Like most knitters, I have more than one project going at a time – a fun but more complicated project (usually a design), a quickie to work on in the evening after the girls have gone to bed, and something simple for when my brain needs a break. While small baby items or accessories usually…
Tips and Tricks for Your Colorwork Journey
The Fall Sweater from our Season of Sweaters features a geometric all over stranded colorwork pattern. We are big fans of colorwork knitting here at Kelbourne, from Setesdal to Fair Isle to Roositud, even embroidery, Latvian Braids, and Bohus! I thought it might be useful to round up our past colorwork tips and tricks to…
Staff Picks: Fall Sweater Colorways
When Courtney decided to make an all-over colorwork pullover for the Fall Sweater, we all thought she was a little nuts! But the end result is a really beautiful design in staff-favorite Andorra. We thought it would be fun if we each picked colors for our very own Fall Sweater – read below for everyone’s…
An Ode to Ranunculus
The Ranunculus Sweater. It’s become a knitting classic in a very short period of time. And with very good reason, I think. Having knit it twice – once as a short-sleeve version in Mojave, and this second time, which I’m here to talk about, in Andorra – I have decided that Ranunculus does two things…
Our Big Move!
This fall marks our 15th anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than to move to a new, bigger, and brighter location that includes a beautiful showroom? We celebrated our “grand opening” last Friday, which is a bit of a misnomer since we’ve technically been open for many years, but without a retail space. We…
Introducting: The Fall Sweater
The third pattern from the Season of Sweaters is a spectacular all over colorwork pullover in our wool mohair blend, Andorra. This pullover screams fall: Grab a pumpkin spice latte (or don’t, we know its contentious), your backpack, and get ready to peep some leaves! Even with the colorwork and the steeking, the Fall Sweater…
Studio Misha & Puff is Here!
Studio Misha and Puff has arrived and you can find it at Kelbourne Woolens (in-store or online) or your favorite Studio Misha & Puff retailer! Yarn is at the heart of Misha & Puff Studio Misha & Puff is yarn at the heart of clothing designer brand Misha & Puff. The initial palette of 23 colors includes brights,…
Style It: Andorra Collection
At Kelbourne we often talk about how Andorra is under-appreciated; it’s soft but not too soft, easy to knit with, and has a great color palette. Since I started at here, we have introduced many new colors of Andorra, and they’re some of my favorites. The Andorra collection is BEAUTIFUL, and every time I pack…
Swatching: Seasonless by Karen Templer
Karen Templer‘s new book, Seasonless, was officially released last Saturday, and we are delighted to have Germantown so prominently featured! The concept of the book is both unique and timeless: it features 5 patterns, each with 4 stitch pattern variations, plus multiple shaping and finishing options, all in 1 gauge. I took a moment last…
Why Mohair Is Our Favorite Fiber
What Is Mohair? Mohair yarn, which is spun from the fiber produced by the Angora goat (not to be confused with angora fiber, which is from an Angora rabbit), has a lustrous sheen, softness, and strength. I’m here to sing the praises of mohair, my all-time favorite fiber. You may have seen that we recently…
Pattern Inspiration For Fall
We’re Dreaming of Fall! The kids are (finally) back at school, and we are PUMPED for cooler weather. There is nothing more exciting than planning a new project, so we took a moment and picked some new(er) pattern releases and paired them with our favorite cool weather yarns. If you want a quickie accessory, a classic sweater designed to…
Introducing Cordelia
The final pattern From the Skipper Collection is here! Replace your old worn out t-shirt with this classic, comfortable, and casual knit! Small details like fully fashioned shoulder shaping, garter stitch at the cuffs, neck, and hem, and tubular bind offs elevate this basic top beyond the ordinary. A little different than Kate’s typical construction, Cordelia…
Piper is here!
