New Stylecraft Special Colours

I'm pretty sure I don't need to give any sort of introduction to this yarn, it's been my main go-to yarn for blanket making since 2010. Over the seven years that I've been using Stylecraft Special DK, there have been 22 new shades added to the already impressive colour palette, and now I am thrilled to tell you we are being spoilt with three more.  That means there are now 88 shades in total (made up of 8 variegated colours and 80 solid ones)

The lovely peeps at Stylecraft love keeping us on our toes I think, and they don't seem to have any real set times for introducing new shades. You might remember earlier this year I showed you the three new colours that were launched in the Spring ? They were Buttermilk, Vintage Peach and Mushroom and I was lucky enough to be in the know about these colours waaaay before they appeared on the shelves. In fact I had been holding onto this top-secret intel for soooo many months it almost did me in! 

This time around however, these three new colours came as a complete surprise and the first I knew about them was when the yarn landed on my doorstep in a cardboard box last month. 

So let me introduce you to Blush, Lincoln and Lapis. Hello, pretty new colours!!

Now unless you have access to the whole range of Special DK, it can be hard to tell exactly how these new colours might fit in. That's where me and my trusty yarn pegs can help you out - shall we take a closer look?

First, lets look at Blush. This is an incredibly pretty mid-tone pink, very girly and gorgeous. As you can see in the above picture it's very similar to the existing Fondant shade, but with a little bit more subtlety about it. I would say it's a bit more floral inspired rather than candy-sweet inspired! It sits beautifully next to Vintage Peach (although it maybe makes the V-Peach look a wee bit dirty?!), and I think will be easy to work with in a lot of different colour schemes.

Next up we have Lincoln, and I have to tell you I absolutely LOVE this colour. It's one that has been on my personal wish list for quite some time, and I think Stylecraft has really given us something inspirational with this colour. It's soft and pretty without being wishy-washy, and fits so so well with many of the current soft/vintage shades (oh, you should see it next to Duck Egg - so so good!!). When I looked at this colour on it's own, I thought at first that it looked very similar to Sage, but as you can see from the above picture, there is actually quite a difference between the two. It really is beautiful and I can't wait to have a play with it.

Finally we come to the new Lapis, which is a strong and vibrant shade of blue. This one is probably my least favourite - it's quite a knock out colour, and would need some strong partnering shades to sit with it comfortably. Also, as you can see above, it's very, very similar to the existing Lobelia colour which seems a shame to me. I think there is a bigger gap between Aster and the paler blues which could have been filled with something very pretty and more versatile.....but maybe that might come next time??!!

I get so much pleasure from playing around with these colours and dreaming up new palettes and colour-stories. SOoooo. Much. Fun!! I find I am very drawn to this soft palette which instantly takes me back to my young childhood, and these colours remind me of my beautiful Grandma. I have memories of a soft pouffy floral eiderdown, the scent of lavender, pretty hand embroidered table cloths, afternoon tea, a walled rose garden, running in damp grass with bare feet, walking quiet country lanes picking wild flowers.  These colours are soft, pretty and highly nostalgic for me, and you can see how well Lincoln and Blush fit in with this palette...sooooo pretty!

Lapis needs strong company, and mixes well with a vibrant palette of rich jewel colours. These are cold-weather colours to me as they remind me of Christmas baubles and tins of foil-wrapped chocolates, log fires and candlelight. They are cosy and joyful, and make me think of all that is good about the cold season - celebration, family and home comforts.

And in other colourful news.....my Summer Harmony blanket is finished and I cannot wait to show you! I took some time to block it, and it's now ready for a little bit of a photo shoot, I am so excited to show you how those squares look with the border added.  Come back tomorrow and join me for a gloriously happy Ta-dah Moment??!!!!

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ps in case you are wondering, this is not a sponsored post.

 

Comments

[Lucille Rich]

I really need to make some sample sticks like you have!! I'm sure it helps you with choosing the colors much easier for your projects! Love everything you do!

[Lynne Armstrong]

Fingers crossed that you're going to make a blanket with that gorgeous vintage-y palette Lucy......those colours are all stunning together! I LOVE Lincoln!! And Blush is lovely. Not so keen on Lapis, I agree that it's too similar to Lobelia.
Hugs from Downunder :) xx

[maura]

what website shows 88 colors?

[Caroline]

The colour pallet you have put together to showcase the Lapis is absolutely beautiful! It works really well with those jewel colours. But you're right, in the photo with the other blues it gets a little lost.

