BRADAN: My Kelbourne Woolens Arranmore Color Story

In recent years some of my newest favorite yarns (here, here and here) have come from Kelbourne Woolens, who are headquartered in a part of Philadelphia that I am beginning to know very well. (It is exactly that part of Philadelphia where both of my young adult children now live.)

Kelbourne Woolens = Courtney Kelley + Kate Gagnon Osborn. They distribute The Fibre Co unique artisan yarns and Kelbourne Woolens patterns and notions worldwide.

The newest 'The Fibre Co' yarn is Arranmore...

"Inspired by the breathtaking scenery of Ireland's Northern Headlands, Arranmore is spun in a mill that traces its roots to the tweed industry of 19th century County Donegal. Blending cashmere and silk with fine merino wool created an authentic tweed yarn of the finest quality. With a color palette reminiscent of the wild Irish coastlands, this aran weight yarn was designed for makers appreciating the best of luxury and tradition."

Arranmore (80% wool, 10% cashmere, 10% silk) comes in 18 colors, each one "evoking the Irish landscape, language, and history." In this post (a beautiful color story) by Courtney, she asked the question:

"Is there a color that surprised you, or one that you're dying to knit with that isn't in your usual comfort zone? Get inspired to try something new. In the comments on the blog, let us know which of the colors speaks to you, and we'll choose one winner to receive a skein of their choice of color and a copy of our Lacroagh hat!"

I am now "a designer", and sometimes, I let that hold me back from entering contests. But this time (you know how I love color) I thought it OK (quoting Courtney a bit at the end) to say:

"Congratulations on so very many amazing colors with so very many interesting color names and color stories!!! My easy favorites are River Esque, Narin Beach and St Claire. They all sit front and center in my comfort zone. But, I love color, and I LOVE your question about what color surprised me and could be a new one that I would love to knit with...

That is BRADAN... "an Irish Gaelic word meaning 'salmon'"... the "'Salmon of Knowledge' creature" and "a wise man that was transformed into a salmon"... ♥♥♥" 

I won that contest. The yarn is here, and I do love the color Bradan!

♥♥♥  Now off I go to get my ball winder and start swatching...