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…
Author: Courtney Kelley
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…
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…
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: 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…
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 Free Pattern: Cumberland Falls Hat
When I start a new project I always begin with a hat (or hats). It’s a perfect way to practice your pattern, check your gauge, and try out color combinations. Swatches are great, but I like to have something I can use after all that knitting! (This is also why I have quite a few…
Finished Project: Courtney’s Rift!
I did it! I finally finished my Rift as part of the #mojavemarlalong, and I am completely happy with it. I used our Kelbourne Woolens Mojave yarn in seafoam and flamingo, and it is endlessly cheerful and summery – a pleasant reminder of beach days yet to come. (Maybe next year?) I don’t know about…
Year of Gifts: Pantry Staple Washcloths
June’s Year of Gifts is here! This month’s design is the perfect knit for hot summer days, and is perfect for gift giving. We hope this is a pattern you’ll knit again and again! This pattern is really two patterns! The two texture stitch patterns are called Nut Stitch and Rice Stitch, hence the “Pantry…
Kelbourne Woolens Mail Day!
Here we are, week whatever-it-is, and we’re still doing our bit by staying home and social distancing. We are able to continue shipping to the local yarn shops you love – albeit with a very small “team” of one person (either Kate or I) per week for a few hours a day. While it’s my…
Free Pattern: Gilda’s Hat
It’s been quite the week for all of us, hasn’t it? With people out of work, kids out of school, and a lot of uncertainty about the future, we have been trying to maintain a sense of routine and calm at our house. We’ve quickly created new routines that allow both my partner and I…
My First Scarf
This week has had a lot of uncertainty, but one thing is for sure: We are staying home and making the most of it. If you’re home with your family, roommates, or just trying not to go bananas from loneliness, remember that many many people have sought solace – and found it – in making…
A Bow in the Sky – Now Available!
A Bow in the Sky features one of our best selling yarns, Perennial. The pattern, and accompanying kits, were available exclusively through our retailers for Local Yarn Store Day 2019. With the next LYS Day right around the corner on April 25th, we are releasing last year’s pattern to the general public! This shawl is…
Knitting Along and Giving Together
Our next installment in our Year of Gifts knit along was released on Tuesday, and we’re so thrilled by the response we’ve received so far. Kate and I loved doing the Year of Hats last year, and when thinking about 2020 we really wanted to come up with a promotion that felt meaningful. We love…
2020 Make Nine: Courtney’s Picks!
As promised, here are Courtney’s 2020 Make 9 picks! Top: L) Pattern: Fen Dress by Amber Corcoran. Fabric: Linen from stash. I have some grey/purple/brown linen I’ve been hoarding for about 15 years that would be awesome for this dress. M) Pattern: Pineapple Smoothie by Audrey Drysdale. Yarn: BC Garn Tussah Tweed in Royal Ocean….
Announcing the Year of Gifts!
It’s a new year and time for a new year-long-knit-along pattern series from Kelbourne Woolens! Following up on the heels of the very successful Year of Hats, we wanted to find a way to incorporate more designs and yarns into the same format, and the Year of Gifts was born! Using the same formula –…
Eco Wash Bags are Here!
Just in time for the holidays, we have the new Eco Wash Bags from Soak! These laundry bags are perfect for crafters who want to take special care of their handknits. Made from 100% post-consumer plastics, each Eco Wash Bag is made from at least 8 plastic bottles! Saving those from the landfill and making…
Nordic Night Christmas Stocking by Randi Hjelm Debes
With Halloween behind us (and perhaps a few pumpkins still rotting on the porch), it’s time to look ahead to the holiday season! If you are anything like me, you are faced with the realization that everything you wished you had done last year has yet to be accomplished and you only have eight weeks…
Soak Wash: For The Things We Love
We use Soak Wash for all our hand knits and delicate garments. Luckily, we have every scent and scentless stacked up at our office, and with the spring/summer season rolling in we thought this was the ideal time to talk about washing knits for summer storage. There is nothing worse for a knitter than finding…
Stitch Your Pride: International Transgender Day of Visibility
Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility, and in celebration we decided to design a cute crochet hat for you to stitch up to show your pride and solidarity. The hat is crocheted using Kelbourne Woolens Germantown, in the colors Old Blue, Pink, and Natural in a stripe pattern based on the Transgender Pride Flag….
