Andrea is wearing a richly-textured blue shawl with gradient pink flowers scrunched up cozily around her neck over an elaborate velvet and embroidered tulle gown.

This summer’s Gauge Dye Works collaboration is a little different from previous years. Here’s what you need to know to get ready for the launch on Wednesday, July 27.

Update: The pattern has been published! Here’s a link to the pattern and here’s a link to the yarn.

Since 2017 Gauge Dye Works and I have collaborated on pattern and yarn clubs that we start thinking about around January and publish as big hush-hush exclusive secrets around the middle of the summer. Those projects are usually for one- or two-skein designs that are pretty approachable to most knitters with just a special element or two to make them fun. Because we think most knitters could tackle them, making them a surprise makes sense. You usually get just a colour palette and a mood board before you sign up. You trust us! Which we are so delighted by. Those patterns and yarns are exclusive for a year and then we re-launch them so folks who aren’t so excited about surprises can have a chance to enjoy them.

But this year, the first idea I had was a little different. Instead of wanting to make a small accessory with something sweet, I wanted to make a truly huge gradient shawl with at least a massive amount of lace and maybe also cables and colourwork? See my recent post for the story of my epic inspiration and the wedding dress my sister Jenni made for me.

Happily for all of us, Catherine said yes to that! But because the project takes a lot more yarn and has some pretty spicy techniques, we decided an exclusive surprise club just wouldn’t make sense. We wouldn’t do that to you! “Here, buy this 1200 yard shawl kit without knowing what it looks like and now knit colourwork on the purl side! Have fun!” Now I know for sure that to a lot of you, that sounds like exactly what you’re looking for. But I think you should know what you’re getting into before you commit.

So here’s how we’re running our collaboration this time:

No secrets! You’ll get to see full images of the pattern and yarn with all the details before you buy.
No exclusivity. You can buy this pattern whenever you like once it launches. That being said, I do offer an introductory discount to my email list subscribers that only lasts one week. And because of the nature of Gauge Dye Works’ business, Catherine can’t keep dyeing the same yarn forever and she has other things up her sleeve. So we’ll eventually close yarn orders, but we’ll warn you in our newsletters before we do!
Small or large shawl kits will be available. We made two sizes so that if you want an epic knit, just a little bit smaller, you can go for that. The wingspans are 58(74) in/147.5(188) cm.
Sock yarn! If you love this story and want to join the fun but don’t think an astonishing and elaborate cabled/lace/colourwork shawl is right for you just now, Catherine made a gorgeous sock yarn that pairs oh-so-perfectly with our Saxe Point sock pattern. You may already have this pattern because it was from our very first club, but if you don’t, you can get it here.
The shawl pattern and yarn will be available to buy on July 27, 2022. Yarn will start shipping on August 3, 2022.
Yes, we will have another project for you in September, so if you’re waiting for the bird-themed knitting, it’s coming!

Questions? Post them in the comments and we’ll make sure to get them answered.

And if you want that discount and a reminder when the pattern and yarn go live, subscribe to my email list.

Andrea's feet in brilliantly striped socks like Rainbow Bright. One foot is on tiptoe and there's a gauzy layer of embroidered tulle just covering floral colourwork around the cuff.

This one's a little different

This summer’s Gauge Dye Works collaboration is a little different from previous years. Here’s what you need to know to get ready for the launch on Wednesday, July 27.

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