Tag Archives: color combinations

Color crush: blue and burgundy.

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Knitters sometimes ask me which they should pick first: the pattern, or the yarn? There’s no right or wrong way to find your next project, of course, nor are these the only two ways. Often we are motivated by color, coming into the yarn shop picturing a particular shade, and searching the shelves for a skein that matches our mind’s eye. Sometimes it’s a color combination that we’re seeking, a pairing that has captured our imagination – here’s one such case.

A knitter came in recently looking for blue and burgundy, and as often happens here at the shop, Anne and Bailey and I started playing along. We pulled out similar shades we had noticed throughout the shop, cobalt and cornflower, merlot and maroon. Long after that knitter left with the perfect yarn for their next project, I was still spotting sapphire and garnet, so I thought I’d share them here on the blog, with pattern ideas for each pair.

Berroco Ultra Alpaca in 62172 and 62121

Knit at a snug 23 stitches to 4″, Ultra Alpaca would make a cozy pair of “Robinia Mittens,” by Anne Ventzel.

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Delft and Homemade Jam

A pleasing pair in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter for PetiteKnit’s new “Key Sweater,” with enough contrast to show the colorwork motif.

Berroco Ultra Wool in 33156 and 33145

This sturdy superwash wool would make a nice pair of “Key Mittens,” to match the aforementioned PetiteKnit sweater.

Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Cadet and Homemade Jam

Try this lower contrast Loft pair in Isabell Kraemer’s “Heimathafen” pullover, with its subtle dip-stitch colorwork stripes.

Isager Tvinni in 44 + Silk Mohair in 44 and Tvinni in 36s + Silk Mohair in 36

Hold Tvinni and Silk Mohair together in simple stockinette stripes for PetiteKnit’s “Olga Jacket.”

Sandnes Garn Sunday in 5846 + Isager Highland in Wine

Hold these lightweight wools together for a low-contrast “Melange Sweater,” by PetiteKnit. I wear mine all the time, and Bailey has one in the works now!

Isager Jensen in 44s and Fyberspates Cumulus in Plum

Another compelling combination for marling – hold fluffy Cumulus with Jensen for Anne Ventzel’s “Solange Scarf.”

Kelbourne Woolens Lucky Tweed in Bright Blue and Mulberry

Brioche is another way to combine colors – try Andrea Mowry’s “Harlow Worsted” hat in plush Lucky Tweed.

What color combinations have you been infatuated with lately? Let us know in the comments, or come by the shop and we’ll help you find yarn to match!

Brooklyn Tweed Loft + Isager Soft Fine.

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Isager recently released a delightful batch of new colors in their fuzzy alpaca, silk, and yak blend, Soft Fine. We love Soft Fine as a mohair substitute, for those sensitive to that fiber – it has all the halo of mohair and, for some, a softer texture.

As we unpacked these new colors, Bailey got to work pairing them up with Brooklyn Tweed Loft, still enamored of the lightweight fabric of her “Karla Cardigan.”

Anne Ventzel’s design is striking, a simple slip stitch pattern that shines in Bailey’s unique yarn selection.

There’s something really special about Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Isager Soft Fine held together, a balance of structure and softness, a lofty fabric at a quick-to-knit gauge. Here are some “Karla Cardigan” color pairs!

There are other exciting things to make with Loft + Soft Fine, of course. The gauge for Anne Ventzel’s “Karla Cardigan” is 16 stitches = 4″; here are other patterns at a similar gauge, ideal for this yarn combination:

Look for Bailey’s “Karla Cardigan” on display here at HYS, and browse these and many other yarns on our online store!

Vovó + Silk Mohair.

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If you’ve visited the shop in the past month or so, you’ve probably heard us talking about Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, a new sport weight yarn from Portugal that Anne, Bailey, and I are all coveting. While I was rounding up pattern ideas for Vovó, I came across a few that called for adding a strand of lace weight mohair and couldn’t resist sharing them here with color combinations!

“Grinalda,” by Rosa Pomar – photo © Rosa Pomar

Rosa Pomar’s “Grinalda” caught my eye with its pretty floral embroidery, and when I looked closer, the color combination intrigued me – a silvery gray held together with a blush pink. I went for a similar low contrast combination in the Vovó + Isager Silk Mohair swatch shown here.

