DHG has transformed their extra-fine Merino wool tops to create Piuma, an ultra-soft, feather-light yarn for winter wardrobe staples and home textiles.

Italian for feather, Piuma echoes its namesake with a delicate and lofty hand feel made possible by the yarns single ply construction and gentle twist.

The extra-fine Merino is sourced from both Australia and South America from strictly mulesing-free lots, carefully selected to ensure consistent quality between batches.

Supporting sustainability, DHG ensures the dye process complies with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and the dye house complies with GOTS 5.0 and GRS certifications.

Piuma is a generous yarn that works up quickly. With a palette that mirrors DHG’s Classics Collection, mix and match colour and texture to create your next bespoke textile piece.

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THE YARN

FIBRE CONTENT: Extra fine Merino wool, 19 microns
NET WEIGHT: 100g (3.55oz) per ball
YARN WEIGHT EQUIVALENT: Bulky / 12 Ply
APPROX. YARDAGE: 120m (131yd)
CONSTRUCTION: Single ply, gentle twist
ORIGIN: Fibre sourced in Australia and South America
PRODUCTION: Dyed and milled in Italy
CARE: Cold hand wash (see notes below)

Colourways Available

WORKING THE YARN

Piuma is suitable for most fibre crafts, including knitting, crochet, weaving and felting. You’ll find gauge suggestions for these crafts below. You may also like to browse our project suggestions on RAVELRY.

This yarn is spun with an intended soft and lofty hand-feel. This is achieved by using a fine staple fibre and milling with a looser twist. These elements make for a delicate yarn that needs to be handled with care when working. Finished pieces that are intended to be worn or handled will see some pilling.

GAUGE SUGGESTIONS

The gauge information below can be used as guidance when planning your projects. We always recommend that you swatch to determine a configuration that results in the ideal fabric and hand feel for your project.

KNITTING

10 stitches over 10cm, using 8mm (2.5 stitches per inch, US size 11 needles)

CROCHET

7 stitches over 10cm, using 9mm hook (1.75 stitches per inch, US size M-13 hook)

WEAVING (AS WEFT)

4 epi (16 ends / 10cm)

ABOUT DHG

Dyeing House Gallery have been in the business of dyeing textile fibres and yarns since 1952. Their mission, to make their long-standing expertise available to all artists, artisans, designers and crafters.

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The Classics Collection by DHG offers artists and textile makers an enviable palette of extra-fine Merino wool tops perfect for hand spinning, felting and fibre crafts.

The extra-fine Merino is sourced from both Australia and South America from strictly mulesing-free lots, carefully selected to ensure consistent quality between batches.

Supporting sustainability, DHG ensures the dye process complies with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and the dye house complies with GOTS 5.0 and GRS certifications.

With its extensive colour palette and next to skin softness the Classics Collection extra-fine Merino wool tops will suit a range of textile applications where colour play is the feature.

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THE FIBRE

FIBRE: Extra fine Merino wool tops, 19 microns
CONSTRUCTION: Combed sliver
ORIGIN: Fibre sourced in Australia and South America
PRODUCTION: Dyed and milled in Italy
NET WEIGHT: Approx. 23g/m
YARDAGE: Approx. 4m/100g

Colourways Available

ABOUT WOOL TOPs

Wool tops is a commercially prepared wool product in which the wool fibres undergo a mechanical combing process to straighten and align the fibres. The result is an extremely smooth, silky fibre preparation favoured by hand spinners and textile artists.

Use wool tops for hand-spinning, weaving, needle and wet felting, giant knitting and a myriad of textile art projects.

ABOUT DHG

Dyeing House Gallery have been in the business of dyeing textile fibres and yarns since 1952. Their mission, to make their long-standing expertise available to all artists, artisans, designers and crafters.

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We’re blown away by Schacht Spindle Co.’s Sidekick Folding Spinning Wheel, a masterful fusion of design and technology that will win you over in both form and function.

Every aspect of this purpose-built travel wheel has been carefully considered.

The Sidekick features long, deep treadles offering comfort and support while the centred orifice ensures ergonomic spinning.

A unique and innovative wheel orientation allows for a compact folding design giving the wheel a low centre of gravity and a treadle action that feels just like riding a bike!

With some note-worthy tech specs (see below for details) and modular factory set-up skilfully assembled and inspected for quality, the Sidekick is a reliable multipurpose tool designed to spin a variety of yarns and fibres.

