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…
See You at TNNA, Part Two: BC Garn
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,…
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…
Courtney at Vogue Knitting Live: San Francisco!
UPDATE! You can sign up for classes at 50% off using my teacher discount code, TEACHER50 at checkout! View all the VK Live SF class offerings here. This September I’ll be travelling to San Francisco to teach at VK Live! I’ll be teaching my favorite classes, alongside some of the best knitting instructors in the…
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,…
BC Garn Tussah Tweed, and a new free pattern!
Last week we introduced BC Garn to you, and this week we’d like to go a bit more in depth on one of our favorite BC Garn yarns, Tussah Tweed. Tussah Tweed uses 100% tussah silk, as opposed to mulberry silk which is what is most commonly used in yarns and textiles. Tussah silk comes from a wild…
Pay Attention to Your Pins!
We’re deep in the end-stages of our next collection, which means there is a lot of blocking and finishing (and pattern drafting, and schematic making, and number crunching…) happening around the office. Seeing one of Meghan’s garment pieces looking so lovely on the blocking board reminded me of a quick little tip that really elevates the finishing…
Introducing BC Garn
We are happy to introduce you to a new member of the KW family, BC Garn. You’ve probably noticed the yarns popping up on our blog and social media, and we figured it was time for a formal introduction! BC Garn, a family owned Danish yarn company, was founded in 1972 as Væveværkstedet i Barrit…
Designer Feature: Judoka by Lia Moya
Among the many changes around Kelbourne Woolens this year, one of the exciting new additions to the products we’re offering the N. American market is BC Garn, a line of quality, affordable yarns originally from Denmark. We started off last season with six yarns, one of which is BC Garn Alba, a GOTS certified organic cotton in…
Kelbourne Woolens Enamel Pins!
Kelbourne Woolens is deep in the pin game! Enamel pins are everywhere, and we’re not immune to the fun of collecting them to add to our project bags, backpacks, and hoodies. When we did some rebranding at the end of the year in celebration of our 10th anniversary, it only made sense to honor the…
Local Yarn Store Day: Adventura Shawl by Laura Nelkin
Local Yarn Store Day is a shop appreciation day created by TNNA Yarn Group. The first annual LYS Day will take place on April 21 and is designed to show support for small businesses while bringing together a unique community of knitters, crocheters, weavers and spinners to drive awareness and celebrate the craft. We have…
Color Stories: Scout Collection
It is no secret that neutrals reign supreme in my life: I love black, grey, white, and navy blue. But adding a little pop of color here in there is also a good thing, so when putting together the palette for the Scout Collection I focused heavily on the neutrals in the line and added…
Scout Collection: Sawyer
When we released the Luma Collection last year, we had no idea how incredibly popular the Stone Point poncho was going to be. You never know when a pattern is going to “hit,” and this one hit hard! We sold so many copies of this poncho, and it was so awesome to hear from knitters and shop owners about how much…
Scout Collection: Rainier
I tend to be pretty hard on myself when it comes to my designs. By the time the swatching, sketching, knitting, un-knitting, re-knitting, blocking, and finishing happens, the stress of meeting a deadline and time and effort that goes into producing the pattern from start to finish usually leaves me ready to move on and…
Scout Collection: Ballard
Ballard, the second hat in the Scout Collection, is the perfect design for practicing stranded knitting or if you want to play around with color. The design is a mix of classic Setesdal patterns, and no float is longer than three stitches, so each round is easy to memorize. The sample worked up super quickly, so…
Scout Collection: Compass
I am as much of a sucker for an intricate cable as I am stranded colorwork, and the Compass cowl is awash with a plethora of cable panels designed to keep you cosy all season long. Compass is designed in two sizes, a larger version (pictured) requiring two skeins, and a smaller version that only calls for…
Scout Collection: Portage
Scout is “my” yarn in the lineup of new Kelbourne Woolens yarns we’re releasing this year, so it was only fitting that I took the reins in terms of the overall look and feel of the Scout Collection. Since Scout is an 100% wool in a wearable DK weight, the classic and bright heathered colors are perfect for sweaters and accessories…
Introducing Kelbourne Woolens Scout
