If you’re ready for some color to perk up the darker months, you’ll love December’s Monthly Yarn Sale: 20% off all Stroll Hand Painted. Although we have yet to hit “official” Winter, some days it feels like the best of Fall is behind us. Where we call home, the leaves have fallen, the grey days seem to have set in, and it’s anyone guess the next time we’ll see real sunshine. Even the affirmed sun-averse like myself can find ourselves yearning for something bright. Stroll Hand Painted is the perfect answer, especially at 20% off!
The fingering weight Stroll base is exactly what you could want for socks. The superwash Merino wool makes it super soft and super squishy, great for sensitive feet, while the Nylon gives it the durability that you need to make the socks it’s intended for last. But the gentle twist and loft actually lends itself well to accessories like shawls and cowls. Either way, it’s machine-washable, making it perfect for gifts to non-knitters.
The real appeal of the Hand Painted is, of course, the color. Color schemes are hand-picked and hand-painted, giving every skein unpredictable waves and splashes of color. It’s the flair of colorwork, without the. . .work! While complicated stitches might get a little lost, a single skein of Hand Painted will make a multihued masterpiece of even a simple stockinette sock. But that’s not to say that you can’t have fun with handpainted yarns; I’ve picked out a few patterns specifically designed for Stroll Hand Painted yarn that show the variety of possibilities for getting the most out it.
Arrow Gloves
Our first pattern is part of our On the Go collection (which features 3 patterns for Stroll Hand Painted, available in print or ebook). It’s already one of our most popular glove patterns, and you can probably see why! Using a highly contrasted colorway, Red Wing Blackbird, with a simple stitch that alters the line of color, it shows off the contrasts in a unique and interesting way. With Hand Painted, the color does most of the work for you, so a little texture goes a long way!
Charlatan Shawl
Our second pattern pairs a Hand Painted colorway, Coffeehouse, with a Tonal colorway, Mocha, both in Stroll. The subtle color of the Tonal allows for some lace and tones down the more contrasting color changes of the Hand Painted, which draws out the rich tones of the former and gives the shawl the color and drama it would otherwise lack. This shawl has a lot going on, but the pairing of colorways balances everything out nicely.
Sci-Fi Socks
And finally we have a sock pattern! Even with a strongly-colored variegation, it’s still possible to do some interesting colorwork. These socks pair a strong Hand Painted with a solid color (also Stroll) to coordinate and emphasize by picking out a contrasting color that matches a color in the Hand Painted that you want to draw out.
So, whether you want something simple and still colorful, an interesting pattern with dramatic colorwork, or to spice up another pattern with some variegation, Stroll Hand Painted gives you plenty of options for drear-busting socks and accessories. Find a Stroll Hand Painted pattern and get your favorite colorway early before they sell out!
