Colourful and practical – new additions to the Knitpro collections

We have some beautiful new tools joining the KnitPro range this autumn that we hope you will agree are a real treat for knitters and crocheters.

Zing range

First up, by popular demand we have some additions to the metal Zing range with the launch of our first crochet hooks in our smooth colourful finish. The single ended hooks are available individually in sizes 2.00-6.00mm and as a set including nine popular sizes in a beautifully designed fabric pouch.

The colour-coded sizes match the knitting needle range, so if you are already using those it will be easy to spot the right hook in your collection.

The UK team have been trying out the Zing crochet hooks over the past couple of weeks and can report that the custom finish means they slip in and out of stitches with ease, making it easy to get into a crochet rhythm.

In addition – you asked and we answered – sizes 3mm and 3.25mm have been added to both the interchangeable and fixed circular needle ranges.

  

Vibrance pouches

These new bright mesh pouches are a cheerful addition to your craft storage. The as you can see below the largest size will easily contain a sock project and the medium is perfect if you are planning to crochet a few squares on the move and one of the team has already sorted lots of her notions and accessories into one of the small ones.

Available with button or zip closures we reckon they would be handy for a range of tasks from make-up bags to organising items when traveling – especially as you can easily see what’s inside.

Rainbow knit blockers

Our revolutionary blocking tool that speeds up the blocking process for knitters and crocheters alike, is now available in a rainbow pack featuring ten different colours.

Look out on social media in the next few weeks for our top tips on using these handy tools.

Zooni stitchmarkers

Keep track of where you are in your pattern with this fun range beaded stitch markers. The colours means they stand out easily against your work. Each design comes in a set of 12 in a cute mesh pouch – perfect as a gift to another knitter or as a little treat for yourself.

We’ll be taking a look at some more of our new products in the coming weeks.

Use a colour wheel to help your yarn choices

One look at our needle and hook collections will tell you the the KnitPro team loves colour. 
 

Zings, Trendz and Waves all add colour to your crafting kit

So it is not surprising that we love stripes, granny square, Fair Isle and anywhere else we can combine colours in yarn. And judging by the pictures you post on our social media channels so do you.

What can be hard sometimes is deciding what colours to use together. A useful tool, we sometimes turn to, is a colour wheel like the one pictured below.

The standard wheel you usually see has 12 segments as shown here. The primary colours, yellow, red and blue are shown at 12, 4 and 8 o’clock and secondary colours, orange, purple and green,  are at 2, 6 and 10 0’clock. Secondary colours are created by mixing two primary colours, for example red and yellow give orange, so they sit half way between the primary colours on the wheel.

The other colours here are known as tertiary colours and are made by mixing a primary and a secondary colour. So for example at 5 o’clock the red and purple are mixed to give a red-violet or shade. You could go on adding segments by mixing each colour with the one next to it to create a larger range of shades but twelve is a good place to start.

Using colours together

Among the ways to match colours are: 

• Similar shades: Choose yarns that sit in the same quarter of wheel such as reds and oranges – these are known as analogous colours.

•  Complimentary colours: These are colours that sit opposite each other on the wheel and provide good contrasts– yellow and purple, green and red etc. If you are looking for a subtler contrast, go for the colour to the immediate left of right of the one opposite.
•  Colour groups: For fair isle and crochet squares we are often looking for 3 or four colours to combine. Pick your colours evenly round the wheel for example  at 1, 5 and 9 o’clock or 1, 4, 7 and 10 o’clock.

This is known as colour theory, one of the easiest ways of using it with yarn – especially from your stash – is to arrange your skeins and balls in a circle in the correct positions for the colour wheel. This will really help you see what will work together – and what crucial shade you need to buy for your perfect colour combination.