Tag Archives: kelbourne woolens

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.

Show and tell: compelling combinations.

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“Can I use these yarns together?” is a question I sometimes hear at the shop, and the answer is almost always yes. Maybe the perfect background color comes from one brand but the perfect contrast color is in another brand – if the fiber content and gauge are similar, go ahead and mix yarn to your heart’s content! For show-and-tell today, we’re focusing on projects that combine different yarns in different ways, for different reasons.

Here’s Jaime in her “Fall Sweater,” knit during Anne’s class on the subject. Jaime found three colors she loved in Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Vovó, and found the fourth in the now-discontinued Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport. As you can see, these two non-superwash sport weight wools knit up seamlessly together – such a lovely sweater! Pattern by Courtney Kelley.

Nancy knit this “Pine Point” hat for a child, modifying the size by using fingering weight yarn. For the solid purple, she picked Ewe Ewe Fluffy Fingering, a 100% superwash merino wool, and, wanting a variegated contrast color, she chose hand-dyed Dream in Color Smooshy Cashmere. The resulting hat is soft, colorful, and machine washable – just right! Pattern by Mary Lou Egan.

Margaretta mixed yarns for the same reason in her “Ocean Waves Cowl,” by Amy Christoffers. The mosaic pattern pairs a self striping yarn with a solid color – Margaretta used Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Crazy and Sandnes Garn Sunday, respectively.

Another time knitters often mix and match different brands of yarn is when we’re trying to use up leftovers from previous projects. Such was the case for Wendy, who makes socks often enough to have some bits and bobs on hand.

Here are her charming “Forester Caterpillar Socks,” by Alexandria Wenninger, knit with three different but comparable sock yarns: CoopKnits Socks Yeah!, Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, and Isager Sock.

Kristin knit this PetiteKnit “Melange Sweater” for her daughter, holding two different non-superwash fingering weight wools together throughout. Color was part of the reason – Kelbourne Woolens Camper had the right heathered black, Cascade 220 Fingering had the right bright white – but in the end, it came down to availability. This was the black and white combination we had enough of at that moment, and she was eager to cast on! I don’t blame her – I love the staticky look of a marled sweater, and this one is a beauty.

Thanks to Jaime, Nancy, Margaretta, Wendy, and Kristin for sharing their projects with us! And thanks to everyone who starts their projects with a trip to HYS – we can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

New colors, show and tell: Isager Bouclé

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Isager released four new shades in their cuddly Bouclé yarn last month, a fluffy alpaca yarn with one looped ply.

Jonna Helin’s cool and casual “Lento” pullover is one of our favorite uses for Isager Bouclé, a timeless stockinette raglan knit at a big gauge for nearly instant gratification.

Kathy knit this particular “Lento”  in Anne’s class on the subject, holding Isager Bouclé with Kelbourne Woolens Camper in a high contrast color combination. In the finished sweater, the fuzzy red Bouclé is the more prominent color, to my eye, but the lighter Strawberry Heather Camper peeks through.

Here are some more high contrast color combinations in Bouclé and Camper!

Low contrast combinations will blend together more, so that the finished garment reads solid from a distance, revealing subtle color variation up close. Here are some intriguing low contrast pairs to consider…

Look for Isager Bouclé in the lace weight section here at our shop, and browse our entire fingering weight section for just the right match to make a “Lento” of your own!

Kelbourne Woolens Trunk Show: Andorra now 30% off!

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We’re delighted to have garments from Kelbourne Woolens on display, knit with their sport weight wool and mohair yarn, Andorra!

This slightly fuzzy 2-ply yarn is no longer in production, but we still have a nice supply on hand, and so does KW – we’re now offering a 30% discount on all in-stock Andorra, and on prepaid special orders of bags of 10 skeins, as available.

The Andorra Collection shows this special yarn in a variety stitch patterns and techniques, including cables, lace, texture, and colorwork.

Look for Kelbourne Woolens Andorra in our sport weight section here at HYS, and come by before August 23 to see the Andorra Collection in person!

A reminder: all discounted yarns are final sale, no returns or exchanges.