for your needles as we bring you our ideas on how to turn those neglected single skeins of yarn in to “One Skein Wonders”, and inspire you to try new yarns that are produced and sold across the Puget Sound Region.
Oh, and I’ll also be sharing monthly baking recommendations as we go. After all, who doesn’t love a slice of cake or baked good? Yum!
Happy reading!
Keeley