Exploring Colorwork with Peerie

Colorwork traditions have steadily been on our minds since we began the development of Peerie, our first fingering-weight, worsted-spun yarn. Deeply rooted in knitting traditions from around the world, we have always had a fond place in our knitterly hearts for the use of color to transform knit fabric into a work of art representative of the region from which the chosen technique originated. The Shetland Isles are well known for their colorwork traditions, and the name "Peerie" comes from the Shetland vernacular meaning "small" — it felt apropos to name our newest core yarn as such, especially given that peerie bands played a large role in the development of Peerie's color palette. 

With a mix of familiar colors from Vale and Arbor as well as new colorways unique to Peerie, its palette is our most expansive to date, with 45 colors that offer a rainbow of options for discerning and playful makers alike. The joyful interplay of color that can be captured by simply alternating between shades is a source of endless inspiration to us, and one that we never tire of. If you’ve ever worked a Fair Isle, stranded, or any other kind of colorwork motif, you likely know how important it is to have a range of hues and values to choose from. You may recall our recent post about creating a color story for a Galloway cardigan. These tips can be applied to any colorwork project and help with the selection of a Peerie palette, which includes 11 light values, 13 medium values, and 21 dark values. This range of colors provides a variety of tonal variations within each color family — enough choices and combinations to keep a knitter busy for quite a while!*

Though designed with colorwork in mind, Peerie is equally beautiful when used to showcase other stitchwork. Our lookbook, available on May 30, will feature an exploration of the textures, cables, and lace fabrics that can be created with Peerie and will serve as a source of inspiration to guide you through your wardrobe planning. 

Seeing Peerie in the hands of makers marks a new chapter in our yarn family. Its production strengthens our bond with our domestic supply chain partners, namely Jagger Brothers where the yarn is spun and Maine Dye and Textiles where the yarn is skein-dyed. Peerie is a continuation of our intention to expand upon our breed-specific yarn offerings, this time with a new fiber source: 100% Merino wool humanely sheared from sheep raised in the American West.

Peerie will be available for purchase on May 30 — we can’t wait for you to join us in celebrating the arrival of this beautiful yarn!

*Never knit colorwork before? That’s okay! Our upcoming Foundations series will be covering this topic so be sure to sign up for our Outpost newsletter if you haven't yet.