There are so many things in the world that can give us inspiration; nature, music, cities, civil rights movements, the people we love, and fine art. Dream In Color finds inspiration in all of these, and we’re always looking for more. Recently, while inspired by some of Veronica’s favorite paintings, we put together kits to make the gorgeous shawl you see above: Phosphoro by Hilary Smith Callis.

Starry Night Over Rhone by Vincent Van Gogh is both bright and deep, capturing the iconic color play for which Van Gogh is known. The kit contains The King, Hey Sunshine, Karma Chameleon, and Rain Cloud.

Ram’s Head With Hollyhock by Georgia O’Keeffe is especially close to our hearts because of our recent relocation to the Southwest. The kit contains Tex Mex, Angel’s Landing, Tumbleweed, and Tidal.

Dance of Life by Edvard Munch displays so much warmth and merriment! The kit contains Melon Bomb, Crying Dove, Chocolate Night, and Carmen.

Bird on Money by Jean-Michel Basquiat is such a vibrant, exciting inspiration! The kit contains Azure Cove, Valentine, Amber Glass, and Violet’s Blueberry.

Each of these kits comes with 2 full 400-yard skeins of Smooshy with Cashmere, and 2 150-yard partial skeins.

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Kate Oates, the creator of some adorable children’s sweater patterns, has just released a book of some gorgeously sophisticated sweater designs! We’re especially excited about the three designs in it that feature our yarn, but we’d be lying to say we’re not tempted to try every design in the book. These designs are current, stream-lined, and unique; three wonderful qualities when searching for the perfect sweater pattern.

Pictured above is the Plaza Hoodie, a comfy piece knit with Canyon, our aran-weight yarn. This looks like something one could live in autumn through spring!

Next up is the Downtown Pullover, knit up in our Classy base; if you’re looking for a perfectly masculine sweater, look no farther!  This sweater actually originated as the heart-meltingly adorable Grove pattern, also using Classy!

I mean, seriously. Look at those shoulder pads on that little man. Both of these sweaters make me want to try putting zippers in my knitting.

Speaking of Zippers, take a look at the Joey Sweater, made with our vibrant and soft Classy with Cashmere! There’s a sexy, deep V-neck, exposed zipper, and high-low side split hem; very fashion-forward!

It’s available now as an e-book, and you can choose to include a preorder of the physical book with your purchase.  Go on over to her blog to see her post about the book!

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I’ve been a huge fan of Lee Meredith for the better part of a decade now, and I find her patterns to be perfect to use just one skein of yarn. Her fascinating ways of changing direction, creating designs that fit any gauge, and creative uses for small amounts of yarn make her my go-to designer when it comes to finding something for that one skein.

Pictured above is Vanguard, a multi-directional hat for any weight of yarn. Make it with stripes of yarn from your stash, or that one beautiful, variegated skein of Classy that you’ve been saving for the perfect project!

Another fantastic option for one skein is Rumours, a captivating fingerless glove design, also made for any gauge. Wouldn’t they be wonderful with some beautiful Jilly or Smooshy?

Check out her Ravelry Store for more ideas!

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Just because we love wool doesn’t mean we’re sheep. But every now and then a trend pops up that you can’t –and why would you– ignore. Over the past few years, asymmetrical shawls have taken over our instagram feeds, ravelry projects, and blog posts. They look so amazing both stretched out (The Joker And The Thief, above) and around our necks (Leftie, below).

There are different ways to be asymmetrical; there’s the classic boomerang shape, which gets you a gorgeous stash-buster like the ubiquitous (and dare I say Original?) Hitchhiker. The Ravelry search for “boomerang” will get you some marvelous results!

Another method to make a gorgeous, asymmetrical piece is to use short-rows, like Joji Locatelli’s Pure Joy, pictured above, Color Affection by Veera Välimäki or Stephen West’s The Doodler.

Then there are the bias-knit shawls, such as Lilli Pilli, by Ambah O’Brien, or Clapotis, by Kate Gilbert–these are versatile, wearable, as well as striking.

Speaking of asymmetrical shawls, we are overjoyed to announce Christopher Salas’s Colors of Love pattern, a super-creative shawl that starts in the round, then goes off in different angles off of a square. Seriously, a super cool pattern made out of our Love is Love yarn!

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It uses ribbing to add texture and strategically placed increases to make a beautiful scalloped edge. It’s unique, warm, and something you can whip up in less than a week (if your entire life is knitting, like it is for me)!

