Tag Archives: kelbourne woolens

Show and tell: lace.

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We love seeing what people make with yarn from HYS, and sharing photos of your projects here on the blog. It’s been a busy season for show and tell, so I have a big collection of photos, and among them, some themes have emerged – today’s post is all about lace.

Sherri knit this “Accidental Beach” shawl with Hand Maiden Flyss and Superkid Silk in matching shades of pink, accentuating the textural difference between these yarns. Pattern by Todwick Studios.

Below is Margaretta’s “Orange Roughy Wrap,” knit with Isager Silk Mohair.

Lace patterns are more subtle in fuzzy yarns like this, but no less lovely! Pattern by Michelle Miller.

Rebecca’s show and tell mixes texture and lace to wonderful effect, and on a very large scale – but let’s start with a close up.

The pattern is “Koti,” by Anna Johanna, a blanket that Rebecca knit with Malabrigo Rios. Photos don’t do it justice!

It’s rare for me to knit any kind of lace, but one of my recent shop samples has simple eyelet stripes, along with soothing garter stitch and stockinette.

The pattern is “Lacey Loop Tee,” by Other Loops, and I knit it with Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Mungo, a worsted weight cotton/wool blend. Look for this tee on display here at the shop!

Zee came in wearing her “Ranunculus,” knit with Sandnes Garn Line.

We’ve seen many of these over the years, but I still love to see each knitter’s interpretation, and Zee’s is lovely in this crisp cotton, linen, and viscose blend. Pattern by Midori Hirose.

Patricia is a regular at HYS, if from afar in Virginia. We love when she’s able to come by in person and show what she makes, like this “Garden Cardigan.”

She knit it with Kelbourne Woolens Camper and Fyberspates Cumulus held together, a wonderfully squishy combination. Pattern by Ankestrick.

Thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to our shop, and thanks to Sherri, Margaretta, Rebecca, Zee, and Patricia for sharing their work with us! We can’t wait to see what you make next.

Show and tell: stripes.

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Time for another round of show and tell! It’s been a busy season for show and tell, so I have a big collection of photos, and among them, some themes have emerged – today’s projects all feature the humblest color technique: stripes.

I love the colors and buttons Marie-France chose for this little “Seaside Set” sweater, knit with a smooth merino wool, Sandnes Garn Sunday. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Michele added thick stripes to her “Tolsta Tee,” knit with Cascade Nifty Cotton in an eye-catching color combination. Pattern by Rebecca Clow.

Speaking of eye-catching colors, check out Sudi-Laura’s “Terra” tee! Made with Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino held double, this tee exudes joy in chartreuse and cream stripes. Pattern by Melody Hoffmann.

Below is Anne’s garter stitch baby blanket, knit with a cool cotton, Kelbourne Woolens Skipper. Big garter stitch stripes are simple as can be, but they shine in this thoughtfully chosen colorway.

Liz’s “Heimathafen” showcases another kind of stripe, made with a dip stitch colorwork technique. She chose a high contrast color combination in Biches & Bûches Le Petit Lambswool, something to let the design shine. Pattern by Isabell Kraemer.

Thanks to Marie-France, Michele, Sudi-Laura, Anne, and Liz for sharing their striped projects with us! We can’t wait to see what you make next.

Show and tell: marls.

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Time for another round of show and tell, this time focusing on marled knits!

Marling is what we call it when two or more strands of yarn are worked together. You can use it to achieve unique fiber blends, textures, and, most fun of all – color combinations.

The sweater above is Katherine’s “Colder than Yesterday,” knit with a light shade of Isager Baby and a dark shade of Silk Mohair. Mohair in particular can make fascinating things happen in a high contrast color combination – this one seems to glow from certain angles. Pattern by by Maren Sgries.

Kathy loved making her first marled “Lento” so much that she knit another for her daughter, this time in shades of orange.

She used the same yarns as before, textured Isager Bouclé and smooth Kelbourne Woolens Camper – a wonderful pairing for Jonna Helin’s pattern.

Becky made beautiful use of Isager Bouclé, too, pairing it with another smooth fingering weight yarn, Highland Wool.

She knit Lene Holme Samsøe’s “Foundation Sweater,” another great pattern for highlighting marls. Look for Samsøe’s amazing array of marled swatches on the Ravelry page for this pattern, it’s inspiring!

Sometimes yarn itself is marled, where each ply is a different color – Malabrigo Caracol is an intriguing example. Michele knit this cute “Aguas Blancas Hat” with a black and white skein of Caracol, trimmed with solid white Rasta at the brim. Pattern by Kristel Nieves.

Thanks to Katherine, Kathy, Becky and Michele for sharing their work with us! We love to see what you make with our yarns, and can’t wait to see what comes off your needles next.

Color crush: clover and violet.

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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. Here’s one such case.

Photo by @bisssett

Bailey spotted this color combination on a springtime walk with her darling dog: clover and violet. I love the range of greens and purples this photo holds, from chartreuse to kelly green, from pale lavender to deep plum.

Here are some of our favorite shades of clover and violet, with pattern ideas for each!

Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino in Clover Green and Blueberry Ice Cream

Hold these two cool cotton blends together for a marled “Sabai Top,” Susanne Müller’s ever-popular summer tank.

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk in Pea Shoots and French Anemone

We can’t get enough Knitting for Olive around here! This bold color combination would make a striking “Lakes Stripe Tee,” Ozetta’s striped saddle shoulder tee.

Harrisville Highland in Grass and Periwinkle

As you might have read last week on our blog, I’m a huge fan of Harrisville yarns. These shades highlight their complex heathered colorways, which would pair up beautifully for Andrea Gaughan’s “South Slope Vest.”

Isager Bouclé in 56 (or 12) and Sandnes Garn Sunday in 4632 (or 8236)

Fuzzy Bouclé and smooth Sunday each come in snappy shades of green and purple – I couldn’t pick one! So here are two color combinations, and two pattern ideas, too: combine these yarns for Jonna Helin’s “Lento” or Lene Holme Samsøe’s “Foundation Sweater.”

Kelbourne Woolens Scout in Moss, Lichen, Chartreuse, Natural, African Violet, and Plum

My love of quilts drew me to Katryn Seeburger’s “Heirloom Quilt Cardigan,” which is made in colorwork blocks at a DK weight gauge. Kelbourne Woolens Scout is always a good choice for colorwork garments, and this clover and violet palette has great potential for high- and low-contrast color combinations.

Handmaiden Superkid Silk in Moss and Periwinkle

I’m picturing this hand-dyed pair in stripes – how about PetiteKnit’s “Frankie Blouse”?

Isager Silk Mohair in 14, 56, 57, and 12

I’m still thinking about Margaretta’s “Floating Squares Wrap,” a showstopper in shades of pink and orange. Amy Christoffers designed this slip stitch shawl, which brings colors together in an amazing way. I imagine these purples and greens would evoke a field of violets in this stitch pattern especially!

What colors 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!

Show and tell: stranded colorwork.

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Time for another round of show and tell! Let’s look at what folks are making with yarn from HYS.

Over the years, many knitters have told me that HYS has a reputation for colorwork, thanks to our fair isle samples, our love of this technique, and our selection of yarns well suited to it. The knitters in our community also contribute to this reputation with their amazing projects – check out Becky’s gorgeous “Forget-Me-Not-Jumper,” by Florence Miller!

Becky knit this sweater with WYS Morris DK, a smooth blend of British wool that comes in a color palette inspired by the art of William Morris.

Liz’s “Polina Pullover” also has bold colorwork at the yoke, along with thoughtful textural details at the neck. She knit it with Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, a versatile sport weight wool that absolutely sings in stranded knitting as well as stockinette – just look at these stitches!

The lovely stitches above were knit by Nancy, a longtime knitting teacher and friend of the shop. The yarn is Kelbourne Woolens Scout, one of our consistent best-sellers, and the pattern is “Epistropheid,” by Kate Davies.

Above is Victoria’s amazing “Jolly Spots,” a playful child’s cardigan designed by Martin Storey.

The yarn is Skipper, a bit of an unexpected choice for colorwork – 100% cotton, with none of the elasticity or wooliness we tend to think of for stranded knitting. The result is stunning, however, and a steek-free pattern like this is a good fit for cotton.

Thanks to Becky, Liz, Nancy, and Victoria for sharing their work with us, and thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to HYS – we can’t wait to see what you make next!

Show and tell: cozy hats.

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We love to see finished projects that started life as yarn on our shelves, and when I’m able, I love to photograph them and share them here on the blog. At the moment, I have enough photos stockpiled for at least four blog posts – for today, let’s look at hats!

First up are a couple of intricate hats knit by Rosi. Above is her “Tjärn – hat,” by Tina Hauglund, knit with Berroco Ultra Wool DK.

Here’s Rosi’s “Snowfall Hat,” by Susan Rainey, knit with Ewe Ewe Sporty and beautifully embellished with beads.

Anne has taught Ellen Bartz’s “Ardelle Hat” several times now, a next step for her Beginning Knitting graduates. It packs a punch in terms of new techniques – provisional cast-on, cables, grafting, picking up stitches and more. Here’s a recent version she knit with Kelbourne Woolens Erin.

Nancy also has a hat to share in Kelbourne Woolens yarn – here’s her “Fernhill,” from KW’s Year of Bulky Hats, knit with the now discontinued (and on sale!) Germantown Bulky.

Last but not least, here’s another of Nancy’s hats, “Aal Ower Toorie,” designed by Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers for Shetland Wool Week 2025.

Inspired to make one of your own? Check out our kits, featuring 8 shades of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift!

Thanks to the knitters, crocheters, and weavers who bring in their work to show us what they’ve made! You inspire and amaze us, and we can’t wait to see what you get into next.

Hello, Cascade Kid Seta Hand Paints.

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Our passion for mohair is still strong – here’s a brand new yarn from Cascade, Kit Seta Hand Paints! When Anne saw these subtle, painterly colorways, she knew they’d add something special to our lace weight section, which is already bursting with lovely fuzzy yarns.

