New Stylecraft Special Colours

I've just had to check and double check my dates as I would have bet a serious amount of good chocolate on the fact that Stylecraft released new shades to their Special DK range this time last year, in the Spring of 2018. In fact, it was August the previous year in 2017, yes really it was. Not last year then, but the year before that. Well I never - I certainly lost that particular bet with myself.

I'm delighted to tell you that there are very soon to be four new shades coming to my favourite blanket-making yarn. The size of the Stylecraft Special DK range is already impressive with 80 solid shades and a further 8 marled shades. I absolutely LOVE (in big, over excited capital letters) that the Special colours remain consistent and aren't ever discontinued. In fact there have been over twenty new colours added since I first began using SSDK almost 9 years ago now, and I think the colour range is now very brilliant indeed. There is a fabulous mix of strong brights, beautiful neutrals, pretty pastels and recently an ever increasing number of very sophisticated colours (think the yarny equivalent of Farrow & Ball). It just keeps getting better and better.

What I love about the colour development at Stylecraft is that the decisions are made by people who really love using colour themselves and understand it, not just the business of making and selling it, but the creative emotion involved in designing successful and inspirational colour palettes. These are people who knit and crochet themselves, and I can't tell you how much I love the genuine creative passion that sits at the heart of the colourful decision making at Stylecraft Yarns. 

So without further delay, shall we take a look at the newbies?

Four new shades will be landing very soon, and there they are look ^^^

Cornish Blue, Spearmint, Powder Pink and Toy (yes Toy, I know, slightly odd but very apt!)

They are all lovely colours with a subtlety about them which makes them very easy on the eye. There is nothing brash or acrylicky (yes, I'm claiming that as a real word) about these colours, they are just delightful and blend wonderfully into the existing range as if they were always meant to be there.....

.....what do you think? I'm sure you will immediately have your favourite picked out, you may even feel that all four of these new colours could have a place in future projects.

Shall we take a look at each of them more closely and see how they fit in?

Cornish Blue - as the name suggests, this blue is inspired by the famous stripy Cornishware pottery  and is a lovely mid blue colour. It sits closely next to Aster but as it has a slight grey tone to it, there is a definite affinity with Storm Blue. 

Spearmint - this is probably my favourite of the four as my heart is naturally drawn to the blue-green shades. Spearmint sits closely next to Aspen but think of it as Aspen's more sophisticated counterpart. As with Cornish Blue, Spearmint contains an element of grey tone which stops it from being too mint-ice-cream sweet. It's a beautiful colour in real life, strong but subtle.

Toy - apparently this colour was developed in response to a great many customer requests over the years. There was a need for a natural skin tone which would be suitable for toy making, hence the name. I am beyond glad for the clever Toy name, as flesh and skin just give me the creeps. It's a fabulous colour actually, and one of those which changes a lot depending on the light, and on the colours it sits next to. It's a warm neutral with a soft yellow tone, although it can take on a pinkish tint if it's placed amongst the pinks and apricots (sorry I meant to photograph this for you and forgot). It sits closely next to Stone.

Powder Pink - this was the biggest surprise for me in that I absolutely adored it the moment I saw it, and I am not usually one to fall for candy pastels. It is just so bloomin' pretty! It's soft and powdery, but again it has a very slight underlying grey tone which gives it a beautiful vintage vibe. It's a dirtier version of Candyfloss, and I mean that in the bestest kind of way!

I happened to have a ball of candyfloss in my my bag and wanted to show you them side by side.

Candyfloss on the left looks very acrylicky to me - pretty, but ever so slightly garish.

Powder Pink on the right looks soft and sophisticated by comparison, pale but not washed out. I think it's a massive success and can see it blending in with so many of the softly vintage shades that are already in the SSDK range.

I put the above palette together to show you all four of the new shades playing beautifully with the others. I could see these colours crocheted into a giant granny square blanket, all warm, nostalgic vintage charm.

Delightful!

I've been lucky enough to get my hands on these colours already, but I promise you won't have long to wait. All four new shades will be available in high street shops from 25th March, and with online retailers from 8th April.

I'll have some news for you soon about my new blanket too........I'm using two of the new colours and I am so so happy with it all! More soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Jill]

Can any one show me a picture of the Kasbah blanket I’ve only just completed the first colour and it doesn’t seem to look anything like the bit of blanket I can see,you can only see little die bits of it. Jill

[Lucy]

TB, thanks for that, I don't do Instagram and wouldn't have known how to do that. But I will contact them with the suggestion. There was a comment on a forum on Ravelry the other day about someone making dolls in a whole range of different skin tones, I meant to follow it up.

[TB]

Louise, Lucy, I've signposted to your comments on stylecraft Instagram, hope you don't mind. With all the conversations about inclusivity in the woolly community that have been happening recently, it feels like a monotone toy is a bit of a miss.

