Color crush: clover and violet.

Posted by Julia on May 26, 2026

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!

Hello, Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino.

Posted by Julia on April 14, 2026

Thank you all for the warm welcome you’ve given Knitting for Olive! We’re thrilled to bring yarn into the shop that you’re as excited to see in person as you are to work with. Last week I wrote about Pure Silk on the blog – now it’s time to put Cotton Merino in the spotlight!

Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino:

light fingering weight
70% organic OCS certified cotton, 30% RWS certified Merino wool
273 yards (250 meters) / 50 grams
hand wash in cool water, lay flat to dry
gauge: 28 stitches = 4″
neeedles: US 2.5 (3 mm)

Cotton Merino is a soft and smooth yarn named simply for its fiber content – organic cotton and fine merino wool. The cotton is cool and breathable, while the wool brings a little elasticity, making a balanced blend that’s light enough for summertime wear.

As with all of their yarns, Knitting for Olive is mindful about the sustainability of Cotton Merino, using OCS certified organic cotton and RWS certified wool. RWS is short for Responsible Wool Standard and the certification ensures that animals, farmers and the environment are all treated respectfully. Along with protecting soil health, biodiversity, and safe working conditions, RWS certification protects the Five Freedoms of animal welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress. In other words, happy and healthy sheep!

Bailey knit the swatch above with Cotton Merino on US 2.5 needles, and we all admired the fine fabric. Then she held Cotton Merino and Pure Silk together on US 6 needles, and we loved the colorful marl even more!

Last week’s blog post has plenty of pattern ideas for a single strand of these yarns – today, let’s look at patterns for two strands held together.

“Lacey Loop Tee,” “Lacey Loop Cardigan,” and “Lacey Loop Top” by Other Loops – eyelet and garter stitch striped tops
“Clay Tee,” by Ozetta – short- or long-sleeved top with texture stripes
“Blouse No. 1,” by My Favourite Things – marled stockinette pullover with long sleeves
“Diona Tee,” by Sari Nordlund – cabled raglan tee
“Farnham Tee,” by The Knit Purl Girl – striped drop-shoulder tee
“Sol Top,” by Alice Hoyle (Rows Knitwear) – classic marled tank

Look for Knitting for Olive in the fingering weight section here at HYS – we can’t wait to see what you make with it!

Hello, Knitting for Olive Pure Silk.

Posted by Julia on April 7, 2026

We are overjoyed to have Knitting for Olive on our shelves!

Knitting for Olive is a small family-run yarn company based in Denmark, specializing in high quality natural fibers. Sustainability, responsibility and care are as important to them as beautiful colors – each of their yarns is created with respect for animals, workers and our environment.

We’ve added two Knitting for Olive yarns to our collection here at HYS – Pure Silk and Cotton Merino. These yarns are identical in weight, yardage and gauge, so can be used interchangeably. Today, we’ll look more closely at Pure Silk. Keep an eye out for more on Cotton Merino next week!

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk:

fingering weight
100% Bourette Silk
273 yards (250 meters) / 50 grams
hand wash in cool water, lay flat to dry
gauge: 28 stitches = 4″
needles: US 2.5 (3 mm)

Knitting for Olive first caught our eye because of its lovely color palette. From subtle neutrals to vivid brights, their yarn comes in colors we want to wear, and colors we often see knitters reaching for.

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk is made from waste created during silk processing, called bourette. In conventional silk production, the silk worm cocoons are boiled, preserving the thread, but killing the silk worms. Knitting for Olive’s silk is made of threads from broken cocoons, allowing the silk worms to complete their life cycle. The short, leftover silk fibers are spun into a cruelty-free yarn with a rustic look and matte finish. The fabric it makes is as soft and cool to the touch as any silk, however – come in and pet this swatch to see for yourself!

Pure Silk is all drape and no elasticity, perfect for the lightest warm weather accessories and garments. It may take tiny needles and a long time to knit a garment with a single strand of this yarn, but the results are compelling – here are some pattern ideas for either Pure Silk or Cotton Merino!

“Cumulus Tee,” by PetiteKnit – stockinette tee with rounded v-neck
“Umbria Summer Top,” by Cookie the Knitter – cardigan-style broken-rib tee
“Camisole No. 9,” by My Favourite Things – classic stockinette tank
“Lakes Stripe Tee,” by Ozetta – striped saddle shoulder tee in 2 colors
“Moon Set Tee,” by Ozetta – drop shoulder v-neck tee
“Sunshine Tee,” by Andrea Gaughan – classic striped or solid t-shirt with folded hem
“Fern Tee,” by Pernille Larsen – lace tee with circular yoke
“Juno tee,” by Sari Nordlund – raglan tee with lace sleeves
“An Italian Spring Shawlette,” by An Italian Knitter – garter stitch shawl with eyelet stripes
“Holly Bandana,” by Susanne Müller – kerchief with eyelet pattern
“Soho Scrunchie,” by Tori Yu – seamless scrunchie

Knitting with two strands of Pure Silk or Cotton Merino would be faster, and still not too heavy for spring… stay tuned for double-strand pattern ideas next week! In the meantime you’ll find both of our Knitting for Olive yarns in the fingering weight section here at HYS.