Knit using Kelbourne Woolens stunning 100% cotton yarn, Skipper, Piper is a perfect easy first sweater for a newer knitter, or a great nearly mindless project for when you don’t want to have to pay too much attention. It’s Courtney’s kind of project! Bonus, at the end you have a super cute summery tee shirt, and no…
Next from the Skipper Collection: Ketch
Knit using Kelbourne Woolens stunning 100% cotton yarn, Skipper, Ketch is a classic Kate design: it has clean lines, graphic patterning, and simple shapes with small details such as short row shaping, sloped bind offs, and seams finished with mattress stitch. In case you missed it with the first pattern in the collection, Catalina, you’ll notice we did…
Introducing: The Catalina Tank!
The first of four patterns in our new Tanguis cotton, Skipper, Catalina is the quintessential summer tank. It has a classic fit, perfect for pairing with a flowy skirt of a pair of cute shorts. Make is season spanning by using it year round as a layering peice as well! You can layer your handknits…
I Remember Germantown
Do you remember Germantown yarn? A lot of knitters do, and we love hearing stories of when you learned to knit using Germantown, the first sweater you made, or the crocheted afghan that has been passed down through the generations. We love the look of this classic yarn – it’s not old fashioned, it has…
Germantown: A Classic American Yarn
Germantown is a classic American yarn. In fact, it is a revival of the very first commercial American yarn! This 100% North American wool is spun and dyed in North Carolina. Germantown is known for its softness, bounce, stitch definition, and wide range of vibrant colors perfect for both traditional and modern projects. The release…
Patterns for Germantown Yarn
Germantown yarn is a soft, durable, 100% N. American Wool with ample yardage at an affordable price point, so when we released the yarn, we wanted to be sure there were good, easy, accessible, and fun knitting patterns to support it. What’s better than a free hat pattern? 12 free hat patterns, of course! So we…
It’s Germantown Yarn Appreciation Week!
It’s Germantown yarn appreciation week! Join us this week while we wax poetic about Germantown yarn. Germantown is our made in the USA wool yarn perfect for knitting, crocheting, or any craft that makes you happy. It’s been five amazing yearns since we launched Germantown yarn, our first yarn made completely in North America. Our…
Introducing: The Summer Sweater
Our second pattern from the Season of Sweaters is a knit tee in our lightweight summer yarn, Mojave. A crisp and cool blend of cotton and linen, the Summer Sweater is as fun to knit as it is to wear. Courtney had so much fun designing this one! With breezy lace sleeves and a soft…
New! Germantown in Black and Natural
Black and Natural Unicorns are Here! We are delighted to have brand new black and natural Germantown Unicorns in stock and ready to ship! In the past, the unicorns have been created in small batches – as few as 2 skeins per color combo – with singles of color remnants randomly plied together. For the black and natural,…
Introducing Skipper!
Our first 100% cotton yarn! Skipper is a 4-ply 100% unmercerized cotton, perfect for knitting, crochet, and crafts. We’ve swatched a bit and Skipper works up beautifully in a variety of gauges, making it ideal for baby garments, summery tees, amigurumi, accessories, or whatever else you’re hoping to create! Why Tanguis? There are a lot of…
Finished Project: Alternate Twist Slippers in Andorra
Back in November of last year, I went on a (belated) 40th birthday trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. In an effort to pack light, I needed to bring a small project that I could quickly take in and out of my bag with an easily memorizable stitch pattern, but was stumped as to what to bring….
New! Introducing the Season of Sweaters!