[Ali Dufty]

Looking forward to your newest ta-dah !I always admire your play with bold colours .You always make it work !! :) . I tend to play 'safe' , and generally gravitate to more muted shades . Good old Stylecraft , they've come up trumps again with the new shades .Delicious , but I must admit I'm not as 'loyal' to one brand as you , and have enjoyed using Paintbox's 'Pistachio' green ( which I have to say is almost identical to the Stylecraft 'Lincoln' but just a teensy bit lighter ) in my latest vintage-inspired project . I hope they will bring out a pale dusky pink one day , maybe I'll write to them !!! .....
Glad you had a lovely break in Dorset - lovely pics as usual . Hope you aren't affected by the adverse weather at 'home' now though :/ ??!!

[Samantha Parker]

I always love your posts about color - so well thought out and interesting. I often bookmark them to refer to in classes (I teach Home Economics to secondary students). However, what I enjoy even more than your knowledge or artistic eye or skill... is your JOY!! You get so excited by your work, it shows through all your posts and just makes me smile when I read them. Thank you for sharing your joy with us!

[Kay]

You are an artist with your yarn!

That blanket, it looks lovely.

[Charlotte.]

Thank you for the update.

[CJ]

Gorgeous new shades, something for everyone I think. It's always lovely to see what different people put together. I'm really drawn to the muted blues and greens at the moment. CJ xx

[Jo Hyde]

Oh Lucy, you make it very hard to ignore your beautiful colour combos and stick with the existing project finishing those LONG borders(yawn!) and not have another unfinished project in the corner!! Playing with new colours is a tempting diversion but I will be sooooo chuffed when Summer Harmony is done,, its so pretty, Thank you for always inspiring us all and sharing as you do.

[bekki]

I'm concocting a colour combination for a blanket using lincoln. I've been hoping for that colour for ages. It was great to see how lincoln looks next to the vintage-y colours

[Lizzie]

Ooohh how I wish I could find those colours here in Argentina!!! Beautiful Lucy!

[Cathy Jupp]

Please use any influence you may have with Stylecraft to persuade them to offer more - far more - colours in their Special Aran range. It's a wonderful yarn, but the colour choice is paltry compared to Special DK.
Thank you.

[Carole]

Thank you for this lovely blanket, Lucy. I have only the last two rows to do and then it's done. Looking at the photo on your blog, it looks as though the last row is worked slightly differently from the previous treble rows. Am I right or am I seeing things?!

[Lori]

On pins and needles (and hooks!) The most beautiful colors in this blanket and the most beautiful border ever !!

[Susan Smith]

Lovely new colours & I've just ordered your hydrangea pack & another couple of balls for DD & one for a scarf I'm knitting for Missy Moo (grandie), but they probably won't be here for another couple of weeks, due to their long journey. Look forward to seeing the new blanket in full. Have a good week & take care.

[Gill]

Absolutely spot on with the Quality Street colours ...very Christmassy indeed!

[Michele]

I'm in Canada and order this yarn from Wool Warehouse often. I cannot get these colours and this price point at local retailers. It's the most economical way for me to make blankets. Every time I get a new colour I make a small granny square with it so I have a colour reference for blanket planning, I also bought the shade card, but it's easier to use a small swatch. Also, when I order, I add one or two more colours that I don't need at the time, to add to my collection, as I'm sure I'll use them eventually ;) Looking forward to my next order so I can get these new ones!

[Rana]

Deborah, you can get the yarn by ordering through Wool Warehouse. Postage to the US is not overly expensive--I think for my last huge order it was something like $11.95.

[Deborah]

I wish we could get that yarn in the U.S.

[Angela-Southern USA]

I can always count on you Lucy for my color fix for the day. ; )) All yarn companies should have such range of colors!

[Kate Perry]

Thank you Lucy. I will have to wait to build up a full order (to make the most of a set international postage I need to but 18 balls), but then I shall order the new colours. i try to keep one ball of each colour in my stash. I love just playing with it, even when I am not planning a new project. I am a little disappointed in the Lapis as I love using lobelia and don't feel this is sufficiently different. But maybe will will get a lighter blue next time. i can't wait for the summer sunshine to cool down a few degrees so I can get back to my wool work. Kate x

[Shelly ~ 78thStitch]

This is definitely and by far the most inspiring, exciting and informative post about the new Stylecraft Special colours I have read! Thank you so very much, Lucy - I can't wait to get my hands on these new colours and play with them!!

[Mia]

Oh, new colours are vry exciting! I usually love everything blue, and Lapis is such a nice name, but by the photos it seems Blush and Lincoln do enrich this colour palette so much more. Is this due to end of season, but I even like the combination of Lincoln and Blush... dreaming of roses. Looking forward to the Ta-dah of the summer harmony blanket (I sure am in need of some harmony time - thanks for your great work!)

[mirjam]

Thanks for this Lucy! To see all of the colours combined is such a joy!!