Since we’re still on a shipping hiatus for the time being, we thought it would be a good time to do a retrospective of our Sweet Paprika patterns. We’ve been publishing our own designs and those of other talented designers for over 13 years now, and have 99 patterns available here on our website and on Ravelry! We decided to call this project 100 Days of Patterns though, since we’re pretty sure we’ll have at least one new pattern released by the time we get through them all...
As hand-dyers who love playing with colour, it's only natural that we would love dyeing eggs as well as yarn. I've been exploring using natural dyes for Easter eggs for several years and after much trial and error, I've put together some instructions and tips for you.
I've been working on recipes for some new colours to add to our yarn lines over the winter months, many of them inspired by thoughts of spring. We had intended to launch these at Knit City this weekend, but since that's been postponed I decided to take a moment to introduce you to them here on our blog instead!
Please note: quantities of these colours are limited right now, as we don't currently have access to our dye studio due to the COVID-19 situation. We will be dyeing more as soon as we are able to get back to work.
We are so excited to be part of the KCM Ensemble Make-along!! Debbie threw the idea for this event out to our fellow Knit City Montreal vendors last week, and within a few short days we had an enthusiastic team making it into a reality. We're incredibly grateful to have such an amazing community working together to support each other in these uncertain times.
In the first few weeks of 2019 I noticed a lot of ideas for yearly project planning going around on social media, and the one that appealed to me most was the "Maker's Bingo" card I found on the Amusing Yarns blog. I figured it would give me a bit of direction and sense of working toward something without limiting inspiration throughout the year (I chose the version with 5 “free” spaces). Since we’re coming up to the end of the year I checked in on my card recently and marked off some completed projects.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Saltwater Mittens when we started carrying it last spring, and was delighted to find out earlier this year that there was a sequel in the works. Saltwater Classics is now here!
Saltwater Classics continues in the style of Saltwater Mittens, and includes several more mitten patterns, but it also includes many patterns for hats, caps and vamps. What are vamps? From what I can gather after reading The Great Vamp Debate, vamps are usually thick short socks that are worn as an extra layer inside boots or as a slipper indoors – with many regional variations of course. All I know for sure is that I definitely need a pair or two!
Big news! We’re teaming up with Helios Makerspace to offer dye studio access for members who want to work on dyeing projects without investing in all their own tools and equipment. That means that during studio hours, members can come use our space to dye yarn, fibre, fabric, or anything else you can think of really! More details on membership pricing and studio hours are available here.
One of our big goals for Sweet Paprika this year was to source a new line of Canadian wool yarns. We started contacting farms and mills last January, researching options, connecting with farmers, and collecting samples.
Eventually we settled on working with wool from Circle R Livestock, a family farm in southern Ontario. Over the spring we worked out the details to have the wool milled in New Brunswick, and we then spent the summer doing dye tests and creating colour recipes for our new Winfield (worsted) and Sutton (bulky) yarn lines.
Lately a lot of my crafting inspiration has come from my son, who is growing and needs things, and from my goal to live more gently on this earth and think twice before buying and using things.
My values of living frugally and buying ethically-produced clothing that is not damaging to the environment sometimes feel completely at odds with each other. For me, this is where mending, crafting, and buying second-hand come in. Can I mend something to extend its useful life? Can I knit or sew more of our everyday wardrobe basics? Is it something I can trade or buy second-hand rather than purchasing new?
For this mini-collection we sent our Grazioso linen/silk blend lace-weight yarn to three designers from around the world, and they each did a beautiful job transforming their skeins into perfect projects to inspire your summer knitting. And in order to celebrate summertime crafting we're hosting a Grazioso Make-along starting July 1. Keep reading for more details!
Sweet Paprika Designs offers high-quality materials for knitters and crocheters, with a focus on locally-sourced and sustainable products. Co-owners (and sisters) Debbie and Elizabeth create their own hand-dyed yarns, knitting kits and patterns in their Montreal dye studio and organize knitting and dyeing events in the community.