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. In celebration of our ten year anniversary, we will be launching a small selection of yarns throughout this year. Each…
Designer Feature: Beartooth Pass by Bonnie Dean
One of the most thrilling aspects of putting a new yarn out into the world is seeing what lovely designs others come up with! We’re so delighted to see new patterns pop up in our first Kelbourne Woolens yarn, Andorra, and this cowl by designer, editor, and hand dyed yarn purveyor Bonnie Dean is no exception! Bear Tooth Pass is designed…
February Featured Finds Round Up
For almost two years, we’ve been sending out a weekly newsletter, Featured Finds, where we share little tidbits from around the world that we find interesting. The topics range far and wide, and are guaranteed to be interesting, educational, or thought provoking. Once a month, we’ll be sharing the top ten highlights (on no particular…
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…
Increasing Within Charts
Working from charts seems to cause the most joy and consternation for knitters. We here at KW are fully on Team Chart. I would never consider knitting anything but the most straightforward and basic lace or cable pattern without a chart, and see no reason whatsoever to ever work stranded patterns without one. If something…
KW Style It: A Bernadette For My Every Mood
Normally when I put together the outfits for our Style It posts, I try to think outside my personal box a little beyond only items I would wear, while still incorporating pieces and elements that are true to the KW brand and aesthetic. For my Bernadette sweater from the Andorra Collection, though, I went full-selfish…
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: Delia
When we received the samples for Andorra (at that time only referred to as “Courtney’s Yarn”), I knew I wanted to make a hat. Partially because I love knitting hats, but also because I knew the wool and mohair blend would make for an excellent warm, durable, practical accessory. When swatching, I went a…
See you in Vegas!
We’re busy putting the finishing touches on everything and getting our bags packed, because Kelbourne Woolens will be at the TNNA show in Las Vegas this weekend! We love attending the TNNA shows, as it gives us an opportunity to see our customers, amazingly talented designers, and dear friends. Being in Vegas this year should…
Picot Bind Off
The picot bind off is a lovely, simple, decorative bind off that adds small picots at the edge of your piece. We frequently use this bind off when working shawls, as in the case of Evangelina, a triangular shawl designed by Meghan Kelly for the Andorra Collection. It is pretty simple to execute (only three…
Andorra Collection: Evangelina Shawl
I love traditional triangle shawls. I love that they have a dual nature; they are both contemporary and historical, functional but also a little frivolous, completely approachable while also a challenge. Evangelina was inspired by a stitch I found in a vintage knitting and needlecraft book my mother-in-law gave me. She used the book herself…
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…
Andorra Collection: Patsy Bohus Hat
If you know me at all, you know that I have a deep love for the Bohus Stickning Cooperative. What is Bohus Stickning? Well, I’m glad you asked. You can read all about it on a previous blog post, or listen to this interview I did with Very Pink Knits, or go buy this fabulous…
Long Tail Tubular Cast On
It is a bit of a mouthful, but the long tail tubular cast onis a really excellent cast on method that creates a lovely, stretchy edge that is reminiscent of machine-knit garments. The cast on is a bit quirky and convoluted, and makes a lot more sense in the doing than in the reading. Set-Up: Create…
Color Stories: Andorra Collection
As mentioned previously, Kelbourne Woolens Andorra was fondly referred to as “Courtney’s Yarn” around the office during much of its initial development and planning. While most all of what we do here is collaborative, Courtney very much took the reins when it came to designing the yarn, the final color selection of the line, and…
Introducing The Andorra Collection!
A little bit vintage, a little bit classic, a little bit contemporary. It’s here! The Andorra Collection, the first collection for our first Kelbourne Woolens yarn, Andorra. Kelbourne Woolens Andorra Collection showcases the best that knitting has to offer. Cables, lace, and color work adorn sweaters and accessories in just the right ways. Designed to…
December Featured Finds Round Up
Happy New Year!! For the last year and a half, we’ve been sending out a weekly newsletter, Featured Finds, where we share little tidbits from around the world that we find interesting. The topics range far and wide, and are guaranteed to be interesting, educational, or thought provoking. Once a month, we’ll be sharing the…
Introducing Kelbourne Woolens Yarn!