Introducing Kelbourne Woolens Perennial
This spring season we are excited to announce the release of our newest addition to the Kelbourne Woolens family – Perennial. Specifications 60% superwash Merino, 25% Suri alpaca, 15% nylon 497 yds (454 meters) / 100 gram skein 28-36 sts = 4″ (10 cm) US 1-3 (2.25-3.25 mm) Why Perennial? Because we think it will…
Crafting a Responsibility
There has been a conversation happening this week, mostly on Instagram, regarding white supremacy in the craft industry, and we have been listening. We hope you have been, too. As business owners, Kate and I recognize the platform we have to amplify voices, the ability we have to shape and steer images and content we…
Courtney’s Carbeth Cardigan
Every now and then a pattern hits you like a ton of bricks, and you stop everything you’re doing to cast on. Years ago I knit what became my favorite sweater – Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Hurry Up Last Minute Sweater in Tahki’s Donegal Tweed. The offset raglan shaping of Carbeth is so reminiscent of that super…
Aslant Pullover + Andorra Yarn Giveaway!
The Aslant Pullover, designed by Lana Jois using Kelbourne Woolens Andorra and published in the latest knit.wear issue is the perfect combination of unique design features and classic styling, which together make an interesting yet elegant sweater. Andorra was our very first Kelbourne Woolens yarn, released on the Winter Solstice last year, so we find…
Bohéme Christmas Hat by Faroe Knit
Last night while relaxing with a cup of Sleepytime tea and some Instagram therapy, I happened upon the perfect Christmas-y knit to add to my holiday knitting basket—which I definitely do not have time for, but will absolutely cast on anyways! Designer Randi Hjelm Debes of Faroe Knit, designed this simple and adorable stocking cap…
A Brief History of Germantown Yarns
In our previous posts we’ve alluded to Germantown’s long history as a good quality American yarn. This post will go a bit more in depth about the history of how Germantown Yarn got its name, and how the little town of Germantown, PA launched a yarn with a history older than the United States itself….
Kelbourne Woolens at Vogue Knitting Live – Minneapolis!
I just returned from Vogue Knitting Live in San Francisco, which was my first teaching foray post-baby! It was a success, and I’m busily preparing for Vogue Knitting Live in Minneapolis. If you’ve never attended a VK Live, I highly recommend it. It is one of my favorite events to teach at, and the events…
Germantown: Redesigning a History
It’s not often in life that one gets to have a dream and follow it all the way to reality, and I feel extraordinarily lucky to have done just that. For many years I wanted to remake Germantown. Some of you will remember it from it’s previous life as a Brunswick yarn, or if you…
Kelbourne Woolens, Celebrating Ten Years
If you had asked us last year at this time to look forward to right now, we would have probably burst into tears. Change is hard, and what feels like a life’s work – even when you’re still in your 30’s – is a hard thing to let go of, especially when it’s not your…
Introducing Kelbourne Woolens Germantown
2018 marks the ten year anniversary of Kelbourne Woolens and we are celebrating this milestone with something we have been dreaming about for a long, long time: Our own line of quality, affordable, classic yarns. We are proud to announce the fourth and final yarn celebrating our ten year anniversary: Germantown. An icon of American…
Crochet Summer Crochet Something Contest Round-Up
Our Crochet Summer has come to an end, and this coming Friday we’ll be announcing the winners of our Crochet Something Contest. There were so many fantastic entries it will be hard for us to choose! We want to thank everyone who participated in Crochet Summer again this year. You guys are awesome. You can view…
Crochet Summer: Why I Am a Crochet Teacher
We are joined on the blog today by a special Crochet Summer guest, Liz Kaplan. If you are a Mason Dixon Knitting fan (and if you’re not, you should be!) you may already be familiar with Liz and her crochet skills. She is a contributor to MDK, as well as a crochet instructor in Oakland, CA. I’ve been…
Crochet Something Contest: Best Art or Sculptural Crochet
In case you missed it, here is a brief recap of our Crochet Summer Crochet Something Contest (CSCSC): THE CROCHET SUMMER CROCHET SOMETHING CONTEST! This non-competitive contest is a great opportunity to spend the summer trying something new, or finally challenging yourself to make that thing you’ve always wanted to make. This feel-good contest is…
Crochet Something Contest: Best First Crochet
In case you missed it, here is a brief recap of our Crochet Summer Crochet Something Contest (CSCSC): THE CROCHET SUMMER CROCHET SOMETHING CONTEST! This non-competitive contest is a great opportunity to spend the summer trying something new, or finally challenging yourself to make that thing you’ve always wanted to make. This feel-good contest is…
BC Garn Lino: The Sleeper Hit of Summer 2018!