I love how these shades blend together in the knitted fabric, and of course it feels great with that fuzzy mohair halo. Here are a few other low contrast combinations to consider…

“Verso Beanie,” by Jenny Ansah – photo © Jenny Ansah

There’s something so satisfying about a close color match between yarns, as well – that’s what Jenny Ansah used in her cozy “Verso Beanie.” Here are a few Vovó + Silk Mohair pairs for that perfect match…

“Rauha,” by Sari Nordlund – photo © Sari Nordlund

Two more gorgeous garments pairing Vovó + Silk Mohair – Sari Nordlund’s “Rauha” above and Rosa Pomar’s “Burgos” below.

“Burgos,” by Rosa Pomar – photo © Rosa Pomar

Look for Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó in our sport weight section and Isager Silk Mohair in our lace weight section. We can’t wait to see what color combinations and patterns you come up with!

“Night & Day Cowl” in Isager Alpaca 3 & Silk Mohair.

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When Katherine proposed teaching a slip stitch class on Andrea Mowry’s “Night & Day Cowl,” we immediately started calling out DK weight yarns she could work with. Kelbourne Woolens Scout, Berroco Ultra Wool DK, Brooklyn Tweed Arbor, and Sandnes Garn Double Sunday would all be nice – but Katherine had other plans.

She picked out matching shades of aran weight Isager Alpaca 3 and lace weight Silk Mohair to hold together throughout, making a thicker fabric at a bigger gauge. If she used these (gorgeous!) yarns for her “Night & Day Cowl,” she’d need to use larger needles than the US 6 called for in the pattern, and her cowl would come out bigger. “I don’t mind if it’s bigger,” she said, and went home with an armful of Isager and plans to use a US 9 needle and see what happened.

What happened was this stunning cowl, a super soft fabric at the perfect size! Andrea Mowry’s pattern is written in such a way that it’s easy to stop when you reach your desired cowl size, so Katherine got to knit without even worrying about the difference in gauge.

Now that I’ve seen Katherine’s extra cozy “Night & Day Cowl,” I can’t stop thinking about other color combinations in Isager Alpaca 3 and lace weight Silk Mohair – here are a few!

Look for Katherine’s cowl here at our shop, along with the Isager Alpaca 3 and Silk Mohair to make one of your own!

“Aluna Sweater” in Isager Bouclé & Silk Mohair.

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Anne Ventzel’s latest design makes beautiful use of two of our softest yarns: Isager Bouclé and Silk Mohair. Meet the “Aluna Sweater”!

Though she models this sweater with short sleeves, Ventzel thoughtfully included instructions and yardage for a long sleeved option as well.

The combination of these fuzzy yarns brings textural interest to this colorwork yoke pullover.  For the main color, Color A, 1 strand of Isager Bouclé is held together with 2 strands of Silk Mohair, and for the contrast, Color B, 1 strand of Isager Bouclé is held together with just 1 strand of Silk Mohair.

I especially like the version shown with the contrast flipped – a darker shade for Color A and a lighter for Color B.

Between Isager Bouclé and Silk Mohair, there are lots of “Aluna Sweater” color combinations to try – here are a few from me!

Look for Anne Ventzel’s “Aluna Sweater” on Ravelry, and Isager Bouclé and Silk Mohair in the lace weight section here at HYS. You can also see all the yarns and colors we have in stock by browsing our online store for local pickup or shipping. If you do shop online, use the code WELCOME10 for 10% off your first purchase!

Koigu Collector’s Club: Fall Ceremony.

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The Koigu Collector’s Club continues! Each month, we’ll receive 21 skeins of KPPPM in a limited edition color dyed especially for a select group of local yarn stores that carry Koigu. KPPPM is a fingering weight superwash merino, hand-dyed in vibrant colors by mother/daughter team Maie and Taiu Landra on their farm outside of Toronto, Canada.

Koigu KPPPM:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, variegated
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 175 yards/50 grams

Their latest limited edition colorway is Fall Ceremony, a moody indigo blue streaked with pumpkin orange and forest green, a more saturated color than we’ve seen from Koigu in a while.