The Schacht Sidekick Folding Spinning Wheel comes fully assembled, complete with carry bag and should strap.

FEATURES YOU’LL LOVE

• Light and compact folding design with cleverly integrated storage for one bobbin, flyer, and whorl making it perfect for travel spinning and discreetly tucking away when not in use.

• Long, comfortable treadles and centred orifice for ergonomic spinning.

• Unique wheel orientation for a compact folding design, offering a low centre of gravity and a treadle action that feels just like riding a bike!

• Scotch tension (flyer led) drive system with precise control knob for fine tuning take-up.

• The factory set-up comes with the Schacht Medium and Fast whorls, gearing the wheel for four speeds. Its modular design can accommodate further whorl sizes enabling future upgrades for slower or super-fast spinning.

• Some noteworthy tech specs - frictionless ball bearings hold the drive wheel, the flyer turns on self-aligning bearings, and quick release leavers are employed on both the front and rear maidens for a quick getaway.

• Includes a durable carry bag and an adjustable carrying strap that can be attached directly to the folded wheel.

• And, it comes fully assembled. Use it straight out of the box!

OUR KIT INCLUDES

• Sidekick Folding Spinning Wheel (see specifications HERE)

• 3 x Travel bobbins

• Medium speed whorl, 5.7:1 and 6.8:1 (WS6706)

• Fast speed whorl, 8.0:1 and 9.0:1 (WS6707)

• Orifice hook

• Black poly drive band

• Sidekick carry bag and strap

• Instruction manual

• Loom & Spindle Leader Yarn 3 Pack

• Loom & Spindle Yarn Gauge

CUSTOMISATION AND ACCESSORIES

The Schacht Slow, High, and Super High-speed whorls are compatible with the Sidekick wheel. Please note the Extra Slow whorl is not compatible.

The Sidekick uses the same bobbins, whorls, and flyer as the Schacht Matchless, Flatiron, and Ladybug wheels. The Sidekick can be purchased without the bobbin-flyer assembly if you already own one of these wheels.

For custom order enquiries please get in touch to discuss your needs. We would love to help you out!

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Schacht Sidekick Spinning Wheel

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A Natural Dyes Collection

The Tempera Collection by DHG brings together coordinating shades of extra-fine Merino wool tops to create a range of marled fibre blends for hand spinning, felting and fibre crafts.

The extra-fine Merino is sourced from both Australia and South America from strictly mulesing-free lots, carefully selected to ensure consistent quality between batches.

Supporting sustainability, DHG ensures the dye process complies with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and the dye house complies with GOTS 5.0 and GRS certifications.

With its next to skin softness and exciting palette of colour fusion the Tempera Collection extra-fine Merino wool tops will suit a range of textile applications where colour play is the feature.

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THE FIBRE

FIBRE: Extra fine Merino wool tops, 19 microns
CONSTRUCTION: Combed sliver
ORIGIN: Fibre sourced in Australia and South America
PRODUCTION: Dyed and milled in Italy
NET WEIGHT: Approx. 23g/m
YARDAGE: Approx. 4m/100g

Colourways Available

ABOUT WOOL TOPs

Wool tops is a commercially prepared wool product in which the wool fibres undergo a mechanical combing process to straighten and align the fibres.

The result is an extremely smooth, silky fibre preparation favoured by hand spinners and textile artists.

Use wool tops for hand-spinning, weaving, needle and wet felting, giant knitting and a myriad of textile art projects.

ABOUT DHG

Dyeing House Gallery have been in the business of dyeing textile fibres and yarns since 1952. Their mission, to make their long-standing expertise available to all artists, artisans, designers and crafters.

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“Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors.”

— African Proverb

As a textile maker I love the challenge of a new project - learning about a new yarn or fibre, tackling a new construction method or perhaps just practicing a not so familiar technique.

With its irresistibly cute sailor collar and classic red on white colourwork detail, Junko Okamoto’s Child and Mam children’s sweater embodied all three of these challenges for me.

Knit in BC Garn’s Bio Shetland, a new yarn for me, I detail below my experience knitting two-colour colourwork and working a sailor collar in the knitted fabric.

Enjoy!

Andrea - Loom & Spindle

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PROJECT: Child and Mam

INTENTION

Knit the Child and Mam sweater and explore:

• Working with a Shetland style yarn

• Working two-colour colourwork flat

• Sailor collar construction in the knitted fabric

SKILLS

• Casting on and off

• Knitting flat and in the round

• Reading colourwork charts

• Increasing and decreasing

• Short row shaping

• Two-colour colourwork worked flat

TOOLS

• Knitting needles – 3.25 mm (US 3) and 3.75 mm (US 5) circular needles.
  I used Chiaogoo Spin Bamboo Interchangables.

