Here at Knit With Attitude we have a wide range of brands available, but you don’t have to stick to just one when planning your project. Plenty of different combinations can be achieved by mixing and matching. Not only does it widen your potential palette of colours, but it can also make things more affordable. Especially when combining that special hand dyed skein with a more budget friendly commercially dyed one. I have browsed the shelves and pulled out some of our favourite combinations and included some project ideas to get you thinking.

Let’s start with the classic two colour sock project. Contrasting toes, heels and cuffs are a great way to jazz up a simple project. Garnsurr Søkke Merino and Coopknits Socks Yeah 4ply go perfectly together. Both merino nylon blends, they are tough and hard wearing. Socks Yeah is also great to use for the parts of a sock that get the most wear. Ideal for adding hard wearing toes and heels to a less sturdier yarn. Pictured here are  Garnsurr Søkke Merino in Kvitkrull and Socks Yeah!4ply in 119 Larimar.

This combo would look great knitted up as Shirley by Rachel Coopey. This textural pair of socks can be found in CoopKnits Socks Yeah Volume 1 and uses contrast colour for the ribbing and toe.

Of course our favourite cross brand projects are fades! I love how you can dip in an out of a dyers different styles and find interesting similarities between skeins. There are two dyers we have here in the shop that dye on Merino Singles and I find myself constantly drawn to them. They are Hedgehog Fibres and Black Elephant. Both dyers have a unique style that brings different things when putting together a combination. Seen here are Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles in Kelp, Black Elephant Merino Singles in Harvest Moon and Pebbles and Hedgehog Fibres Skinny Singles in Pesto. But there are so many more.

I would love to see a combination like this used for Fading Point by Joji Locatelli. A stunning five colour shawl with takes fading to another level. Working towards the centre you have fading diagonals which create a radiating pattern of colour. 

A combination that has worked well for lots of projects is mixing Hedgehog Fibres Merino DK and John Arbon Knit by Numbers. Two 100% Merino yarns  that are really compatible. The speckled craziness of Hedgehog fibres, bounces off the solid colours in the Knit by Numbers range. Seen here is Hedgehog Fibres Merino DK in Pistachio and John Arbon Knit by Numbers in KBN86.

Maya has used these two yarns when she knit her Askews Me – read about it on our earlier blog post.

If you are less into a sharp contrast created by pairing a solid with a variegated or speckled yarn then try the not quite solid, slightly variegated Fyberspates Vivacious. These hand dyed colours vary across the skein creating a softer contrast but still within a family of colours. Seen here are Fyberspates Vivacious DK in Smokey Joe and Hedgehog Fibres Merino DK in Poppy. 

Fyberspates Vivacious works well with John Arbon Knit by Numbers as well and I have used these two when I knit Stellate by Julie Knits In Paris. A gorgeous two colour shawl made for fun colour play with slipped stitches and brioche.

Two solids that work well together are CoopKnits Socks Yeah DK and John Arbon Knit by Numbers DK. Two sturdy yarns in a fun range of colours. The socks yeah in 50g are perfect for little accents, If you just want to throw in a little extra colour. With some high contrasting shades between the two you are bound to find a great colourwork combo. Socks Yeah DK in 18 Quartz and John Arbon Knit by Numbers in KBN92.

I seem to have shawls on the mind today and have come across this stunner of a design that is made for electric colour combinations. Relentless by Tamy Gore has brioche, colourwork and eyelet holes. One for indulging in some of your own favourite colour combinations.