Stylecraft Special - New Colours!


By the time you'll be reading this, I'll be off in sunny Spain enjoying some sand, sun and sea.  But, because one of the things I look forward to on our little Blogstar jaunts to visit Stylecraft HQ is finding out what the brand new shades of Stylecraft Special DK will be, I just had to set this post to appear while I was away...

There's an impressive 77 solid colours in the Special DK range so far and that's one of the main reasons I love and adore it.  Not only is there endless combinations to find but it's the variety of tones that really make it for me.  Bright and pastel selections are common enough but where can you also decide to go for something rich and saturated or vintage and subtle all in the same range?

Of course having said that, in my book there's always room for a few more.  I've got about 5 or 6 shades that I'm hankering to see introduced.  For me I've always struggled to find the greens I need, particularly the paler shades which are practically non-exsistant.  But I'd love to see some peachy pinks, a soft jade, a banana yellow and wouldn't an antique cream be lovely?

We all have our own ideas about where the gaps in colour might be though and I dare say your wish list will be different again.  That's why the prospect of some new colours coming and the possibility of a new perfect colour entering the range gets my excitement levels rising!

Well, enough waffle, let's get to the money shot.  A picture of the three new colours...


Here they are.  What do you think?

From left to right we have... a mid-tone blue called Lapis (1831), a pale sage-ish green called Lincoln (1834) and a warmer peachy pink called Blush (1833)

Needless to say I'm fairly happy with that selection.  I yummy paler green which I really love and know I'll use a lot and the warmer pink is pretty too.  I'm less enamoured with the blue to be honest.  It's a very nice blue but (for me) it's not distinctly different enough when there are other, bigger gaps to fill.

But, let me help you make your mind up about the new colours.  Let me show you where they fit into the range and compare them with the shades you know.


Let's start with Lincoln, cos that's my favourite...

L-R: Meadow, Cypress, Lincoln, Sage 

Let's show it first with the next closest colours in the range.  Actually there aren't any other close colours to this lovely new green, this is the first paler green in the range really.  But you can see how beautifully it works as a pastel to both the Sage and the Cypress.  So happy with this addition!

L-R: Duck Egg, Storm Blue, Lincoln, Sage

I think it's fits in so nicely as a subtle and slightly muted vintage style Sage along with the Duck Egg and Storm Blue too.  That's my kind of colours right there.

L-R: Pistachio, Meadow, Lincoln, Cypress

I also think it fills out the green range nicely too and will work really nicely with the existing yellowy greens like Pistachio and Meadow.

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Next up let's look at the new pink, Blush...

L-R: Pale Rose, Fondant, Blush, Vintage Peach 

 Here's how it sits with the existing mid-tone pinks.  You can see that's it's warmer than the Pale Rose and the Fondant.  I was surprised to see how close to the Vintage Peach it looks here because it definitely falls into the pink category seen on it's own.

L-R: Soft Peach, Candy Floss, Blush, Pomegranate

I love how it sits so nicely in this little palette of pinks.  I particularly like how it really ties the pomegranate in with the other pinks now as that's a colour I've always struggled to use before.
Wouldn't this make a fab Cath Kidston style flower palette?

 L-R: Vintage Peach, Apricot, Shrimp, Blush

Just to show you how the blush sits with the other peachy colours in the range.  I think it works really well, it's a beautiful bridge colour between the pinks and the peaches.

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Last but not least, Lapis...


L-R:  Denim, Lapis, Lobelia, Royal

This is what I mean about the mid-tone blues.  The Royal blue was recently joined by the Lobelia which is quite similar and now Lapis is added in too and it also seems to be pretty similar.  I'd have much preferred to see something a little more distinct.

L-R: Cloud Blue, Aster, Lapis, Midnight


Having said that, I much prefer the Lapis to the Royal or the Lobelia, it fits in perfectly in this range of blues here.  The Lapis is a slightly softer colour than the Royal so that makes it first choice for me and I always struggle to fit the Lobelia into a palette anyway.  Although it works much better with the slightly more purpley shades like Bluebell.

Looking at this though I'm thinking a nice darker blue which would sit between the Lapis and the Midnight would be fab too.  The Midnight is a lovely navy shade but it's so dark it almost reads as black on most palettes which is a shame as I like a navy and would use it more if it was a bit more subtle.