If you were wondering what to do with a single skein of Jilly, look no further than her gorgeous Bracket Form:

This garter-stitch wrap uses yarn-over increases (no short-rows!) to create the beautiful crescent shape that hugs your shoulders and, though the sample doesn’t show, would most likely be extraordinary with our variegated yarns. Also, I know this is One-Skein Monday, but there are options in the pattern to make it larger, perhaps to even make some stripes with scraps in your stash! Just sayin’, the possibilities are endless!

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The idea behind One-Skein Mondays is not to limit ourselves to patterns that have been designed exclusively for Dream In Color, but to seek out patterns that could be absolutely gorgeous when knitted with our yarn!  Each Monday until Christmas, we will post one fingering-weight and one worsted- or dk-weight pattern. Spoiler Alert: Many hats!

For the worsted pattern this week, we are happy to introduce Cúram by Ysolha Teague: a gorgeous hat that combines ribbing with cables in an unexpected way. Imagine this beauty in Classy with Cashmere!

For the fingering-weight pattern, we find the Ostia Hat by Sarah Wilson incredibly enticing; a mix of ribbing, cables, and lace makes this hat anything but ordinary. This is the perfect project for your lonely skein of Smooshy!

Do you have ideas for some 1-skein projects you’d like to see featured in this segment? Post in the comments section!

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We are so excited to introduce our new, ultra-bright colors! Carmen Miranda is a wild tangerine, Whip & Chill is a strikingly bright yellow, Little Green Men is a zesty lime green, Violet’s Blueberry is the color one turns after trying untested gum at a strange candy factory, The King is a royal purple, and Pink Bean is a decadent fuchsia!

Walk on the wild side with these beauties–perfect for a jolt of color next to a neutral, paired together for an extra infusion of character, or glowing on its own!

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Speaking of finished objects, take a look at this stunning coat from the recently released book “Free Spirit Knits”:

The recently released book, by Anne Podlesak, is a beautiful collection of patterns (this coat included). You can take a look at all the patterns here. It features an amazingly familiar aesthetic to us here in the southwest and has patterns ranging from simple to experienced, and we LOVE that this coat uses Classy in some of our most beautiful colors.

The colors you see above are Chinatown Apple, Blue Sulk, Atomic Blue and Gold Experience. Let’s take a look at these colors together outside the garment:

What do these yarns have in common that make them look so wonderful as a knitted fabric? Their value. What do I mean by value? Well let’s approach a little color theory today!!!!

If I break color theory down into three of it most basic components, they are as follows: Hue, Saturation and Value. These three words all mean something different and have a different effect on the colors we perceive. I’ll briefly describe these terms below.

HUE

A color’s family. Ruby has a red hue. Emerald has a green hue. Sapphire has a blue hue… etc, etc.

SATURATION

Think of this as “dull” vs. “bright”. The INTENSITY of the hue. For example, in our line of colors,  Melon Bomb and Rose Anguish are the same hue and value, and have different saturations.

With pigments, we do this by increasing the amounts of gray. The grayer the color, the less saturated it will appear. This can also be accomplished by adding a color’s complement. For example, by adding purple to yellow in exactly equal parts, one would achieve grey.

VALUE

Think of this as “dark” vs. “light”. The amount of black or white in the color. For example, our colors Navy Zeal and Prince William have the same hue and saturation, but different values:

What does all this mean? Well, color theory gives us wonderful tools with which to play with color. Anne Podlesak’s beautiful 4-color coat pictures above uses yarns that all have the same value (amount of white or black). Someone else may choose to design color work in yarns of similar hues but with different values (a monochromatic piece), and others still may chose yarns of different values and hues, but of the same saturation (a muted palette).  Take a look at some of the examples of these palettes below:

Colors with the same saturation (level of “dullness” or grey) and differing values (“lightness”) and hues:

Colors with the same saturation (“dullness”) and value (“lightness”) and different hues:

Colors with the same hues and saturation (“dullness”), and different values (“lightness”):

Now on to the next part of this post – how do I make this work for me? In discussing how we could translate this information into something you, as a knitter can use, Veronica (one of our owners) and I determined that in choosing colors for a stranded color work piece, a striped piece, or any other piece of knitwear with multiple colors, what the most important factor is, is that one of the variables described above be DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT from the others. For example, Anne Podlesak’s coat above is successful because while the values of the colors are relatively similar, the saturation and hues are very different. This is evident in almost any color work you see. Take a look at Veronica’s arcoiris scarf:

The colors are gorgeously saturated, but the values and hues are drastically different. Adding to this thought, works that are monochromatic work because the values are drastically different while the hues and saturation remain the same.