[LIsa Smallridge]

These are such fresh, soft colours - I instantly thought of 1950's decor. Very "now"! Lisa from Melbourne

[Lucy]

That's a terrific idea, Louise, we should write to Stylecraft and suggest it. It's stupid to imply that skin comes in only one colour! I'd be up for writing to them, but contact me if you want as it was you idea lucy -dot-kmptn-at-gmail-dot-com, or I'm on Ravelry as Acernegundo.

The colours could just be given people's names, rather than 'toy - white/black/Asian' whatever. They could commission designers to create a range of toy patterns to celebrate diversity.

[Louise]

Toy?? Singular "flesh" tone for (white) dolls? Why couldn't they just do a range of skin tones and call them the Toy Range?

[Lucy]

Colour is just endless isn't it? I feel that one life time simply won't be enough to get to the point of understanding it where you and the people you have met already are.

Interesting about 'toy'. The other commenter who said it was really referring to a 'Caucasian' skin tone, reminded me of one time when I was on an observation in school for teacher training, in a rural part of the UK, and an older(and generally not very aware) reception class teacher plonked down a pot of ghastly pale pink paint she'd mixed and told the children 'that's for people's faces'. The single black child in the class looked lost, and I felt quite angry and embarrassed. 'Flesh'.'skin' and 'nude' (which I find just as creepy as the other two!) all presuppose that's the default, natural, skin colour. However, it seems to me that 'toy' attempts to avoid that, it's a more neutral, opaque name,(it doesn't even refer to dolls), and was perhaps chosen with that in mind.

If one wants to make toys and dolls in any other colour, including non-white skin tones, other shades are also available, I guess!

[Laura]

Can't wait to see the new blanket. Can I be cheeky enough to ask for a winter blanket sometime - it would be lovely to have one to pull out for each season! :)
Thank you so much for sharing with us - we are so spoilt!!

[TB]

Toy fits if it is a very Caucasian skin tone, feels a bit exclusive?

[Izumi]

My "Hydrangea Stripe Blanket" has been completed!
Lucy, thank you so much !!
I enjoyed to knitting your pattern♪
I'd like also to challenge the next pattern.
Please enjoy your spring!

[Lesley]

Love the new colours but so wish that they would bring the colour range out in merino or a merino blend and also a cotton acrylic blend. I know they do Classique cotton but not enough colours from the Special range. I suppose it’s all down to cost.

[Jacqui]

AWW toy my brain when ay toy what kinda name is that!! didn't click at all about toys and yes its true it will work well he he
Cant wait for new blanket excited
Love the explanations and the new colours I have a shade card so will have to check any missing and just order anyway so can add to it
But like the idea of a peg bucket too
Thankyou

[Teresa Kasner]

Ohh.. I love the new colors. Not long ago I saw a blanket done in vintage looking pastels that was so pretty. You're such a tease on a new blanket.. lol.. can't wait to see. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[Moqiqi]

Lovely colors! I think they could have called it ‘nude’ instead of ‘toy’.

[Sandra]

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/598751329/crochet-pattern-hyacinth-bulb-spring

Thought the above pattern might appeal to you - in your own colours of course

[Alexine]

My first impression was that spearmint was the same as aspen, but when presented them together I could see the difference. My work in progress has aspen as the background color. I like cornflower blue, and I think the cornish yarn is like cornflower blue. I had not heard of cornish pottery (I'm located in the U.S. near Washington, DC), but I have admired so much about picturesque Cornwall (and the idea of cream tea with scones and jam). Do you think Cornwall is named after the corn flowers? Ha! I'm so glad I can get Stylecraft special yarn through your shop. That is the only way I know how to get it, and it has become my favorite. Happy early springtime to you. Alexine in Maryland

[Rachel]

They’re lovely. Although I now feel like a ‘former crafter’ it’s been nice seeing the newbies.

[Christine]

I *thought* I'd decided on the colours for a blanket for our bedroom, but am now wondering if the new Spearmint might be a better colour than the one I was thinking of using. I'm trying to colour-match the shades in our bedroom curtains and duvet cover (patterned stripes in green-toned blues, pale yellow and cream, with a bit of mocha thrown in).

[Cathy]

Hurrah that they have made toy, as I have struggled to find a decent colour for toys. As a matter of interest are the yarns made in the UK?

[Ondrea Delahoy]

I love them all and I think 3 of them will be perfect for me to crochet a baby blanket for my 2nd grandchild due in September. I love this SSDK since i was first introduced to it by you with the 1st CAL I did. Looking forward to seeing your new blanket.

[Mary W]

I just adore soft pastel colors and also monochromatic palettes which these would work into beautifully. These new colors are just yummy!

[Miss Daisy]

Such lovely colors !

[CJ]

They really do make an amazing range, there is literally something for everyone. The blues and neutrals are lovely. CJ xx

[Trudi]

The new colours are beautiful,esp. loving the spearmint.The palette is gorgeous, makes me want to get a crochet hook in action. Looking forward to your new project as always x

[Elsie]

Oooh, its been too long with no new colors. I love all the new colors, but Cornish blue is my favorite. Can't wait to see how you use them all.