✨Welcome! We’re Gauge Dye Works
We’re a small, family-run yarn studio in British Columbia, Canada, and we specialize in self-striping yarn that’s dyed with your finished project in mind.
1. Our yarn is different (in a good way)
We created our own dyeing system that lets us plan every stripe with mathematical precision. Each skein is engineered to suit a specific project type—so there’s no guesswork, no cutting, and no color chaos. Just cast on and go.
2. Our striping styles are designed for ease and joy
Round Trip: Two matching halves—perfect for socks or sleeves
One-Way Trip: A single, non-repeating colour journey—ideal for hats or cowls
Shawl: Even stripes that grow with your shawl
Sweater: A striped yoke and a solid body for a baby/toddler sweater—all in one skein
3. Our base yarns feel as good as they look
We work with soft, high-quality wool sourced from mulesing-free sheep in New Zealand and spun in Canada.
4. We love colour stories that mean something
Many of our colourways are inspired by science, data, and nature. From birth flowers to the Solar System, there’s often a deeper story in every skein.
5. We host knit-alongs every second month
Our bi-monthly KALs are low-pressure, high-fun ways to knit alongside others using our yarn. Sometimes we collaborate with designers (like Andrea Rangel), and other times we let you choose your own pattern. Either way, it's a great way to stay inspired and connect with fellow makers.
6. Want to knit with us? It’s easy to get started
Just choose a striping style, pick a colourway that speaks to you, and pair it with your next project. We often offer kits or pattern suggestions to make it even easier.
🧶 Shop the yarn: gaugedyeworks.com
📬 Join our weekly newsletter for first dibs on new yarns
💬 Questions? Send us an—we’re happy to help! [email protected]
What's your favourite cast-on method for a Musselburgh hat?
I posted a reel yesterday of how I close the hole in my cast-on. And so many people commented to say they use a cast-on that doesn’t leave a hole at all.
I usually do a “disappearing loop” cast on where you make a loop, knit into it, and then tighten it up later.
The first Musselburgh I ever made I was so frustrated with the first few rounds that I knit some i-cord, and then eventually started increasing from those four stitches. Yesterday I learned this is called a belly button cast on. It sure makes those first few increase rounds easier.
Anyway, the point is there are so many options! What’s your favourite?
(The pattern is Musselburgh Hat by @ysolda . This is knit with my April Diamond : One Way Trip yarn.)
June KAL folks, now that the Cat and Dog socks pattern has hit your inbox, have you decided whether to knit two dogs, two cats, or one of each? This project has already brought me and Catherine a lot of joy and we hope the same for you! 😄 There’s already a bit of chatter over on the KAL thread even though we don’t officially start until June, so feel free to pop in and say hello and drop a pic of your pet! 🐶💕🐾🐱
The thing every Musselburgh knitter has to deal with eventually.
When you cast on for a Musselburgh, you’re left with a small hole at the top of the hat.
Is it controversial that I tie a knot to keep the hole shut? I don’t think so.
I prefer to do all the finishing work on the inside – which means I have to remember to deal with it before I finish the decreases. If I leave it too late, I can’t get in there anymore.
Of course I have to close the second crown from the outside - open to suggestions on how to bend spacetime to be able to do that one from the inside too?
This is knit in our April Diamond One Way Trip yarn – link in bio if you want to grab some!
My superpower.
(This was one of the final skeins for our June KAL. We have been shipping Cats and Dogs kits for the past few weeks and we will have everything in the mail by the end of this week. I will send the pattern by email this week too.)
Rebecca @inanook is knitting this gorgeous Beat Frequencies scarf using a seconds skein of Checklist paired with a grey gradient. (Seconds because it is a sock version of checklist but then the second half of the skein is blue - not how that is supposed to look!)
This simple pattern from @ceceliacampochiaro is such beautiful canvas for playing with colour. It looks fantastic in long-repeat self-striping yarn like this, but I think it would be equally wonderful as a scrappy project.
Side note: We had a helper for the photoshoot - this is Halley and she considers is her responsibility to make sure that no piece of paper, cardboard, or fabric is left all on its own without a cat butt to keep it safe.
I finished crocheting my Would You Rather self-striping shawl. I love it!
I knew the effect was going to look different than knitting, but I wanted to share one main difference. If you’re a crocheter this won’t surprise you, but double crochet, like you use in a granny square, is a tall stitch!
This means that colour changes are more noticeable than if this were knitted or worked in a shorter/smaller stitch like single crochet.
(Please excuse how in the video I imply that all of knitting is stockinette and all of crochet is granny squares! It’s not!)
Anyway, I quite like the effect, but something to be aware of if you’re planning a project.
The granny shawl is my Would You Rather colourway. The knitted shawl is Icebreaker. Both in the shop now.
WIP Wednesday except it’s not a work in progress because I finished it.
Behold my self striping granny shawl! I love it so much!
This is my first crochet project in one zillion years and definitely granny square is a great way to start if you’re new or getting back into crochet.
I used a YouTube tutorial “how to crochet a granny shawl” from HookedbyRobin. Her Instagram is @puddnhead .
The yarn is self-striping shawl yarn in my “would you rather” colourway. (In the shop now of course!)
When Ann Budd designed the Fading Memories Cowl, she made every element intentional. In her own words: the gradient represents how those with Alzheimer's "become ghosts of their former selves," and the slip-stitch texture represents "the rocky road they and their families travel." And purple is the colour of Alzheimer's awareness.
On Sunday, June 14, Ann is hosting a day-long knitting event to raise money for Alzheimer's research.
Ways to participate:
1️⃣ Purchase Ann’s pattern for the Fading Memories Cowl 2026 on Ravelry. $5 USD from every pattern purchase will go to the fundraiser.
2️⃣ Purchase your project yarn from a participating shop or dyer. We have created two exclusive colourways and $5 USD from each of these special skeins will be sent to the fundraiser. The photos show "Wildflower Memories".
3️⃣ Invite your friends to participate and/or to sponsor you.
4️⃣ Donate directly to Ann’s fundraising page. She will be drawing a name from donors who pledge $50 USD or more to win a very special prize.
@yarniversity.ca@annbuddknits
Every June, Ann Budd designs a new cowl pattern and spends one full day knitting it to raise money for Alzheimer's research. This year we're partnering with our friends at Yarniversity and joining her.
We've dyed two colourways to go with her 2026 Fading Memories Cowl. Five dollars from every skein sold goes directly to Ann's fundraising page.
Links to all the details can be found over @yarniversity.ca 's bio or:
/fundraisers/annbudd/stitch-for-a-cure
Pre-orders are open now, yarn ships by the end of May.
@annbuddknits
If you’ve never seen self-striping yarn before, here’s how it works: the colour changes are dyed right into the skein, so they happen automatically as you knit. No cutting, no joining. You just keep knitting.
This colourway is called Would You Rather (Round Trip), and it’s designed for socks. Each skein has two identical halves, so you get a perfectly matching pair from one skein.
The machine I’m using here is a circular sock machine from @erlbacherknittingmachines .
(Find this colourway and lots more self-striping yarn in my shop - link in bio)