It got me thinking about Churchmouse’s “Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf” pattern, which blends disparate variegated shades into a harmonious fabric that almost looks woven.

“Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf,” © Churchmouse Yarns & Teas

Three skeins of Koigu KPPPM is all it takes to knit this scarf, and whether they are high or low contrast, in complementary or nearly clashing colors, this simple stitch pattern seems to bring any color combination together. Here are a few that appealed to me.

Look for Koigu KPPPM in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and in our new online store!

Dream in Color Pop-Up Club: Petrichor.

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Dream in Color’s Pop-Up Club is back! Original owners Nancy and Veronica handed their company over to Maddytosh earlier this year, who are capably continuing the Dream in Color brand. Their yarn is now hand-dyed in Texas by a team trained by Veronica, and the skeins of Smooshy Cashmere are just as vibrant as ever.

Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere:

  • fingering weight
  • hand dyed, each skein is unique; we recommend alternating skeins to blend in a larger project
  • 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon
  • 400 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cool on gentle/hand wash setting, lay flat to dry

Petrichor is a highly variegated skein, blending ivory, brick red, burgundy, and olive green in a high contrast colorway.

This limited edition autumnal shade got me thinking about our latest batch of Hand Maiden Superkid Silk. These shades of light pink, sage, and bronze pair beautifully with Petrichor, perhaps for a “Cheri Chevron Shawl,” by Ambah O’Brien.

Inspired to cast on? Look for Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere in the fingering weight section here at HYS, and in our new online store!

“Artus” shawl in Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

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Our friend Debbie recently knit this stunning “Artus” shawl with Kelbourne Woolens Scout.

Natasja Hornby’s cozy pattern uses a mix of colorwork techniques and texture to great effect. The narrow bands of 1×1 color are made with stranded knitting, while the eye-catching diamond pattern is made with mosaic or slip stitch knitting – just one yarn in use per row.

Debbie spent a long time considering color values and placement in order to get the maximum impact out of her Scout. Her color palette is below.

Looking closely at Hornby’s “Artus” pattern photos and projects on Ravelry helped me to understand the color placement, too – where I might want the most contrasting colors to meet, and where lower contrast would also appeal.

Above is a color palette inspired by Hornby’s “Artus” pattern photos, and below are more ideas in Scout!

Inspired to make an “Artus” of your own? Check the pattern for yardage details, and shop Kelbourne Woolens Scout here at HYS!

Hello, Malabrigo Metamorphosis Sock!

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Another new yarn from Malabrigo! Meet Metamorphosis Sock.

Malabrigo Metamorphosis Sock:

  • fingering weight
  • gradient, hand dyed
  • each skein is unique
  • 100% superwash merino wool
  • 440 yards/100 grams
  • machine wash cool, lay flat to dry

Malabrigo’s beloved superwash merino Sock yarn has been transformed! Metamorphosis Sock is the same yarn but has been hand-dyed in gradient colorways, which shift slowly from one shade to the next. This makes subtle stripes in the finished garment.

Because the colors never repeat within a skein, Metamorphosis Sock is a great choice for one skein shawls like these:

Self-striping or gradient yarns are often paired with solid shades, to frame them in stripes or intarsia patterns:

Here are some color combinations, pairing Malabrigo Metamorphosis Sock with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock.

Look for them both in the fingering weight section here at the shop, and in our new online store!

Back in stock: CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK.

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Not long ago, we restocked CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK, expanding the palette of that lovely yarn with colors old and new.

Socks Yeah! DK is a thicker version of CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, from designer Rachel Coopey. Both yarns are smooth, tightly plied blends of superwash merino and nylon, which make them perfect for sock-making, as the name suggests.

But soft, easy-care DK weight yarns have plenty of applications beyond socks. Baby and children’s things come to mind, little sweaters like Tin Can Knits’ “Dog Star,” which hangs here at the shop.

Our fresh supply of colors inspired me to put together some more pairings for “Dog Star.”

Here’s a bit of show and tell in CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK, as well – Jill made these “Sweet Pumpkin” hats for her little granddaughters.

Look for CoopKnits Socks Yeah! DK in our DK weight section here at HYS, and in our new online store!