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. Our years of crafting, working in yarn shops, speaking with our wholesale customers, and meeting thousands of knitters and crocheters…
Designer Feature Round Up: Sweaters For Fall/Winter 2017
There have been quite a few recently published garment designs in The Fibre Co. yarns that are worth bringing to your attention – and surely some of you with more free time than I could manage to whip one up for a friend or loved one as a gift?? Charles Pullover: Michelle Wang / Wool.Studio,…
KW Holiday Gift Giving: Gifts that Give
My contribution to this year’s gift guide is centered around a subject near and dear to my heart: pets. Specifically, the adopted and fostered animals who become dear members of our families. I lost both of my geriatric dogs, Baloo Bear and Conrad Jenkins, this past fall and it was heartbreaking. I am, however, incredibly grateful…
KW Holiday Gift Guide: You Just Can’t Beat a Good Book
When I say “Our house is full of books,” you may think to yourself, “My, that’s wonderful. Reading is great.” But, no, it’s really FULL OF BOOKS. They are on every conceivable shelf, table, chair, surface, corner and even in the car. We have a lot of books. Yes, this is our car. It’s hard…
KW Holiday Gift Guide: #RaisingSmartGirls
Our daughter Charlie is a little bit all over the place when it comes to her hobbies and likes. She is obsessed with both the Rube Goldberg Machine and the planetarium at the Franklin Institute, has told us multiple times lately she wants to be a “scientist that studies shark teeth”, spent most of 2017…
Knitted Cast On
A knitted cast on provides a sturdy edging, and is easy to work as well! Use a knitted cast on when you need to cast on stitches during the course of your project, such as casting on thumb stitches for a mitten. Step 1 / Make a slip knot on your left hand needle. Step…
Kitchener Stitch
Kitchener stitch is a wonderful finishing technique that connects two opposing pieces of fabric together for a seamless join. Below is a tutorial for you to reference when working this lovely finish! Please Note: For this tutorial, we are utilizing three different colors so you can clearly see both sets of stitches and the kitchener row….
November Featured Finds Round-Up
For the last year and a half, we’ve been sending out a weekly newsletter, Featured Finds, where we share little tidbits from around the world that we find interesting. The topics range far and wide, and are guaranteed to be interesting, educational, or thought provoking. Once a month, we’ll be sharing the top ten highlights…
Courtney on the Knit Collage Podcast!
You know those people that you meet and you immediately think “Wow. This woman is pretty rad.” That is exactly how I felt when I first met Amy Small, the powerhouse behind Knit Collage. Amy recently started a Podcast, Collage Creative, where she interviews women in the industry. When first introducing the podcast, she described…
Color Stories: National Geographic Photos of The Day
National Geographic is the only (non-yarn related) magazine subscription that I have consistently maintained for my entire adult life. I love the photography, the articles, and the world-wide perspective each issue provides. I recently transitioned from print to the digital subscription, and tend to devour the whole issue in one or two sittings. As the…
Designer Feature: Sawyer Pullover by Kitty Buch
One of the most exciting things about our jobs is talking to shop owners, managers, and employees and seeing what inspires them about working with the yarns we distribute. These conversations fill our days as we take orders, fulfill trunk show requests, and walk the halls of the warehouse seeking out specific dye lots for…
Rhinebeck Weekend
We’re deep in the throes of preparing for our rep packets – the twice yearly compilation all things new and exciting on offer from Kelbourne Woolens for shops – so there isn’t much to show around here at the moment. We did, though, steal some time away last weekend to visit the New York State…
As Seen On Instagram: Sweater Weather
Fall is here, it is finally sweater weather, and knitters are getting ready for the season with some gorgeous sweaters from Kelbourne Woolens patterns! ROW 1 / • Jenna Ashburn is making a Rawah Pullover for Rhinebeck in The Fibre Co. Cumbria. I plan on bringing my sample to the festival – maybe we’ll see…
Designer Feature: Safdie by Quenna Lee
After a brief hiatus, Twist Collective is back with some new and exciting changes for its 9th anniversary, including a partnership with Webs! The Fall Issue is packed full of lovely designs in the classic Twist style we all know and love, as well as some really excellent articles. (Except now I’m desperate to drop…