Yarn Test Kitchen – Twisted Caster
Keeley Richardson
Founder and Chief Fiber Officer
Welcome back to The Woolpack Yarn Test Kitchen!
We have been knitting and crocheting away to bring you this month’s makes just in time for The Puget Sound LYS Tour. Kelly from Twisted Caster, the indie dyer who created these joyful skeins will be at The Nifty Knitter for the whole of the tour. If you like what you see in this month’s Yarn Test Kitchen, be sure to stop by and say “Hello.” In the meantime, we are excited to share our latest projects with you!
Our April Yarn: Various Color ways and bases from Twisted Caster Yarn & Fiber.
I first came across Twisted Caster Yarns at the Issaquah Salmon Days Festival back in October. I was immediately drawn to Kelly Lee’s playful color combinations and fun yarn naming conventions, so it was a pleasure to test more of her yarns in this month’s test kitchen. All Twisted Caster Yarns are lovingly hand dyed by Kelly in her Monroe studio. They have truly local pedigree! We had so much fun working with a range of bases in happy colors and were delighted to show and share over cake in the Yarn Test Kitchen. What better way to spend a morning?
Our April Baked Treats : Oma’s Rhubarb Cake by Food Girl on allrecipes.com
I love rhubarb! I have been lovingly nurturing a small but perfectly formed crop in the corner of my vegetable patch for three years now. It’s exciting to see it expand and each year I add to my carefully curated collection of favorite rhubarb recipes (Rhubarb Gin is near the top of the list!) This is a great rhubarb cake recipe. Easy to throw together with delicious results. The rhubarb softens as it cooks but remains firm, and the cake is just the right amount of moist and light. The Streusel topping is optional. I highly recommend this one for fellow rhubarb fans; it has been a hit with everyone who has tried it including my yarn testing friends.
Tester: Keeley – Yarn: 90% Extrafine Superwash Merino, 10% Recycled Nylon – 246yds per skein – Color Way: Gold Digging – Pattern: Easy Goes It DK by Finnicky Creations
As well as enjoying the name of this color way, I loved how these splashes of rich blues, grays and yellows combine to make a vibrant skein. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be fun to knit with.
The Easy Goes It scarf is a great pattern for single skeins of DK yarn sitting in your stash, particularly variegated. I wanted something that would showcase the colors in this skein and the pattern delivered. You can get a lot of scarf from just one skein of Twisted Caster DK. Knit on size 8 needles. It grows quickly and the alternating garter, stockinette and simple lace sections keep you engaged. I’ll definitely be using this pattern again. I had a few yards left over, so I could have added a few more rows to the final garter stitch section or made tassels. I chose tassels, and I love the playful addition they made to this cute scarf that I think I’ll wear again and again.
Yarn Tester: Caitlyn – Yarn: Twisted Caster DK – Color Way: Shakin’ Not Stirred – Pattern: Lucian Collar by Jennifer Brou
Caitlyn in her own words: “I am a fan of both knitting and crochet projects. I can’t get enough!”
Caitlyn made a real showstopper this month! The skein from Twisted Caster was a pretty one – pinks, green and a touch of blue/gray hinted at florals. We all loved how Catilyn moved away from the cutesy end of the knitting spectrum to the cool and edgy. This is a truly unique statement accessory and The Woolpack is here for it!
Caitlyn modified the pattern from a bottom up to top down design (casting on 400+ stitches for the bottom edge is no joke), and enjoyed how the pattern emerged. Reminiscent of a spider’s web, the Lucian Cowl is not just for Halloween and in this pretty color way it could be worn at any time of the year to add impact to an outfit.
Yarn Tester: Alyssa – Yarn: Single Ply Merino Fingering – Color Way: Queen Sips Her Tea – Pattern: Zinnia Bandana from Summer Crochet Book by Janine Myska“
Alyssa doubled the yarn for her project to bring it closer to the sport weight that this cute pattern calls for. Look at the depth of that teal! The result is truly beautiful and Alyssa loved how the pink and yellow neons pop through to add interest and texture to the fabric.
The pattern is from a new book by Janine Myska that is bursting with fashion forward summer designs. This bandana looks great worn as a headscarf but could also be worn as a kerchief bringing a cute color accent whenever you need one. The beautiful lacy pattern means it can be crocheted in no time at all -a fabulous addition to your summer wardrobe!
Yarn Tester: Kristen – Yarn: Merino, Cashmere & Nylon Mini Skeins – Color Ways: Various – Pattern: Outraveous Legwarmers by Connie Lee Lynch
Kristen in her own words: “I am a yarn-loving whirlwind of creativity – a writer, actress, singer, piano-teacher, painter and proud new member of Rotary International. Currently crocheting, knitting and designing more than 30+ vibrant, whimsical projects in an effort to turn tiny bursts of color into joyful wearable art.”
Kristen’s assignment this month was to create something playful with Twisted Caster mini skeins, and as always she delivered. Boot cuffs or ankle warmers? You decide. Either way this is a super cute project to keep you cozy when required and bring the happiness to an outfit. These colors work together beautifully. We all enjoyed how the rust color toned down the neons just enough, and all three still made a playful fabric. Kristen found this to be a simple but fun project and was delighted to find the cute little buttons in her stash that were just right to add the finishing touch.
Don’t these cuffs look perfect with her beautiful shoes? Fun!
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 Kelly for providing us with such beautiful skeins – they were a delight!
Coming next month in the Yarn Test Kitchen: We review yarns and free patterns from The Puget Sound LYS Tour 2025.
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