Toccata Organic Cotton: Yarn Notes and Pattern Ideas

par Debbie Sullivan juin 18, 2026

We're very excited to bring you the first-ever 100% cotton Sweet Paprika yarn!

Like many of you, we really enjoy working with plant fibres as well as wool yarns, especially in the hot summer months. So we spent some time this past winter researching and sampling cotton and hemp yarn bases, and in the end we decided to bring in a small batch of Toccata, a sport-weight organic cotton. 

About the Yarn

Toccata is a 2-ply yarn that's soft and relaxed, with a subtle sheen. Since the acid dyes we normally use for animal fibres don't work on cotton this was a fun chance to experiment with some new dye techniques. We used fibre reactive dyes for these colours and we played with lots of variables to get a range of both rich shades and pastels. Ivy (our studio assistant) named each colour after a song or piece of music, so we have everything from Clair de Lune to Purple People Eater! We didn't write down any recipes though, so we won't be restocking these colours once they're sold out. 

We've worked up several swatches to test drive this yarn, and we decided to label it as a sport weight but it could also be used in patterns that call for fingering weight if you'd like a tighter and more structured fabric. 

We found that this yarn works up very nicely on needle sizes ranging from 3.25-4mm, with a gauge of between 22-26 stitches over 4".

The knitted lace swatch shown above was worked on 3.25mm needles and has about 26 sts/4". 
The stockinette swatches were worked on 4mm needles with about 22 sts/4". 
The crochet swatch was worked on a 4mm hook and has about 19 sts/4". 

Cotton doesn't bloom after blocking in the same way that wool does, but like all yarns the stitches can stretch and shift after washing/blocking. We recommend treating your swatch the same way you will your finished project and taking before and after measurements so you'll know if your particular stitch pattern is likely to grow in an unexpected direction. We tested our swatches and they stood up well to machine washing and drying on cool settings, so if you're planning to be able to throw your project in the machine when needed make sure to wash and dry your swatch that way too - you may get a different result than you would if you hand washed and dried flat. 

 

About the Patterns

We're looking forward to knitting up some projects with this new yarn, and we hope you are too! Cotton has very little elasticity (especially compared to wool), but the trade-off is that it has more drape. We think Toccata would be a great choice for a summer top or tee, so we've rounded up a few patterns to get you inspired! All photos are used with permission from the designer. 

 

Wild Flowers Tee

designed by Tif Neilan

Wild Flowers is a drop-shoulder tee worked from the top down, featuring a lace pattern on the front yoke. This pattern would be lovely in a single colour, or you could liven it up by working the lace portion in a contrasting colour. 

Gauge: 24 sts/30 rows = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch
Sizes: 34"- 66" (85-165cm) finished chest circumference
Yardage: 682-1371yds (623-1253m); 3-5 skeins Toccata
Availability: Ravelry and tifhandknits.com

 

Dawning Top

designed by Ainur Berkimbayeva 

The Dawning Top is a sweet halter top worked from the top down, with radiating spokes and eyelets symbolizing the sun's rays. The pattern includes options for cropped, full length and tunic length versions. 

Gauge: 26 sts/36 rounds = 4"/10cm in reverse stockinette stitch
Sizes: 34½"- 64¼" (87.5-163cm) finished chest circumference
Yardage (cropped length): 575-1350yds (610-1390); 2-5 skeins Toccata
Yardage (full length): 665-1520yds (525-1235); 3-5 skeins Toccata
Yardage (tunic length): 1190-2465yds (1090-2255); 4-8 skeins Toccata
Availability: Ravelry and toqutigu.com

 

Hipster Top

designed by Joji Locatelli 

The Hipster Top is worked from the top down, starting with a fun crossed-stitch detail. The body is worked in a stripe pattern with a V neckline, joined in the round at the underarms, and once you cast off at the hem you're done -  no finishing required!

Gauge: 24 sts/40 rounds = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch
Sizes: 32"- 68" (80-170cm) finished chest circumference
Yardage: 292-825yds (266-754m) in colour 1, 241-734yds (220-670m) in colour 2; 1-3 skeins Toccata in each colour
Availability: Ravelry and jojiknits.com

 

Saila

designed by Sachiko Burgin 

This elegant sleeveless summer top features a cockleshell lace pattern that the designer originally found in a vintage pattern leaflet from the 1920s. It's worked in the round from the hem up, then split at the armholes to work back and forth for the upper body. Saila is available as a free download on Ravelry and Lovecrafts. 

Gauge: 22 sts/28 rounds = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch
Sizes: 30½"- 51" (77.5-129.5cm) finished chest circumference
Yardage: 465-1085yds (425-992m); 2-4 skeins Toccata
Availability: Ravelry and lovecrafts.com

 

Chun

designed by Xiaowei Design

Chun is a reversible summer top with an original construction method. The main body of the top is worked in stockinette stitch, with a large triangular lace panel. The flexible design means the panel can be worn in either the front or the back, whichever you prefer! The sample shown here is knit in a merino/nylon yarn, but you'll find some great examples of this pattern worked up in plant fibre blends if you check out the projects on Ravelry. 

Gauge: 22 sts/28 rounds = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch
Sizes: 35½"- 64" (90-162cm) finished chest circumference
Yardage: 897-1815yds (820-1660m); 3-6 skeins Toccata
Availability: available on Ravelry in English and French

 

What will you cast on? 

We'd love to know if you're inspired to cast on any of these projects this summer! If you do, please share with us on Instagram, Facebook, or in our Sweet Paprika Community. We love to see what you're working on.

If you haven't picked out your favourite colour of Toccata yet, you can find the full range of all 14 colours here. Happy knitting!

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