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…
Tag: Andorra
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…
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….
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,…
Swatching: Get to Know Andorra
This year 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. Enjoy! View the first post on Lucky Tweed here. Whew! Where does the time go? I didn’t mean to take such a long break in between these posts, but…
Finished Project: September Sweater
It has been a little over a year since sharing my 2020 Make 9 picks, and even though 2020 did not turn out like anyone imagined, I’m actually surprised by what I managed to accomplish! One of my most recent finished projects is the September Sweater by PetiteKnit. Knit using one strand of Andorra in…
Year of Gifts: Delphinium Beret
The October Year of Gifts is here! The Delphinium Beret is a jaunty little cap designed in Kelbourne Woolens Andorra. Worked in the round from the bottom up, it begins with a K1, P1 ribbing, then integrated increases shape the body of the hat. After working the body in a lace repeat, integrated decreases shape…
Swatching: Very V-Neck Raglan
In case you missed it, we’re diving right into another KAL, this time we’re going to knit the Very V-Neck Raglan by Jessie Maed Designs. The pattern specifications call for a DK weight yarn knit at a gauge of 20 stitches and 26 rows / 4 inches in stockinette stitch US 7 needles. In preparation…
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…
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…
Year of Gifts: Snowdrop Hat
It’s here! The first pattern in the Year of Gifts! The Snowdrop Hat is a modern colorwork design in Andorra that features a provisionally cast on folded brim, bold graphic colorwork, and a large pom pom. A Kelbourne Woolens leather tag provides the perfect finishing touch! Although the design includes a few different colorwork patterns,…
2020 Make Nine: Kate’s Picks!
There is a heavy dose of “road to hell, good intentions” here at Kelbourne Woolens when it comes to making for ourselves and others. Deadline knitting and crocheting always takes precedent, and I am terrible at documenting finished objects once they’re complete – in fact I have a sweater for Charlotte, a sweater for myself,…
December Andorra Love: Your Projects!
For our third installment in my mini Andorra love series, I wanted to share some projects by knitters shared on Ravelry over the last two years. First, for the wee babes, Kristy knit the cutest little top down hat with earflaps for Floyd, and Dana worked up an Animal Bonnet by Jenny Gordy for Nora….
December Andorra Love: Published Designs
Time for some more Andorra love! Today I wanted to showcase some lovely designs published over the last two years. Paule Lemieux from Canadian yarn shop La vie laine de Rimouski designed Shawl Moira, an homage to Moira from Schitts Creek, and we love the stripes in ink black and snow white paired with the…
December Andorra Love!
December marks the two year anniversary of the release of Andorra, so we wanted to take some time out this month to share a little love for our first Kelbourne Woolens yarn! First up, some highlights from Instagram. Showing off Andorra’s gorgeous stitch definition when worked in knit purl patterning, Kristi knit her Fragment Scarf…
Designer Feature: Gaze Cowl by Rachel Kieselburg
I gasped yesterday when I saw images of Rachel Kieselburg’s latest design, the Gaze Cowl, while looking through Instagram for a few minutes. There was something so striking about the color work pattern, contrasting colors, and moody images that stopped me in my tracks (er, scroll)! Rachel designed the cowl using Kelbourne Woolens Andorra in…
Designer Feature: Grayson by Leah McGlone
The Winter 2018 Knitty is live, and in it is a stunning wrap, Grayson, by our dear friend Leah McGlone! Leah was an intern for us waaaay back in 2012, and after graduating from Philadelphia University where she studied textiles, she worked for us as an all around designer/marketer/copy-writer/general do-er. She is now a program…
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…
New Free Pattern: Llumeneres Hat!
When we received the new colors of Andorra this season, I saw the deep navy and immediately fell in love. I had always wanted to knit my Seathwaite hat in a smaller gauge with a slouchier fit, and with the release of the new colors and Small Business Saturday just around the corner, it seemed…
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…
Knitter Projects: Melanie’s Shine Mittens
I know it is hard to fathom ever being cold again, with summer being what it is and all, but winter is coming, and you will be cold again. Promise. So cold, you might even need to wear mittens lest your little fingers freeze, and what better way to prepare for winter than to knit yourself a…
Designer Feature: Casablanca by Nancy Vandivert
There is something incredibly satisfying and thrilling about design a yarn and pattern support to go along with it, but it is a whole other thing to see others be inspired by and create patterns in the yarn! The July 2018 Twist Collective was published recently, and the issue includes lovely mosaic shawl designed by Nancy Vandivert using two…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…