It all started with the Year of Mittens back in 2016, then came the Year of Hats, followed by Gifts, and last year’s Bulky Hats. Now in honor of our 15th Anniversary, we’re celebrating four seasons of sweaters! The Season of Sweaters features four free patterns designed by Kate and Courtney perfect for the changing of the seasons. Patterns will…
Cricket! A New Irish Tweed Yarn from Donegal
We are so happy to welcome Cricket, a new sport weight tweed yarn, to the Kelbourne line! A traditional sign of good luck, a cricket is a symbol of abundance and vitality, and their cheerful song is a harbinger of good things to come. We couldn’t think of a more auspicious name for the little…
An Interview with Brenda K. B. Anderson
We are delighted by your reactions to our new crocheted critters patterns! I thought it would be great to hear more about designer Brenda K. B. Anderson’s process, as it is clear how creative she is. Keep reading for our conversation below! Kate Gagnon Osborn: Firstly, I want to thank you for your patience in the…
New! Cutest Crocheted Critters
What began as an idea for a stand alone narwhal back in 2020 morphed into a delightful collection of creatures by Brenda K. B. Anderson. Fast forward a few years (cough, pandemic, cough), we are delighted to finally share four of our favorite oceanic critters with you: Herman the Hermit Crab, Manny the Manatee, Norbert the Narwhal, and Pollyanna the…
Spotlight On: Colorwork
It is no secret that we have been fans of stranded colorwork for years and years – some of our first published colorwork designs were back in 2007, before Kelbourne Woolens was even founded! Coincidentally, they were in Manos del Uruguay, who we just worked with on our Collaboration Collection! Colorwork can take many forms,…
An Interview With: Kate Gagnon Osborn
Working with Fairmount Fibers on the Collaboration Collection was a really wonderful experience, buoyed by the fact that we have all known one another for going on fifteen years. While we know quite a bit about one another, we thought it would be really fun to introduce (or in many cases, reintroduce) ourselves to one…
An Interview With: Lisa R. Myers
Working with Fairmount Fibers on the Collaboration Collection was a really wonderful experience, buoyed by the fact that we have all known one another for going on fifteen years. While we know quite a bit about one another, we thought it would be really fun to introduce (or in many cases, reintroduce) ourselves to one another’s customer base via…
Style It: Collaboration Collection
Styling the outfits for the Collaboration Collection shoot was super fun as it forced us to step out of our comfort zone a bit. Courtney, Sarah, Lisa, and I put together style inspiration that focused on print, pattern, texture, and color, and Ellie took our ideas and assembled all of the looks. The end result was…
Introducing Collaboration: Kelbourne Woolens x Fairmount Fibers
We have known Lisa, founder of Fairmount Fibers, the U.S. Manos del Uruguay yarns distributor, since the early 2000s. Lisa played a large role in the start of Kelbourne Woolens, as we met working together at her shop Rosie’s in Philadelphia. We then shared warehouse space with her after starting Kelbourne Woolens in 2008. Manos introduced a…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: School House by Courtney Kelley
The latest design in our Year of Bulky Hats is here! The School House Hat is modeled after a cap Courtney’s mother wore as a schoolgirl in the 1950s, knit by her grandmother. While inspired by a hat for children, it’s also a perfect hat for the young-at-heart! This vintage style is super flattering with bangs, a…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: Midvale by Kate Gagnon Osborn
The latest design in our Year of Bulky Hats is here! A two stitch garter panel is paired with a four stitch left leaning cable making the August YOBH, Midvale, a classic and cozy accessory. Worked in the round from the bottom up, the ribbing beautifully transitions into the cable pattern that begins with integrated…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: Awbury by Courtney Kelley
The latest design in our Year of Bulky Hats is here! You may recognize Awbury as a bulky version of our popular July Hat from 2019! Courtney initially designed the July Hat as a nice break from more complicated knitting projects – it is small enough to be portable, and simple enough that you can knit it while hanging…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: Upsala by Kate Gagnon Osborn
The latest design in our Year of Bulky Hats is here! Knit this cute hat during the spring or summer months and the delightful color and fun flowers will brighten your days when winter arrives! Upsala is worked in the round from the bottom up. It begins with a twisted knit 1, purl 1 ribbing at the…
Dandelion Stitch
