Episode 3: The Yarn Fest Afterglow & New Wardrobe Staples

02 Jun, 2026

It’s been two months since my last update, and so much has happened. The biggest highlight was definitely the Cape Town Yarn Festival! Vending at the fest was an absolute joy. Meeting other vendors, chatting with customers in person, and just being surrounded in a sea of beautiful yarn. The energy was pure inspiration and happy vibes, and it definitely fueled a serious knitting streak.

With winter finally settling in and the weather getting properly cold, I’ve been wearing a hand-knit every single day. It makes me so happy to see these projects getting immediate love.

Here is what’s been coming off my needles over the last two months!

The "Jaunty-ish" Shawls (x2)

• Pattern: My own rendition of the Jaunty shawl by Andrea Mowry
• The Verdict: I loved knitting the first one so much that I immediately had to cast on a second. It is the absolute perfect scarf size, so pretty, and a brilliant way to use up single skeins and mohair from the stash. I can definitely see myself making more of these in the future.
• Version 1: Knit with a strand of LilyRose Dyeworks held with African Expressions Hope mohair.

• Version 2: Knit with my own Wildest Wool yarn in the Lilac-Breasted Roller colourway, held with African Expressions Hope mohair.

The Paul Sweater – Moreca Knit

This project is quite close to my heart. I used Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Fine (held double) which I bought at the very end of my long-distance hike in the US. Getting to finally knit with it and wear it feels so special.

• The Knit: This was definitely some of the most involved shaping I’ve ever done. The construction is super interesting, but I do like how it turned out.
• The Look: The yarn is unbelievably soft, and the colour is something I don’t normally have in my wardrobe. It’s a nice, refreshing change, and it’s already been in heavy rotation.

The Sollas Sweater – Rebecca Clow

I’ve been watching Rebecca on YouTube for what feels like forever, but I’d never actually knit one of her designs. This pattern dropped right when I was looking for my next cast-on, and this design caught my eye.

• The Yarn Fest Score: I knit this using some of my festival spoils! It’s Miss La Motte yarn in the Dutch Still Life colourway. I love her beautiful dyeing style and was so excited to get this on the needles.

• The Mods: I couldn't get a gauge swatch I liked with the yarn held single, so I paired it with a strand of undyed mohair. My gauge was still a little bit off, so the sweater turned out a touch wider than expected, but I actually love the relaxed fit. It is so lovely. Hard to get a good photo of it though, the white yarn seems hard to photograph well.

The Stash Report

In my last post, I was celebrating how much stash yarn I had used up. This time? Well, the stash definitely went up. I fully treated myself at Yarn Fest. There is just something about seeing all that yarn in person! I walked away with three sweater quantities and one tee quantity.

But if we look at the math, I'm still doing a great job of working through my yarn:

I feel really content with my making lately. I’m focusing on things I truly want to wear, and it feels amazing to look at my closet and see a wardrobe built by my own hands.

On the Needles & Listening to My Hands

I have cast on my next project, but I'm currently hitting a small speed bump. My hands are feeling quite sore from spending so much time on small needles lately.

It’s a hard pill to swallow because I absolutely love the fabric of a 3mm knit, but I think I need to give the tiny needles a break for a bit. I might need to step away from the knitting for a week or two and get back into spinning instead to give my hands a different type of movement.

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