MATERIALS

WAITLIST

Quick View

Bio Shetland GOTS | Sheep White (40)

WAITLIST

Quick View

Bio Shetland GOTS | Cherry (35)

PATTERN

The Child and Mam (Child) pattern was published by Junko Okamoto in September 2015 and is available for free download at Ravelry.

Pattern available for sizes 3, 4 and 5 years old.

I knit a size 4, finished chest circumference 102.5cm (40.3’’)

PROCESS

YARN SELECTION

• The red on white styling of Junko’s original version is what really drew me to this project.

• To recreate the look with one of our shop yarns I sampled BC Garn’s Bio Shetland, a rustic Shetland style yarn built for colourwork.

• I used the colourways Sheep White, a lightly heathered natural shade, and the eye-popping Cherry Red. 

COLOURWORK

• Having swatched to determine gauge and needle size, I began the project as the pattern directs and worked the collar using the two contrasting colours.

• Working the colourwork flat, I paid close attention to maintaining an even tension particularly when working the purl-side of the fabric, and neatly interlocked the two contrasting yarns at the edge of the patterned area.

• The chart was clear, but I did trip up on the chevron pattern where the centre section has five rows and the outer sections have four. Having missed that fifth row I quickly realised my mistake when the following row was misaligned, I was able to rip back and correct it without issue.

CONSTRUCTION

• The pattern was knit top-down in one piece combining elements that were either worked flat or in-the-round.

• I did find it hard to visualise how the collar and neck shaping would come together. I put my faith in the pattern and continued working as the pattern directed.

• Junko details some clever short row shaping for the left and right sides of the neck. These two elements eventually join at the front with an overlap of fabric, a nice detail.

• More short row shaping raised the back neck for a comfortable fit.

• I must admit that I didn’t tackle the Japanese short rows as suggested, instead I used the wrap-and-turn technique achieving the same outcome. I’ll have to investigate this new technique for next time.

• Knitting the remainder of the garment was quite straight forward and came together without problem.

FINISHING

To finish, the sweater was immersed in a bath of cool water for around 10 minutes, the water was drained, and the sweater pressed between towels to remove the excess. The piece was pinned out on a blocking matt, attention given to shaping the sweater and aligning the colourwork.

Once dry the gauge measured at: 

• 20 stitches over 10cm (4'')

• 32 rows over 10cm (4'')

• Chest circumference, 102.5cm (40.3’’) 

Total meterage:

• Approx. 313m (342y).

• The finished garment weighed just 95g (3.35oz)!

INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Yarn

• Bio Shetland is a toothy yarn perfect for colourwork.

• It produced a light and airy fabric with a rustic hand-feel.

• The subtle grey heather in the natural shade gives the garment a rustic character.

• Though Bio Shetland is a lighter yarn than what was originally used in the pattern I had no trouble achieving gauge.

Colourwork

• The colourwork chart was clear and easy to follow.

• The classic red on white palette definitely makes this a standout piece.

• The colourwork is limited to the collar section making it a great first colourwork project.

Construction

• The short row shaping was really interesting and not something I’d tried before for a collar construction.

• It definitely helped that I was already familiar with the short-row technique, I wouldn’t say it was impossible if you’re giving it a go for the first time.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, this is a great design that worked up relatively quickly.

The yarn was great on yardage, the final count coming in under what the pattern suggested.

I love the sailor collar, such a unique design element. It would be perfect for any little sailors in your life.

And if you were thinking you’d like one too, Junko also has an adult version. And yes, it’s FREE. Thanks, Junko!

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THANK YOU FOR READING!

Would you like to save this project for later?

Add it to your Ravelry favourites HERE.

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Knitting Child and Mam (Child) in Bio Shetland?

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Size 3 years - MC: 2 skeins, CC: 1 Skein

• Size 4 years - MC: 2 skeins, CC: 1 Skein

• Size 5 years - MC: 3 skeins, CC: 1 Skein

WAITLIST

Yarn Kit | Child and Mam

from $35.70

Size:

Select Size 3 - 4 years5 Years

3 - 4 years 5 Years

Kit Colour:

Select Kit Colour White/RedGreen/WhiteBlue/White

White/Red Green/White Blue/White

Add To Cart

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