The Upsala Hat from our Year of Bulky Hats features a fun floral motif commonly referred to as the Dandelion Stitch. Like most stitch patterns, it is quite easy once you get the hang of it, but it is much easier to work if you can visualize the individual steps. Working this stitch is a…
Emily Ocker’s Cast On
Sedgwick, the May Hat from the Year of Bulky Hats is worked from the top down in the round. The hat begins with Emily Ocker’s Cast On, a circular cast on that leaves a clean and seamless circular loop. If you are familiar with the magic ring or magic circle in crochet, this cast on…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: Sedgwick by Courtney Kelley
The latest design in our Year of Bulky Hats is here! Sedgwick is an oh-so-jaunty beret perfect for transitioning to May weather. Y’all, I am so so so into this! Do you know that feeling when you’re trying to do something that you know should work, but it just keeps not working? That has been…
Finished Project: Courtney’s Mini Ivy Hill Hat and Gilda’s Sweater
Springtime in Philadelphia is my favorite time of year. When else do you get to run through a sun-filled field of violets and marsh marigolds while wearing your newly finished handknits? It’s a magical time before all the little flowers get mown down in May. The weather can still be in the 40s during the…
Finished Project: Kate’s Minori in Germantown
I try to have a “fun” project over the holiday break, something I can work on while in the car driving to see family, hanging out in the morning, or relaxing after dinner. The perfect project is interesting enough to hold my attention but not so difficult that I can’t work with some distractions. When…
Finished Project: Courtney’s Snug in Germantown Bulky
Will you just look at that face? I can’t even deal with how cute this guy is – especially when he is draped in a bunch of squishy woolly goodness! I am notorious for not finishing things. I love starting a project but it takes quite a bit of enthusiasm to get it completely done. (My older…
New Colors of Perennial!
There was sleet hitting my face as I walked the puppy this morning, but it is going to be 66° tomorrow. That can only mean one thing: Spring is here! Whether you need a sweet bubblegum treat with pink, prefer the soft skies of cornflower, imagine a summer picnic with cantaloupe, seek refreshment through cool…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: Ivy Hill by Courtney Kelley
Courtney really likes to shake things up in the spring with some wild hat designs and bold colors, and her contribution to this month’s Year of Bulky Hats, Ivy Hill, is no exception! Ivy Hill is bobblicious! These bobbles are big and bold and fun to knit. The hat starts with a garter rib and jumps…
Year of (Bulky) Hats: Fernhill by Kate Gagnon Osborn
Y’all blew us away with your response to January’s Wister hat, and we’re excited to share February’s design with you, Fernhill! Fernhill is the February Hat you know and love, but somehow even squishier! The February Hat from the 2019 Year of Hats continues to be an incredibly popular design, which I am so pleased with and proud of….
Swatching: Get to Know Germantown Bulky
As a fun little project, I’m individually going over each Kelbourne Woolens yarn, and will discuss the characteristics, gauges, and go over a few different swatches and stitch patterns. Want more? View previous posts on Lucky Tweed, Andorra, Scout, and Mojave. Enjoy! Germantown Bulky is the heavier weight cousin to our entirely U.S. sourced and…
Introducing the Year of (Bulky) Hats: Wister by Courtney Kelley
We continue to be overwhelmed at the positive reception to our Year of Hats from 2019, and it was a no brainer to do it again in Germantown Bulky! As with the Year of Hats, the Year of (Bulky) Hats is a year long series featuring a FREE hat pattern every month. The first pattern in the series…
A Holiday Gift For You: Travertine Scarf
We are so incredibly grateful to our retailers and customers for sticking with us through all the ups and downs of the last two years. Seeing your projects in our yarns, reading your lovely emails, and seeing your comments and social media posts makes the stress of small business ownership worthwhile! As we continue to…
New Free Pattern: Easy Germantown Handwarmers
A New Free Pattern! Hooray! No, I am not going to tell you to knit these for everyone in your family for the holidays. If you are like me you do not need any more self-imposed deadlines, especially not at the beginning of November! However, I have really, really enjoyed knitting these Easy Germantown Handwarmers over…
New Yarn! Introducing Germantown Bulky!
Everything you love about the classic worsted Germantown, now in bulky! Specifications 100% N. American Wool 123 yards (112 meters) / 100 gram skein 11-13 sts = 4” (10 cm) on US 9-11 (5.5-8 mm) needles Hand wash cool, lay flat to dry Made in the U.S.A. Color Palette When picking the initial lineup for the Bulky,…