If you are a shop owner, perhaps you can relate to this: Sometimes there is a yarn, and you think to yourself, “This is a fine yarn”. You don’t think much more about it. The yarn is ordered, it arrives, you put it on the shelves and you wait for people to order it and…
Crochet Something Contest: Garment Inspiration
The entries for the CSCSC are rolling in on Instagram, and we’re so thrilled at all the crochet goodness we’re seeing. There are five official categories (not including the “wild card”), and we thought we’d do a little series highlighting some of our crochet favorites in each. First up are the Garments! I would wager…
Meet the “Crochet Summer, Crochet Something Contest” Judges
When thinking about judges for the Crochet Summer Crochet Something Contest (CSCSC), I wanted to choose people from the industry that we work in most (yarn/knitting), but who also had a little crochet spark. Some of our judges are crochet newbies, and some are leading the charge in bringing crochet to the wider knitting audience. They all have…
And That’s a Wrap! TNNA Weekend Re-cap.
Kelbourne Woolens just wrapped up our Summer TNNA trade show in Cleveland, OH! While I was home, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new baby, this stellar team was at the show all weekend. From left to right we have Britta Kremke from BC Garn, Paula and Kris á Torkilsheyggi from Navia, Kate Osborn and Meghan Kelly…
See You at TNNA, Part One: Kelbourne Woolens
Our 10th Anniversary Year has been filled with new adventures, and this summer and fall we’re thrilled to be bringing you lots of new products we feel good about. In between developing the Kelbourne Woolens line of yarns, this season we are happy to be adding more yarns to our BC Garn offerings for fall, and bringing a…
Karen Peacock: A Crochet Story
This week we’re hosting a guest post by friend and crocheter, Karen Peacock. We have been huge fans of Karen’s crochet for years, and featured some of her work in Crochet Summer 2015 and 2016. She has a new pattern to share with us, as well as her personal crochet story. Enjoy! It was my first crochet summer…
Announcing the Crochet Summer, Crochet Something Contest!
It’s time for a contest! In the true spirit of Crochet Summer, this is not a very competitive contest. It’s meant to be fun and easy going. It is summer, after all. Since there is already one Crochet Summer rule, Crochet something, anything, this summer, we’ll keep the rules of the contest in the same vein. THE…
We’re Kicking Off Crochet Summer 2018!
Time to get out your hooks! What is Crochet Summer? It is our way of showing a little love to our sister craft in the summer months when it sometimes feels a little harder to get the yarn out. Also, crochet can be a bit more conducive to working with yarns made from plant fibers,…
The Rare Stitch
We all know that knitting can bring together communities and form bonds of friendship with other knitters all over the country, and the world. I think it’s one of the reasons we all like to knit! We can feel a closeness with people we otherwise might not have had the opportunity to meet, and our…
Andorra Feature in Interweave Knits!
We were so thrilled to open the pages of the new Interweave Spring 2018 to find an article about our new yarn, Andorra! I mean, it’s good business practice to send yarn to magazine editors if you want them to use your yarns, but we didn’t think the yarn would speak to the editors so…
Andorra Collection: Jenny Bohus Pullover
On yesterday’s blog post I told you all about how Patsy was born, and in part, Patsy was a swatch for this sweater! If you follow our blog, you know that I love knitting hats as swatches because I love and value swatching, but hate the feeling of “wasting” knitting time. (A bit of a…