Celebrating Colourwork with The Grey Sheep Co

Last week we waxed lyrical about one of our favourite colourwork work-horse yarns, The Grey Sheep Co’s Hampshire 4-ply. Surprisingly lofty, with a silky bloom that doesn’t sacrifice stitch definition, there isn’t much we don’t love about this British-made yarn. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next colourwork project, we’ve got tons of ideas.

Pretty in Pinks and Purples

The wonderful warmth of these pink and purple tones makes us just want to wrap up and head out into the heather. We’re envisioning a fair isle sweater like Josée Paquin’s “Skiing Optional” sweater or hardy socks for autumnal hikes. These colours would also be fabulous against a neutral base in The Grey Sheep Co’s Bricklands Sweater or Cardiagan.

Autumnal Oranges

Oh autumn leaves, misty mornings, chilly sunsets. This tonal collection is totally evocative of the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice. We love the idea of repeating the bold tones here against a neutral base in Marion Bulin’s Go Big shawl.

Whether you’re pitchside watching the big game or wandering through the fields at dusk, wrapping up in these warm hues will keep you toasty.

Happy Harvest Hues

Rusty coloured grains, big blue skies, and green hills come together in harmony in these optimistic colour combinations. We love how these two colour ideas, which we’re calling “Happy” and “Harvest”, have a lot of similarities but totally different finished effects. How wonderful would these collections look in Aleks Byrd’s Habsburg Mitts?

Any one of these harvest tones could work as a base colour, really, and these mitts will keep your fingers free for outdoor tasks while making sure your hands stay toasty warm!

Vintage Vibes

Soft blue, pink, and brown plus two lovely grey neutrals spells vintage to us, and we love how the tones in these yarns play off each other. This retro feel deserves a retro pattern, and we think Yoke Emma by Astrid Tueting would fit the bill perfectly.

This shoulder-skimming yoke would look lovely and feminine in soft, evocative colours, and either of the greys or even the brown would be a fantastic base colour.

Blues and Greens

We always love our blues and greens no matter what the season, and these are some real stunners. One of the great things about Hampshire 4-Ply is that it comes in both full-size skeins and mini skeins, so it’s easy to get yarn for projects with a main colour as well as intricate colourwork without having to buy so much yarn you end up with a ton of half-used skeins.

There are so many more wonderful ideas for how to use Hampshire 4-Ply on Ravelry, and we’re always happy to talk colour combos in the shop!

Neon Sock Yarn from Rico

We’ve received super fun Neon Sock Yarn from Rico. It’s electrifying! A pair of socks in any of these bright colours — or dare we suggest colourwork using several? — is sure to give you a morning jolt, and Barbie fans will swoon for the ‘Neon Pink’ colour. Whether you want to add a bit of zing to a cuff, make an extra bright toe or heel only you’ll know about, or knit your whole sock, mitten, or other accessory in these attention-grabbing colours, this machine-washable wool and polyamide blend won’t let you down!

New Colours from Isager

We have four new colours each of Isager Highland Wool and Isager Silk Mohair. The new rich, earthy tones in the Highland Wool are perfect for autumn, and the four new Silk Mohair hues would make a lovely ombre. Denmark-based Isager sources fine fibres from all over the world, using the very best producers out there. Mix and match Highland Wool colours to make your very own custom Pinwheel Mitts. They’re perfect for cusp seasons!

More Mimstermade

Attention Mimster fans! We have more lovely things from the lovely Mimstermade brand and the wonderful crafter behind it. More copies of Tomomi Mimura’s book Embroidery with the Darning Stitch have arrived, plus more Mosaic Embroidery kits. We can’t get enough of these cuties.

Laines Villaines Silk Mohair Boulettes

Hand-dyed Silk Mohair Boulettes just for Loop have arrived from Laines Vilaines! These little beauties are small but mighty. You can make a whole Sophie Scarf with one! Or you can hold it double for a little extra fluff in any project, add a few accent rows to your shawl, anything you can dream of really!

Stories of Damage and Repair from Celia Pym

If you’re looking for motivation to get to the bottom of your darning basket or just a plain old good yarn, Celia Pym’s stories of the textiles she has repaired and the people they belong to is an illuminating and at times moving exploration of the fabric of our lives. More copies of “On Mending” have just arrived at Loop. Curl up for some reading!

Happy knitting!