Why is this the case? The answer is the color wheel!!!

If all three elements (hue, saturation and value) are too similar, we end up with points on the color wheel that are too similar to each other to provide enough contrast or distinction to be apparent.

Hopefully, this will give you the information to create the color combinations of your Dreams. My advice when choosing colors the next time you’re in a yarn shop would be as follows: Make deliberate choices about what you want out of your colors. Observe their qualities. Hue is the easy choice for most of us (i.e. “I like reds” or “I like blue”). From there, have fun! Think about all the combinations which can be available to you with your new knowledge of color theory. Ask yourself, which of the color elements is different from the others? Which are the same? You will find a whole world opened to you that wasn’t before.

“Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.”

-Claude Monet

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This week I want to talk about another thing that we love so much at Dream in Color: Cashmere.

Currently, we have 3 yarns that contain Cashmere: Classy with Cashmere, Smooshy with Cashmere and Jilly with Cashmere. Each of them are amazing and unique and in each yarn, the cashmere brings something a little different. In knitting swatches with these yarns, I felt compelled to write this blog post about Cashmere. Cashmere is special and coveted for a reason (many reasons, in fact), and has some really wonderful qualities that I think we should discuss.

Where does cashmere come from? This, until recently, was a hotly debated topic in the fiber world. Up until around the 1980’s, “cashmere” was simply defined by the length, micron count, and crimp structure of the fiber itself, meaning it could come from virtually any animal as long as it was fine, crimpy, and not too long. This led to garments being labeled as Cashmere that really were not, and sometimes even fine short wool was labeled this way to increase price points! Recently, organizations like the CCMI (Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute), The FTC and The Cashmere Goat Association have successfully limited what can be labeled as cashmere to the fibers that come from the downy undercoat of a cashmere goat.

The cutest cashmere goat you’ll ever see.

Now I know you REALLY want to know: “Why is cashmere expensive? Goats aren’t endangered or rare! What’s up with that, Jimmy?”. Cashmere is expensive for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, each cashmere goat, on a yearly basis, only process about 8oz of fiber. Now, if I put that into context for you, this means that each goat can only produce enough for about 2 balls of yarn per year! Another large factor in the expense of Cashmere is the way it is harvested from the animals. The cashmere has to be manually combed out from the goat (no shearing!) and then dehaired and sorted for grade. Take a look at some raw cashmere as it came off the goat:

Photo Credit to “thefiberofmybeing.net”

Doesn’t really look like the cashmere we know and love, does it? A lot of work goes into pulling the soft downy fibers from that bristly ball of hair! So there you have it! Cashmere costs some serious money because it is not plentiful, and difficult to produce.

But what is all the fuss about? Well… the cashmere goats are endemic to places like northern Indian and high mountain places where the climate is very cold. Their down coats are designed to keep them warm up on those high mountains. It is fine and has a tight crimp pattern to trap air. The air being trapped keeps those goats warm, and thankfully, that warmth translates when the fiber is processed into yarn. Because the fiber is fine, it is incredibly soft. This is the primary factor in softness. What do I mean by fine? I don’t mean “high quality”. When I talk about the fineness of a fiber, I specifically mean how big each fiber is. Fibers are measured in terms of how many microns thick they are. Wools can range from 15 to 25 minors, and cashmere, legally must be LESS than 19 microns, and is frequently between 11-14 microns. What does this mean? Softness abounds!

We love Cashmere at Dream in Color because of its amazing qualities described above. Blended with wool, the finished yarn has softness, warmth, durability and a lovely matte finish (cashmere is matte because of the crimp). It readily takes dyes and can usually be washed in cool on the washing machine, and if you’ve ever used any of our Cashmere blend yarns, you will know that they are truly special.

Yarns made with cashmere are in high demand because they are so soft and warm. The demand for these yarns often times exceeds the supply, which is the true definition of a luxury product. Anyone who has felt 100% cashmere fabric will know just why everyone wants this stuff. Cashmere is magical. Use it and love it (as your budget permits of course).

“I believe in Cashmere” -Fran Lebowitz

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The first thing to address is: WHAT IS SUPERWASH WOOL? Now, I don’t mean to explain to you that Superwash wool is wool that will not felt or shrink when washed. I’m sure that you already know that. What I mean to tell you is how Superwash wool is created. The process of making a wool “Supwerwash” is completed in two ways:

1. The wool is treated with a polymer or resin to coat the little scales that cover it and prevent the wool from locking up and felting.
2. The wool is soaked in a chemical bath to remove the scales entirely (this is the removal of the cuticle – the layer on a wool follicle that contains the little scales).