Cascade Kid Seta Hand Paints:

  • lace weight
  • variegated
  • fuzzy
  • 74% super kid mohair, 26% silk
  • 232 yds/25 g
  • gauge: 18 – 25 sts = 4″ (10 cm)
  • needle size: US 3 – 8 (3.25 – 5.0 mm)
  • hand wash cold, lay flat to dry

Cascade Kid Seta Hand Paints combines the luxurious softness of super kid mohair and silk with hand-painted color variations for a truly unique finish. This lace-weight yarn has a delicate halo and feather-light feel, introducing depth and visual interest through subtle shifts of color. Use Kid Seta Hand Paints alone for a statement piece or blend it with a solid yarn to enhance texture and bring rich dimension to any design.

We have a great many yarns that pair well with mohair, in a wide range of gauges. Pairing fingering weight yarn with mohair is especially common, it seems, so I started my color combining there. I found lovely and intriguing shades to pair with Kid Seta Hand Paints in Harrisville Designs Shetland, Isager Alpaca 2, and Kelbourne Woolens Camper.

There are a few colors in each of these variegated shades of Kid Seta Hand Paints – emphasize one by finding it in a solid yarn.

We’ve shared pattern ideas for yarn combinations like these several times over the past few years – here’s a fresh batch of patterns that would shine in these yarns!

Garments:

Accessories: 

Look for Cascade Kid Seta Hand Paints here at HYS!

2025 in review.

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It was another big year here at HYS – though we were sad to say goodbye to Brooklyn Tweed, we refilled the space they left on our shelves with no less than 12 new kinds of yarn. They’re a diverse group: solids, heathers, and variegated colorways, cool plant fibers and fuzzy animal fibers, and a variety of weights from lace to bulky. This year, I wrote a blog post about each one of them, with my impressions, insights, and pattern ideas for how to use them. Click the links below to review our year in new yarn!

Which of these new yarns have you worked with, and which is next on your wish list? Tell us in the comments, we love hearing about the things you make!

Hello, Kelbourne Woolens Cozy!

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New yarn from Kelbourne Woolens is always cause for excitement. Founders Kate and Courtney focus on quality and affordability as they dream up new yarns, and make sure that each one fills a missing gap in their collection. Comfort and ease were the inspiration behind Cozy, a yarn they called “cashmere sweatpants” during the design process. 

Kelbourne Woolens Cozy:

  • worsted weight
  • 70% superwash merino wool, 30% easy wash® alpaca
  • 201 yards/100 grams
  • 19–21 sts = 4″ (10 cm)
  • US 5–7 (3.75–4.5 mm)
  • machine or hand wash cool, lay flat to dry

Cozy is low-maintenance, but luxuriously soft, made with a dreamy blend of fine superwash merino wool and sustainable Easy Wash® alpaca. That means it’s machine washable and soft as can be, making Cozy ideal for baby sweaters, blankets, and other accessories.

What to make with Cozy? Here are some ideas!

Look for Cozy here at HYS, along with many other Kelbourne Woolens yarns!

Show and tell: soothing stockinette.

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Sometimes there’s nothing more pleasing than plain old stockinette stitch, its soothing rhythm and smooth surface. Here are some soothing stockinette projects from knitters in our community!

Kristin came in wearing her lovely “Novice Slipover,” knit with Brooklyn Tweed Dapple (sadly discontinued) and Fyberspates Cumulus – such a cuddly combination. Pattern by PetiteKnit.

Here’s Pam in her “Stevie,” knit with the aptly-named Isager Soft. She extended the sleeves of Elizabeth Smith’s pattern to the perfect three quarter length.

Alberto finished his PetiteKnit “Oslo Hat” in just a week, using the Lead + Onyx colorway of our Oslo Hat Kit. I love how these shades of gray blend together in Kelbourne Woolens Perennial and Fyberspates Cumulus!

 

Here’s one of Katherine’s several “Plain Yoke Tee 20” sweaters, modified to lengthen the sleeves and add a nice ribbed neckband.

She knit this one in a vibrant semisolid shade of Malabrigo Seis Cabos – sign up for one of her classes here at HYS and you might just see her wearing it! Pattern by Lene Holme Samsøe.

Here I am wearing my “Minimal Raglan Sweater,” a simple but thoughtful pattern by Noriko Ichikawa. I used Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and look forward to knitting with it again – I loved the springiness, the sharp stitch definition, and the lovely heathered colors.

Josie knit this cherry red “Aura Top” with Isager Silk Mohair, and the result is ethereal. Pattern by Rows Knitwear – next time you’re here, check out the one Bailey made as a shop sample!

Michele made this wonderful “Cloud Sweater” with a mix of yarn from her stash and yarn from our sale trunk – a light gray fingering weight wool, and a variegated shade of Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair, to be precise. Love the result!

Many thanks to Kristin, Pam, Alberto, Katherine, Josie, and Michele for sharing their handiwork with us! We really appreciate everyone whose projects begin with a trip to HYS, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.