L-R: Storm Blue, Duck Egg, Lapis

Finally I thought I'd show you how it compares to the tinted blues.  I think it fits in well with those too, I particularly like it next to the Duck Egg here.

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So, that's what I think.  But what do you think of these new shades? 





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S x



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Comments

  1. I love the way you've presented the colours here, Sandra. The new Lincoln Green is beautiful and my favourite of the new colours. Blush is nice too in the right harmonious combination. Lapis might be the most difficult to fit in, unless I'm making something ins shades of blue and grey with a touch of white! I'm definitely going to get some Lincoln!

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  2. I agree with your colour wishes for this range! The blue isn't as distinctly its own colour as some of the others is it, but still very pretty. The green is lovely and much needed as more greens are and more yellows too.

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  3. A really informative post. Thank you

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  4. Thank you so much for sharing these exciting new colors from Stylecraft in such a comprehensive way! The Lapis seems more gentle than the Royal which could be useful but I totally agree with you that of the three it seems close to existing blues and there are other colors which have bigger "gaps". The Blush is very pretty & does fill a "gap", I'm sure to be picking up some of that soon! But Lincoln? Oh my gosh that is just gorgeous!!! I am already a huge fan of the Cypress, Sage, & Storm Blue and I also think it will play very nicely with the other three new colors released earlier in the year. I cannot wait to get my hands on some!! I hope you are having a lovely holiday 😃
    Helen

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  5. They look great - thanks for comparing them to different colours in the palette; it really helps to see how they fit in.

    My votes for new colours would be for a good mustard yellow and a proper orange. I've made a few rainbow blankets for kids and Spice is too brown, Shrimp is too pink, Jaffa is too neon. Like Goldilocks, I want a shade that's juuust right!

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  6. I always love to see new shades. You can never have enough in a range. For me it's pinks and blues I struggle with finding (it would be!). I can NEVER find a really good range of grey/blue shades. I'm always on a fruitless mission. I don't understand why it's so hard to get? I see plenty of blue/pinks and blue/greens but not enough blue /grey. I think I'd buy up a whole shop if Stylecraft made the perfect blue/grey! Also I struggle with pinks. There are plenty of pinks on offer but they are never quite right. Wow, how difficult am I?!!!!! The perfect ballet pink with just the right amount of brown tone to make it not sweetly sick or too vintage. I can hope that new colours keep on coming, but it's lovely to see these new ones fitting in just nicely in the range! X

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  7. I've been looking for a colour like lincoln in an acrylic for ages. I'm so happy to see that one!

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  8. i would like to see a very dark blue or purple in the above range but these colours can look black on the computer screen, and my p/c is not the latest. There may be many more readers who would like to know what some of these dark colours look like " in real life " .
    I am pleased with my recent purchases from Stylecraft. CC UK OAP

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  9. Completamente de acuerdo contigo en lo de los azules tan parecidos.

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  10. I have only just discovered your blog - not sure exactly how I came here (was blog browsing) but think through Crafternoon Treats. Anyway I love it . It is not just an interesting and informative read it is a total feast for the eye. I love the way you store your Stylecraft colours it must make choosing the exact shade so much easier. It has helped me too as I want to knit a new blue cardigan. I have recently finished one but knew it was the wrong shade pretty quickly. From your shade cards I can see the denim would be perfect. I have to buy online and it is usually difficult to judge the tonal differences . Anyway I am going to work my way backwards through your blog. In fact I think today is the perfect day to start as when I look out of the window it is just grey,wet and dreary and your blog is full of gorgeous, cheerful prettyness. Very french shabby chic!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, what a lovely comment! I must admit the shade cards are so, so handy. It's lovely to just be able to quickly grab the colours and check how they look together and so on. :)

      S x

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  11. Superb website you have here but I was curious if you knew of any message boards that cover
    the same topics talked about here? I'd really love to
    be a part of group where I can get suggestions from other knowledgeable
    people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations,
    please let me know. Kudos!

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  12. Fab post Sandra - it reminded me of our old Colour Collaborative days! I like the blue and pink and think they're actually both amazingly versatile. The green is lovely but I prefer my greens a little more pea or olive in tone, if that makes sense. I hope you've had a lovely holiday my friend. Good luck with the return to work, life, school etc. xx

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