To Whirl or Not to Whirl – That is the Question

I say Yes – definitely Whirl!  When it comes to choosing a yarn cake.

Yarn cakes are a popular choice to make shawls, ponchos, scarves, dresses, blankets, tops and so much more because you generally only need one cake, and the colourway does all the work for you.

The Scheepjes Whirl is a yarn cake with a gradual colour change from beginning to end.  These range from contrasting/complimentary colourways to ombre colourways.  I personally love the Scheepjes Whirl as my go to yarn cake, as it has a more gradual colour change than other yarn cakes I have seen.  It is a 4ply cotton and acrylic blend cake that has stood the test of time.

The acrylic component is only 40% but enough to add that touch of softness and luxury to the cotton. And the drape gives any piece the perfect shaping necessary to be comfortable to wear or use.

There are over 50 colourways in the Scheepjes Whirl, giving plenty of choice.    They are most effective on anything that begins at a central point – for example mandalas, star-shaped blankets, half circle and triangular shawls, ponchos and all-in-one tops.    But they can equally make quite a statement on items done in rows – such as afghans, shawls or scarves.  They generally don’t work with granny squares and jackets and tops with sleeves to be added later without some additional planning and preparation.

Each whirl has a generous 1000m – sufficient to make a shawl, top or small baby blanket.  But if it isn’t quite enough, there is the Whirls’ sister yarn – Scheepjes Whirlettes you can use – it’s the same yarn in plain colours.  There are enough colours to match some aspect of every whirl – sometimes it’s the outside, sometimes it’s the inside and sometimes its somewhere in between [include picture of whirls/whirlettes]

My favourite part of using a Scheepjes whirl is the way the colour change happens seamlessly and joins are mostly invisible so no untidy ends to sew in.  They can look a little fuzzy when you get to them – all you need to do is dip your fingers in water and rub the join between your fingers to smooth it out – once you’ve crocheted or knitted over it, you would never know it is there.

The Scheepjes Whirl also offers plenty of choice for how you use it!

You can pull from the middle of the whirl with its ‘Easy Pull’  Centre or start from the outside depending on which way you would like the colour changes to flow while you work.

One whirl fits perfectly into a small timber yarn bowl, and it’s the perfect way to keep your whirl tangle free if you choose to start from the centre.  As your ball begins to hollow out, I also suggest adding a ball or glass or similar object in the middle to stop it collapsing.  [include picture of whirl half used].

If you are going to use it from the outside, the Sheepjes yarn spindle is the way to go! [include picture of whirl on spindle]

So have I convinced you?  It is better to Whirl than not!  You won’t regret trying the Scheepjes Whirl.

Shop now –

– Whirls
– Whirlettes
– Patterns designed for the whirl
– Kits
– Other patterns suitable for the whirl