Typically, a majority of the yarns that we see in the industry are made Superwash with method number 1 above. The second method (while maybe more permanent in the long term) is costly, and slow. Superwash wool is a trademarked marketing tool. It must meet specific standards to be marketed that way. These are standards that are met by the facilities that process the wool. If these standards are not met, the wool may be marketed as “machine washable” but not as Superwash.

So what gives some people pause when it comes to Superwash?

I read a lot. I spend a lot of time browsing through articles on the internet, reading books, and finding any resource I can to expand my knowledge of the fiber industry. In that time spent on the computer and with my head buried in a book, I have come across a lot of opinions on Superwash wool. Some of these opinions are bad, some are good, but its really difficult as a consumer to know which opinions to take seriously and which opinions to take with a grain of salt. I don’t think we can boil it down this way, because each opinion has merit. The best we can do is go off the evidence we come across and rely on what our actual experience is. In my case, my experience has told me that Superwash wool is a practical, safe and user friendly option for those people who find wool care instructions too cumbersome.

The first myth I encountered about Superwash wools is that they are toxic. I’ll debunk this one right away. Superwash wool on the shelf of you favorite LYS is not a concern for toxicity. My reading tells me that people feel this way because industrial grade chemicals and large equipment are used to create the Superwash wool. These chemicals are not harmful to people once the wool is processed and finished. Many other countries produce Superwash wool, and have higher standards than the US for protecting the health and wellness of their people (Germany is probably the most applicable example of this point). In short, no, Superwash Wools will not harm you.

The next thing I encountered a lot in my reading is people asking questions about the permanency of Superwash wool. Can the resin or polymer be washed off the wool, at which point it will no longer be Superwash? It is true that excessive heat can damage the polymer or resin that coats the wool, but for the casual hobbyist, your commercial washing machine doesn’t even come close to the temperature that could damage the coating. Industrial manufacturers may be more wary of this, but ultimately, the high temperatures needed to damage the coating would also be likely to damage the wool.

The last recurring issue I saw a lot while reading is that Superwash is difficult to work with, because it tends to be slippery, slick and can grow a lot during blocking, but these are easy things to account for. If they yarn is too slick for your tastes, try using bamboo needles, and if you find your piece grow significantly during blocking, a toss in the dryer should tighten everything back up slightly.

After sharing my opinions on the common issues people have with Superwash wool, I’d now like to share some really wonderful things about Superwash wool that cause me to continue to use it.

The big obvious one is that I can put it in the washing machine. I still have to make sure the cycle is on gentle, and, as with all knits, I have to put my garments in a laundry bag so snags don’t happen, but being able to wash something in the machine takes away from having to hand wash. I have read people blog all about how hand washing really isn’t that much of a burden, and they’re right. It’s not complicated or difficult, it just sucks up a little more time and energy than machine washing, and time and energy are precious commodities that none of us have enough of anyway.

The second reason I love Superwash wool is it’s slick and slippery quality. Anyone who has used both Superwash and non-Superwash wool will know what I’m talking about. The Superwash yarn is smooth and (in my opinion) not as scratchy as its untreated counterparts. Now, whether in the case of the coated wool or the wool with the cortex removed, both prevent the scales from coming in direct contact with the skin. Guess what this means?! Less itch! Now, the itch that may still be there is some fibrillated fibers from when they were spun (that’s a fancy was of saying that there’s little pokey ends coming out of the yarn that are too small for us to see), but I can say with confidence that the Superwash process can greatly reduce the itchiness of the wool.

The last thing I love about Superwash is something dear to us at Dream in Color, and that is the way they take dyes. This is probably especially true in the case of wool stripped of its cuticle, when the melanin (stuff that gives wool its natural color) is also removed, and in the case of the resin/polymer coated wools, their smooth texture means they reflect light more lustrously than untreated wool. Our yarns like Classy, Jilly, and Smoosy are BEAUTIFULLY receptive to dyes, as I’m sure you can all agree. There’s something magical about the way dyes looks on Superwash wool.

Go forth and use Superwash. Use it for baby things, use it for yourself and use it for anything and everything that you want to. It’s great stuff.

“I have always been interested in materials, and in transforming them” -Helmut Lang

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